PFC Chapter 4141 When the Pumpkin Ripens (23)
Chapter 4141 When the Pumpkin Ripens (23)
Chapter 4141 When the Pumpkins Ripen (Twenty-Three)
Arrogance refused to discuss large predators or code names with them, and simply headed towards the Chinese supermarket. Greed, on the other hand, was in high spirits. He said, "I think you could make a map that marks all the nature reserves and the large predators in them. That would be really interesting."
“If that were the case, a lot of humans would be going to their deaths,” Brainiac said. “My purpose in isolating them from the crowd is to keep them away from people as much as possible, not to make them the devils in the castle and have ordinary people rush to deliver food to them like heroes.”
"Okay. But you'll lead the enemy there, won't you?"
“You’re making some pointless guesses,” Brainiac said. “If I knew the child abductors and victims were hiding there, I would have rescued them immediately instead of treating it like an arena for a survival game. It doesn’t make sense for a program.”
“That’s a bit boring,” Greed shrugged. “If I were you, I would regularly send a bunch of heinous criminals into the nature reserve, start a live stream, and charge admission. I’d make a fortune that way.”
"If I do that, will they attack the criminals who were released, or will they unite to attack me?"
"You're quite smart, but this is really boring."
They arrived together in front of a large supermarket. Although it was called a supermarket, it was a large, square building that didn't look very aesthetically pleasing. However, because all the buildings around were square, it actually looked quite harmonious.
As soon as I stepped inside, I was greeted by a sea of red. I don't know if it was the warehouse manager's aesthetic or Brainiac's stereotype, but the decor was very typical of Chinatown. Lanterns hung from various wooden pillars, and there were also "Fu" characters pasted on them, along with some inexplicably written calligraphy.
“What does that mean?” Pamela asked, pointing to a calligraphy character hanging on the wall.
"A friend of women." Greed starts spouting nonsense as soon as he opens his mouth.
“That’s ‘making guests feel at home’,” said Arrogance.
"What about that one?"
"Catch a toad and squeeze out its pee."
"That is 'a bright future and a promising future.'"
They chatted as they walked, selecting the seasonings and ingredients they needed. They didn't need to buy fresh chicken and duck, as they already had them; their main focus was on fresh vegetables and seasonings.
This supermarket is ridiculously large, and it has everything imaginable. If you can think of it, you can buy it. You can even find some rare local seasonings, such as all kinds of chili powder.
"Honestly, New York should have a supermarket like this, so I don't have to run to five different Chinese supermarkets on Saturday mornings to restock," Greed said with a hint of complaint.
They spent over two hours browsing inside, filling a shopping cart with items. Pamela was initially worried they wouldn't be able to carry all that, but then a cloud of gray mist drifted by, and everything disappeared.
“He should designate a nature reserve just for you,” Pamela said to Greed, “with the code name ‘Big Eater’.”
"Then I hope my home will be in this Chinese supermarket. And I already have a code name, 'The Fogman.' What do you think?"
"That sounds like a good match for ouroboros."
“We need to go to the liquor store,” Arrogance said. “I mean, the beverage store.”
“Why don’t you make pumpkin juice?” Pamela asked.
"Pumpkin juice? What's the difference between it and pumpkin soup?"
"Of course, pumpkin juice isn't the thick kind you might imagine. After blending, it needs to settle, and the final product is very clear, with a refreshing and sweet pumpkin aroma."
“Perhaps it’s possible, but my blender’s blades are carrying too much weight, so we might have to get a new one,” Arrogance said.
They went to the beverage supermarket. It was a much larger supermarket, with all the drinks displayed on the shelves. However, unlike the supermarket, there were sales assistants here, who looked like former dockworkers, now looking at the menus and introducing the origins of the juices to customers.
Since the group couldn't buy much, they didn't bother with a sales assistant and instead picked out the wine themselves from the shelves. This was actually a bit difficult, as many of the wines were placed on very high shelves. Fortunately, Pamela could use vines to get them down.
They bought all sorts of juices and sparkling water, ostensibly to take them back for reference, and then went to a general store to buy blender blades and jars for storing juice.
By the time they left the supermarket, it was time for lunch. Although there were some small restaurants near the warehouse center, the prices were inflated and the food quality was mediocre due to the presence of tourists, so they decided to walk further into the eastern part of the area to find a better restaurant.
The East Side hasn't changed much. The existing integrated buildings, which are massive, monolithic structures, haven't undergone much renovation. Although several years have passed, the building quality is excellent, and the various supporting facilities haven't started to age. It remains Gotham's most densely populated area.
Because it is a large residential area, it requires many supporting facilities and has many job opportunities. It is also very close to the dock, with fresh ingredients and low prices, so most people are unwilling to move away.
Many people could afford to live in villas in communities of Schiller's caliber, but they prefer to live in apartments here.
The supporting facilities are one aspect, but the main issue is the psychological trauma. Before Brainiac came, the community rules in the United States were practically hellish, and community segregation was so severe that most people avoided communities that didn't match their income level, knowing that even if they managed to get in, they would be kicked out.
If you can't afford to maintain a decent standard of living for your income level, the entire community will band together to ostracize you until you're forced to leave where you belong. While this didn't happen after Brainiac arrived, the psychological trauma wasn't so easily erased. They preferred safer apartments to seemingly upscale neighborhoods because the cost of lawn mowing and house maintenance alone was prohibitive, and they worried they couldn't afford it, ending up with nothing.
Apartment buildings have their advantages. First, the East Side is the only place in Gotham with central heating. In prefabricated buildings, not only are the living areas heated, but the corridors and community stores within the buildings are also heated, so it's warm everywhere you go, and you don't have to chop firewood to burn.
Then, in the social environment created by Brainiac, barter is an essential part. Most necessities require points, and these points are very valuable. If you spend your points incorrectly and can't return them, it's best to exchange them for something else, otherwise it's a huge loss. Creating a mature barter market requires a large population base, which is only possible in apartment communities.
Another factor is the schools. Under Brainiac's administration, the quality of education in public schools has steadily improved. This is because teachers here enjoy a range of benefits, including points-based subsidies and various material allowances. Furthermore, they teach more students and have more experience, resulting in a higher standard of education compared to some sparsely populated communities. Even just for their children's education, parents are more willing to stay here.
Therefore, even though many old manors and houses in the western district have been vacated, few people are willing to experience aristocratic life. The population of the eastern district is steadily increasing. It seems that Brainiac intends to expand the prefabricated buildings further outwards, but there's not much space left in the city center; the next step will likely be land reclamation.
"What's over there?" The group had already reached the rooftop and were looking greedily into the distance when they saw a taller building that looked a bit like a lighthouse, but was also different.
"The entrance to the underwater tunnel."
"An undersea tunnel leading to the North District?"
"To the Gulf of Mexico."
"what???"
“It was built by the Atlanteans,” said Arrogantly. “Of course, it was originally Oliver’s idea to transport food to Mexico. But later they cooperated with Atlantis and built the tunnel directly into the Gulf of Mexico. Blainek didn’t abandon the tunnel either, but used it for transporting agricultural and industrial raw materials. That was one of the entrances.”
“Jesus,” Greed exclaimed, “what a magnificent undertaking. But is it possible to travel from heaven, which would be faster?”
"If we had stable aircraft, that would be true, but unfortunately we don't. The magic of Atlantis is exceptionally magical, and traveling underwater is relatively discreet, and it can also serve as an evacuation route if necessary."
Greed nodded, seemingly deep in thought. Arrogance turned and asked, "You want one too?"
"Yes. The rest doesn't really matter, but I also need to find something for the sea creatures in my universe to do. They basically never contribute, and that won't do."
Pride understood; Greed's inability to tolerate idleness flared up again. However, compared to Atlantis here, Marvel's sea races did indeed appear less frequently and played little role in the war.
They made their way up the rooftop. Because it was holiday time, many children were playing on the roof. Most of the sports fields were located on the roof, and many people were playing football with their friends. There were also quite a few vegetable gardens on the roof, which the adults were tending to.
Then they arrived near a circular building, which was a famous commercial street in the East District. It was also inside the integrated building, but the structure was somewhat similar to the Colosseum: a circular building with all the storefronts, and the dining area was the open-air circle in the middle.
They took the elevator down and ordered their food through Brainiac's app. The food arrived quickly.
Just then, Arrogance received a message from Jason. He picked up the phone, dialed the number, and said on the other end, "It's me, Jason. How are things? Sounds complicated. We're having lunch at the Circus, want to come over?"
In less than ten minutes, Jason and Barry arrived. As soon as Barry sat down, he couldn't help but exclaim, "My God, we took the elevator at least four times and walked through ten corridors to get here. How did you manage to stay here without getting lost?"
“I watched this place being built,” Jason said. “Most of my old friends live here. Some work at the auto repair shop over there, some are social workers, and some are kindergarten teachers. We often have meals together around here, how could we not find it?”
“Brainiac shouldn’t have made you a behavioral analyst; he should have made you a cartographer. I’ve followed his directions all along, and I’ve never gotten the way I was going!”
"Where have you been?" he asked with an arrogant laugh. "Wickwood?"
"Alright, last time Brainiac told me to keep walking and that there was a door ahead, and that pushing it open would lead to my destination..."
"And then you arrived?"
"We've reached the Atlantic Ocean!"