Chapter 148: Arrival at Tourist City
Having been robbed of fifty White Notes and given a tube of ointment in return, Xu Huo vented his frustration by smearing the ointment onto his wound.
However, the ointment was surprisingly effective. The scraped areas quickly formed a scab, neither painful nor itchy. While it couldn't match the effects of a Self-Healing Agent, it was an ointment that could be bought cheaply, its value far exceeding its price.
The vehicle crossed the suspension bridge, and ahead lay a partitioned zone.
On both sides of the main road, a sealed area was enclosed by glass. After the vehicle passed through an automatic disinfection zone and entered the sealed area, the passengers could observe the surroundings through the glass on either side.
To the left was a ruined city. From time to time, one or two heads would emerge from the crumbling walls and broken structures. As the vehicle moved forward, oddly shaped Xenomorphs silently followed, attempting to break the glass.
However, this glass seemed to be made of a special material. Even their evolved long claws and sharp fangs could only leave shallow scratches on its surface.
The vehicle deliberately drove close to the glass. Whenever a Xenomorph lunged at it, there was an inevitable sense of crisis, as if it might break free, scaring several people who were seeing this scene for the first time into screaming.
Most of the tourists were used to it. The sight of Xenomorphs hunting wasn't as entertaining as the frightened expressions of their fellow passengers. The crowd jeered and teased, making a few people blush with embarrassment.
"Everyone, look to the right. Ahead, there's a shell-harvesting operation in progress," the long-faced tour guide said at that moment.
Xu Huo turned his head along with the others and first saw a purple ocean on the ground. Unlike how it looked in photos, up close, a layer of iridescent, oil-like substance floated on the purple water. The water itself seemed lifeless, flowing sluggishly.
The workers on the steel scaffolding were all wearing thick protective suits. They used tranquilizers to subdue the slow-moving Xenomorphs, dragged them up, chopped off their heads directly, used machines to harvest the algae shells attached to them, and then threw the corpses back into the sea, turning them into food for other Xenomorphs.
From tranquilizing to disposing of the bodies, the entire process only took a bit of time when harvesting the algae shells. The assembly-line operation was quite skilled.
Xu Huo glanced back at the female player beside him, who had her eyes closed, pretending to sleep. He looked up and asked the long-faced tour guide, "The algae shell Xenomorphs can grow algae shells, but those Xenomorphs seem pretty useless, don't they?"
He pointed at the hideous Xenomorphs on the left. "Why not just kill them all? Leaving them around is dangerous."
The long-faced tour guide said lightly, "Why kill them? They've already turned into Xenomorphs. Since they're useless anyway, using them for sightseeing can also boost the economy."
An old lady sitting in front of Xu Huo chuckled and said, "In our Block Fairy Tale Tourist City, besides the architecture and food, this Xenomorph exhibition is the most famous attraction. Every year, many people come specifically to see it. Even the locals occasionally take the tour bus to visit."
"Auntie, do you live in the tourist city?" Xu Huo leaned forward with a grin and said, "Young people have cravings, they just want good food. How can Xenomorphs compare to the taste of food!"
The old lady laughed heartily. "You're a young man full of energy, eating wherever you go. When we get to the tourist city, buy a food guide. It lists all the good food, from expensive to cheap. I guarantee it'll satisfy you!"
"But you have to be careful not to be lured into some rip-off shops. The things they sell come from contaminated areas and haven't been processed. People can't eat that stuff—at the very least, you'll get sick."
Xu Huo chuckled, rubbed his stomach, and said, "Don't mention it, but now I'm really hungry."
The old lady took out a bag of round, white things from her bag, ate one herself, and then grabbed a handful for him. "A specialty of the tourist city—fried sunflower seeds. Take your time cracking them. They're fragrant."
"Thank you, Auntie." Xu Huo smiled and accepted them, popping one into his mouth. He quietly glanced to the side, where the female player had opened her eyes and was staring at him.
He quickly divided half of them. "Do you want some?"
The female player frowned at the things in his hand. After a long moment, she reluctantly took a few. Under his and the old lady's gaze, she put them in her mouth. They were quite crunchy.
"Not bad."
Xu Huo's smile matched the old lady's. The two got along like real grandmother and grandson, chatting while cracking sunflower seeds until they arrived at the tourist city.
Before getting off, the old lady gave him two discount coupons and recommended a familiar place for him to stay.
The tourist city's appearance was somewhat like an ancient old city, with tall walls surrounding it. At a glance, it looked like an enlarged version of a block city, with an additional layer of protective fencing. As soon as their vehicle drove in, bells rang from the block walls, and the rear gate closed.
Most of the tourists disembarked and left enthusiastically, while Xu Huo and his group, along with the young man who had spoken on the bus, and another man and woman, stayed behind.
They exchanged glances, then each looked away.
"The tourist city closes its gates at dusk. Once closed, no one can enter or leave," the long-faced tour guide said, pointing to a bulletin board not far away. "If it's your first time and you don't know the ropes, look at the route map or buy a travel guide. It's best to find a place to stay before dark."
"Will there be danger after dark?" the woman from the couple asked.
"What danger could there be?" The long-faced tour guide's expression soured. "You out-of-towners always think everywhere is unsafe. If that's the case, just stay home and don't go out."
He was about to leave when the man beside the woman quickly grabbed him and handed over a few White Notes. "She doesn't know how to talk. Don't take it to heart!"
"Look, we're new here and don't understand anything. It's getting dark soon. Could you recommend an affordable place to stay?"
The long-faced tour guide's expression softened. He pulled a few business cards from his pants pocket and tossed them to the man dismissively. "These places are decent."
He left after saying that, and the man clutched the cards, turning back with a grim expression.
"What kind of places did he give?" the young man from the bus asked. "If the prices aren't too high, let's just settle down first. I felt a chill down my spine as soon as I entered. This place is definitely unsafe at night."
The group turned to look inside the tourist city. Like any ordinary tourist destination, the streets were lined with signs reading "So-and-So Specialty," mostly food and entertainment. Tourists bustled about, and the spacious shops were packed with people. However, the buildings were all block-shaped, each slightly different.
Most of the items for sale were things they had never seen before. When made into food, the original ingredients were completely unrecognizable, emitting strange fragrances that made one want to eat heartily.
But prosperity didn't mean safety. Any tourist destination was a mix of good and bad, and it was hard to tell where traps might lie.
"That guide definitely wants to rip people off," the man said, throwing away the cards in his hand.
The young man beside him quickly bent down to pick them up, but the man rushed over and snatched them back, glaring at him. "I paid for these! If you want some, go spend your own money!"
The young man had no choice but to go back and look at the route map.
"The accommodations aren't in this area," the long-haired female player said, also studying the route map. "Judging by the distance, it would take about half an hour on foot."