Chapter 202: Exchanging Contribution Points
Although the house was a bit different from what she had imagined, it was actually quite nice given their current circumstances.
Of course, Sierra Sullivan knew that there were certainly better houses available.
But better houses would definitely come with higher rent.
For them right now, the house before them was more than enough. There was no need to look for anything better.
After finishing her introduction, the young lady didn’t rush them but simply waited in silence.
Her professionalism was quite impressive.
She didn’t hurry them, show any impatience, or look down on them with arrogance.
Sierra Sullivan and Jayce exchanged a glance. Seeing that he was thinking the same thing, she turned to the young lady.
"Can the rent only be paid with Contribution Points?"
The young lady hadn’t expected that this would be Sierra Sullivan’s first question.
Though a bit surprised, the feeling lasted only for a moment.
She quickly composed herself, smiled, and nodded. "Yes, we only accept Contribution Points here. However, if you have other goods, you can go to the Exchange Center first to trade them for Contribution Points. That would make things much more convenient."
Sierra Sullivan nodded in understanding. "Alright, we’ll head to the Exchange Center first, and then we’ll come find you. Please hold this house for us."
The young lady’s smile grew a little brighter than before. "Don’t worry. There aren’t many people who can afford and are willing to rent a house like this. It won’t be taken by someone else."
The implication was that Sierra Sullivan’s concerns were entirely unnecessary.
Five hundred Contribution Points, if spent frugally on food and water, would be enough to support a family of four for a month.
How many people would be willing to spend that much on rent?
Hearing the young lady’s words, Sierra Sullivan didn’t say much, only offering a small smile.
’Perhaps not many people are willing to spend so many Contribution Points on rent, but that’s not to say there are none.’
’What if someone like that does show up?’
But this was just a passing thought; Sierra Sullivan didn’t say any of it out loud.
To voice these thoughts would have sounded like she was trying to be deliberately argumentative.
With the young lady leading the way and giving directions, they soon spotted the Exchange Center.
The Exchange Center was huge, and the crowd inside was even larger.
The moment she stepped inside, a cacophony of sounds assaulted Sierra Sullivan’s ears.
Having grown accustomed to days with no one around, where the only sound was the howling of sandy winds, Sierra Sullivan instinctively furrowed her brow at the sudden uproar.
However, Sierra Sullivan didn’t dislike the scene before her.
If possible, she too hoped everyone could live bustling, lively lives, preferably just like before the apocalypse.
After a moment of quiet reflection, Sierra Sullivan and her group quickly made their way to the counter.
There was no need to ask questions. A massive sign hung on the wall behind the counter, clearly listing the exchange rates for various goods into Contribution Points.
One pound of rice or white flour could be exchanged for two Contribution Points.
But when she had passed by the grain shop earlier, Sierra Sullivan had paid close attention to the prices.
To buy one pound of rice or white flour, however, cost five Contribution Points.
’I have to say, the base is a real rip-off!’
’A blatant, shameless rip-off at that.’
But even knowing the base was ripping them off, they had no choice but to hold their noses and accept it.
After all, the base had already established a unified currency.
Sierra Sullivan didn’t bother looking at the other exchange rates. Coarse grains were even cheaper, meaning she would need to produce a huge quantity to get enough Contribution Points, which was just too much trouble.
It was better to just use rice.
Besides, with Jayce’s Superpower as a cover, no one would find it strange no matter how much rice she took out.
Sierra Sullivan did a quick calculation. They needed to pay at least one month’s rent for their house, which was five hundred Contribution Points.
She also had to consider Nathan Thorne and Dominic Crawford, bringing the total to one thousand five hundred Contribution Points.
Beyond the rent, she also needed a buffer for emergencies, as other situations requiring Contribution Points might arise.
With that in mind, exchanging for three thousand Contribution Points should be enough.
Since one pound of rice could be exchanged for two Contribution Points, she would need a total of one thousand five hundred pounds of rice.
’That’s not a lot.’
Sierra Sullivan called over a staff member and stated her request.
The staff member’s face was filled with astonishment upon hearing the quantity Sierra Sullivan mentioned, but the surprise lasted only a moment before they quickly composed their expression.
"The amount you’re exchanging is rather large. Please come inside. Did you bring the goods with you?"
The staff member was quite considerate.
Sierra Sullivan nodded. "I did. I have a Space Ability."
The staff member’s expression shifted to one of understanding.
So, a Space Ability User. That would explain how she could produce so much grain. Except, not really.
Space Ability Users weren’t a rare sight.
There were plenty of people with spatial abilities; what was rare was having anything to fill that space with.
Sierra Sullivan and her group followed the staff member to an office, where they quickly completed the transaction.
While one thousand five hundred pounds of rice was not a small amount, it couldn’t be called exceptionally large either.
This staff member was able to complete the transaction on their own, without even needing to call a manager.
Sierra Sullivan found this a little strange, but after a brief conversation, she understood the reason.
Subterra currently had a number of Wood Ability Users. While these individuals were all base staff with daily quotas to fulfill, some clearly had energy to spare or would even overexert their Superpowers. After finishing their assigned tasks, they would continue to grow crops at home, and once they had accumulated enough, they would come to exchange them for Contribution Points.
A Superpower User bringing in over a thousand pounds of grain at once was not a rare event; it happened every so often.
Understanding the full context, Sierra Sullivan was actually quite pleased.
The nail that sticks up gets hammered down. As long as they weren’t the only ones doing this, it was less likely they would be targeted.
After receiving the three thousand Contribution Points, Sierra Sullivan counted them meticulously before storing them in her space.
Contribution Points served the same function as money before the apocalypse.
But the old Sierra Sullivan had never been short on money, and she had never been this happy just from having it.
Now, however, holding these Contribution Points, Sierra Sullivan felt a small thrill of excitement.
It was like the feeling of getting your first paycheck after working hard for it.
Proud, satisfied, and joyful.
After leaving the Exchange Center, the group immediately headed back to find the young lady from before.
There was no need to look at the house again. Sierra Sullivan directly took out one thousand five hundred Contribution Points. "I want three houses like the one you just showed us, each rented for one month. It would be best if they’re next to each other."
This time, the young lady was truly stunned.
Renting one house like that was already surprising enough for her.
She never expected Sierra Sullivan to rent three of them in one go.
After her initial shock, the young lady still tried to reason with Sierra Sullivan. "Why don’t you think it over? Aren’t three houses a bit much? There are only four of you... one would actually be big enough to live in!"