Miao Suisui suddenly jolted awake from her dream. Still shaken, she reached up and touched the top of her head. That nightmare of being struck by something falling from a great height had felt far too real.
Even now, she could still clearly feel that cold pain, as well as the sticky sensation of blood smearing into her eyes.
She lifted her head and looked out the window. Blue sky, white clouds, lush green grass, and a gentle breeze drifted in through the window, softly brushing against her face.
Wait… green grass?
She clearly lived on the twenty-eighth floor. How could she possibly see green grass?
Miao Suisui’s mind instantly tensed. She quickly looked around, only to realize that this was not her room at all.
Her hand clenched tightly, gripping the corner of the blanket. What was going on? Kidnapping, or human trafficking?
“Detected that the host has awakened. Initiating binding with the Town System… Binding successful. Please name your town.”
The voice in her mind startled Miao Suisui so much that she nearly jumped off the bed.
“Who are you? Is this some kind of prank? I’m warning you, I’m calling the police!” Miao Suisui spoke while secretly pressing the emergency call shortcut on her phone.
In the next second, two large words appeared on the screen: No Signal.
Miao Suisui could not help but complain inwardly, wondering what remote wilderness she had been brought to, that there was not even any signal.
“Host, please remain calm. In your original world, you have already died. It was this system that brought you to your current plane. All traces of your existence and activities in your original world have been erased.”
As soon as the voice finished speaking, a floating transparent screen appeared in front of Miao Suisui. It was playing the scene of her being killed by a falling object.
The image was too bloody, so the system had applied a mosaic blur.
Miao Suisui froze. So it had not been a nightmare. She had really died.
This news was difficult for her to accept for a moment.
After quietly sinking into her thoughts for a while, Miao Suisui gradually came to terms with it. She had been an orphan to begin with, always alone, with few friends. No matter which world she lived in, it would not make much difference.
Besides, she had already died once. The time she had now could be considered something she had gained back. She should feel fortunate. Most people would never have such an opportunity.
She usually enjoyed reading apocalypse-themed novels, so she was not unfamiliar with systems.
“Please name your town, and work together with the system to shelter struggling humans in the apocalypse and build a beautiful home.”
“Apo… apocalypse? It’s not the kind I’m thinking of, with zombies everywhere, right?” Miao Suisui felt her head go slightly numb. Was it still possible to take back what she had just said?
“No.”
Before Miao Suisui could even relax, the system added, “In addition to zombies, there are also mutated animals and mutated plants.”
Miao Suisui: “…”
“Host, please rest assured. The system can guarantee absolute safety within the town, as well as for the host personally.”
Miao Suisui said nothing. She pushed open the door of the room she was in. On her right were two thatched huts, and beyond them stretched a vast open area, so large that it seemed to have no end.
Only after walking some distance forward could she see that the edge of the town was enclosed by iron railings as thick as a wrist.
Beyond the railings and within them lay two completely different worlds.
Standing by the railing, all she could see outside were ruins and broken walls. The entire city looked utterly dilapidated. The air carried a heavy, unpleasant smell. From time to time, animals ran past outside, but Miao Suisui knew they were anything but normal. Rats did not grow sharp fangs and glowing red eyes, not to mention the wild grass by the roadside that bared its “teeth,” the flowers with grinning maws, and the green vines that shot into the air and cracked the concrete roads apart.
A zombie staggered toward her from the distance. The skin on its face had already rotted away. Its body was riddled with holes, and worms crawled in and out of them. From its half-open mouth, a black, unknown substance dripped out.
Miao Suisui could not hold it in any longer. She bent over and vomited.
Fortunately, these animals, plants, and zombies all seemed to ignore both the town and her, a living human. The tension in Miao Suisui’s chest eased slightly.
There was no going back. She understood her own limitations. There was no way she could survive in this place alone. In comparison, accepting the system was much easier, at least her safety could be guaranteed.
Looking at the devastated city before her, Miao Suisui softly said, “Let’s call it Hope Town.”
“Name successfully set. Host may open the panel to view the town layout and upgrade instructions.” Even the system’s mechanical voice seemed to carry a hint of cheer.
Miao Suisui returned to her room, poured herself a cup of hot water, and then opened the system panel to examine it.
The house she was currently in would be her residence from now on. The system had named it the Mayor’s Residence. It would upgrade along with the town and was an absolutely safe place. Without her permission, no one could enter.
On the system’s construction panel, there were five sections: agriculture, industry, daily life, education, and transportation.
At present, all of these sections were grayed out and unavailable, except for the daily life section, where two houses had been unlocked, which were the two crude thatched huts she had seen outside. Agriculture had also unlocked wheat seeds, which could be used for planting. Everything else would only be unlocked gradually through upgrades.
What surprised Miao Suisui was that there was even transportation. Did that mean there could be buses or public transit in the future? Would she have a chance to go out and explore? The thought made her feel a bit excited.
The crude thatched huts were livable, but required a maintenance fee. It cost twenty Level 1 crystal cores per day, or five hundred and eighty Level 1 crystal cores per month. They could be upgraded later, and the required maintenance cores would also increase accordingly.
The maintenance fee was similar to rent.
The system also provided an exchange explanation for crystal cores. One hundred Level 1 cores equaled one Level 2 core, and one hundred Level 2 cores equaled one Level 3 core, and so on.
All energy needed for water, electricity, gas, and signal within buildings was supplied by the system. Of course, this was only possible if Miao Suisui could provide enough crystal cores for the system to upgrade and operate.
“What if I can’t earn enough crystal cores for upgrades?” Miao Suisui asked.
“Once the system’s energy is depleted, it will enter dormancy. The town will become an abandoned town. It will no longer develop, nor will it shelter anyone. Zombies will be free to enter and leave, and mutated animals and plants will take over this place,” the system replied truthfully.
At the thought of that scene, Miao Suisui shuddered. If that day truly came, she would likely be devoured without even her bones remaining.
There were also rules within the town. Fighting was prohibited. Robbing others was prohibited. Public defecation and urination were prohibited. And the final rule was that the mayor stood above all rules, possessing absolute authority and safety within the town.
Miao Suisui could not help but click her tongue. If someone ambitious were in this position, they could probably establish their own kingdom on the spot.
She went to take another look at the crude thatched huts. In the vast empty land, the two huts looked somewhat lonely. From the outside, the thatched roofs appeared so fragile that a gust of wind might blow them away, and the mud walls were uneven and rough. Aside from being relatively large, they seemed to have no other advantages.
Feeling somewhat apprehensive, Miao Suisui stepped inside. To her surprise, the interior space was better than she had imagined.
The thatched hut had only one floor. Outside was a large hall, fitted with an LED light and a very simple front desk. Behind the desk stood a round-headed, round-bodied robot.
“Hello, Mayor. How may I assist you?” The robot detected someone approaching, scanned briefly, and quickly identified Miao Suisui.
Miao Suisui was startled by its intelligence. After standing there for a moment, she said, “I want to take a look at the rooms.”
“Understood. Information has been scanned. Please use facial recognition to enter. The path is uneven, please watch your step.”
After speaking, the robot turned its head back again and dutifully continued guarding its small area.
Miao Suisui clicked her tongue in amazement. This was practically a worry-free, highly capable helper.
Walking further inside from the hall, she passed through a short corridor. What came into view were two large doors facing each other, with doorplates labeled A101 and A102.
Standing in front of A101, she saw a display screen above the handle. Her face appeared on it. With a beep, a small green light lit up above the handle, indicating that the door could now be opened.
She turned the handle, and the door opened.
The interior was rectangular, stretching straight from one end to the other, small enough to see everything at a glance. The living room and bedroom were separated only by a curtain. The bed measured 1.8 by 2 meters, and the bedding was visibly clean, as if she could even smell the scent of sunlight drying.
In one corner, on a small wooden cabinet, sat an induction cooker, a kettle, and several glass cups. The kettle had a faucet attached, providing filtered, drinkable water.
In the center of the living room was a set of wooden table and chairs. It did not take up much space and could be folded away. Above, there was a simple LED light.
The bathroom was tiled with old-fashioned white ceramic tiles. A handheld showerhead hung alone on the wall, with a sink beside it.
The entire house had only whitewashed walls, and the floor was plain cement.
It truly lived up to the name of a crude thatched hut.
In Miao Suisui’s original world, a house like this would be something that even people struggling financially might hesitate to rent. Yet in the apocalypse, it was a warm and safe shelter.
Behind the Mayor’s Residence lay a large farm. At this moment, a robot equipped with rolling wheels was sowing seeds in the field. Its small wheels spun rapidly, making it look very energetic.
The first batch of wheat seeds had been provided by the system. After that, she would need to purchase them herself. One Level 1 crystal core could buy one bag of seeds.
After about half an hour, the wheat in one of the fields matured. The robot harvested it, and the wheat gradually disappeared from Miao Suisui’s sight.
It was only after the system reminded her that she opened the system panel, found the warehouse button, and clicked it. Inside, neatly stored, were bags of flour, each weighing five jin.
Miao Suisui was once again so astonished that she could hardly close her mouth. What kind of advanced technology was this?
The system sounded slightly smug. “Please work hard to collect crystal cores and build the town. More advanced technology awaits unlocking.”
Looking at the empty town, Miao Suisui rubbed her hands together eagerly. The spirit of running a simulation game seemed to stir within her. She took a deep breath. The first step in upgrading the town was to recruit residents and earn crystal cores.
At that moment, a gust of wind swept through. Leaves spiraled upward into the air before falling down in disarray, giving the scene an inexplicably desolate feeling.
T/N: Okay! Another management-style novel in an apocalypse setting. I’m so ready for this one!! (੭˃ᴗ˂)੭