LOSS System: Last Store Standing

Seeing Warren so excited, everyone else was a little confused. Oscar finally gave him a pat on the shoulder, bringing him back to his senses.

“What’s gotten into you?”

Instead of answering, Warren looked at him and asked, “Do you remember that ruined shopping complex near our old settlement?”

Oscar thought for a moment.

“You mean the electronics mall?”

“Yes, that one!” Warren nodded eagerly, then turned to Jack, still unable to hide his excitement. “There was a huge electronics mall near our old settlement. Most of it was still in good condition. We went inside a few times, and there were still plenty of unopened appliances and spare parts.”

That immediately caught Jack’s attention.

“Do you remember what they had?”

“Not everything. The place was enormous.” Warren thought for a moment. “But I remember a store that specialized in electrical supplies. It had large rolls of Modular Heat-Resistant Power Cable and Flexible Indoor Wiring, along with Modular Power Distribution Terminals, Building Power Distribution Boxes, Intelligent Circuit Breaker Modules, and Modular Dustproof Power Outlets.”

The more he spoke, the faster his words came.

“There were also Quick Cable Connectors, Modular Cable Conduits for securing and protecting the wiring, and Wall Penetration Sealing Kits for sealing the gaps where wires passed through walls. I even saw several crates of Multi-Function Electrical Testers, though I have no idea whether any of them still work after all these years.”

Jack did not understand most of the technical terms, but he at least knew what cables, distribution boxes, and power outlets were used for.

“So if we bring all of that back, we can run electricity through the area around the convenience store?”

“That’s right.” Warren nodded excitedly. “The Modular Heat-Resistant Power Cables can carry electricity away from the convenience store, while the Modular Power Distribution Terminals can distribute it to different areas. We can also plan the wiring ahead of time for anything we build later, with separate Building Power Distribution Boxes, Intelligent Circuit Breaker Modules, and Modular Dustproof Power Outlets.”

Now Jack understood why Warren had gotten so excited.

“That does sound useful.” Jack smiled. “We’ll definitely have to bring it all back.”

Warren nodded repeatedly.

“That’s why I reacted like that when I heard you had electricity here.”

Just as the two were getting carried away, Elias interrupted them.

“It sounds good in theory, but who’s going to install it?”

Jack and Warren both looked at him. Elias was completely serious.

“This isn’t like putting up a few wooden beams or digging a ditch. We’re talking about electricity. If something is wired incorrectly, damaged equipment will be the least of our problems. Someone could get killed. Does anyone here actually know how to wire an entire area?”

Jack paused. Only then did he realize they had overlooked the most important problem.

“Doesn’t Thomas know how to do this kind of work?”

Elias gave him a helpless look. Rather than answer, he turned to Cass.

“Go get Thomas.”

Then he looked back at Jack.

“You can ask him yourself.”

Cass left and soon returned with Thomas, who had been working nearby.

“What do you need?” Thomas asked.

Jack skipped the introductions and quickly told him about the electronics mall and their plan to install wiring around the convenience store.

“Well? Can you do it?”

Thomas gave him a serious look.

“Do I look like an electrical engineer?”

Jack stared at him.

Thomas sighed and explained, “If the wiring was already in place and you only needed me to install a few power outlets, light sockets, or switches, that would be easy enough. But you’re talking about carrying electricity from the convenience store across this entire area and laying out wiring in advance for buildings that haven’t even been constructed yet.”

Thomas gestured around them.

“That takes real electrical expertise. It’s not something just anyone can handle.”

“So you can’t do it?” Jack asked.

“No,” Thomas replied without hesitation.

Jack turned to Warren, disappointed, only to find him still looking completely at ease.

“What about you? You look pretty confident.”

Warren shook his head.

“I can’t install it either, but I do know how the wiring should be planned.”

Jack rolled his eyes.

“You looked so relaxed that I thought you knew how to do it.”

Warren laughed and pointed to Oscar beside him.

“I don’t, but Oscar does.”

That caught everyone by surprise. Elias and Thomas both turned toward Oscar.

“Which one of you is Oscar?” Thomas asked.

Only then did Jack remember that Thomas had never met the six newcomers. He quickly introduced them to one another.

Oscar had been sitting nearby listening to the conversation. He had not expected Warren to suddenly drag him into it.

“If it’s just a basic wiring system, I should be able to handle it,” he said, giving Warren an annoyed look. “I used to repair printing equipment, so I know a fair amount about electrical systems. I also know how to use most of the components you mentioned.”

Jack had not expected that.

“I’m not a professional electrical engineer, though,” Oscar added. “If you want a complete system built to the same standards as an old-world building, that’s beyond me.”

“We don’t need anything that advanced.” Jack waved a hand. “As long as it works and it’s safe, that’s good enough.”

“In that case, I should be able to do it,” Oscar said.

That was all Jack needed to hear.

“Then it’s settled. Once we get all of you settled in, we’ll go take a look at that electronics mall.”

He had barely finished speaking when a commotion broke out beyond the moat.

The shouting quickly grew louder, mixed with several angry curses. Everyone turned toward the noise. A group of traders had arrived, but for some reason, they were arguing with Derek and the others.

Elias frowned and started toward them, but Jack stopped him.

“Wait.”

He glanced at Oscar and raised an eyebrow.

Oscar immediately understood. He was about to head over when Jack stopped him again.

“Hold on.”

With everyone watching in confusion, Jack hurried back into the convenience store. He soon returned with a can of pepper spray and handed it to Oscar.

Oscar examined the can.

“What is this?”

“Pepper spray.” Jack quickly showed him how to use it. “If Derek and the others are causing trouble, spray them in the face.”

Oscar hesitated.

“It won’t blind them, will it?”

“No.” Jack smiled. “Their eyes will burn, and they’ll be crying with snot running down their faces, but they’ll recover after a while.”

Reassured, Oscar gripped the pepper spray and headed toward the commotion.

Elias watched Oscar walk away, then looked at Jack.

“If all you wanted was to let Oscar get even, there would be plenty of chances later. Why send him now? Are you trying to make an example of them in front of the traders?”

“No.” Jack looked beyond the moat. “I’m just tired of wasting time on them.”

“What do you mean?”

“We already have more than enough to deal with. I don’t have time to keep watching them and waiting for the next problem.”

He nodded toward the commotion.

“They never wanted to stay in the first place. Sooner or later, some of them would try to escape. We might as well use this chance to drive them all out. Then we won’t have to keep assigning people to guard them.”

Elias considered his words, then nodded.

“If that’s what you’ve decided, we’ll do it your way.”

Warren listened in surprise. He had assumed Jack intended to keep Derek and the others here as workers. He had never expected Jack to let them go, much less drive them all away.

The argument outside the moat continued until several screams suddenly cut through the shouting.

Jack looked toward the noise.

“Sounds like Oscar has already made his move.”

He glanced at Elias.

“Come on. Time for us to step in.”

The two headed toward Derek’s group at an unhurried pace. Warren hesitated briefly before following them.

By the time they arrived, the commotion had mostly died down.

Derek, Bryce, Curtis, and Wes were clutching their faces, coughing and rubbing frantically at their eyes as tears and snot streamed down their faces.

Oscar stood a short distance away with the can of pepper spray still in his hand. Nolan and the other nine men had gathered between him and the traders, keeping the two sides apart.

The scene was not quite what Jack had expected.

“What happened?”

Oscar told him what he had learned.

The traders had recognized Derek’s group as soon as they arrived. They knew what Derek had done in the past and had no intention of provoking him. But when they saw the former tyrants working under the scorching sun, they could not help staring for a little longer.

Derek took their looks as mockery and ordered Bryce and the other two to teach them a lesson. The confrontation quickly turned into a fight.

But Derek and his three lackeys were the only ones who had tried to attack the traders. Nolan and the other nine had moved aside before the fight began and refused to get involved.

When Oscar arrived and brought Derek’s group down with the pepper spray, Nolan and the others finally came forward.

At first, Oscar thought they were joining the fight and raised the can again. Instead, they stepped between him and the traders, cutting Derek and his three lackeys off from everyone else.

Once Oscar finished explaining, Jack looked at Derek, who was still wiping tears from his face.

“I know you’ve been stirring up trouble behind my back for the past few days. I just couldn’t be bothered to deal with you.” The smile was gone from Jack’s face. “But apparently, you still don’t understand your situation. You even had the nerve to start a fight on my property.”

Still covering his burning eyes, Derek shouted, “They laughed at me first! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“That’s a lie!” one of the traders shot back. “We never provoked you. You ordered your men to attack us for no reason!”

Before the argument could start again, Jack raised a hand and motioned for the traders to calm down.

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” Jack said seriously. “It happened here, so it’s my responsibility to deal with it. I promise I’ll give you a proper answer.”

The traders quickly waved it off.

“It’s all right. This wasn’t your fault.”

“Maybe not, but you came here to trade, and instead, you were attacked by people working for me. I can’t just ignore that.”

Jack pointed toward the trading point.

“Go rest over there for a while. I’ll come find you as soon as I’ve dealt with this. All right?”

The traders exchanged glances, then nodded and headed toward the trading point.

“Thank you for understanding.”

Jack turned to Elias.

“Ask Megan to prepare some ice water and beef burgers for them. It’s their first time here. I don’t want them leaving hungry and angry because of this.”

Elias nodded and sent Cass to inform Megan.

Once the traders were gone, Jack faced Derek and his three companions again. All four were still suffering from the pepper spray.

“Now, let’s deal with you.”

Derek shouted through the pain in his eyes, “What else do you want from us? I already told you, they started it!”

Jack ignored him and looked at Nolan, who was still standing in front of Oscar.

“Your name is Nolan, right?”

Nolan nodded.

“Then tell me what happened. Who started the fight?”

Nolan glanced at Derek.

“Derek did. He thought those people were laughing at him, so he told Bryce and the others to teach them a lesson.”

“You’re lying!” Derek shouted. “They were laughing at me first!”

“Shut up!”

Jack’s shout cut him off.

He turned back to Nolan.

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure,” Nolan answered without hesitation. “Derek ordered them to attack first. Those people only looked at us a few times. They never said or did anything to provoke him.”

Jack remained silent for a moment, watching Nolan.

Nolan clearly understood what speaking against Derek could mean for him, but he stood by his account. The other nine men remained beside him, and none of them tried to defend Derek.

Jack finally looked back at Derek.

“You heard him. Anything else you want to say?”

Derek clutched his burning eyes. With Nolan and the others refusing to support him, there was little point in arguing further.

“Whatever you say goes,” he said through clenched teeth. “I have nothing else to say.”

Then he glared at Nolan.

“Very good. You’ve done very well.”

Nolan shuddered under his stare but held his ground.

“I told the truth. I didn’t accuse you of anything you didn’t do.”

Derek suddenly burst out laughing, then faced Jack again.

“If you’re going to kill me, then do it! If I so much as flinch, you can call me a coward!”

“Kill you?” Jack gave him a look of disgust. “You’re not worth dirtying my hands.”

Derek’s laughter stopped.

Jack looked over all fourteen men, then pointed into the distance.

“All of you, get out. Go as far away as you can and never come back. If I see any of you here again, you’ll be dealing with more than a can of pepper spray.”

Derek stared at him, clearly not expecting to be released.

But being driven away in front of everyone felt like another humiliation. His expression darkened, though he no longer dared to lash out.

“You’ll pay for what you did today. I swear!”

Derek turned and stormed off, shouting over his shoulder as he went.

“What are you waiting for? Haven’t you embarrassed yourselves enough?”

Bryce, Curtis, and Wes scrambled to their feet and stumbled after him.

Derek made it some distance before noticing how quiet it was behind him. He stopped and looked back.

Only Bryce, Curtis, and Wes had followed. Nolan and the other nine were still standing exactly where he had left them.

“What are you doing?” Derek shouted. “Get over here!”

No one answered.

Derek glared at them, his expression growing darker by the second. Nolan refused to meet his eyes, but he did not move. Neither did any of the others.

When it became clear that they were not coming, Derek clenched his teeth and continued on with his three lackeys.

Jack had not expected this. He had been prepared to watch all fourteen of them leave, but only Derek and his three lackeys had gone.

He looked at Nolan and the others.

“Why are you still here?”

Nolan glanced back at the men behind him. They each gave him a small nod before he faced Jack again.

“The work here is hard, but at least we get food and water every day.”

He paused.

“We don’t want to go back to the way we lived before. We want to stay.”

The others nodded in agreement.

“We know people hate us for what we’ve done, and we don’t expect you to trust us right away,” Nolan continued. “But we’re willing to keep working. All we want is a chance to live in peace from now on.”

Jack studied the other nine men.

“Is that what all of you want?”

They answered with silent nods.

Jack looked at Elias. He clearly had not expected this either, but after a moment, he nodded.

“All right.” Jack faced Nolan and the others again. “If you really want to stay, I’ll give you one more chance.”

He waited a moment before continuing.

“The basic quota I gave you before is canceled. Starting today, you can exchange the mud bricks you make for the supplies you need. But I’ll only accept properly made bricks, so don’t try to pass off shoddy work.”

The tension visibly eased from Nolan and the others.

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Jack continued. “I haven’t suddenly gone soft. I’m giving you a chance to change. Work honestly and follow the rules, and I’ll treat you fairly.”

“But if any of you cause trouble again, you’ll end up like Derek and the others. You’ll be driven out and never allowed back. Do you understand?”

“We understand.” Nolan nodded firmly. “You can judge us by what we do from now on.”

The others quickly voiced their agreement.

Jack gave them a final nod, then left with Elias.

Warren watched Derek and his three lackeys disappear into the distance. Then he looked back at Nolan and the others as they returned to work before following Jack and Elias.