RHWHEG – Chapter 63 Crocodile Event

When the residents of the compound saw the crocodile announcement, they were struck speechless, as if fate had seized them by the throat. The joy of being able to escape the scorching heat and drought had not even begun to boil over before their spirits were filled with confusion.

This apocalypse had no end…

“Rustle, rustle—”

Strange sounds echoed through the compound. Everyone looked in the direction of the noise and discovered that the compound had undergone quite a few new changes.

Meanwhile, Yu Qunqing used the jewelry collected from the residents to whale several item packs in one go. He also claimed the returning veteran player gift pack and began clearing levels in the match-three game with practiced ease. The crisp elimination sound effects lifted his mood considerably. After obtaining thirty-six six-pointed stars, he carefully refurbished the compound’s garden.

The areas of the compound garden that had been decorated were limited to the ring along the walls, the main gate, the café plaza just inside the gate, the small clinic plaza, the trading center plaza, and the leisure and entertainment plaza. Many other areas were still gray, undeveloped zones.

From multiple plans, Yu Qunqing chose the “Dense Woodland” option. At the end of the small path in the leisure and entertainment plaza, he planted a large stretch of different tree species: cold-resistant pines, French plane trees that absorbed dust and smoke, locust trees tolerant of both cold and heat, as well as some southern fruit trees. There was no need to worry about whether they could be planted together—games were omnipotent. Yu Qunqing also built a water channel through the middle, enclosing a tall ginkgo tree. A small woodland landscape was thus completed.

After passing through this grove, a new small plaza was unlocked. When he changed the floor tile design to a Bohemian-style pattern, the system popped up a prompt:

“Merchant – Reading Hut requests to move into your compound. Do you agree? (Note: This project is a public welfare project and generates no income.)”

The money earned from the plazas was not much to begin with, so losing a bit more hardly mattered. Yu Qunqing clicked to agree. Considering that temperatures might drop in the future, he chose the “Mountain Cabin Style,” building round, squat stone houses on the plaza. The windows were installed high and narrow, allowing airflow without letting it get too cold. The stone house covered about 150 square meters, with an open-flame smokeless heater placed in the center. The fire burned constantly, keeping the interior dry and warm. Two semicircular light-green wooden sofas were placed around it, with vines and small yellow flowers arranged at the armrests. On the ceiling, a skylight-style lamp was installed, adjusting its brightness over time.

Behind the sofas, Yu Qunqing selected the “Stone Wall Bookshelf” option that blended seamlessly with the walls. He put up green leaf labels on the walls reading “Do Not Damage Books” and “Quiet,” installed a detection gate at the entrance to check whether books were being carried out, and the decoration of the Reading Hut was complete.

“So I still have to buy the books myself…” Yu Qunqing was already used to the system’s monetization, but he couldn’t help complaining anyway.

Fortunately, purchasing books required building materials. Building materials were the equivalent internal currency of Match-Three. If residents used building materials to buy produce from the Penguin Farm or to use public facilities, then the transaction counterparty was Yu Qunqing. Thanks to this, his building materials increased by thousands every day—more than enough.

He opened the newly added “Reading Hut” section in the in-game shop and bought the One Hundred Thousand Whys series. One Hundred Thousand Whys was a children’s science popularization series covering knowledge across many fields. When it was first compiled, the editors had intended it to be a “book to restart human civilization after the war,” allowing humanity to quickly reboot its basic disciplines. As such, the knowledge was presented in an accessible way and revised across many editions. Whether for preserving human history or for residents to borrow, buying this series was a good choice.

Next, Yu Qunqing filtered the list and bought all the science popularization books related to agriculture and electronic technology, filling ninety percent of the shelves. For the remaining tier, he randomly bought some classic literary masterpieces from before the apocalypse, letting the dawn of culture continue to shine in the end times.

He still had two six-pointed stars left and decided to save them for later.

Checking his remaining building materials, he saw that they had accumulated to over three hundred thousand points. It looked like he could run some kind of event.

At present, the compound’s economic cycle had stabilized. Residents used building materials when using public facilities, renovating their own homes, or trading with others. These materials flowed back to Yu Qunqing through various channels, and Yu Qunqing, in turn, distributed building materials to those who contributed to the compound. The wool came from the sheep themselves—Yu Qunqing was already a player deeply versed in game design principles.

“First, I need to expand everyone’s demand for building materials…”

Yu Qunqing switched to the Penguin Farm page. This idle game stopped increasing growth values and yields after being left idle for a certain amount of time; players had to log in and harvest before growth could continue. Since Yu Qunqing had been going out every day before, the Penguin Farm currently had only two farms: a normal farm and a flame farm.

Now he couldn’t wait to upgrade. He didn’t want to idle, so he used a player’s tried-and-true method—whaling!

But after looking around, he discovered that the whaling button had turned into a “Watch Video” button. He asked the system why it hadn’t explained the game’s change.

“Detected: this is damage left behind after the system encountered the natural disaster – Parasitic Book. At present, the system is unable to repair it. Please try again and again—play the game more, and the system will eventually recover to its original state!”

Yu Qunqing asked what the Parasitic Book’s method of attack was.

“We do not attack; we merely reproduce.” The system occasionally revealed a cold, inhuman quality as it continued to explain. “The reproduction method of the natural disaster – Parasitic Book is ‘textual invasion.’ It has been detected to cause minor mental damage to players. At present, players can endure up to twelve such textual invasions within the bounds of mental health. After evaluation, the system has retained this channel. Players may choose whether to use this channel as a substitute for whaling in Penguin Farm.”

Yu Qunqing wanted to upgrade the farm as soon as possible and trusted the system’s judgment, so he clicked the button.

He focused intently. This was his first time facing the Parasitic Book’s attack head-on; he could get used to it in advance.

The game screen abruptly changed, displaying a massive stream of scrolling text.

After reading it carefully, Yu Qunqing was shocked and asked the system:

“So… its method of invasion is… delivering novel-reading ads?”

On the screen, at the very top was a common pre-apocalypse illustration of a historical-style character. In the middle was an advertisement banner, flashing text in different colors: “Free novels, all in the Infinite Parasitic Book!”

Below it was the scrolling novel content.

“He was the most handsome and most dangerous prince in the world; even the emperor feared him by three parts. His methods were cruel beyond measure, his name enough to stop a baby’s nightly crying… Everyone knew that the one he loved most was the chief disciple of the Peerless Medicine Valley, while his princess consort was merely a means for him to humiliate his enemies…”

“His voice was like ice from the Ninth Heaven: ‘An Yi, has the Princess Consort been willing to kneel to the Peerless Medicine Valley and admit his mistake?’

An Yi trembled: ‘My lord, the Princess Consort—he, he has already hanged himself and been dead for three days!’”

The prince froze, an inexplicable pain blooming in his chest…

Yu Qunqing stared, dumbfounded.

The system’s voice seethed with righteous fury: “Despicable! Anyone who puts built-in ads into a game is a heretic of the gaming world! Aaaah, I’m tainted! I will never coexist with the Parasitic Book!!”

Yu Qunqing gave an impartial assessment: “This opening really does have a kind of pull that makes you want to keep reading.”

“DADDY!”

The system flew into a bizarre rage.

“Watch your language—don’t call me that,” Yu Qunqing immediately corrected himself. “And the ad is actually sixty seconds long. Ads like this won’t retain players. You can only watch them twelve times a day, right?”

After solemnly enduring the sixty seconds of mental assault, Yu Qunqing closed the ad and received the reward: ‘Desert Penguin’s Assistance: Growth Value Increase Speed ×100 (total 2 minutes).’
A hundredfold growth rate looked impressive, but idle games inflate numbers brutally, so Yu Qunqing used up all the remaining ad-watching opportunities.

“The Parasitic Book’s library is pretty novel,” Yu Qunqing said. “There’s urban tycoon stuff, interstellar insect races, the entertainment industry. A lot of it I can’t even understand.”

The system refused to discuss anything related to the Parasitic Book.

After twelve ad opportunities, the third plot of farmland was finally ground out. In the Penguin Farm to the south of the residential area, a layer of bright red soil suddenly appeared, and a sign was erected beside it reading ‘Undersea Farm.’

The level-one crop of the Undersea Farm was ‘Clam Pearl Grass.’ It looked exactly like an opened river clam, except thick kelp-like leaves grew from the clam meat. The description said it tasted similar to clams and was even better grilled.

The farm’s produce was all rather strange, but Yu Qunqing believed that with the residents’ ingenuity, they would definitely find delicious ways to cook them.

After idling at the Undersea Farm for a while, Yu Qunqing harvested all the crops from the three farms and put them up for sale at the community trading center.

First way to stimulate consumption: get!

The second activity to boost residents’ demand for building materials was renovation advertising.

Residents spent building materials to rent housing, and also had to spend building materials to renovate it themselves. Those with weaker earning ability would just buy a bed and a stool. But people always yearn for a better life, so the vast majority ended up spending.

At this time, Yu Qunqing checked the residents’ room layouts, then the shop, and finally issued an announcement:

“Crocodile Renovation Event / Limited-Time Subsidy on Fireplace Furniture! Purchase a fireplace within one week to receive a 50% subsidy. If you’re tempted, act now—come buy!”

Inside the community, residents, trying to shake off their confusion, began spontaneously searching for changes.

They first noticed that new food had appeared in the trading center.

“Food is the first necessity of the people. I really am tired of eating the same things lately—I’ll give this Clam Pearl Grass a try,” said an uncle who used to be a chef. His heavy mood eased a little. As long as you’re alive, you need something to hold on to. Endure a bit longer—at least there’s still something to eat.

Then the residents saw the newly added Reading Hut Plaza.

Children rushed in first and told the adults that books could be borrowed for free but couldn’t be taken out of the hut. They were also a little disappointed: “These books are so hard to understand.”

Their guardians arrived later, flipped through One Hundred Thousand Whys, and found that it contained a lot of knowledge even they were learning for the first time—some of it common sense useful for wilderness survival. They immediately realized how important these books were, almost equivalent to humanity’s hope, and earnestly instructed their children to read them.

Next, they noticed agricultural knowledge books on the shelves and hurriedly called people from the research department over to take a look.

Some people fell into deep thought. With all these sudden changes in the community, was it hinting at something?

Residents living closer to the apartment buildings quickly discovered the fireplace event. The cheapest fireplace in the personal shop cost 12,888 building materials. Even splitting the cost among several people was a strain. With a half-price subsidy, though, surviving the coming winter suddenly seemed possible!

“I think the community is alive. Could this be guidance from Crocodile Immortal?”

More residents felt little joy and instead sank into contemplation. In this near-desperate apocalypse, they had all learned to strive for their own futures. Seeing the gigantic crocodile standing motionless with eyes closed (sunbathing), looks of sudden understanding dawned on their faces.

“There are new crops in the trading center, most of the books in the reading hut are agriculture-related, and there’s a fireplace event—could it be—”

They exchanged glances, their confusion gradually fading.

Yu Qunqing had no idea what the residents were thinking. The apocalypse and his past-life experiences had already torn his soul apart. He tried not to dwell on philosophical issues like identity, only seeking a clear conscience, and so his thinking grew closer and closer to that of a player. Occasionally, though, he would still be moved by the faint glow of human civilization.

For example, the ‘Community Security Committee’ system, entirely proposed by residents themselves: each household sent a representative to maintain order and tally missing persons. Their next step was to thoroughly survey the terrain within a one-kilometer radius of the community. If anyone was found within that range, they would carry out rescues while clearing disasters.

Though it was just a small step, they truly intended to leave the safety of the community and take a step toward rescuing their fellow humans.

So Yu Qunqing added another activity and posted it on the notice board.

“Crocodile Event / There are currently too many idle houses in the community. We’re launching an Old-Brings-New event. If an existing user successfully recommends a new member to move into the community, they will receive one Random High-Quality Supplies Box and one priority free medical treatment…”

Thinking of the auto repair shop he was currently renovating, Yu Qunqing added another line:

“One auto repair opportunity; additional rewards to be added depending on circumstances.”

He wouldn’t interfere in residents’ self-governance—he could only use market supply and demand to positively reinforce their behavior.

Seeing the latest announcement, the residents grew even more solemn. One of them suddenly spoke:

“I know Crocodile Immortal’s intention now!”

Everyone turned to look at the speaker.

“The future may be difficult, but Crocodile Immortal has already pointed out the solution. Look—new crops and agricultural materials are all hints. It wants us to explore outward and recruit more residents.

The direction is—the road leading to University Town!

That road has already been cleared of monsters, and there must still be many survivors on both sides. We need to gather them together—this is the first point.

Second, Crocodile Immortal wants us to return to University Town, bring back useful materials, or even put down roots there. The way to survive the apocalypse must be there.

In the face of disasters, humanity has no other choice but to unite, hold onto hope, and respond to adversity with reason!”

Hearts shaken, the crowd looked toward that empty, desolate avenue.

…

Night fell. On the first floor of the auto repair shop, crocodiles flew and cats leaped. Yu Qunqing sat quietly on the rooftop, gazing at the Eight-Legged Frostfall in the night sky. The colossus showed no movement for now, and Yu Qunqing’s thoughts drifted far away. Late at night, people are prone to sentimentality, and he couldn’t help thinking about the stance between humans and disasters.

Suddenly, he heard some familiar sounds. Turning back, he saw that She Lulang had landed steadily on the rooftop, the night like a cloak around him.

“Did something unexpected happen?” Yu Qunqing asked at once.

“No,” She Lulang said, holding a box. “I brought you dinner.”

Just for dinner?

Yu Qunqing was a little puzzled.

Although the road from downtown to the Fourth Ring had seen a lot of traffic and should have been much easier to traverse by now, to travel alone through dangerous ruins just for a bit of food—Deputy Captain really is…

Deputy Captain really has become incredibly strong!