The next morning, Lin Wei woke up early, just like the previous days. Sunlight was already filtering through the curtains, illuminating the room with a soft, warm glow. He didn't linger in bed. After his usual morning routine — a hot shower, a careful shave, and a simple but filling breakfast of oatmeal with dried fruits — Lin Wei sat on the edge of the bed and mentally opened the red Gacha System interface.
The semi-transparent window appeared instantly, gently bathing the room in a rich crimson glow. The Wheel of Fortune was fully ready for another spin — the daily limit had already reset.
Lin Wei leaned back, supporting himself with his hands, and stared silently at the interface for a few seconds, thinking. The food supplies they had accumulated over the past few days were growing, but they were still not enough for the long-term survival of even a small group. Besides, today they planned to continue large-scale shopping with the guys. Therefore, he decided to focus specifically on the food category.
Consumables. This is currently the top priority. The more food we have in advance, the less risk we'll have to take later when stores turn into battlefields.
After a brief moment of consideration, Lin Wei firmly selected the category.
[Consumables.]
The mist over the Wheel of Fortune instantly dissipated. Now all the sectors were clearly visible: various types of grains, canned goods, vegetable oil, sugar, salt, dried products, and even vitamin complexes. Some sectors glowed with golden and purple light, but most remained white and green.
Lin Wei took a deep breath and mentally spun the wheel.
The red sectors merged into a solid fiery streak. The wheel spun rapidly, emitting a faint vibrating sound, then began to slow down gradually. The pointer slid across the sectors, passing by rare and valuable rewards.
Finally, it stopped.
A bright message flashed on the interface:
[Congratulations! You have received: "Long-term Food Supply Kit" (White Rank)]
Lin Wei looked at the result calmly. White rank. Not the first time.
This time, there was no particular disappointment. He had already gotten used to the fact that high ranks appeared extremely rarely, especially in the early stages of using the system. The important thing now was to understand how useful the received kit would be.
He immediately opened the detailed description.
[Long-term Food Supply Kit (White Rank).]
[Type: Comprehensive Food Package.]
[Contents: Long-grain rice: 180 kg, Buckwheat: 120 kg, Pasta products: 95 kg, Canned beef stew: 85 cans, Canned fish in oil: 70 cans, Dried vegetables and fruits: 45 kg, Vegetable oil: 30 liters, Granulated sugar: 50 kg, Table salt: 25 kg, Black leaf tea: 8 kg, Multivitamin complexes (for 6 months): 4 packages.]
Lin Wei read every line carefully, and a satisfied, almost surprised smile gradually appeared on his face.
Not bad. Not bad at all for a white rank.
He was pleasantly surprised. The amount of supplies turned out to be significantly larger than he had expected from the lowest rank. With such a solid haul, he could stop worrying about food shortages for at least the next two to three months, even if there were six of them. And if the group didn't expand too much for now, these supplies would last even longer.
White rank, yet it gave almost as much as a good green rank. It seems that even the lowest rank in the consumables category provides a large volume. This is very good news. It means the system isn't that stingy when it comes to basic needs.
Lin Wei closed the description and opened the system inventory. Next to the icons for the fortified residential complex and the cargo van, a new large icon appeared labeled "Long-term Food Supply Kit." All the contents were automatically transferred to a separate system storage.
He leaned back on the bed, clasped his hands behind his head, and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling.
Now we have a serious food base. Even if the guys bring in a few more people, we won't go hungry in the first few months.
For some time he simply stared at the packed space, roughly estimating the total volume of what they had accumulated.
Then he opened his notebook and moved on to the next important question.
Lin Wei thoughtfully tapped his pen on the table, considering where it would be most advantageous to activate his green-rank building — the "Fortified Residential Complex."
The location of activation is extremely important. If I place it in the city center, there will be plenty of resources and people in the first days, but the danger will also be higher. If I choose the outskirts, it will be safer, but it will be harder to reach everything necessary. I need to find the golden mean.
He began writing down the pros and cons of different districts:
Northern Industrial District: many abandoned warehouses, easy to fortify the perimeter, but far from the center and few natural resources. Eastern Residential Quarters: densely populated, many shops nearby, but too many people — high chance of conflicts in the early days. Southern Outskirts near the River: relatively quiet area, access to water, lower chance of a rapid monster invasion, good retreat routes. Western Suburbs: low population density, many private houses and empty lots, easy to hide the building, but farther from major transportation hubs.
Lin Wei underlined "Southern Outskirts near the River" several times and placed several question marks next to it. This option seemed the most promising. There was enough space for maneuver, relatively low population density in the initial stage, and convenient access to water — a vital resource after the Descent.
If I activate the building there, in case of danger I can quickly retreat to the river or escape into the forest beyond it. Also, in the first few weeks there should be fewer looters.
He set the pen aside and stared thoughtfully out the window, where the evening twilight was already gathering.
The decision on where to activate the green-rank building was one of the most important at the moment. Not only convenience, but the safety of the entire future base depended on it.
Lin Wei closed the notebook, but continued thinking about it even after he turned off the light and went to bed.