Chapter 152
The voice from the light orb was cheerful and lively, like that of a seven- or eight-year-old boy, no older than ten. But the most surprising part was…
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi could understand it perfectly!
They exchanged glances, seeing the same excitement in each other’s eyes.
It was their world’s language. Although the pronunciation wasn’t perfect—likely due to an accent—they were certain it was Mandarin.
Before they could confirm the dimensional code on the bottom of the drift bottle, the boy’s voice continued.
“I want to eat potato chips, candy, and fly a spaceship! Su Su won’t let me fly and makes me go to class. The lessons are so hard—I can’t understand anything! Every time I go to class, I just feel sleepy…”
Fly a spaceship…
Tang Yu’an flipped the drift bottle over and, sure enough, the code wasn’t MR168845.
He sighed. The boy’s rambling voice didn’t stop.
“This bottle is so tiny! Are you a spirit living inside it? Or are you the bottle itself?”
A spirit?
What was that? Something related to spiritual energy?
“I really want potato chips… How about this? You give me potato chips, and I’ll give you Star Chain Fruits in return, okay?”
“But this bottle’s opening is so small; I can’t fit the Star Chain Fruit in!”
However, the boy quickly came up with a solution.
“Hehe, I’ll put the Star Chain Fruit into a Spirit Storage Bag and then it’ll fit! I’m so smart!”
Tang Yu’an stared at the soft pouch inside the drift bottle. Could this be the Spirit Storage Bag the boy mentioned?
He carefully pulled out the bag. It was a yellow-green silk pouch with bamboo embroidered on it in fine thread.
“It’s pretty well-made…”
Tang Yu’an untied the drawstring and peeked inside, his eyes widening in shock.
The Spirit Storage Bag was a spatial item!
The internal space was far larger than the bag itself and contained a variety of items—mostly flutes.
“Does this little boy, Lang Ze, like playing the flute?” Tang Yu’an wondered.
Soon, he spotted two bright red fruits.
These must be the Star Chain Fruits Lang Ze mentioned.
Tang Yu’an took one out, and as soon as it left the bag, a sweet fragrance filled the loft.
The green gem nestled in Tang Yu’an’s hair swayed its vine-like leaves, clearly intrigued by the fruit.
Tang Yu’an used his beginner identification skill on the Star Chain Fruit.
[Name: Mutated Star Chain Fruit]
[Value: 30 points per fruit]
[Origin: KJ25668 Dimension]
[Named by: Unknown]
[Description: The fruit of the mutated Star Chain Vine. Besides being a source of hydration and sustenance, its plant has unique properties such as rapid growth and root systems that enrich soil into black earth.]
“A plant that can enrich soil nutrients!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed.
“Brother Qi, isn’t black soil especially good for farming?” he asked, recalling something he had seen on television.
“Yes, black soil is rich in organic matter and highly fertile, making it ideal for agriculture,” Zhou Qi confirmed.
Hearing this, Tang Yu’an’s eyes brightened as he stared at the fruit. “Then this Star Chain Vine would be perfect for enhancing soil fertility in the courtyard. Plus, it grows quickly, and its leaves might even be edible!”
Zhou Qi nodded. “It’s definitely worth trying.”
Tang Yu’an took out the other Star Chain Fruit from the Spirit Storage Bag. “Let’s give one to Granny Guo and Kangkang tomorrow!” he said cheerfully, before turning his attention back to the Spirit Storage Bag.
“This Lang Ze kid is so careless. He sent such a precious spatial tool just to give us these fruits.”
Given that the bag also contained many personal items, it was clear it wasn’t intended as a gift or for trade.
“We should pack it with more candy and biscuits for him,” Tang Yu’an suggested.
With limited potato chips in stock, he added just two bags before filling the rest of the bag with a generous amount of candy and biscuits.
Once the bag was tied shut, it still looked flat and unassuming, giving no hint of how much it held inside.
Tang Yu’an folded the Spirit Storage Bag neatly and stuffed it back into the drift bottle, just like Lang Ze had.
“Alright, I’m out of potato chips, so I packed more candy and biscuits,” Tang Yu’an said toward the bottle. “Do you have any extra Spirit Storage Bags? If you do, I’d love to trade for one.”
After a moment’s thought, he added, “If not, other plant seeds or fruits would work too. Thank you!”
He sealed the bottle and tossed it back into the Dream Sea, selecting a targeted delivery to KJ25668 Dimension, hoping it would reach the boy quickly.
Otherwise, he figured the impatient Lang Ze might start fretting.
*
One week earlier. KJ25668 Dimension, Planet Earth.
“Brother A-Yan, my Spirit Storage Bag and flute were really tricked away by the Mysterious Merchant!”
A young boy with fluffy animal ears was complaining to a golden-haired youth, his voice quivering with indignation as if he were about to cry.
“I gave him a Star Chain Fruit, and he still tricked me out of my bag and flute! So unfair!”
A-Yan gently patted the boy’s head and made a shushing gesture. “Keep your voice down. Su Su is still sleeping.”
Startled, Lang Ze immediately clamped his hands over his mouth.
He glanced at the caretaker, relieved to see that he hadn’t disturbed her sleep, then exhaled in relief.
“Brother A-Yan…”
Before he could finish, a green flute appeared in A-Yan’s hand as if by magic.
Lang Ze’s drooping ears perked up instantly, and the fluffy tail behind him began wagging enthusiastically.
“Is it for me?”
“Yes.”
A-Yan handed him the flute and rubbed his fuzzy ears again. “I’ll give you a new Spirit Storage Bag in a few days, but don’t lose this one again, alright?”
“Wow!” Lang Ze exclaimed but quickly covered his mouth, lowering his voice in excitement. “Thank you, Brother A-Yan!”
“If that Mysterious Merchant shows up again, you must tell me or Su Su immediately. Got it?”
“Yes! I will!”
Satisfied, A-Yan handed him a freshly fried taro chip. “Take this and share it with the others.”
“Okay~”
Lang Ze tied the flute to his waist, held the taro chips carefully, and ran off joyfully.
Watching him leave, A-Yan retracted his gaze and murmured, “Xiao Zhi.”
A transparent screen materialized in mid-air.
“Pull up anomaly surveillance footage.”
The screen displayed a video of Lang Ze sitting on a bed, pretending to hold something in his hand and speaking to thin air.
It looked like a scene of imaginative play—except the surveillance captured no trace of the “bottle” he claimed to see. That is, until…
Lang Ze rolled up the Spirit Storage Bag and pushed it into the gap between his fingers.
The bag vanished.
A-Yan frowned. Was this a newly emerging entity? One that targeted magical tools but caused no harm to the children?
“Xiao Zhi, maintain strict monitoring.”
[Acknowledged.]
*
After dinner, Tang Yu’an finally opened the Lucky Spin Wheel interface.
With the Jufeng grocery store temporarily closed and for safety reasons, Xiao Cao and Shi Tou had stayed behind at Store No. 1, unable to recruit new customers.
In the morning, Tang Yu’an had to use a Daily Refresh Card to change the “Recruit New Customers” task into “Develop Existing Customers,” completing the day’s task by turning all the new residents into regular customers.
From the map, he saw that Jin Fu had gathered with the group of four who had caused trouble earlier in the day.
They were primarily located on the western side of Jufeng Town. If the arson and robbery at the Jufeng grocery store were indeed orchestrated by them, it would be dangerous for Xiao Cao and Shi Tou to return to the town.
For the next few days, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi might need to personally go to Jufeng Town to recruit customers and complete their daily tasks to earn spin attempts.
Under his watchful gaze, the Spin Wheel pointer stopped.
[Congratulations! You have unlocked a Tech-Side Beginner Item: “Threads.” Details can be found in the “Wholesale Market.”]
“Wow, new items again!”
Tang Yu’an quickly opened the Wholesale Market to check.
With each upgrade, the variety of unlocked items increased. He had noticed a pattern: most unlocked items were general goods, like those sold in the store.
Items like medicines and textiles, however, could only be unlocked through the lottery.
This new “Threads” category was a broad one, much like textiles, but with an even greater variety.
[Thread Types Available for Exchange]:
[Cotton Thread: 10 points/bundle
Available Colors: Black, White, Gray
Unlockable Colors: Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Cyan, Purple, Pink, Brown, etc.
Note: Unlocking a color requires 10 points per color family. An additional 1 point per exchange allows for fine-tuning shades.]
[Cotton-Linen Thread: 15 points/bundle]
[Yarn: …]
[Ice Silk Thread: …]
[Lace Thread: …]
[Fabric Strips: …]
[Plastic Thread: …]
Each bundle had a default length of 100 meters, with so many options that it was dizzying.
“Brother Qi, now we’ll never run out of thread for making clothes!” Tang Yu’an said cheerfully.
“That’s right.” Zhou Qi nodded in agreement.
The grocery store didn’t sell thread, and they had been relying on Aunt Tang’s stockpile. At the current pace of making clothes and quilts, that supply would soon run out.
Zhou Qi had been worried about this problem, but the “Thread” item Tang Yu’an unlocked perfectly resolved it.
It was still early, so Zhou Qi took out his workbook and began completing the assignments given by Professor Tong. Seeing this, Tang Yu’an put away his playful thoughts, took out his practice book, and started working on his homework as well.
Although they weren’t under pressure to prepare for exams, doing homework helped build their knowledge and improve their thinking skills.
At nine o’clock, they finally stopped studying.
“Brother Chi Hao has gone far,” Tang Yu’an said, glancing at the map.
After a full day of travel, Chi Hao had entered another stretch of fog, clearing a long path on the dark map. He had stopped, likely finding a place to spend the night.
For the next month and a half, he would be on the road, which meant he wouldn’t be able to trade for a while.
Yet, judging by the cheerful way Chi Hao was chatting and joking with Xiao Cao and Shi Tou on the message board, he didn’t seem worried at all.
Tang Yu’an shook his head, left a quick comment on the message board, and then climbed up to the loft to open the Dream Sea window.
Today, he could retrieve three bottles!
Thinking about Flame Stone, he first pulled out Gan Lin’s bottle. It glowed brighter than most but was dimmer than Xiaohailan’s and the others, making it easy to identify.
As the glowing orb floated into the air, Gan Lin’s voice echoed.
“Mysterious Merchant… Mysterious Merchant…”
Hearing the call, Tang Yu’an responded, “I’m here.”
Gan Lin’s dream orb seemed much more stable than before, and he sounded delighted. “You’re here!”
“Yes. How’s it going? Did you collect any Flame Stones today?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“I did! I collected two pieces!”
“You didn’t get hurt, did you?”
Gan Lin hesitated for a moment before answering. “No, no injuries… Can I trade the Flame Stones for water?”
“Of course, but besides water, do you need anything else?” Tang Yu’an asked.
After some hesitation, Gan Lin replied, “Food… I also need food and medicine.”
“What kind of medicine?”
“Something to stop bleeding… Old Mo bled a lot…” The boy’s voice quivered with emotion, and the dream orb became unstable.
Old Mo… is that the green dot that’s always near Gan Lin?
Tang Yu’an didn’t waste time. He quickly selected the necessary items and completed the trade before Gan Lin’s dream shattered.
[You have completed a loss-making trade with a Dream Wisher. Experience +6.]
Seeing the system notification, Tang Yu’an breathed a sigh of relief.
Though it was a loss, he didn’t mind. In his haste, he had included potatoes along with the medicine and water. Potatoes were highly valuable, making a loss almost inevitable.
I hope Old Mo recovers quickly… Tang Yu’an prayed silently for him.
Afterward, he took a tin-lined biscuit box from Zhou Qi and opened his portable warehouse to retrieve the Flame Stones.
Each Flame Stone was about the size of a fist. As soon as they were out, Tang Yu’an felt a wave of heat, and the loft’s temperature seemed to rise noticeably.
The two Flame Stones were bright red, with tiny sparks of flame flickering on their surfaces. Placing a piece of tissue on one immediately caused it to catch fire.
The tissue was quickly reduced to ash, but the Flame Stone’s temperature didn’t decrease.
“I wonder how long this heat can last,” Tang Yu’an said, using his beginner identification skill on the Flame Stone.
[Name: Flame Stone]
[Description: A stone altered by excessive exposure to fire spirits. It continuously emits heat until its energy is depleted, at which point it turns to ash.]
“This kind of stone costs only 30 points per 500 grams—slightly more expensive than hardwood charcoal from the wholesale market,” Tang Yu’an noted.
Zhou Qi frowned at the description. “Fire spirits…”
Tang Yu’an also noticed it. “So, the fire dragon Gan Lin mentioned wreaking havoc over Flame Dragon Fortress might actually be a fire spirit?”
Zhou Qi shook his head. “Not sure, but it seems likely.”
“I wonder if the ‘spirits’ Lang Ze mentioned are the same kind…” Tang Yu’an muttered. However, he didn’t dwell on it since Flame Dragon Fortress was too far for them to reach anytime soon.
Looking at the two Flame Stones, he said, “Tomorrow, we’ll give them to Grandpa Li and see how the residents can use them most effectively.”
Flame Stones were safer than burning firewood or charcoal. If their heat lasted long enough, even renting them out could be profitable.
Tang Yu’an didn’t return Gan Lin’s bottle to the Dream Sea. Keeping it outside would make it easier to retrieve next time.
*
In a ruin, within a relatively intact low building.
Gan Lin woke abruptly from his slumber. Spotting the items next to him, the panic on his face was replaced by joy.
“Old Mo, you’re saved!” he exclaimed.
The old man lying next to Gan Lin weakly opened his eyes and looked at him. “Brat, you’re awake?”
Gan Lin wiped away his tears and immediately began examining the supplies given by the Mysterious Merchant.
“Alcohol, cotton, cloth strips, hemostatic powder… and erythromycin ointment!” Gan Lin exclaimed softly in excitement. “Old Mo, you’re really going to be okay! The Mysterious Merchant gave us so many good things!”
He hurried to Old Mo’s side, tearing off the sleeve of his arm and cleaning the wounds with alcohol.
Old Mo grimaced and clenched his teeth in silence despite the intense pain.
His injuries weren’t from blades or animal bites but instead consisted of numerous small, bleeding holes that looked terrifying. He had been wounded earlier that day while searching for Flame Stones when a mutated cactus attacked him.
Mutated cacti actively attack any living creature that gets too close. Their spiked “arms” leave tiny puncture wounds deep in the flesh, which, if untreated, can be fatal.
Usually, with Old Mo’s survival experience in the wastelands, he would never venture close enough to a mutated cactus to be attacked. However, someone had tried to steal his water bottle today. In his attempt to flee, he accidentally stumbled into the cactus’s territory.
The cactus had struck his arm solidly. By the time Gan Lin found him, he had escaped the cactus’s range but was lying on the ground, barely alive.
As for the would-be robber, the cactus had left them unrecognizable. In time, they would likely become nourishment for the cactus—how these plants survived in the barren wasteland.
Gan Lin skillfully treated Old Mo’s wounds, sprinkling hemostatic powder over them before wrapping them with clean cloth strips. Only after tying a knot did he let out a breath of relief.
“Once the bleeding stops, we can apply this erythromycin ointment,” he said.
While his treatment was rudimentary, it was already a luxury in the resource-scarce wastelands. With Old Mo’s resilience, he would likely pull through.
Relaxing slightly, Gan Lin touched the back of his neck and muttered, “Old Mo, did you really have to knock me out so hard?”
Because he couldn’t sleep due to Old Mo’s condition, Gan Lin had asked Old Mo to knock him out. Unexpectedly, this method allowed him to contact the Mysterious Merchant and obtain much-needed supplies.
Old Mo glanced at him and chuckled weakly. “Lucky me. I’ve scraped by with my life again…”
When Gan Lin was still unconscious, Old Mo had felt utterly hopeless, certain his life was coming to an end. Yet, once again, he had managed to survive.
Staring at the medical supplies on the ground, Old Mo murmured, “Brat, make sure to keep these supplies safe. They’re precious and will come in handy again.”
“I’ve told you my name is Gan Lin now!” Gan Lin grumbled, grabbing a piece of tattered cloth from the ruins to wrap up the remaining supplies.
Among the items, he found a 750ml bottle of water. However, the empty plastic bottle and the biscuit tin containing the Flame Stones were missing.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Gan Lin picked up a potato, examining it under the glow of the fire dragon’s light.
“It looks like some kind of tuber,” Old Mo said.
“Right! I remember trading for food with the Mysterious Merchant! These must be edible!” Gan Lin exclaimed. “But they’re so hard—how do we eat them?”
Old Mo thought for a moment. “Try roasting them over the fire.”
Gan Lin grabbed some tools and headed outside to search for Flame Stones. At night, it was easier to spot them—just look for sparks on the ground, then flip the stone over with tongs.
Had Old Mo not been injured, Gan Lin could have found more than two Flame Stones during the day.
He quickly returned to the low house, placed the Flame Stones into the biscuit tin, and added two potatoes.
About ten minutes later, a delicious aroma wafted through the air.
Gan Lin poked the potatoes cautiously and brightened with excitement. “Wow! They’re really soft now!”
He pulled one out, grimacing at the heat as he placed it on the ground to cool. Then, unable to wait, he peeled off the skin and took a bite.
“So good!”
Even without seasoning, hunger made the yellow tuber taste amazing.
“But it’s a bit dry…”
He drank two gulps of water and sighed in satisfaction.
Old Mo watched him silently. Gan Lin smiled and then gave Old Mo some water before peeling the other potato and feeding it to him.
“This Mysterious Merchant is such a kind person!” Gan Lin said. “I’ll find more Flame Stones tomorrow to trade with him again!”
Old Mo stared at the cloth-wrapped bundle on the ground, his expression pensive.
“We need to find a safer place,” he murmured.
Gan Lin dismissed the idea. “Where in the wastelands is safe?”
Old Mo’s eyes flickered slightly as he replied, “If we can’t find safety, then we need to gather more people.”
“Why?” Gan Lin frowned, clearly resistant to the idea. “Can’t it just be the two of us?”
“No,” Old Mo said firmly. “I can’t protect you alone. And I certainly can’t protect these valuable supplies.”
Gan Lin opened his mouth as if to argue but stopped when the image of Old Mo lying in a pool of blood, barely alive, flashed in his mind. He closed his mouth, swallowing his words.
After a long pause, he asked, “What are you planning to do?”
“Let me think about it….” Old Mo replied, his eyes closed, but soon drifted off into unconsciousness.
Gan Lin reached out to touch Old Mo’s forehead, checking for fever, then sat beside him clutching the water bottle. He ate the remaining potato, skins and all.
*
The Desolate City grocery store
Tang Yu’an watched as Gan Lin’s drift bottle dissolved into points of light and disappeared. He then pulled another bottle from the Dream Sea.
Opening the bottle, a familiar voice of distress emerged from the glowing orb.
“Help me… someone please help me…”
It was Old Xie’s bottle again.
“So the medicine from last time didn’t work? How…” Tang Yu’an began but was interrupted by a startled voice from within the orb.
“Huh? Who’s speaking?”
