The Sixth Settlement stood as a monument to humanity's stubborn survival instinct - a distorted funhouse mirror reflecting the civilization that once was. Here, the trappings of order existed alongside the most brutal realities of the post-apocalyptic world.
As Jiang Chen followed Sun Jiao through the market's periphery, his modern sensibilities recoiled at the contradictions:
Technological Schizophrenia
At one stall, a trader in patched radiation suit calibrated a holographic inventory display with practiced fingers. Three meters away, a toothless old woman bartered a handful of rusted screws for a cup of viscous "nutrient paste." The settlement's technological landscape was a bizarre patchwork - cutting-edge energy weapons coexisted with primitive blacksmith forges, while genetically-enhanced mercenaries rubbed shoulders with starving refugees whose limbs showed early signs of mutation.
The Theater of Law
"Absolute neutrality maintains order here," Sun Jiao explained as they passed a grisly display - the formaldehyde-preserved corpse of a notorious raider nailed to a warning sign. "Three simple rules: kill and be killed, steal and be shot, evade taxes and be exiled."
Jiang Chen's breath caught as they witnessed a sanitation officer bludgeoning a coughing woman. "She's still alive!"
"Containment protocol," Sun Jiao said flatly, though her grip on Jiang Chen's arm tightened. "That cough means Stage 2 mutation. Better one death than an outbreak."
The Market's Dark Economy
The bazaar smelled of sweat, ozone, and something sweetly rotten. Jiang Chen counted seventeen executed criminals displayed like macabre artwork before they reached the slave auction.
"Product from Vault 101," a trader announced as collared women filed past, their blank eyes and identical barcode tattoos telling their own horror story. "Premium genetics, untouched by radiation. Current bid at 85 Yajing per unit!"
Sun Jiao's voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "New Radiance Hotel's latest shipment. They'll be dead within six months - if they're lucky."
The VIP Revelation
At the trading post, Jiang Chen's canned beef caused a minor sensation. The scanner's readout - "0% contamination, perfect preservation" - drew gasps. Their VIP hostess, a striking brunette in a deliberately tight uniform, made the settlement's secondary economy clear:
"Perhaps the gentleman would enjoy... private appraisal of his other assets?" Her fingers trailed suggestively along Jiang Chen's arm until Sun Jiao's growl made her recoil.
The subsequent transaction - twenty cans for 1,000 Yajing - left even hardened traders stunned. As they exited, Sun Jiao calculated aloud: "That's ten laser rifle charges per can. Or fifty nights in a flophouse. Or..." She eyed Jiang Chen meaningfully.
Arsenal Upgrade
At BioClinic 66, needles hissed as they delivered their payload:
T-Virus Vaccine: 35 Yajing (insurance against zombie bites)
C-Grade Enhancer: 20 Yajing (promising +25 to physical stats)
The Ironmonger's Emporium offered more tangible protection:
SK-10 Sirius (used): 300 Yajing
7.62mm x 360 rounds: 4 Yajing
"Energy weapons rule here," Sun Jiao explained, slapping a fresh battery into her laser rifle. "But your antique has advantages - like not frying itself during solar storms."
Nightfall Gambit
As the sickly sun dipped below the settlement walls, Sun Jiao guided them to a flophouse overlooking the market.
"We stay," she murmured, her breath warm against Jiang Chen's ear as she pretended to nuzzle his neck. "Our shadows have followed since the trade post." Her hand drifted meaningfully to her thigh holster. "The dark makes equals of us all."
Outside, three figures in scavenged Peacekeeper armor conferred beneath a flickering neon sign. They didn't yet realize their prey had become the hunter - that the real danger wasn't the naive trader with his priceless goods, but the smiling woman who knew every dirty trick of the wasteland.
Tonight, the Sixth Settlement would teach its cruelest lesson: in this new world, civilization wasn't a shield - but a weapon wielded by those ruthless enough to survive it.