Chapter 239: My Name Is Pinocchio, My Surname Is Pin — Perfectly Normal

Short videos often feature those indecisive multiple-choice questions.

For example, if you had 3 yuan, how would you choose your life from the following options?

Perfect social life: 40 yuan; Excellent education: 50 yuan.

Dream job: 60 yuan; A special talent: 20 yuan.

A chair easily kicked away: 2 yuan; A rope sturdy enough to support your weight: 1 yuan.

These multiple-choice questions are always agonizing, after all you can't have it all.

One always thinks, if only I had 173 yuan.

But now, it's not 173 yuan, not even 1.73 million, but solid gold worth a full thirty million right before my eyes.

This isn't Wu Min's "ten million happy, ten million joyful, ten million asleep remember to open your eyes," it's genuine, solid thirty million.

Although gold of this quantity and grade, unlike last time's bracelet, can't be easily and casually recycled — not to mention whether a single shop has thirty million in cash flow — if Lin Li dared to take it out but couldn't produce proof of origin, he could be saying "hey uncle" to Yang Liang that very night.

But that's not something to consider right now.

Get it first, then talk.

Small amounts, multiple times, multiple shops, recycling slowly is fine too; Lin Li isn't in urgent need of money, just owning this amount of gold feels great.

Experts say gold can be classified as a medicinal material, because research shows gold has good therapeutic effects in relieving trypophobia, anxiety, and reducing life stress.

Lin Li just thinking about having a hundred jin of gold under his bed feels like life has become beautiful.

At this moment, facing Lin Li's undisguised purpose and desire, Sudan blinked, withdrew her hand, and then smoothly asked a question she had actually always wanted to ask but hesitated on:

"Mr. Bai, when you travel between the two worlds, you can bring things from one world to the other, right?"

"Mm, almost everything on me, including the steel rod in your hand, was brought from my world; perhaps you can also spot some clues." For things there was no need to hide, Lin Li nodded.

Right now he was still fully geared up, wearing a helmet, only this time because he was willing to spend money, his field of view was much better than last time.

Seeing a hint of expectation in Sudan's eyes, Lin Li immediately added:

"I should probably explain, I can only carry dead objects, and if returning from your world to mine, even dead zombies, even flesh stripped from their bodies, I cannot bring back from this world.

I personally think this is a protective screening of my traversal ability on me — that is, I can't even take dead organisms from this world; if you have thoughts of going to my world through me, I don't think you'll get the result you want."

When returning, Lin Li would test again with the ant corpses in his pocket.

"So... it's like that." Sudan nodded, looking slightly dejected.

Having his "purpose" seen through, nothing to be embarrassed about.

After all, if there was a good destination, who would want to keep struggling to survive in this world.

"Also, let me apologize and introduce myself again. I'm Lin Li, nice to meet you, Miss Sudan."

Lin Li re-introduced himself, this time even extending a hand for a handshake, saying with slight apology:

"Out in an other world, I'm not used to using my real name."

Sudan: "..."

"Lin Li... hello, this name sounds better than Bai Bufan. Also, no need for any 'Miss' suffix, just call me Ye Jing directly." Sudan shook Lin Li's hand, politely.

Lin Li readily agreed: "Okay, Su—"

Lin Li: "?"

Wait.

Why did "Miss Sudan" become Ye Jing after dropping the "Miss" suffix? This subtraction doesn't add up!

Wait.

You motherf—

You're using a fake name too.

"Reasonable, reasonable, understand, understand." Lin Li's apology vanished instantly, instead finding it somewhat funny.

"Is Ye Jing really your real name?" Lin Li felt for a bad woman, he still needed to confirm again.

"... Really."

"... Okay, let's get back on topic. I'm equivalent to a 'Two-World Gate'; I believe I can undoubtedly help improve your lives. For instance... may I ask, are you still short on food?"

Lin Li reached into the backpack behind him, took out a box, opened it — inside were neatly arranged Dove chocolates, Snickers, Crispy Shark, and even a piece of tiramisu.

Although the most suitable and efficient food for wilderness survival should be compressed biscuits.

But Lin Li isn't doing wilderness survival; he goes to the other world to encounter beautiful ladies.

Dating zombies is tragic enough; if he still had to miserably eat compressed biscuits, wouldn't that be living life as Bai Bufan?

Besides, Lin Li came well-fed; chocolate has high calories, the food in this box, rationed a bit, can last two days no problem.

A once-a-week refreshing traversal, Lin Li thinks the single-stay upper limit won't be too long; Lin Li speculates it might be 24 hours or 8 hours — reason being the refresh time of system-granted active abilities are basically these timeframes.

As for the answer to his question "are you still short on food," when Ye Jing's eyes began to shift, staring fixedly at the box's contents, Lin Li had already gotten it.

"You want..." Lin Li picked up a chocolate and handed it to Ye Jing, but before he finished speaking, his hand lightened — the chocolate was already in Ye Jing's hand.

"Gurgle—" An untimely sound rang out from Ye Jing's stomach.

Starving.

"Can I eat it?" Ye Jing looked up at Lin Li, but her gaze remained locked on the chocolate, she said.

"Little cat, you can eat the cheeseburger." Lin Li nodded.

Ye Jing didn't get the meme, but she only knew Lin Li nodded.

Slightly trembling fingers hooked the mask's edge, hesitated a moment, finally pulled it down.

Ye Jing's features indeed held a few parts maturity, and her brows and eyes faintly revealed past elegance, but several hideous scars ruined it all at once, like several ugly centipedes crawling on her face.

Her lips were chapped; clearly starving, yet she forcibly controlled herself, slowly tearing open the wrapper, facing a whole bar of chocolate, only carefully biting a tiny piece; the moment it melted on her tongue, her eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a faint smile.

Pity those scars, twisting and deforming with her facial muscles' movement, appeared even more glaring.

It seems although she gained an ability, the survival situation at Ye Jing's shelter is still not good.

"Aren't you afraid I'll poison it?" Lin Li joked.

"Don't care anymore. Even if I die, it's worth it." While continuing to savor the wonderful food, Ye Jing said in a slightly hoarse voice.

Lin Li hadn't expected that chocolate would actually have power at this level.

But it should also be because he himself was being out of touch with the common people's hardships.

If he truly survived in the apocalypse for two years, he'd probably be even worse off than Ye Jing.

She probably hasn't eaten this kind of food for a very, very long time; who knows what they're eating now.

"Ye Jing, let me tell you another life hack: don't eat things strangers give you, because they might be drugged. But you can actively ask for or snatch food from a stranger's hand — that way the stranger doesn't have time to drug it." Lin Li said with a smile.

With a "whoosh," Lin Li's box was "snatched" to in front of Ye Jing.

"Thank you."

She learns fast indeed.

But Lin Li didn't mind either; there was still a little bit in his bag, and to him it was something of no value whatsoever. Incidentally, he also took out a bottle of electrolyte drink from his bag and gave it to her.

"Your world... is so happy..." She accepted the drink, murmuring in admiration.

"Right, Ye Jing, in a bit me and Young Lady Meili still plan to make a steaming hot dinner... what time is it now? Anyway, in the evening I'm going to cook a dish. If you want, you can share it with us." Lin Li asked upon hearing this.

"Young Lady Meili is..." Ye Jing looked up, her doubtful voice cutting off abruptly. She looked at the zombie head on the snakeskin bag, and stopped her words.

She still couldn't get used to calling a zombie whose gender couldn't be discerned something like "Beautiful Lady."

But then Ye Jing's voice became even more doubtful: "You make it together with her? How does she do it? You even have the ability to resurrect zombies?"

"Of course not. But I've thought it through long ago." Lin Li immediately explained his idea to Ye Jing. "Does your world have a method for making meat thick soup? I plan to make a pork thick soup in a bit. Look, this is the pork I brought."

Lin Li took out the fresh pork from his bag, displayed it to Ye Jing, and continued explaining:

"This is currently the original pork. Pork thick soup requires minced meat, so I need to mince it. At this time Young Lady Meili can make her entrance. Her bones, after being cleaned, can perfectly undertake the responsibility of the original wooden mallet. I'll use her to do the pounding."

The system mission requires me and Young Lady Meili to jointly make and enjoy a dish. If this doesn't count as joint production, Lin Li doesn't know what does. Without Young Lady Meili it truly wouldn't work.

Ye Jing: "o. o——? o. o——? o. o——? o. o——?"

Is this something a human can say?

Are people from another world all this terrifying?

"I don't really dare eat it." Ye Jing spoke the truth.

"Rest assured, I naturally considered this point too. I brought cling film. After all, when cooking you definitely have to wear gloves, right? The bones won't contact the food. Bacteria and microbes are tiny." Lin Li explained.

Lin Li would never truly eat something related to a zombie for the sake of a mission.

When the time comes, just perfunctorily pound it a bit and it'll be about done.

"Let's talk when the time comes then." Ye Jing left herself a way out.

She slowly and carefully finished eating this chocolate stick, but only ate this one stick, and even re-folded the chocolate wrapper neatly and put it back in the box.

Then she looked at Lin Li: "Lin Li, you will be our savior."

"Overpraise. Mutual benefit. I can save time too." Lin Li waved his hand.

Searching for a needle in the ocean here is also very troublesome. Where else can you easily earn thirty million? "Is your shelter far from here?" Lin Li asked.

"Not especially far. At my speed, about half an hour to return. But I walked on the rooftops, close to a straight line. If walking ground roads, about an hour." Ye Jing answered, hesitated a moment, then added:

"Right, Lin Li, hope you understand. I can't take you back directly. I need to discuss with the people in the shelter first. Can't make the decision alone."

"Doesn't matter. And actually, I never planned to go back with you in the first place. After all, I don't know the information on the other people in your shelter, and I trust them even less. I was just thinking of telling you the same."

The wariness he should have, Lin Li hadn't reduced at all. Although the shelter people and himself shouldn't have any necessary conflict points — after all, even if they killed this chicken that is him, they can't take the eggs. Him being able to leave at any time counts as standing on undefeated ground.

But since ability users exist, who knows if some accident might happen. Can't be careless.

Therefore, entering a completely unfamiliar shelter interior, a place they understand but he completely doesn't, the risk is simply too great.

Lin Li would absolutely not reveal to Ye Jing that every time he comes to this world, his appearance point is the same as the last time he left.

At least wait until he's more familiar before saying. Otherwise there are too many ways to disgust him.

For example, directly building a "prison" around him.

And Lin Li also doesn't know: if there's something at the location where he left last time when he returns, what the development would be. It can't be that he'd be directly embedded inside his own body, right?

No mistakes, one chapter, one shot, one internal, one content, in one one look!

Lin Li continued:

"My plan is like this: we can first go near your shelter. Then I'll designate a nearby place. Then you have people bring gold out.

Then tell me what materials you need most at this stage. Because I can't bring too many things at once. And I can only bring things I can carry and that are legally purchasable in my world."

"Okay, no time to lose. Shall we set off now?" Ye Jing said.

She really wasn't willing to wait even a moment.

"No problem. Give me a direction. An hour is just right for me." Lin Li nodded. His mission of strolling hand-in-hand with Young Lady Meili still had over half an hour left. Anyway, everywhere is a street; walking anywhere is walking.

"The direction is roughly this way. Specifically, I'll guide you from the side?" Ye Jing pointed southwest and said to Lin Li.

"Okay." Lin Li responded, then opened the snakeskin bag, took out one of Young Lady Meili's hands, and held it.

Ye Jing's gaze locked onto the white lace gloves and black silk sleeve cuffs on Young Lady Meili's arm.

Then her gaze naturally shifted to inside the snakeskin bag.

She saw:

Young Lady Meili was wearing layer upon layer of strange clothes. Left leg black silk, right leg white. If she were a normal human, perhaps it would be quite pretty.

But she isn't.

Even the strongest mind would become childish at this moment. Ye Jing's pupils quaked.

Subconsciously glanced at Lin Li, then Ye Jing quickly averted her gaze, pretending nothing happened.

Another world, so scary.

Lin Li: "?"

Lin Li touched his nose, saying slowly with some embarrassment and amusement:

"Ye Jing, I'm telling you this really isn't my kink, you'll believe me, right."

"Mhm."

"You 'mhm' but you're looking at me while you 'mhm'..." Lin Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

【Deep kiss on the beautiful lady's forehead... (3/4)】

Replicating the previous shopping route, after more than half an hour passed, Lin Li saw the system notification.

Okay, then all that's left is the small task of cooking. Lin Li tossed the beautiful lady's hand back into the snakeskin bag.

He took out a rib bone, used a fruit knife to scrape it until even a fly standing on it would slip, to the extent that even Bai Bufan would shake his head upon seeing it, then began frantically wrapping it in cling film.

After finishing these preliminary preparations, Lin Li stopped there.

Because the system task required making a dinner, emphasizing it was dinner, but in this world's time right now, noon hasn't even arrived yet.

"Lin Li, I've already seen the people our shelter sent out to scavenge for supplies."

After walking for a while longer, Ye Jing, who was leading the way in front, suddenly stopped jumping and turned back to say to Lin Li.

However, her gaze was mainly fixed on those few zombies behind Lin Li doing the edging challenge.

Bringing them over would definitely cause a commotion.

"Okay." Lin Li nodded, then looked around and pointed at a relatively tall building nearby, saying:

"I'll wait for you in that building. You guys discuss it and come over when ready. I'm not in a huge rush, just take your time."

"Okay, thanks for the trouble." Ye Jing nodded.

Lin Li then led his few fanboys behind him toward the building he pointed to.

Idle is idle, might as well make some preparations for the trade later.

Although Lin Li said he wasn't in a huge rush, in less than half an hour, Ye Jing arrived at the destination with people in tow.

Pretty fast.

"Lin Li? Lin Li? Bai Bufan?" But Ye Jing didn't find Lin Li in the building Lin Li designated, so she called out softly.

"Oi, I'm here."

Hearing the voice, Ye Jing looked toward the opposite building. Lin Li stood on the opposite building, with two zombies standing beside him.

Still doing the edging challenge.

Ye Jing: "?"

Seeing Ye Jing on the opposite side subconsciously hide away, Lin Li waved his hand and said loudly: "You should be clear, in this state they won't attack anyone. Seeing you is fine too. Just treat those two as bodyguards I hired."

This scene was indeed enough to make the shelter people wary of him.

"Are you Lin Li?" At this time, two more people appeared beside Ye Jing.

One was a muscular man, though his build was a bit worse than Zhai Kai's; he should be able to reach his own back.

The other man wasn't as burly as him, looked a bit older too.

"Hello, yes, and you are?" Lin Li said politely.

"I'm Hu Fei, he's Shi Dongchen. We're both shelter people. Learned your situation from Ye Jing, here to trade with you." The muscular man's speech had weird pauses, and the man named Shi Dongchen beside him also nodded.

"Okay," Lin Li nodded. Whoever came to trade was the same. Then he held out his hand, "The gold, brought it?"

Hu Fei took out an object from his clothing pocket and threw it toward Lin Li's building, and Lin Li caught it steadily.

A small gold bar. Weighing it in his hand, roughly twenty to thirty grams. Exerting force on both ends, the bar bent slightly. Should be gold, no mistake.

"Now you go to your world. Before nightfall, bring another hundred bars of the chocolate you gave Ye Jing. That value should be enough. We'll wait here for you." Hu Fei on the opposite side said.

Lin Li, who had still been playing with the gold bar, scratched his head in some confusion upon hearing this: "Strange."

"What's wrong?" Hu Fei frowned in confusion. "There's no problem with this gold."

"I said the strange one is you." Lin Li looked up at Hu Fei.

"How am I strange?"

As everyone knows, Lin Li is a money-grubber who would wipe even a single dollar a few times before putting it in his pocket.

So for this gold piece worth over ten thousand, Lin Li wiped it with his bulletproof vest, breathed on it, then tossed it high and kicked it toward the opposite building.

Skill was a bit lousy, kicked it crooked. It hit the wall and fell to the ground.

*Ding. *

Sounds good, it's good gold.

"Why do that?" Seeing this, Hu Fei frowned.

Lin Li raised his middle finger at Hu Fei:

"I don't get one thing. Am I the one begging you to do business now? I don't want the gold anymore. You guys go beg for your own survival."

"What I find strange is how an existence like you managed to survive two years in the apocalypse until now?"

Lin Li still wanted to spit, the pre-motion sound even came out.

It wasn't quality that stopped Lin Li.

Spitting while wearing a helmet is self-harm.

Then Lin Li put his arms around the shoulders of the two edging zombies beside him and turned to leave.

(End of Chapter)