Chapter 90 Sanctuary 4

Chapter 90 Sanctuary 4

The system claimed that food, clean water, and medicine were all in short supply. However, in reality, it barely covered the essentials—the sanctuary was running on empty.

If large quantities of diesel were sold cheaply, residents could drive around, greatly improving their safety.

On the other hand, diesel was flammable, and its fumes could blow up at 60 to 70 degrees Celsius. If used properly, its power was no less than explosives.

Su Han’s mind raced. But then again, she snorted. It wasn’t even confirmed to be diesel—what if it was beer? Or something else entirely?

By then, the girl had pulled herself together. After saying, “I’m leaving,” she vanished into the crowd.

Su Han wanted to call out to her, but the girl was already gone. She grumbled, “Tiny thing, but quick on her feet.”

Shaking her head, she was just about to consider returning to the tent when a wild shout cut through the air, “I found a crystal!!”

Su Han stiffened, almost spat out, *How is that possible?!*

“Where’s the guy who said a crystal could be exchanged for a hundred pounds of rice? Come out!” the man yelled excitedly.

The outburst left the crowd speechless, and they all stopped talking to watch intently.

Ignoring the stares, the man kept shouting, “Where’s the person buying crystals? Show yourself! Don’t tell me you’re welching now?”

Just as the crowd began to grow suspicious, a man in a white lab coat and gold-rimmed glasses—looking like some lab geek—stepped forward. His expression was indifferent as he drawled, “Where’s the crystal?”

“Here, here!” The guy scurried closer as he spoke.

“Let me see it,” the researcher demanded.

The man hesitated.

The researcher glanced at him and said calmly, “You can stand nearby and wait for the results. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”

Only then did the man reluctantly hand over the crystal.

Lurking in a corner, Su Han observed from a distance and couldn’t help but feel that the so-called crystal was just like any old white rock.

The researcher examined the crystal carefully and, after a minute, nodded. “This is indeed the crystal I need.”

“So… what do you think…?” The man grinned, practically salivating, his eyes full of anticipation.

“I said one crystal could be exchanged for a hundred pounds of rice, and I keep my promises.” The researcher waved his hand, and immediately, several people carried over sacks of rice, placing a hundred pounds in front of him.

“I’m rich!!” The lucky man went nuts, losing his damn mind from happiness.

The researcher reminded him unhurriedly, “One crystal can make three bottles of medicine. Since you’re the first to exchange, I can give you one as a gift.”

The man shook his head vigorously. “You expect me to drink zombie-brain juice? Keep it for someone who needs it!”

With that, he waved over two acquaintances to help him, grabbed the rice, and ran off.

The researcher announced loudly, “The medicine will be ready by noon tomorrow. If anyone wants to volunteer to try it, feel free to sign up.”

The crowd exchanged skeptical looks.

But then they remembered the sacks of rice, and their hearts burned with excitement, their fingers twitching. A full hundred pounds of rice! How long would that last?

Just half a day ago, someone had personally heard the researcher offer a high price for crystals—one crystal for a hundred pounds of rice. He’d take as many as people could provide. Now, many couldn’t help but think—*maybe I should give it a try too?*

The crowd was in high spirits, yet Su Han remained completely unmoved, secretly disturbed instead.

She had initially thought they were merely telling a crude lie to lure residents into battle, getting as many as possible. But judging from the current situation, they had even prepared a backup plan!

She wasn't short on food or water, so her emotions were stable, allowing her to easily spot the flaws.

If they had indeed obtained the crystal, why not find a private room for further discussion instead of discussing it publicly in front of everyone?

If it were truly a lucky break to suddenly gain a hundred pounds of rice, wouldn’t the lucky person fear being robbed overnight? Yet he dared to leave openly with several bags of rice?

As for the unknown virus mentioned by the system, the fact that the man in the white coat knew the antidote formula on the first day of the game and could produce the potion by noon the next day—Su Han couldn’t muster the energy to critique.

The fakeness was quite obvious. Anyone who calmed down and thought for a moment would notice the inconsistencies. However, the people living in the outer ring of the shelter were on the verge of starvation.

Their minds were filled with only one thought: "A hundred pounds of rice—a full hundred pounds!" Beyond that, they had no other considerations.

After pondering for a long time, it suddenly clicked for Su Han, and she finally realized what the man in the white coat was up to.

Crystals could be exchanged for a hundred pounds of rice. To obtain food, many residents would voluntarily go all-in and hunt zombies.

When zombies died, they turned into white light, leaving nothing behind—a normal phenomenon. But the residents would only think they were unlucky, failing to find zombies with crystals in their heads.

To seize good fortune and earn a hundred pounds of food, residents would take down zombies relentlessly. This way, their enthusiasm would skyrocket, and their hunting efficiency would greatly improve.

However, this was all a scam—there were no crystals in the zombies' heads. In other words, the residents would fight bloody battles only to end up with nothing. They were being used, gaining nothing in return.

Meanwhile, the man in the white coat and his group only needed to pay a hundred pounds of rice to play everyone like fiddles.

"Maybe they don’t even need to pay a hundred pounds," Su Han murmured to herself. If the so-called lucky person was also a player and stowed the rice into their Portable Storage after leaving everyone’s sight, then the man in the white coat’s group wouldn’t have to give up anything at all, completing the act seamlessly.

At some point, Zhong Rui appeared beside her and whispered a reminder, "There's more to their scheme. Think about the potion that’ll be ready by noon tomorrow."

Su Han was puzzled. "The act is already over. Why overcomplicate things and leave flaws?" These people couldn’t possibly have an antidote for the unknown virus—why shoot themselves in the foot?

But the next second, her eyes narrowed as she muttered a few words under her breath, "Physician talent, Vitality Potion."

At the same time, Zhong Rui said, "Vitality Potion, inner-circle merchant team."

The two exchanged a glance, immediately understanding each other.

Vitality Potion: A pale blue liquid with a sour plum taste. After consumption, all three attributes are restored to full, and all negative status effects on the player are removed.

The residents only knew that the man in the white coat had collected crystals today and would produce the potion tomorrow, successfully curing the unknown virus. On the surface, it seemed as if he possessed the relevant technology to save people from peril.

In reality, however, the crystals were fabricated, and the potion presented had no connection to them. But none of the NPCs would ever know this.

Zhong Rui analyzed further, "If the hundred pounds of rice targeted the outer-ring residents, then the potion is aimed at the inner-ring elites."

"No matter the time or place, there will always be a small group at the top of the pyramid. They lack nothing in daily necessities but value their lives above all, fearing they might one day die unexpectedly. If an antidote appeared, they would undoubtedly move heaven and earth to obtain one for safekeeping."

"Thus, all 5,000 NPCs in the server would get played."

Finally, Zhong Rui mused, "This is about taking everyone for a ride."

"Those who don’t understand will charge into battle, while those who do can sit this one out," Su Han muttered. "The dungeon difficulty plummets, and the success rate rises sharply—but why does this feel so unpleasant?"

"Because it’s rotten to the core," Zhong Rui said calmly. "The trouble is, once you discover the scam and choose to sit this one out, you immediately come out ahead. That’s why the emotions are complicated."

On one hand, the other party was begging to be taken down, clearly deserving of retribution. On the other hand, exposing the scam would bring personal benefits, making clearance much easier. Most who saw through the scam would remain silent because the smoother the scam progressed, the more they came out ahead.

The air went still as neither of them spoke for a long while.

Finally, Zhong Rui broke the silence and voiced his doubt, "Would you go and expose the lie?"

Su Han replied without hesitation, "I won't."

"Oh?" Zhong Rui raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "So decisive?"

Su Han shrugged. "It's a survival game, isn't it? Filter out the weak and let the strong players enjoy themselves. Players who can't keep up should be eliminated early anyway."

Then, she turned to her companion and said earnestly, "Think about it—they set the trap with their skills, we see through it with ours, and others get eliminated by their own shortcomings. Fair's fair." It even sounded perfectly reasonable—everyone was just using what they've got!

Zhong Rui chuckled.

Su Han continued explaining, "Besides, playing hero isn't so simple."

"Exposing the scam would put a target on your back from the winners. Those who can see through the scheme are undoubtedly the elites in the server. Offending them means making a whole group of enemies—why bother?"

"Also, thinking that NPCs would just believe me if I explained is too naive. After taking the medicine, the patients recover—the results speak for themselves. Without solid proof, how can I convince anyone that the lab-coat crew has ulterior motives? If the evidence is insufficient, I might even get burned, labeled as 'jealous,' 'bitter,' or 'slanderous.'"

"If they've got two brain cells to rub together, they'd see the problem without me pointing it out. If they’re lacking in intelligence or already caught up in fanaticism, you couldn't talk sense into them with a megaphone. Why put myself through that?"

"The dumbest thing in the world is going down with the ship while failing to save others. So after weighing everything, I think truth-telling is bad strategy—definitely not worth it."

She said this last part like it was carved in stone.

Zhong Rui’s lips curled slightly as he responded casually, "Hmm, then we'll play it by ear."

Author's Note: Just because you claim to be a good person trying to help doesn’t mean those you’re saving will believe you. For reference, see pyramid schemes.