Chapter 146
Old Mo’s water flask was an old military-style canteen, dented and heavy to carry, but still sturdy and functional after all these years.
Gan Lin ran back to the collapsed building where he had hidden earlier.
The ruins were home to many others in hiding, but he skillfully avoided their eyes and ears. In the dim light, he quickly found the spot where he had hidden the bottle.
He carefully unearthed the water bottle from the rubble, filled Old Mo’s canteen, and then carefully reburied the remaining water.
Returning to Old Mo’s hiding place, Gan Lin brought the canteen to his lips.
“Old Mo, there’s water! Drink up!”
He kept his voice low, afraid of attracting unwanted attention.
Thankfully, the old man stirred. When he tasted the water, his eyes widened. Without needing further encouragement, he began gulping it down.
Gan Lin watched nervously, scanning their surroundings, but no one came to snatch their precious water.
At last, Old Mo regained his strength.
“Kid, where did you get this water?” he asked, his voice more alive than before.
Gan Lin heaved a sigh of relief, sat down beside him, and grinned.
“Guess what? I have a name now!”
Old Mo glanced at him. “What name?”
“Gan Lin! From now on, call me Gan Lin!” the boy announced proudly.
Old Mo reached into his jacket, pulled out a piece of hard bread, and broke it in two, giving the larger piece to Gan Lin.
Gan Lin didn’t hesitate, taking it with a grin and nibbling on it.
“Who gave you that name?” Old Mo asked. “The same person who gave you the water?”
“How did you know the water came from someone else?” Gan Lin replied.
Old Mo rolled his eyes. “What, do you think it rained or something?”
Gan Lin chuckled.
After finishing half the bread, he leaned back against the wall with a satisfied sigh, rubbing his now full belly.
Old Mo hesitated, then finally spoke.
“Kid, do you want to get into Flame Dragon Fortress?”
“I told you, call me Gan Lin!” Gan Lin snapped. “Of course I want to get in! Who wouldn’t? But I don’t have the means.”
To his surprise, Old Mo stretched out a hand, revealing a small, glowing red crystal in his palm.
“Fire…”
Before Gan Lin could finish his sentence, Old Mo clamped a hand over his mouth.
After Gan Lin promised not to shout, Old Mo handed him the crystal.
“Old Mo, where did you get this? Did someone give it to you too?”
Rolling his eyes again, Old Mo replied, “I found it. Didn’t I tell you? During the fire dragon activity, fire crystals sometimes fall.”
Gan Lin vaguely remembered him saying so before, but since he’d never found one himself, he had doubted it.
“Take this to Flame Dragon Fortress,” Old Mo said quietly.
Gan Lin froze, staring at the crystal.
“Once inside, do whatever it takes to stay. Be frugal, work hard. At least survive until the fire dragon activity ends before they kick you out…”
*
Meanwhile, at the Peace Grocery Store’s attic, Tang Yuan was looking at the map.
“So that’s a fortress,” he muttered, studying Gan Lin’s location. “Flame Dragon Fortress… Grandpa mentioned it before.”
Nodding, Zhou Qi said, “I wonder what kind of place it is.”
The map was still largely obscured by fog, leaving Tang Yuan unable to tell much.
“Someday, we’ll have to visit!”
Tang Yuan tossed Gan Lin’s bottle back into the Dream Sea, then checked his account.
Balance: 26,000+ points.
Though far from its peak, he was quite satisfied.
After all, today’s gains were far more valuable than the points they had spent.
First, the transit portal to Store No. 3 was now operational, making trips to the swimming facility much easier. They had also acquired a void stone, two temperature-regulating air conditioners, 250 kilos of soybeans, over 400 kilos of coarse salt, 3 kilos of mutated blueberries, and 300 pieces of mutated Lanhu leaves.
Not to mention a four-thousand-meter-long reusable fence and 25 new residents.
Including these additions, Store No.1 now housed 38 residents. With two more babies on the way, that would bring the total to 40 people.
“That’s a lot of people…” Tang Yuan remarked.
He hadn’t realized the scale while they were rescuing people, but now it hit him.
“Will there be enough rooms for everyone?”
Zhou Qi thought for a moment and nodded. “If we allocate one small room per person, there’s plenty.”
The 10-story building of Shop 1 had six livable floors (excluding the damp first floor and other restricted areas). Each floor contained 15 rooms, totaling 90 potential living spaces—more than enough to house 40 people comfortably.
If needed, even the living rooms could be converted into sleeping areas.
“With so many people, hygiene is crucial,” Zhou Qi noted.
The current residents were disciplined, using designated public toilets and responsibly burying waste in the courtyard.
For those surviving in the wasteland, enduring years of filth and foul odors, cleaning waste didn’t seem too difficult a task.
Recalling their discussion with Hong Li earlier about composting, Zhou Qi suggested, “Tomorrow, let’s use the fencing to section off an area and dig a few septic tanks.”
“Alright,” Tang Yuan nodded.
Although he missed the old sewer systems, there was no way to replicate them right now. He could only hope that future store upgrades would unlock such facilities.
“We also need to prepare the clothing we promised for the new residents,” Tang Yuan said.
This was something they had committed to when setting up the “Desolate City Haven.” Promises had to be kept.
“Now that we have a sewing machine, we can ask the residents to help make them.”
“Exactly!”
Apart from these tasks, Tang Yuan had also leveled up today:
[Level-Up Rewards]
– Merchant Level: Lv13
– New Products Available: High-gluten flour, cornstarch, batteries (various models, prices vary)
– Portable Storage Slots: +1 (Total: 18)
– New Feature: Item tagging (viewable on the Commercial Map interface)
– Skill Upgrade: Remote Retrieval upgraded to Lv13 (view in Skills)
– Weekly Task Refresh Card: +1
The newly unlocked items were all practical, especially the batteries—a category that included a wide range of models.
The upgraded telekinesis range extended to 9 meters, which was already more than sufficient for their current needs.
Tang Yuan was particularly intrigued by the item-tagging feature. After tagging an item, it would appear on the map as a purple marker. Even if the marker disappeared in unexplored fog-covered areas, the map’s search function made it easy to locate tagged items.
He immediately tagged all his important possessions, especially non-bound special tools.
“Let’s get some sleep,” Zhou Qi suggested. “We’ll deal with everything tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
Tang Yuan burrowed into his blankets and quickly drifted off to sleep.
*
That night, Tang Yuan dreamed of returning to school. After class, he stopped to buy grilled sausage, only for his little sister to catch him in the act. He ended up buying her one too.
The two siblings happily finished their snacks, and when they returned home, their mom had prepared sweet soup for them.
Their dad turned on the TV and switched to their favorite cartoon channel.
After dinner, Zhou Qi came over to help with homework. Tang Yuan purposely worked as slowly as possible, dragging it out until his mom scolded him and sent him to bed in tears.
And then… Tang Yuan woke up.
Staring at the ceiling of the attic, he felt a wave of melancholy. It looked like home, but he knew that if he went downstairs, the familiar faces of his family wouldn’t be there.
“An’an?”
A warm hand rested gently on his head. Tang Yuan sniffled and rolled over to hug Zhou Qi tightly.
“Brother Qi…”
“Yes?”
“I… I miss grilled sausage.”
Zhou Qi sighed inwardly at the boy’s soft, teary voice. He turned slightly to embrace Tang Yuan, his chin resting on the younger boy’s head while his hand gently stroked his back.
“What flavor do you want?” Zhou Qi asked quietly.
“With lots and lots of barbecue sauce, and toasted sesame seeds on top—nice and fragrant.”
“Alright. After school today, I’ll make it for you.”
That’s right—school wasn’t over yet.
Tang Yuan groaned dramatically and clung even tighter to Zhou Qi, reluctant to get out of bed.
“It’s still early. Sleep a bit more. I’ll make breakfast,” Zhou Qi said.
“Nooo, stay with me a little longer…”
Though a bit helpless, Zhou Qi gave in and lay back down.
“Did you have a nightmare?” he asked.
“No, it was a very happy dream,” Tang Yuan replied.
What used to be ordinary days could now only be found in his dreams.
Zhou Qi gently patted Tang Yuan’s back, not pressing him further. They stayed like that, quietly wasting a little time together despite the many tasks waiting for them.
Finally, Tang Yuan shook off his homesick feelings.
“Brother Qi, time to get up! The sun’s already high in the sky!” He sat up and tugged Zhou Qi along.
Seeing Tang Yuan back to his lively self, Zhou Qi smiled and lightly pinched his cheek. “You make the bed, I’ll make breakfast.”
“Got it!”
Tang Yuan gathered the scattered Lanhu leaves in the attic and placed them in his portable storage before opening the Interdimensional shop.
The spider legs he had previously listed for sale were still unsold. He added a new listing for mutated lantern fruit, even though he didn’t currently have any in stock.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to sell them—he simply didn’t have any.
Now that space wasn’t an issue, he wondered if he could designate an area for Kang Kang to grow mutated plants. Tang Yuan decided to bring it up later.
He delisted the spider legs and instead listed some Lanhu leaves for sale. With a steady supply now secured, he could afford to sell some.
*
Meanwhile, at Lanhu Town, just as dawn broke, Lan Yunqing arrived at the mother Lanhu tree to check on its condition.
After absorbing the three healing potions, the mother tree’s condition had visibly improved—but it still wasn’t enough.
Each basic healing potion could restore up to 8% health, and three of them combined only accounted for 24%. For a massive entity like the mutated Lanhu tree, such effects were naturally diminished.
Lan Yunqing placed his hand gently on the mother tree’s bark, green light glowing faintly between his fingers.
Over the past year, he had been tirelessly cultivating his plant-type abilities to sustain the mother tree’s life force.
Last night, Xiao Ri Sheng had once again exchanged 500 kilos of rice.
For these supplies, Xiao Ri Sheng had moved out of his home to live with Lan Yunqing.
This time, the rice wasn’t loose but packaged in sturdy vacuum-sealed bags, keeping the grain well-preserved. Lan Yunqing had only seen such materials in shipments from fortresses before.
The 500 kilos of coarse rice were neatly stacked in 10 bags beside the child’s bed. Each time Lan Yunqing saw them, he felt a surge of emotion.
Still, for a town of 10,000 residents, even 500 kilos of rice wouldn’t last long.
He wondered how much more food the mysterious merchant could provide.
As the sun climbed higher, Lan Yunqing finally withdrew his hand from the mother tree. Heading toward the lakeside hut, he saw Chi Hao stoking a fire and grilling fish nearby.
“Do you want some?” the red-haired youth asked without looking up.
Lan Yunqing shook his head and sat by the fire, quietly watching Chi Hao as he deliberated how to ask for more healing potions.
These precious potions were sold to him at a shockingly low price of just three Lanhu leaves per bottle. He had no idea why Chi Hao had agreed to such terms back then.
“Do you need to contact anyone in the fortress?” Lan Yunqing finally asked.
“Huh?” Chi Hao raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“I have a satellite phone,” Lan Yunqing said.
Every settlement under the allegiance of the Qingmu Fortress received a solar-powered satellite phone, keeping communication with the fortress strong despite the dangers and delays of the journey.
“If you need it, I can lend it to you,” Lan Yunqing offered earnestly.
Chi Hao hesitated briefly before shaking his head.
“My mission can’t be discussed over the phone. I’ll report back in person,” he said with a grin. “What’s wrong? Gonna miss me when I’m gone?”
Lan Yunqing frowned slightly, his concern stemming from the fact that Chi Hao only had one healing potion left—a vital resource for the dangerous journey back to the fortress.
Finally, he forced himself to ask, “Do you have any more of those healing potions?”
“The Lanhu tree isn’t fully recovered yet?”
“It has improved.”
Chi Hao glanced at the surrounding Lanhu forest. The vitality seemed stronger than before, which was impressive given that only three potions had been used. Somehow, Lan Yunqing had managed to extend their effects across the entire forest.
“Give me some time to think about it,” Chi Hao said.
Seeing that he hadn’t outright refused, Lan Yunqing visibly relaxed, his previously tense expression easing.
Chi Hao bit into his fish and glanced at Lan Yunqing. Noticing the latter’s gaze, Chi Hao quickly averted his eyes.
“Did Xiao Ri Sheng get more rice yesterday?” Chi Hao asked casually.
“Yes, 300 leaves for 500 kilos of rice,” Lan Yunqing replied with a small smile.
“What do you plan to do with it?”
“I’m thinking of opening a grain shop in town, exchanging 750 grams of rice for one Lanhu leaf.”
Every resident of Lanhu Town was responsible for tending at least one Lanhu tree, taking care of watering, pest control, and fertilization. In return, they were entitled to the tree’s leaves and fruit.
Lan Yunqing’s plan was to collect more Lanhu leaves from the residents and have Xiao Ri Sheng trade them with the mysterious merchant for more rice.
“Aren’t you worried someone might harm the forest just to exchange for rice?” Chi Hao asked.
Lan Yunqing shook his head confidently. He believed his people wouldn’t deliberately harm the forest for rice.
Chi Hao, skeptical of Lan Yunqing’s optimism, shrugged. “You only have a little over 500 kilos of rice. That’s not nearly enough for all these people.”
“That’s why there will be a daily limit—each person can only exchange for 750 grams of rice a day.”
Lanhu leaves had a long shelf life, lasting up to a year even in fluctuating outdoor conditions. In the forest, they remained even more durable.
Households with stockpiled leaves could use them for exchanges, and these higher-quality leaves would yield better deals with the mysterious merchant.
As more rice was acquired, crop yields in the town would improve, eventually easing the food crisis.
Of course, no matter what, Lan Yunqing was determined to heal the mother tree. This plan was just a temporary measure.
“Wait—you said each person can only exchange once?” Chi Hao asked suddenly.
“Once a day,” Lan Yunqing clarified.
Chi Hao waved dismissively, then scooted closer with an eager grin. Seeing Lan Yunqing’s wary expression, he said, “Can I be in charge of it?”
“What?” Lan Yunqing asked, confused.
“The grain-for-leaves trade. Let me handle it.”
Since the mysterious merchant was willing to exchange 1.5 kilos of rice for one leaf, trading 750 grams of rice for a leaf locally was an obvious profit.
Even Chi Hao could figure that math out.
Lan Yunqing stared at him in bewilderment.
“Why?”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. Just know it’s important to me!”
Scooting even closer with a charming smile, Chi Hao added, “I’m leaving tomorrow, and who knows when we’ll meet again? It’s just a small favor—come on, say yes!”
Lan Yunqing was momentarily stunned. He shifted aside slightly before replying, “You know that if you could exchange more healing potions with me, I’d definitely agree to whatever you ask.”
Chi Hao sighed and muttered, “That’s not up to me to decide…”
“Is it something from the fortress?” Lan Yunqing asked.
“No,” Chi Hao said firmly, his expression suddenly serious. “And you must not ask about it. Understand?”
Hearing the sternness in his tone, Lan Yunqing nodded reluctantly. He had considered inquiring at the fortress himself, given that he had access to a satellite phone and didn’t need to undertake the long journey there.
“Fine, I won’t ask.”
Seeing Lan Yunqing’s low spirits, Chi Hao scratched his head. “I’ll see what I can do. If I can manage it before I leave, I’ll let you know.”
Hearing this, a glimmer of hope returned to Lan Yunqing’s eyes. “Please, consider it carefully.”
Caught by the striking blue of Lan Yunqing’s eyes, Chi Hao froze momentarily before looking away, covering his reaction with a smile. “So… about what I just asked?”
“Alright,” Lan Yunqing agreed in the end. He couldn’t fathom what trouble Chi Hao could stir up through this job. Poisoning the rice? That was too low for someone like Chi Hao and made no sense.
However, he still warned, “But you can’t do anything inappropriate.”
“I promise to work diligently!”
Chi Hao jumped up excitedly, quickly extinguished the campfire, and pulled Lan Yunqing to his feet.
“Come on, no time to waste!”
Although Lan Yunqing found his enthusiasm puzzling, he quickened his pace and began organizing people to start the grain exchange.
They moved 650 kilos of coarse rice to the grain shop, and Lan Yunqing had notices posted.
Since Lanhu Town required its children to attend school and learn to read, literacy rates were high, so there was no concern about residents not understanding the announcement.
At the shop’s entrance, people beat drums and made announcements to spread the word.
Instead of revealing the dire state of the Lanhu Tree, Lan Yunqing followed Chi Hao’s suggestion and framed the event as a welfare program to “diversify residents’ diets.”
Given the exchange limit and the rule of “while supplies last,” the initiative indeed felt like a welfare project.
As soon as the grain shop opened, word spread, and residents hurried home to gather their stored Lanhu leaves for exchange.
To prevent chaos or looting, the reputedly powerful fire-type ability user from the fortress—Chi Hao himself—sat at the grain shop’s entrance and personally oversaw the exchanges.
So, was this batch of rice from Qingmu Fortress?
While the townspeople whispered and speculated, Chi Hao grinned from ear to ear, warmly greeting every resident who came to exchange.
After all…
[You completed a profitable transaction with a new customer. Employee experience +1.]
[You completed a long-term task, “Profitable Transactions.” Points +1.]
As these notifications kept popping up, Chi Hao’s experience and point balance surged rapidly.
“Just wait and see! By the end of today, I’m shooting straight to Employee Level 10!” Chi Hao thought smugly.
*
Desolate City, Desolate City General Store, Store No.1
After the purification light dissipated in the courtyard, both new and old residents stood spotless and refreshed.
Tang Yu’an finished his “cleansing ritual” and led two residents, the first to sign up for tailoring duties, upstairs.
Although everyone’s clothes were clean after purification, and patching up worn spots would have made them serviceable, Tang Yu’an refused to heed Old Li’s advice. He insisted on providing each resident with a set of loungewear.
This way, everyone would have two sets of clothes for convenience and proper hygiene.
At first, when Chi Hao’s transaction notifications started popping up, Tang Yu’an didn’t pay them much mind. He only found it odd that every transaction netted exactly 32 points.
But when the notifications exceeded 100, he could no longer remain calm.
Each notification meant a new customer. Each new customer brought 3 experience points, which meant Chi Hao had already earned Tang Yu’an 300 experience points and 3,200 points in less than half a day!
Even more astonishingly, the notifications showed no sign of stopping. They just kept coming, one after another!
