Chapter 3

Over the next few days, Wu Ming spent his time in a flurry of activity. First, he gathered all the cash he could, including the savings he had accumulated over the years. Then, he used this money to purchase various supplies he could think of.

Food, water, medicine, tools, batteries, clothing—Wu Ming bought everything he could think of and stored them in his newly rented house.

In addition, Wu Ming bought the components needed to make a 'Qi Collector.' These were relatively common electronic components. Scientists in the new world could create one using just mobile phone parts and jade. Wu Ming had studied this and found that before the disaster, various components were easily obtainable, making it not difficult to create a simple Qi Collector.

The components for the Qi Collector included a watch-type mobile phone, some electronic parts, and a piece of Hetian jade.

The Qi from the other world was a peculiar form of energy, similar to electricity in the human world, which could be stored in certain media. The best storage medium was an 'energy card,' but since he didn't have one, using Hetian jade was a suitable alternative.

Wu Ming stayed at home for two full days, personally crafting the watch-type mobile phone and a small piece of Hetian jade into a 'Qi Collector.' The mobile phone could receive signals, and Qi was a special kind of 'signal.' Once received, it could be stored in the Hetian jade. Wu Ming made a small modification to the phone's LCD screen to display the current amount of Qi. If Qi was detected, it would emit a 'beep' sound as a notification.

According to Wu Ming's estimation, this Qi Collector could collect up to three units of Qi. The amount of Qi required for a human to awaken was twenty-four units, so he needed to collect eight times. Fortunately, the Hetian jade he had purchased was cut into several small pieces, providing sufficient storage.

With the Qi Collector, he also needed weapons and armor. The development of weapons and armor in the new world was extremely rapid, with 'hardness' being the most important attribute. Only with sufficient hardness could one withstand the sharp claws and teeth of monsters and penetrate their tough outer shells and armor. Various new types of 'alloys' with high hardness had appeared in the new world, but Wu Ming did not know how to make them. However, high-strength steel could serve as a temporary substitute.

Wu Ming bought a Tang knife made with the pattern-forging technique, with a pear blossom wood handle, meticulously crafted and very sharp, capable of cutting through steel without damaging the blade. Additionally, he purchased a set of armor made using ancient methods, woven from high-strength nylon ropes and many steel plates the size of mahjong tiles, providing a certain level of defense.

Before humans awakened, the best weapons were still firearms, but they were difficult to obtain, so he had to make do with cold weapons for now.

Yucheng also began to experience 'meteor' falls. Around 3 a.m. one night, a brilliant fireball fell from the sky, landing on the playground of a middle school on the third ring road of Yucheng, creating a crater about seven to eight meters in diameter. About five to six meters below the crater, a black card floated in the air.

The card was unsupported, floating there, surrounded by a basketball-sized light shield that protected it tightly. Upon closer inspection, the card was inscribed with mysterious text and a drawing.

The drawing vividly depicted a bizarre scene: a completely black beetle emerging from the ground, with animals fleeing in all directions. The beetle was quite large in proportion. If one looked closely, one could see the beetle's sharp legs slowly moving, as if it were alive.

Within ten minutes, police cars arrived and the scene was cordoned off.

Wu Ming had seen news of Yucheng being hit by 'meteors' on TV and had made notes, marking the locations on a map of Yucheng with red circles.

Frequent meteor falls around the world had become the hottest topic, with news flooding TV, newspapers, and the internet. Various theories and speculations also emerged, both official and unofficial. Almost all official media tried to downplay the event, but the public did not believe them. The more the authorities said it was nothing to worry about, the more people became concerned, preferring to believe the various bizarre theories circulating among the public.

The most prevalent theory among the public was the end-of-the-world theory, with many believing that the continuous meteor falls were a prelude to a major disaster. Of course, some also said that the objects falling from the sky were not meteors but something else, a highly mysterious card.

However, this theory, like the official media, was not very convincing. Yet, who could know that the truth often lies hidden among many lies?

Due to the meteor incidents, crime rates in various countries surged. Some took advantage of the chaos, some vented their frustrations, and others went wild before the end of the world.

Of course, none of this was related to Wu Ming. The security in Yucheng was still relatively good. He was sitting on a bus heading to the city center. Wu Ming was not going shopping but to collect Qi. The places where cards fell naturally had a connection to the other world and contained some trace amounts of Qi. Moreover, the cards themselves contained Qi, and as the time for their automatic activation approached, Wu Ming needed to collect some Qi as a reserve.

News reported that another 'meteor' had fallen in Yucheng the previous night, at a shopping center in the city center. When Wu Ming arrived, he found that the landing site had already been cordoned off. It was a three-story sports and leisure goods store on a street, with its roof broken and the entire building collapsed. The area was cordoned off with barriers, and the debris was covered with plastic sheets, making it impossible to see what was inside. Several dozen uniformed special police officers guarded the area, preventing anyone from approaching.

People's curiosity did not diminish because of the cordon; it only intensified. The area was surrounded by layers of people, all using their phones and cameras, and even journalists were conducting interviews nearby.

"A reporter from our station has arrived at the site of last night's meteor fall but has been told that entry is not allowed. A large number of military and police have cordoned off the building, and the situation inside is unclear. Now, we will interview a citizen about this event. Hello, what do you think about the meteor falling in the city center?" A beautiful female reporter was interviewing a bystander.

When Wu Ming arrived, he saw the citizen eloquently expressing his views, which mainly revolved around the government's need to reveal the truth about the meteor fall. In fact, a day earlier, many rumors had already spread on the internet, leading to the depletion of food, water, and other essential supplies in supermarkets, causing many to run out of stock.

Besides food and water, people also frantically purchased clothing and charcoal stoves due to rumors that the world would soon enter an ice age.

Fortunately, Wu Ming had made his purchases early; otherwise, he would not have been able to buy anything even if he had the money. Undoubtedly, not only Yucheng but the entire world was in a state of panic. Thousands of 'meteors' were falling daily around the world, causing significant damage and casualties. It was reported that thousands of people had already died from meteor strikes in recent days.

This was a major event. When humans face the unknown, they often feel helpless, fearful, and influenced by various rumors. At such times, those who know the truth often hide it for various reasons, exacerbating the fear.

Wu Ming walked to the edge of the crowd, and the simple 'Qi Collector' on his wrist immediately beeped. Wu Ming realized he was on the right track and stood there, pretending to be a curious onlooker.

No one knew that the number representing the Qi storage on the small screen on Wu Ming's wrist was slowly increasing, like charging a battery.

In the end, whether it was the crowd's protests or the media's inquiries, the expressionless special police officers guarding the entrance did not let anyone in or say a word. After several hours, the crowd gradually dispersed, with only a few people occasionally coming to look but leaving in disappointment after finding nothing.

Wu Ming wandered around the sports store for over three hours before leaving. In those three hours, his Qi Collector collected one unit of Qi. Although it was not much, Wu Ming was quite satisfied, as the connection to the other world had not yet fully opened, and even this small amount was a good start.

Naturally, Wu Ming had considered sneaking in, but seeing the armed police, he decided to leave.

Later, Wu Ming went to another card landing site to collect Qi. By the time he returned home in the evening, he had collected two units of Qi.

After locking the door, Wu Ming removed the piece of Hetian jade used to store the Qi from the Qi Collector. When he turned off the lights, the small piece of jade in his hand emitted a faint glow.

"Two units of Qi can improve my physical condition, but it's not enough to awaken me. If I remember correctly, Yucheng will eventually have six cards fall. Absorbing the stray Qi around these six cards can store about six units of Qi. To absorb more, one must be within ten meters of the card, but the landing sites are currently under strict surveillance and isolation, making it impossible to get close," Wu Ming thought to himself. This simple Qi Collector and jade could not store Qi for long; it would dissipate over time, so he needed to absorb it immediately.

Absorbing Qi into the body was not difficult. One just needed to sit still, control their breathing, and place the jade between their hands on their lower abdomen. The body would then slowly absorb the Qi.

So, Wu Ming sat on the floor all night, absorbing the two units of Qi. By the next day, the two units of Qi had been completely absorbed into his body.

The Qi entering his body continuously improved his physical condition, strengthening his bones and muscles, making his body more robust. In simple terms, if Wu Ming's previous limit was lifting 100 kilograms, after absorbing two units of Qi, he could now lift 120 kilograms.

Although it was a small improvement, the cumulative effect could be significant.

Besides strength, his speed, hearing, vision, and reflexes also improved. In the early morning, a fly flew over Wu Ming's head. Sensing the fly, Wu Ming quickly reached out and caught it in his hand. This would have been difficult before, but after absorbing two units of Qi, he did it effortlessly.

Wu Ming was naturally quite excited. Although in his previous life as an awakened individual, he had reached the official second-level rating, capable of lifting 300 kilograms with one arm and easily plucking a fly's wings without killing it, the current improvement, though small, was still significant for this time.

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**End of Chapter**