Chapter 5, The Bright Light of the Black Wilderness

At this moment, Hua Zhenxing felt that the wine had completely worn off, and he was particularly alert, showing no signs of drowsiness. Therefore, he sat down to recount the dream he had just experienced.

From the perspective of the infiltrator, one would not even realize that they have already been exposed. Old Yang had long taught Hua Zhenxing that if one discovers someone attempting to ambush them, believing they are well hidden, the first reaction must be to remain calm. It is best to ensure that the other party does not know that you have already detected them, and then find a way to counter suddenly.

Mr. Yang is the way he usually addresses the old man Yang, who enjoys being called that by others. From the other side of the cabinet came the voice of the old man Yang: "You didn't take your gun when you went out today, did you? The small pistol hidden behind the curtain, you didn't touch it just now, did you?"

After the liquor is mixed, a bit of sugar is added, resulting in a strange and unpleasant taste, yet it is quite popular among the locals. They have a very popular way of drinking, which involves placing the liquor in a wooden basin, and then a circle of people sits around it, each using a long straw to sip. Their expressions resemble those of celestial beings in enjoyment, as they drink while engaging in lively discussions and often singing.

He truly hopes that he is the person from his dreams, living in such a world. The dream seems absurd, but the reality of Feisuo Port is even more absurd. With this feeling, Hua Zhenxing concluded his narration

Old Yang: "Oh, what dream? Just tell me now."

Hua Zhenxing: "I have finished speaking, and there are many places I can no longer remember"

Old Yang: "I was just testing your reaction to see if you would get nervous when you found out the gun was missing"

Old Yang suddenly burst into laughter, leaving Hua Zhenxing utterly perplexed

Hua Zhenxing: "I informed you before I left, and I went to the Joy Bar with the tall black Xiaer."

Old Yang chuckled: "You have to endure even the disgusting things! Whose youth is not wild? You have grown up and learned to frequent bars. But how much can you drink at your age, to have come this far?"

Hua Zhen walked straight to the bedside without making a sound, avoiding the bright light as he pulled the curtains shut. The curtains had a blackout layer, and once drawn, the room was enveloped in darkness, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. He had already taken out the brass knuckles and put them on his left hand

This type of passive lighting lamp is actually sourced from Yiwu City in Dongguo, with a factory price of 80 Dongguo currency. For bulk orders, the price can be reduced to 60 Dongguo currency. It is branded with the logos of the Mi Jian country and the United Nations relief organizations. In the budget of this charitable foundation's projects, each lamp is accounted for at 200 gold currency. It is claimed that 500,000 units have been donated to Jili country and surrounding areas, and there is also a distribution in Feisuo Port

Feisuo Port has electricity supply, but power outages occur frequently, so having such a device in the house is quite convenient. The grocery store has not received international aid; these items are all brought in by locals to exchange for money to buy goods. The retail price for items sold outside the grocery store is 80 Dongguo currency, while the wholesale price is 60 Dongguo currency

Old Yang: "Are you done speaking?"

Hua Zhenxing: "Actually, I returned before midnight, but somehow I got drunk just before reaching home and fell asleep against the wall."

The local specialty "cocktail" is made by mixing homemade banana liquor with some strong spirits such as whiskey or vodka, but nowadays it is mostly mixed with Erguotou produced in China, as it is both cost-effective and potent

The storefront of the grocery store faces north, with a side door on the west that leads to the kitchen. The kitchen is spacious, containing nine stoves. Hua Zhenxing passed through the kitchen and ascended the stairs from the living room to the second floor, entering his own bedroom

Its official name is the Black Wilderness Beacon, and it has a significant background as a charitable assistance project. It is a well-known international charity fund from the United States that provides livelihood supplies to the Black Wilderness continent through a United Nations relief organization. Many areas in the Black Wilderness continent still lack electricity, and this device can provide illumination at night

At that moment, he suddenly relaxed and said with a smile: "General Yang, are you not afraid that I might shoot you dead?"

Hua Zhenxing: "Of course not! I don't touch those things, I was just drinking."

On the wall hangs a device, a disc-shaped object the size of a bowl's opening, with an LED bulb the size of a grain of rice at its center, similar to those used in mobile phone flashlights. Below the disc extends a thin steel wire, equipped with a hook. Two heavy sandbags are hung on it, gradually pulling the steel wire out, causing the small bulb to illuminate

Hua Zhenxing quickly interrupted, "Don't say anymore, it sounds quite disgusting."

However, after hearing what Old Yang said, it seems that the wooden basin used for storing wine and the foot-washing basin at home are indeed of the same model, likely purchased from the general store. Although it is not used for washing feet, it appears to be quite dirty and sticky. I wonder how they could still drink from it so happily at that time

Old Yang often spoke in a disorganized manner, to which Hua Zhenxing replied: "Nothing was lost, I just had a dream, a very strange dream! I actually dreamed of a world five hundred years in the future. I was planning to wait until tomorrow to have a good chat with you, old sir."

Old Yang curled his lips: "Erguotou mixed with banana wine, served in a foot basin, a crowd of people gathered around sipping through straw..."

Many streets and alleys in Feisuo Port are not equipped with streetlights, and even in areas where streetlights are present, many bulbs are broken. Some idle troublemakers enjoy playing the game of vandalizing streetlights; it only takes one stone to break a streetlight, and it becomes difficult to wait for maintenance personnel to repair it.

Hua Zhenxing retracted the tiger claws and the paratrooper knife, lifted two sandbags from the floor, and hung them on a hook above his head. The room suddenly brightened, accompanied by a faint sound of mechanical movement

Someone was hiding in the bedroom, pressed against the side of the wardrobe. Hua Zhenxing appeared to have no reaction, but his mind was racing. It seemed that this was not a friendly visit. Could it be that what Xia Er said in the bar last night was overheard, leading the other party to believe that he was also an accomplice of Xia Er, and thus coming to deal with him?

Old Yang: "You haven't learned to chew on the grass and pull the leaves from them, have you?"

Old Yang: "You really have a big heart; just remember this lesson in the future. You haven't lost anything, have you? Is your virginity still intact?"

The LED lights used in mobile phones, despite their low power, do not have low brightness. Within a small area, they can illuminate the surroundings clearly, and if one is close enough, it is even possible to read the text in books, although it can be somewhat straining on the eyes

In the impression of the locals, although Old Man Yang is of Eastern nationality, he arrived here earlier than anyone else in this neighborhood. It seems as if he has been running a grocery store here since time immemorial

Hua Zhenxing: "How many times have you played this trick! Aren't you afraid that if I really encounter a dangerous situation in the future, I might think you are just testing me, which would actually ruin things? Haven't you heard the story of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'?"

That dream was hardly like a dream; it felt as if I had truly experienced a journey through time, as if I genuinely possessed such an identity, witnessed such a world, and even lived through such a life.

Fifteen years ago, during that riot, many buildings were abandoned, and Old Yang could occupy as much space as he wanted, as long as he could hold onto it. However, Old Yang did not take the opportunity to seize territory; his grocery store was just such a two-story building with a backyard. Over the past decade, people from various tribal villages have continuously flowed into the city, and Feisuo Port has become crowded once again

Old Yang's grocery store features a two-story building at the front, accompanied by a yard at the back. The yard walls are set at a distance from the surrounding structures, covering an area of approximately 300 square meters. On ordinary days, it is inhabited by two individuals, an elder and a younger person.

Indeed, this idiom has never been used incorrectly throughout history. The average lifespan of the locals is only in their early thirties. There is an ancient saying in the East that goes, "Living to seventy has always been rare," and reaching the age of seventy is no longer unusual in today's East. However, in the port of Naisuo, this saying is particularly accurate

The principle of this device is actually not complex; it is similar to that of a mechanical clock. However, its power does not come from a spring, but rather from the potential energy of a falling weight. The gear system drives not a clock face, but a miniature motor, with an output power of less than one watt, just enough to illuminate such a small light bulb

At the moment the curtains were drawn, the other party could no longer see Hua Zhenxing. In a flash, Hua Zhenxing moved silently to the other side of the cabinet, with a combat knife already in his right hand. There was a large cabinet between him and the infiltrator, making it impossible for the other party to shoot him. If they wanted to use a knife, they would have to come around and also be aware of his position

Hua Zhenxing felt a bit embarrassed and said: "Many details are things I imagined, a mix of thought and guesswork, and I think it should be something like that."

Feisuo Port is certainly not Dongguo Shanggang, the land is very cheap, it is hard to say how high the housing prices are for the locals, but for Old Yang, they are definitely not high

The Erguotou used to mix cocktails at the lively bar is purchased from the grocery store. The grocery store even has Moutai, so if Huazhenxing wants to drink, there is no need to go there to taste something so unpleasant. However, the atmosphere there is different; it is completely unlike the feeling of drinking casually at home. As one drinks, it is easy to get tipsy and excited, and everyone in the circle becomes very lively.

Old Yang: "How can you say so much if you can't remember?"

Old Man Yang has been running a grocery store here for at least thirty years. The reason for saying at least is that the longest memory of the local people regarding this neighborhood is also about thirty years. Due to wars and turmoil, some people have died and some have left, making Old Man Yang the longest-standing resident here. He and his grocery store are almost like a miracle or a historical relic.

The light bulb, the size of a grain of rice, dispelled the darkness and illuminated the entire room. Against the wall stood a cabinet, and Hua Zhenxing was standing beside the cabinet on this side of the door. In the middle of the opposite side of the room was a window, and to the left of the window was a bed

Hua Zhenxing's pistol was originally hidden behind the curtains at the head of the bed, but at this moment it has been placed on the table. The table is to the right of the window, and there is only one chair in front of it. Old Yang turned the chair around to face Hua Zhenxing and, with his legs crossed, asked: "What were you doing, sneaking home like a thief?"

Hearing the sound, Old Yang has already walked out from behind the cabinet: "Vigilance is actually a habit; as long as you learn to respond correctly every time, that is sufficient"

The curtains are open, and although there are no streetlights outside, a faint light still seeps in on this clear night. If one's eyes have adapted to the dark environment, it is still possible to vaguely discern the outlines of some objects in the room. Hua Zhenxing suddenly felt that something was amiss; he squinted his eyes, but did not move his neck.

What is hanging in Huazhen's house is something he took from the store to play with. It has already been disassembled and modified. The hanging object is divided into two sandbags, each weighing thirty pounds. When dropped from a height of over two meters to the ground, it can illuminate the light for about ten minutes. What happens after ten minutes? The steel wire rope can be retracted to continue hanging the sandbags and relight them.

Hua Zhenxing had a small pistol, equipped with a homemade silencer and voice modulator, hidden behind the curtains. He had just pulled the curtains, intending to reach for the gun, but he couldn't find it; it had already been taken by Old Yang. Hua Zhenxing snorted and said, "So you are afraid too? Afraid that I might accidentally pull the trigger in a moment of tension and shoot at you."

This is about striving for an advantage through information asymmetry. If the opponent is well-hidden and intends to launch a surprise attack, he knows you while you do not know him, thus he holds the advantage in information; however, if you have already discovered him while he remains unaware, you conversely gain the advantage in information, which needs to be effectively utilized