[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un":3,"chapter-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-141":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","After I Fully Prepared for the Apocalypse, the Ungrateful Cried with Regret",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},146505,236,"Chapter 141: I Have a Friend","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-141",141,"\u003Cp>However, it wasn’t until the two of them arrived at the abandoned construction site that they realized there were already other survivors there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most were small, organized teams, and some were even trading supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You charge a fee?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After they got out of the car, a man and a woman, all smiles, walked out from the derelict building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehehe,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course. It may be dilapidated here,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"but someone has to handle sanitation, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All the teams want a quiet place to rest, so we handle the zoning and management and...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are the rates?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs cut the man off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t mind paying if there were actual services provided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not much, not much at all. Seeing as there are only two of you,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"about two pounds of grain, or some crackers or instant noodles would be fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you can stay for as many days as you like.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you think...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman next to him answered, carefully watching Nina Jacobs’s expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs opened the car door, took out a one-kilogram bag of flour, and handed it to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this enough?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough, more than enough!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pair’s eyes lit up when they saw the small bag of flour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of area would you two like? I’ll take you there right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man briefly introduced himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was Stephen Rhodes, and the woman was his wife, Autumn Lewis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them had been staying at this abandoned construction site for almost a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just somewhere with a bit of privacy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The building at the abandoned construction site was seven or eight stories high. Each floor was only built up to the red brick stage, with no windows, just empty, cement-coated window frames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone was standing in one of the window frames, watching them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They probably saw it was just the two of them and retreated back inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, yes, I have just the place for you two.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The privacy is excellent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked, Stephen Rhodes gave them an overview of the situation at the abandoned construction site.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This area had seen little traffic even before the apocalypse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since the shelter in City J collapsed, some individuals and small teams had spontaneously made their way here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the most part, they managed to coexist peacefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When there were signs of zombies, they would even band together to fight them off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would also bring out any surplus supplies to trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, there are some who don’t get along,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"but they usually just leave on their own.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what Stephen Rhodes said, it seemed the people here weren’t difficult to get along with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staying for a night with Wayne Warner shouldn’t be a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stephen Rhodes led the two to a brick-and-tile unit with two rooms and a living area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only things in the room were a few stools, a table, and two plank beds propped up by bricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the \"excellent privacy\" he’d mentioned, it probably just meant it had a door, unlike the other rooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, although it was crude, the place was reasonably clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also at the end of the fourth floor, so no one would be passing by the door randomly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is fine. We’ll take it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs wasn’t picky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Stephen Rhodes left, Nina Jacobs used \"Five Senses Enhancement\" to scan the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She confirmed there was no immediate danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m going to go check things out. Want to come with?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wayne Warner nodded, she shouldered her own backpack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, to avoid attracting attention, she and Wayne Warner had each brought a hiking backpack from the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stephen Rhodes had said they could trade supplies in the large hall on the right side of the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She planned to go see if there was anything useful to trade for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as she entered the trading area, Nina Jacobs was drawn to a stall covered with Crystal Cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Someone here is actually selling Crystal Cores?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trading area wasn’t large, with only a dozen or so stalls, three of which were displaying Crystal Cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s the trade for these?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs deliberately circled the area twice before stopping at a stall that had a relatively large number of Fire Element Crystal Cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You new here, young lady?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Got any food? If you do, the price is negotiable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stall owner was a man with a toothpick dangling from his mouth, currently playing poker with two other owners nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs took out a two-kilogram bag of flour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Large packages of food are for Claire Warner to use in bulk trades.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I still have plenty of these smaller bags of flour and rice in my storage space.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The male stall owner immediately threw down his poker cards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hand it over. You can take your pick of these Crystal Cores.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was flour, more valuable than anything!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll take them all. See what other supplies you can trade for them,\" Nina Jacobs said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This stall alone had over thirty Fire Element Crystal Cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fire Element Crystal Cores were essential for her \"Heart of Strange Fire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young lady, I have Crystal Cores over here too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Want to come have a look?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owners of the other stalls all crowded around as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But we don’t have many supplies...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs feigned a troubled expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Miss, you’d better think carefully,\" a female stall owner said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the only place you can trade for Mutated Crystal Cores for dozens of miles around.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have a point. Wayne, take off your backpack,\" Nina Jacobs said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She first traded the supplies from her own backpack for all the Crystal Cores at the man’s stall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, she opened Wayne Warner’s large backpack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took out packs of compressed biscuits, dried noodles, cans of luncheon meat, and various crushed and misshapen loaves of bread and other miscellaneous supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One pack of compressed biscuits for three Mutated Crystal Cores!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll give you four!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to trade too! I’ll throw in some regular Crystal Cores!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pick me, pick me! I’ll throw in an Animal Crystal Core!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the scene devolve into chaos, Nina Jacobs quickly said, \"We’ll stick to the same rates I just traded for with this gentleman.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stephen Rhodes had said the people here were all on good terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t want to cause any trouble over trading supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The young miss is a sensible one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll get them to form a line right away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Nina Jacobs had no intention of jacking up the price, the female stall owner quickly shot a look at the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they kept fighting like this, no one would get anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wayne Warner’s backpack, it had to be said, could hold a surprising amount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every single item Nina Jacobs took out could be traded for several Crystal Cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the flattened loaf of sliced bread fetched five Mutated Crystal Cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This continued until Wayne Warner’s backpack was finally empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you have any other supplies?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can trade with you too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the crowd was dispersing and Nina Jacobs and Wayne Warner were heading for the stairs, a man called out to her from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t have any more supplies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’This guy seems suspicious no matter how you look at him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as it’s food, I’ll trade for it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry, we can do it secretly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man walked up and repeatedly assured her in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A secret trade?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What exactly do you have?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs’s interest was piqued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m a good judge of character. You’ve definitely got other supplies, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have this. Want it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man glanced around furtively, like a thief, before a glittering Gold Bar appeared in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’This guy actually wants to trade gold?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is useless to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs said, watching the man’s expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked extremely disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I have a friend who might take it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Nina Jacobs’s words, the man immediately perked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as I can trade this stuff away, I’ll accept any price!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How much do you have?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll ask him later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve got plenty of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The only question is whether your friend can afford it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man gave a mysterious smile. \"Besides this, I also have a lot of Crystal Cores.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the screech of car brakes echoed from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>",1415,"2026-05-29T03:44:18.636Z","2026-06-01T04:29:06.436Z",1,"novelbin.me","b3a63c193c4e175e6af680e2f3093988ded29b73e3088e9b53341f012fd52cca","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-142","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-140",312,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-cover.jpg"]