Chapter 428: Promotion on the Side
Chapter 428: Chapter 428: Promotion on the Side
After receiving the boxes of Crystal Cores from Cordelia’s water sales, her system’s upgrade progress was nearly complete.
The spot she chose was beside a small road.
General Hughes and his men used a side gate for their daily comings and goings, which happened to bypass this road. As a result, only the base’s regular survivors ever passed this way.
Nina Jacobs waited inside a deserted, abandoned building for a full twenty minutes. Once she was sure no one had followed her, she used her Facial Adjustment Skill.
She set up her usual sheet-metal house, but this time, she also placed a vending machine and a giant, full water tank outside.
This was the vending machine she had acquired from Cognito Tech.
She had already programmed it.
All one had to do was insert a sufficient weight of Crystal Cores, and the spout would automatically dispense a set amount of water.
Normally, not many people passed down this small road.
However, the giant water tank was a living advertisement. Just moments later, two cars screeched to a halt in front of Nina Jacobs.
"Th-th-th-this..."
Several people scrambled out of the cars, their eyes locked on the enormous water tank.
"It’s a vending machine. Put in Crystal Cores, and you get water,"
Nina Jacobs explained from nearby.
"You’re selling water?!"
a woman exclaimed in shock. She quickly realized something and clapped a hand over her mouth.
Selling water was forbidden in Lornwood Base, after all.
"Cynthia, stop asking so many questions! Hurry!"
A rugged-looking man immediately told the Space Superpower User traveling with them to take out a large bag of Crystal Cores and some buckets.
In a frantic scramble, they poured all the Crystal Cores in.
"The machine only registers weight. You can pick out the Mutated Crystal Cores,"
Nina Jacobs offered kindly.
This type of vending machine couldn’t distinguish between regular and Mutated Crystal Cores.
"We can’t worry about that now! As long as we get water, the Mutated Crystal Cores are worth it!"
Cynthia Rhodes replied.
Sweet water was already flowing from the vending machine’s spout, and the group immediately started collecting it in their buckets.
"It’s really water!"
one person said, licking their chapped lips with a look of pure thirst.
"Quick! Are there any more Crystal Cores? Bring them all over!"
Seeing more people being drawn to the spot, the first group began to panic.
This wasn’t the first time Nina Jacobs had done business with people desperate for water.
But seeing their desperation, she silently set out three more machines, each connected to a water tank.
"You’re not from Lornwood Base, are you?"
After they had used up all the Crystal Cores they had on them, Cynthia Rhodes walked over to ask.
Nina Jacobs nodded. "I’m from Tomorrow Base."
This was another reason she was selling water today—to do a little promotion for Tomorrow Base.
Looks of pleasant surprise appeared on their faces.
"Does that mean Tomorrow Base really isn’t short on water?
What’s it like over there?"
Hearing this, the surrounding people quickly gathered closer to ask.
For the past two days, talk of Tomorrow Base had been spreading like wildfire through Lornwood Base, and more and more people were privately getting eager to check it out.
It was just that many still worried it might be some kind of scam.
"We aren’t short on it, at least for now. Plus, there are a lot of job openings right now,"
Nina Jacobs replied.
"Job openings?!"
The news hit them like a bombshell.
"So it’s first come, first served?" Cynthia Rhodes sounded like she wanted to leave right that second.
"You could say that."
Nina Jacobs said, retracting several of the now-empty water tanks.
"If we want to buy more water from you, where can we find you?"
Seeing that Nina Jacobs seemed ready to leave, the crowd hurried over to ask.
"Yeah, why don’t you leave an address? We’ll bring Crystal Cores next time,"
one of the men said, his eyes darting around.
’This woman selling water must know a Water Element Superpower User. If we can catch her, we might have our own free reservoir from now on.’
"Perhaps we’ll meet again if fate allows.
Or you can find me at Tomorrow Base."
With that, Nina Jacobs retracted the vending machines as well.
As she was retracting the second machine, the system notified her of a successful upgrade.
Her system had reached Level Five!
However, after she left, she noticed she had picked up a few tails.
’It must be those people from before.’
Nina Jacobs couldn’t be bothered to deal with them, so she floored the accelerator and sped off into the distance.
Sure enough, the cars behind didn’t follow.
She guessed they were worried about their fuel.
Besides water and supplies, the scarcest resource in Lornwood was fuel.
Lornwood Base had confiscated nearly all the fuel within Lornwood’s borders.
After driving for another twenty minutes, Nina Jacobs pulled into a deserted restaurant.
She eagerly opened her system interface.
The rewards for reaching Level Five were the same as in her past life:
First Superpower Cards, 500 Superpower Recovery Potions, 300 Healing Potions, 20 Invisibility Potions (1 hour), and 2 Safe House Skins.
The system’s storage space expanded to 120 square meters.
There was no Skill reward, but it did provide something Nina Jacobs wanted more than anything at this stage.
The duration of the Invisibility Potion had been extended from thirty minutes to one hour.
’With an hour, I might be able to use the system’s Invisibility Potion to get into the base’s underground warehouse.’
After swapping out her car, Nina Jacobs drove straight back to Lornwood Base.
But starting from the security check, she felt a gaze fixed on her.
It continued until she had completed all the inspections.
Seeing the guard, Wolfgang Stone, was still there, Nina Jacobs pretended not to have noticed anything and went up to greet him.
After they exchanged a few pleasantries, Nina learned that Wolfgang Stone was just about to go off duty, so she walked with him for a bit.
"You mean that guy? I recognize him. He should be from the Aid Association."
At Nina’s question, Wolfgang Stone pretended to glance over his shoulder nonchalantly.
"What’s his name?" Nina was certain she hadn’t been imagining it.
After all, with her Five Senses Enhancement active, her intuition was even sharper.
’That person was still following her.’
"Montague Goldman. He only came to the base a little while ago, I think.
I heard he’s Director Palmer’s... you know."
Wolfgang Stone extended his pinky finger, smiling suggestively.
’Her... you know?’
It was then that Nina Jacobs understood. Director Palmer was a woman in her forties, and she was keeping Montague Goldman as a boy toy.
’Montague Goldman...’
’Could he be related to Corin?’
Recalling Corin, whom her group had killed, Nina Jacobs felt like she was beginning to understand.
Back then, when she was traveling with Cordelia and the others, Corin had teamed up with a group of murderous robbers to try and kill them for their vehicle, and he had even wanted to target her first.
Wayne Warner had killed him with a single, unceremonious punch.
Rhonda Rowan had cried for days over the incident, and her system-based favorability toward Nina had plummeted to rock bottom.
And Cordelia’s group had mentioned that Rhonda Rowan was part of the Aid Association.
It was highly likely that Rhonda Rowan had brought Montague Goldman here.
At this thought, Nina Jacobs made a decision.
"Looks like he’s following again. Want me to help you lose him?"
Wolfgang Stone asked.
"No need. Thanks for the information."
Nina Jacobs slipped Wolfgang Stone a small package and then walked away quickly.
Wolfgang Stone froze for a moment. It wasn’t until he got back to his quarters and opened the package that he realized what it was—a vacuum-sealed packet of braised beef!
Now that she knew who was following her, she actually felt much calmer.
Then, Nina Jacobs headed in the direction of the Correction Pods.
Montague Goldman never expected the person he was tailing would swagger right into the Correction Pods.
Guards were stationed outside the Correction Pods, so he had no choice but to give up.