Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System - Chapter 150

Chapter 150: Parting Gifts
After everything was settled, Rayne led the group of people out of the city. They walked toward the ranch to see if Fred was willing to take any of them in.

“Okay, everyone, please wait here. I’m going to talk to the leader of the ranch and see if they are willing to take you all in,” said Rayne. They were currently at an old diner not far from the entrance to the ranch.

Rayne and Julian set off to meet with Fred, along with an appointed leader of the group. They walked down the familiar long driveway, surrounded by pastures on each side.

As they approached the white farmhouse, Fred had just stepped outside, noticing them from the porch.

“Oh hey! You’re back!” greeted Fred in his signature happy way.

“Hi, Fred. We made it out, and we have a group of refugees. We wanted to discuss whether you would be willing to take them in,” said Julian.

Fred smiled. “Well, we’re not ones to turn people away, but things are getting a little crowded here. I’ve been thinking for a while about clearing out the neighboring house to use as another living space. Maybe we can push those plans forward.”

The man chosen as a representative for the refugees almost burst into tears. “Thank you, sir. We’re all willing to work and help out.”

Fred followed them back to the diner to gauge the number of people who would be moving in. Meanwhile, Rayne and Julian finally approached the younger scientist of the three.

“Hello, I’m Rayne, and this is Julian. We actually came all the way up here in search of a chemist after hearing that there was one here. We’re not sure if you’re the exact person we heard about, but we are in need of a chemist.”

The young man looked startled but greeted them back. “Hello, I’m Jonah. I am indeed a chemist. I’m curious, why do you need a chemist?”

Rayne discreetly pulled out the vial containing the red, sand-like substance. “We found this and want to know more about it. From my encounter with the leader of the Blood Skulls, I can see that they got their hands on it too.”

Jonah’s eyes widened. “How did you get ahold of this? This is a very dangerous substance. I’m not exactly sure what it does, but from my short time working for the gang, I could tell it’s a very volatile substance.”

“That’s exactly why we’re looking for a chemist. We need to understand as much as we can about this substance,” said Julian in a serious tone.

Jonah looked at both of them and fell into thought. He was also concerned about the substance after seeing it for the first time.

There was nothing really keeping him in City R. He had no family here and no home, so he thought that maybe going with them wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Rayne noticed how lost in thought he was and decided it might be good to give him some space. “Think about it today. Let us know tomorrow. If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Fred had just finished taking count and introducing himself to everyone. He was a capable leader and quickly organized the group into smaller sections based on their skills.

“Okay, everyone! Let’s head over to the house that needs to be cleaned up so we can get you all settled,” announced Fred, leading them to a similar farmhouse across the pasture.

While the refugees were getting settled, Rayne finally had some time to leave some gifts for the group.

The ranch was self-sufficient in terms of food, but there were many items that could help make their lives more comfortable.

Julian accompanied Rayne through the small town while she hid all sorts of supplies inside random buildings.

The first place they entered looked like an old corner store, and Rayne quickly noticed that it had long been picked clean.

She smiled at Julian and said, “Let’s restock this place.”

She placed boxes of canned food, completely filling one of the shelves. On the next shelf, she placed various water bottles and even water filters.

The rest of the items were staple goods like sacks of rice, grains, flour, salt, and sugar. The once-empty corner store was now fully stocked with goods that should last this small settlement a long time.

The next store they stopped by was a hardware store. Here, Rayne filled the shelves with seeds, gardening supplies, various tools, lumber, heaters, and even a few gas generators.

She wasn’t too familiar with what would be useful in terms of animal supplies, but she placed a large number of sacks filled with chicken feed along with other animal-related products that she found.

The last place she wanted to restock was a home goods store, and thankfully she found one nearby.

She knew that with the new influx of people, they would need more bed linens, blankets, and pillows. She placed a variety of bedding in different colors and fabrics, along with a few bolts of fabric, which would allow them to make new items themselves in the future.

In a different section of the store, she placed new sets of pots and pans, utensils, cups, bowls, and other kitchen items.

The store was feeling a lot fuller with all of the added items. Rayne walked to the back of the store and made piles of clothing. One pile was for women’s clothing, containing everything from underwear to winter coats in every size. She made another pile for men’s clothing items.

The last pile was for children’s clothing and shoes. She made a point to add more boots to the pile since that’s what she noticed most of them were wearing.

With the town somewhat restocked, she had one final idea. She took out the handcart that she had used earlier and began to fill it with rare goods. She placed a few cases of wine, whiskey, and cognac inside, completely filling the bottom of the cart. On top, she placed a generous amount of cigars, cigarettes, and condoms, alongside some chocolates.

She figured that these items would be a treat for times they had reason to celebrate, such as the birth of another calf.

Beside the luxury items, she also placed a decently sized bag of basic medicine and first aid supplies. Working on a ranch, there were bound to be injuries, and she hoped these supplies would hold them over for a good amount of time.

Once Rayne finished loading the cart, she and Julian pushed it back to the ranch, planning to gift it to the settlement as a thank-you for their hospitality.