AWACS - An American With A Chinese System
Copyright© 2025 by PT Brainum
Chapter 33
He didn’t understand, but I had earned fifteen million points giving them the stuff I had. I could only imagine the ongoing points generated as I brought in supplies and equipment that made everyone’s life better. Is it altruism if you are doing it to get paid?
“Hey. I have a question. Why not hydro power, with all the rain you get?”
“No real good spot to build a dam. The low areas are where our best crops grow, and even then they all have a gentle runoff.”
“I could build a giant cistern in the center of the island, then run a pipe from it, to a water turbine generator at the coast. Direct the run off into the cistern, to keep it full.”
“That’s an interesting idea.”
We kept talking about various ideas, until the sun started to set. I thanked him for his time as he left, having decided I would spend the night at my new place.
Once he was gone, I checked my text messages, still no response.
I checked my stats to see about upgrading:
0/50,000,000 (100) Level
27,322,800/500,000,000 positive points
19,029,455 neutral points
63,178,000/500,000,000 negative points
28 Active Skills
26 Passive Skills
47,605 Bonus Neutral Points
Since it looked like I wasn’t needed anywhere, I decided I’d upgrade twice if I could.
50 million negative points to Level 101
55 million negative and positive and neutral points to level 102
0/60,000,000 (102) Level
0/600,000,000 positive points
4,530,255 neutral points
0/600,000,000 negative points
28/29 Active Skills
26/27 Passive Skills
47,605 Bonus Neutral Points
Quick way to make myself feel poor.
Scribe suggested I use both my skill points for upgrading an active skill:
省吃俭用 economize carefully eat frugally (3/4)
- when purchasing food or drink for someone else, get a 90% discount, cost variable 1 point per 10 yuan saved, must pay with cash
- when purchasing daily necessities for someone else, get a 90% discount, cost variable 1 point per 10 yuan saved, must pay with cash
- when purchasing housing or building materials for someone else, get a 90% discount, cost variable 1 point per 10 yuan saved, must pay with cash
Looking at the new skills, I decided I’d fly back to Oregon anyway. The home improvement store would be open in the morning, and the heat without the AC running would make sleep difficult. First I spent time getting all the rest of my stuff put away, where it had been emptied out of the cabinets and closet by the SWAT team.
I took off and headed to the rented beach house, at 14x it was a 23 minute trip, and only cost about 725,000 points, which was good, because I hadn’t spent that much today, even including the foundation work for the RV, and the daily double would pay it back.
The sunset over the pacific was amazing. When I arrived I hovered over the coastal Oregon fog bank that had blanketed the town. The stars were amazing with the town lights dimmed by the fog, but still not as good as the nights in Pitcairn.
The hot chocolate was nice, before bed. I slept well, but set my chicken alarm clock to wake me at 6 am. What was nice, was that my clothes transformed into some very comfy flannel pajamas as I went into the bedroom. I’d forgotten completely the skill, even though I had landed wearing a very nice leather bomber jacket that I hadn’t taken off with.
I was up early for a breakfast of cold cereal, and mediocre instant coffee. The Pitcairn coffee really was good in comparison. I added a spoon full of chocolate powder and it got much better.
My overnight friendship points had really increased, I was now up to 70 guy friends, and 45 female friends. I also had the daily double from my flight.
0/60,000,000 (102) Level
2,883,600/600,000,000 positive points
7,422,055 neutral points
1,458,000/600,000,000 negative points
28 Active Skills
26 Passive Skills
47,605 Bonus Neutral Points
Not enough to upgrade, so time to get going.
First stop, the casino.
“I’d like to get cash if I could.”
“Certainly sir, how much?”
“I have a card here with one hundred thousand on it, is that too much?”
“If you wait a moment, I’ll call a manager.”
I waited, and a guy I recognized came out to greet me, “Mr Roberts, what can the Wind Casino do for you today?”
I held up one of the cash cards they had given me previously, “I’d like to get this in cash.”
“Certainly, we can do that, no questions asked, just a minor transfer fee.”
“Will that include a bag to carry it in?”
“Certainly.”
I handed the card over, “What’s the fee?”
“5%”
I sighed, and followed him to a private room. A bank wouldn’t have that much cash in hand, and there might be questions that would require my name. He came back with a much smaller duffel bag than I was expecting, but it had the casino logo and name on it. He handed it to me, and it felt much too light.
“This is all of it?”
“19 packets of 100 dollar bills, fifty bills each packet, for $95,000.”
I thanked him, and went out to catch a taxi.
The taxi dropped me off at a local car dealership that wasn’t quite open yet this morning. I walked around looking at the few trucks they had, wondering when it was that every pickup truck started having four doors.
My biggest criteria was age, newer was better, bed size, bigger was better, and towing capacity, more was better. I’d be willing to go older to maximize the other two.
A guy came out, and asked if I wanted some coffee. That sounded like a good idea, my bomber jacket was back, and I was carrying the duffel still.
He pointed me to the self service coffee, and then held out a box of donuts, “Hi I’m John, what are you looking for today?”
“I need a truck, I don’t want to spend all day, I’m paying cash, and I’d like to drive it off the lot in about an hour.”
“I can do that, so what do you need in a truck, I’ve just got the ten of them right now.”
“Towing capacity, followed by bed size, then if there’s a difference, either newer or lower miles.”
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