Chapter 1389: Chinatown’s Mercenary
Bottle caps that circulated in the wasteland weren’t just made from a capping machine.
Only the bottle cap of quantum coke with anti-counterfeiting code, manufactured after the economic crisis in 2150, possessed value. Moreover, the value of the 350ml bottle cap was different from the 660ml limited edition bottle cap. Because no survivor force could find a way to manufacture this type of cap so far, the value had remained stable. A large bottle cap was equal to twenty normal caps. The term “how many caps” was used in trading.
At the start, someone joked that “the anti-counterfeiting technology of the Coca-Cola bottle cap was better than banknotes; it could become the currency of third world countries someday, after all, their banknotes have been depreciating.” In the end, this lighthearted joke became a reality. On the wasteland more than 40 years later, the bottle cap really become a currency.
It was just a pity that the place was not a third world country but in the wasteland of North America…
The physical identification code developed by The Coca-Cola Company at a high price finally made it convenient for the survivors on the wasteland in North America. There was no need to connect to the Internet, just a palm-sized scanner could identify the authenticity of bottle caps, which made it even more convenient compared to crystals.
As for how the bottle cap became popular, there were many deeper reasons behind this, but the details won’t be discussed here.
Jiang Chen exchanged the ten boxes of canned luncheon meat he brought with him for an equivalent amount of bottle caps from General Zhao, roughly equal to more than 5,000 caps. If converted into crystals based on the market in North America, it was around 300 crystals.
It was not difficult to imagine how severe inflation was in North America.
After Jiang Chen exchanged for the bottle caps, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he chatted with this General Zhao for a bit longer.
In addition to intelligence related to the colony, he also heard some interesting rumors.
For example, the leader of Tony’s Club was not dead and you had to be careful when you see unidentified canned meat as sometimes people would recycle NAC canned food cans to use for “counterfeiting”. As for what kind of meat was sold in it, you would only know once you eat it; another example was that the atmosphere in Steel City and Liberty City were very unnatural recently. It was as if they were going to go to war, but they didn’t know who their opponents were.
Jiang Chen recorded the rumors into his watch. After he checked the time and realized it was getting late, he said goodbye to General Zhao.
“If there is any information, I will send someone to the airport to find you. If you need manpower, you can go to the tavern at the entrance of Chinatown. Lone travelers, hunters, and caravan guards are all good choices. However, I suggest you pay attention when dealing with white people. If it were not for the strong request from the merchants, we would have never let those people in.” Before Jiang Chen left, Smith Zhao reminded.
“I will pay attention.” Jiang Chen gestured goodbye and walked down the street with the six guards waiting at the door.
“Go and buy some nutrient supplies and ask for information about the colony along the way. We will meet here in an hour.” After he handed a box of bottle caps to a guard, he said, “You don’t need to save money for me. ”
Typically, the places that sold nutrient supplies were busy, perhaps the boss there would know something.
“Roger!” The guard nodded and walked to the other side of Chinatown.
Jiang Chen looked up at the tavern on the side, then motioned a few guards to wait at the door before he walked in.
The survivors in Chinatown were quite prejudiced, but this prejudice was mainly against survivors of other skin colors. Without the mask, the Asian survivors in the tavern looked at Jiang Chen with envy, rather than greed or covetousness.
In the North American wasteland, power armor was not only a symbol of strength but also a symbol of financial power.
It was not easy for ordinary survivors to own a kinetic skeleton. Only the lords could afford the power armor. Even General Zhao did not possess many power armors, let alone the lone travelers that wasted their days.
A piece of power armor directly dictated the fact of whether they’d run or fight against a Death Claw. It was the ultimate dream of all lone travelers and mercenaries to own a power armor.
In the eyes of these survivors, Jiang Chen and others had become the kind of compatriots they respect. If they appeared in this shabby place, they were definitely not here for a drink. The environment of the Chinatown restaurant was much better than here.
Those powerful lone travelers and mercenaries were already gearing up and debating on how to connect with this rich master. Many female lone travelers looked at Jiang Chen with affectionate glances, and some brave ones even whistled. While they accepted missions such as security, many open female mercenaries did not mind providing extra services. While they could receive tips from their employer, they could also satisfy their physical needs.
It was the North American way. Even if Asian survivors were relatively conservative, they were only relative to their compatriots across the ocean.
“I need to hire some manpower,” Jiang Chen walked to the bar and didn’t order any drinks. He directly slapped two large bottle caps on the table, and said to the bartender, “I have no special requirements for strength, as long as they are not a burden. I care more about credibility, and then they must be bright. Do you have any recommendations?”
The moment the bartender saw these two large bottle caps, his breathing became noticeably louder.
He collected the bottle caps calmly, glanced at the power armor on Jiang Chen, and said with a grin, “It is hard to find people who won’t be a burden, but it looks like you’re not looking for bodyguards or guards. If I guess right, then I recommend you try those scavengers. Their instincts are as keen as mice, and they are familiar with any survivor settlement.”
At this moment, a tall and skinny man with a shaved head and a striking scar on his face came over. He stood next to Jiang Chen, examined him, then spoke.
“Do you need some hands?”
“Yes,” Jiang Chen turned his gaze to the man and responded to his inquiry with a curious gaze, “You are?”
“Gris, I don’t remember my last name. Everyone called me Crow.” Gris grinned. “First of all, I won’t be a burden. Second, I’m familiar with the survivor settlements in California, Nevada, and Utah. If you need a guide, I’ll at least not let you get lost. If you plan to find someone, as long as he is still on the West Coast, he will not escape.”
Jiang Chen didn’t agree immediately but looked to the bartender who accepted his tip.
The latter was wiping the glass in his hand. Without being shy, he said straightforwardly.
“Crow Gris…well, I recognize the name a bit. The rare British man who can get in and out of Chinatown without being with a merchant fleet, and a scavenger with keen eyes who appears as a guard… That’s all I can think of. Based on the market price, a guide’s pay is 20 caps a day, and for a guard, it’s 40, the full week is calculated as six days. Of course, this is just my suggestion. You can figure it out yourself.”
“Okay,” Jiang Chen looked to Gris, “You are hired. I will pay you 50 caps a day, and I will tell you what your mission is later. The request is that I hope you are worthy of your compensation.”
Fifty bottle caps!
When everyone heard this number, many survivors looked enviously at Gris. It was rare to see such a generous employer even in Liberty City, let alone Chinatown.
When Gris heard his compensation, he too looked joyful, but he quickly hid the joy behind humility and nodded.
“I am honored to be of service to you.”
Jiang Chen nodded.
After Gris received this envious job and thought that the lavish employer would get up and leave immediately, his employer continued to sit there as if he had no intention of leaving.
“What do you want to drink?” The bartender asked, seeing that Jiang Chen didn’t plan to leave.
“No,” Jiang Chen shook his head, and said in a voice that everyone could hear, “I said, I need to hire some people…probably three to five more.”
Gris was stunned, and the bartender almost didn’t hold onto the glass in his hand.
As for the survivors inside…
They all went crazy.