2. Mall

Chen Zhuo took a careful look at the system prompt.

【This is the Wasteland Happiness Life System, designed to help you survive—and thrive—in the post-apocalyptic world.】

【Happiness Points are your primary resource. They can be used directly to build or upgrade structures, replenish materials needed for upgrades, and—most importantly—purchase survival gear in the System Marketplace.】

【The system awards Happiness Points daily based on how much happiness you accumulate.】

【To view an item’s Happiness Value and other details, simply focus your gaze on it.】

【Fixed items like furniture, buildings, pets, and livestock grant Happiness Points every day at midnight, in a 10:1 ratio relative to their Happiness Value.】

【One-time-use items—such as food, skill books, and gene serums—award Happiness Points at a 1:1 ratio upon consumption.】

Chen Zhuo immediately focused his gaze on the furniture before him.

[Shoddy Wooden Stool: Happiness Value: 2]
[Shoddy Wooden Bed: Happiness Value: 5]
[Shoddy Wooden Table: Happiness Value: 3]
[Shoddy Little Cottage: Happiness Value: 10]

“Total happiness value of everything I own adds up to just 20… that means only 2 Happiness Points per day. Guess I’d better speed up the shelter upgrade process.”

He closed the guide and opened the marketplace. The prices there hit him hard—most items were priced at 100 Happiness Points or more, and some even cost over a thousand.

Especially the Basic Gene Serum made his eyes bug out. But at 200 points? He could barely afford it. That was way beyond his current budget. With a sheepish sigh, he closed the marketplace window.

It wasn’t fully dark outside yet. Chen Zhuo stood up. “Better go chop some more wood while I still have the light.”

About an hour and a half later, he pushed open the door, dragging his tired body onto the bed.

“Luck’s on my side today—I not only got several logs, but also caught a wild chicken.”

Funny thing about it—technically, the chicken came *to* him.

He’d finished chopping trees and was heading back when hunger finally got the best of him. Empty stomach, no food all day. He pulled out a piece of bread from his pack and started eating as he walked. Suddenly, from the bushes ahead, a wild chicken burst out—completely unafraid, circling around his feet like it had been waiting.

Thinking, *Well, chickens lay eggs*, Chen Zhuo tore off bits of bread and tossed them toward the bird. Step by step, he led it back to the cottage.

Inside, the room looked just as dark as outside—maybe darker. He gritted his teeth and bought the cheapest item in the system store: flint stones.

As his Happiness Points dropped to 20, two fist-sized black rocks appeared in his backpack.

No hesitation. He grabbed one stone, struck it against a piece of wood, and sparked a flame. To avoid setting the little cabin on fire, he carefully gathered a few rocks from outside and placed them beneath the wood, creating a makeshift fire pit between the floorboards.

The flickering flames danced across Chen Zhuo’s face, casting shifting shadows. His sharp features softened under the glow, his eyes weary, deep with exhaustion.

Once the fire was going, he collapsed onto the bed and opened his pack to assess the day’s haul.

“One day. One set of tools. Eighty wooden planks. And one wild chicken.”

He tapped the Land Foundation icon, selected the “Upgrade” option, and saw the cottage glowing with a “Can Upgrade” tag beside it. He confirmed.

[Wood – 30]
[Shoddy Little Cottage → Solid Wood Cottage]

Then he turned his attention back to the Land Foundation itself. He hadn’t forgotten—it could be upgraded too.

Land Foundation (Gold)
Current Building Limit: Solid Wood Structures
Territory Bonus: 3x3x3 area — +10% stamina recovery for living creatures, +10% building durability
Upgrade Cost: Wood x50

Even the lowest-tier foundation buff was already this strong? What would happen if he kept upgrading?

Without delay, he selected “Upgrade Immediately.”

[Land Foundation → Land Foundation Lv.1 (Gold)
Current Building Limit: Fine Stone Structures
Territory Bonus: 3x4x3 area — +15% stamina recovery, +15% building durability
Upgrade Cost: Wood x100, Stone x50]