Chapter 230
Hong Li stayed at the Desolate City Haven for two days.
Tang Yu’an had instructed that she didn’t need to be avoided, so she learned that the main crops there weren’t soybeans but potatoes and sweet potatoes instead.
She had never seen potatoes before, but she had seen something similar to sweet potatoes—referred to as “ground melons” in the fortress.
This was a highly productive and easy-to-grow crop. Its tubers were rich in starch, could be eaten raw, and tasted even better when cooked.
Compared to soybeans, this crop was clearly more suitable for cultivation in the wasteland.
Moreover, the sweet potatoes grown in Desolate City Haven were significantly larger than the ones she had encountered before and seemed to have a higher sugar content.
If stealing weren’t strictly prohibited in Desolate City Haven, she would have been tempted to sneak a couple back with her.
She had been wondering how to propose a trade for these crop seeds, but unexpectedly, An An brought up the topic himself…
However, exchanging them for cultivators?
“How about this—100,000 Peace Coins, plus potato and sweet potato seeds, in exchange for two cultivators for Desolate City Haven?”
Tang Yu’an stepped out from behind Zhou Qi and looked at Hong Li with a serious expression.
Hong Li pressed her lips together and thought for a moment before saying, “You’re essentially trying to recruit cultivators, aren’t you?”
Tang Yu’an nodded.
Desolate City Haven would have more and more residents in the future. Their current crop yields were sufficient for now, but that might not always be the case.
Since they also planned to develop animal husbandry, the more cultivators they had, the better.
“Here’s my counteroffer—I’ll trade you soybeans for 100,000 Peace Coins, but I need some time. I’ll issue an IOU, just like before.”
By now, Hong Li had figured out how they had used IOUs to gain double rewards in previous transactions.
“Now that I’m an employee, you won’t earn points from trading directly with me,” Hong Li explained. “So, I’ll gift the soybeans to Hei Xiong, and he’ll trade with you instead.”
“You’ll earn the points, but you can’t take the soybeans immediately. I’ll issue you an IOU, and you can exchange it for the soybeans later.”
Currently, the guard station had about 2,500 kilos of soybeans in stock.
Since 500 grams of soybeans was worth 25 points, 100,000 points could be exchanged for 2,000 kilos. However, the purchasing power of Peace Coins exceeded their direct point value, so Hong Li was willing to trade them at double the normal rate.
After thinking for a moment, she added, “Once the IOU is exchanged for points, the soybeans must stay put.”
Now that Hong Li was an employee, it was easier to negotiate, but the previous method of earning both points and physical goods was no longer viable.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged glances.
Seeing Zhou Qi nod in agreement, Tang Yu’an also nodded. “Alright, we’ll do it your way.”
Then he couldn’t help but give Hong Li another look. Wasn’t she tempted by the potatoes and sweet potatoes?
However, just as he was wondering, Hong Li spoke again.
“As for the potato and sweet potato seeds… I’ll go snatch two cultivators for you!”
Tang Yu’an: 0.0
Snatch? You can snatch cultivators?!
“That… doesn’t sound right.” Tang Yu’an scratched his head. There were no laws in the wasteland, but they still needed to have some principles.
“That violates the doctrine,” Zhou Qi added.
Indeed, the employee code strictly forbade robbery and human trafficking.
Hong Li froze for a moment before coughing lightly and correcting herself, “Not snatch—rescue.”
“Rescue?”
“Mhm.”
Hong Li nodded. Besides the guard station, cultivators could also be found among the factions loyal to the Li and Gu families in Jufeng Mountain.
Previously, due to the influence of the fortress, she had refrained from acting against them. But now that she had completely fallen out with Li Feng, there was no need to hold back anymore.
Additionally, Li Feng had recently drafted over a hundred ability users from local forces to Desolate City, leaving his defenses weak. This was the perfect opportunity to, well… rescue them.
“The cultivators there don’t enjoy the same good treatment as those at the guard station,” Hong Li said righteously. “I’m liberating them!”
Tang Yu’an was skeptical at first, but then he remembered Granny Guo.
She had fled to Desolate City to escape the exploitation of a ruthless plantation.
Zhou Qi also recalled this.
He nodded and said, “If the guard station dismantles those oppressive factions, Desolate City Haven is willing to take in all the rescued cultivators.”
Hong Li raised an eyebrow at him.
Just a moment ago, they were asking for only two, and now it had turned into all of them?
Still, when she thought about the potato and sweet potato seeds, she decided to let it slide.
After all, it was the “oppressive factions” taking the loss, not her. The guard station would remain intact, and they would gain valuable seeds—why not?
“Deal.”
Hong Li agreed readily, then glanced at the darkening sky. “We’ll act tomorrow. You two should get some rest tonight.”
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had no objections.
After that, Hong Li followed through on their agreement, transferring the guard station’s entire stock of soybeans to Hei Xiong so he could finalize the trade with Zhou Qi.
[Employee “Zhou Qi” has completed a profitable transaction with a long-term customer. Points +132,125, Experience +1]
0.0
Tang Yu’an’s eyes widened at the system notification.
Since the guard station’s soybean stock totaled 2,642.5 kilos and Zhou Qi had used persuasive tactics to earn extra points without any upfront cost, they had just pocketed a massive 132,000+ points!
This was their biggest transaction yet!
However, when he noticed Hong Li glancing at him, Tang Yu’an quickly suppressed his excitement and maintained a calm expression.
After all, since Zhou Qi was the one handling the deal, technically, he wasn’t supposed to know how many points they had just earned.
After Zhou Qi handed over 10,000 Peace coins to Hei Xiong and received an IOU for 2,500 kilos of soybeans, they were ready to leave.
As they were about to depart, Tang Yu’an suddenly heard Hong Li say, “You two have a pretty good relationship.”
He turned back to look at her.
She continued, “You let Zhou Qi earn so many points?”
Tang Yu’an’s heart skipped a beat. Previously, all their transactions with the Guard Post had been conducted by Zhou Qi. Could it be that Sister Hong Li was suspicious?
He quickly said, “Of course! We grew up together—what’s his is mine, and what’s mine is his. We don’t distinguish between each other!”
Seeing the two teenagers acting as if it was only natural, Hong Li nodded and didn’t say anything further.
After watching them leave, she turned to Hei Xiong.
Hei Xiong respectfully said, “Boss, here are your Peace coins—10,000 in total. Please verify them.”
Hong Li was about to nod when she suddenly realized something was off.
“What do you mean, my Peace coins? They’re yours!” she quickly corrected.
“Huh? Mine?” Hei Xiong looked confused.
“That’s right. Here, I’ll give you this one, and we’ll trade.” Hong Li took out a single ten-unit Peace coin and tried to trade it for the 10,000 he held. However…
“Why isn’t this working?!”
Hearing Hong Li’s frustrated outburst, Hei Xiong looked even more bewildered.
What’s yours and what’s mine? Isn’t everything at the Guard Post the boss’s anyway?
*
“Our points balance is back over 900,000!”
On the way back to the Jufeng Grocery Store, Tang Yu’an said gleefully.
Zhou Qi waved the IOU in his hand with a smile. “Next time we draw a double points card, we’ll come back to exchange it.”
Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up. “That would be 250,000 points!”
The thought excited him.
However, even if they managed to draw a double points card, they’d still have to wait at least a month before trading again. The Guard Post’s soybean stock had already been used up, so they couldn’t repeat the process until a new batch was harvested.
“With so many soybeans stored up, how long will it take them to finish eating them all?” Tang Yu’an wondered aloud.
Zhou Qi shook his head. “Jufeng Town has five to six thousand people. If each person gets just 500 grams, it’ll all be gone immediately. It’s still not enough.”
Hong Li would likely distribute more soybeans to keep the town’s labor force intact. She would also push forward experimental farms to find ways to increase crop yields.
Desolate City Haven didn’t have the capacity to house so many people yet, so most of them would have to remain at Jufeng Mountain for now.
But with the roads built, the connection between Desolate City Haven and Jufeng Town would strengthen. Faster trade meant benefits for Desolate City Haven as well.
Tang Yu’an scratched his head. “Well, we’ll just have to take it slow.”
*
By the time they returned to the Jufeng Grocery Store, Xiao Cao and Lan Lin hadn’t closed up yet. However, as night fell, fewer and fewer customers came to buy salt.
Lan Lin stood at the entrance with his arms crossed, looking distracted.
“Lan Lin!” Tang Yu’an called out. “So? Did you figure it out?”
Seeing them return, Lan Lin immediately straightened up, his demeanor noticeably more reserved than before.
He nodded, and Xiao Cao excitedly chimed in, “Little Doctor, it’s incredible! Those bad guys really can’t get in!”
She leaned on the window opening and asked, “Is the God of Commerce… real?”
Although they had learned from the employee forums that they were part of an organization called the “Commerce God Sect”, which served the God of Commerce, the sect was so loosely structured that it had little presence. Employees spoke freely in message boards and chat groups, so no one had any real faith in it.
Tang Yu’an didn’t know how to answer, but Zhou Qi simply said, “If you believe, then it exists. If you don’t, then it doesn’t. It’s up to you.”
They had only borrowed the name of the Commerce God Sect to make doing business easier—they weren’t actually trying to create a deity. Employees were free to believe whatever they wanted.
Then, Zhou Qi turned to look at the store’s sign.
He jumped up, took it down, and used a brush and paint to add four characters in the corner—
“Peace Trade Association.”
Xiao Cao read it aloud.
Although she was passionate about her work, she had been studying at night and could now recognize many characters.
“That’s right.” Zhou Qi said. “We all belong to the Peace Trade Association. From now on, if anyone brings in Peace coins, we will accept them at face value, regardless of whether they’re old or new.”
He instructed Lan Lin and Xiao Cao, “More and more people will come to exchange Peace coins for salt…”
He paused, then corrected himself, “You guys go home for now. Tomorrow or the day after, I’ll gather all the employees for a meeting and explain everything.”
Peace coins could now be exchanged for more than just salt. They needed to establish a standard exchange rate for different goods.
It would be best to hold a training session for all employees at once.
“Understood, manager.”
After that, Zhou Qi called Lan Lin over to help set up an awning for the store.
“The area covered by the awning is also under the protection of the God of Commerce,” he explained.
Xiao Cao giggled. “So those bad guys can’t even approach our store anymore?”
Zhou Qi nodded. “You can keep the doors and windows open. No need to stay cooped up inside all day.”
Employee working conditions were important, after all.
“Alright, it’s late. Go get some rest.”
“Okay, okay!”
After Lan Lin and Xiao Cao left, the two teenagers used the teleportation array to return to the RV.
The RV’s lights illuminated the riverbank.
Even though night had fallen, five construction robots continued working on the bridge.
If all went well, it would be finished the day after tomorrow.
“Woof woof—”
Sensing their arrival, Yuan Bao wagged its little tail and ran over.
Black Pearl was helping take care of the cubs at the base, while Wang Cai and Yin Bi were also taking care of cubs in the alternate dimension. Only Yuan Bao was left to watch over the RV and the robots.
Tang Yu’an picked up Yuan Bao, rubbed its head, and then went to retrieve the day’s message bottles.
The first message bottle was from Little Hai Lan.
Ever since the last scare when they were extorted for protection fees, Hai Jing had become much more cautious in trading with the villagers.
“Daddy goes out to trade every day,” Little Hai Lan wrote. “Sometimes I go with him.”
Hai Jing would go directly to the villagers’ homes, using wooden barrels to cover up the transactions. He didn’t dare store the traded salt at home—instead, he would put it into his personal storage space as soon as he left the villagers’ houses.
Once his storage space was full, he would ask Zhou Qi to help transfer the salt away.
Because of this, Little Hai Lan didn’t have as much salt in the dream world to trade with the mysterious merchant.
Tang Yu’an didn’t mind too much. He comforted her in the dream, checked in on her and Hai Jing’s situation, and then told her to get a good night’s sleep.
“Uncle Hai Jing always being on edge like this isn’t a long-term solution.”
After Little Hai Lan’s dream bubble shattered, Tang Yu’an turned to Zhou Qi and said, “Once we finish things here, let’s build a road to Linhai Town!”
Whether it was opening a branch in Linhai Town or connecting the three towns together, it was a meaningful move.
Zhou Qi furrowed his brows slightly. He wasn’t opposed to the idea, but doing so would inevitably put them in conflict with the monopolistic forces in Linhai Town…
“Alright, let’s build the road first and figure things out later.”
With their current strength, they might not necessarily lose in a confrontation.
They continued retrieving the remaining message bottles and used up their lottery draws for the day.
[Congratulations! You have obtained a special item: ‘White Swan Gloves’]
Tang Yu’an blinked.
Wow! It had been a long time since he had drawn a special item! He quickly checked the item description.
[White Swan Gloves]
[Description: A pair of very beautiful gloves that also possess a sense of powerful grace.]
As usual, the description was vague and unclear, giving no hint about how to actually use them.
Tang Yu’an chose to accept the item, then took out the gloves for a closer look.
The gloves truly lived up to their name. Their appearance was exquisite, made of snow-white silk embroidered with intricate golden patterns and adorned with shimmering gemstones.
They looked luxurious—just like a beautiful white swan.
“A new item from the draw?” Zhou Qi, noticing the gloves, studied them as well.
Tang Yu’an nodded and tried putting them on. The initially loose fabric automatically adjusted to fit perfectly.
The fine silk hugged the young man’s hands flawlessly, making his fingers look even longer and more elegant.
“Besides looking nice, I don’t feel anything special…”
Tang Yu’an clenched his fists. The most notable thing was probably how comfortable they were—lightweight and breathable, so much so that he barely noticed he was wearing gloves at all.
Zhou Qi pondered over the item’s description before saying, “Let’s go to the alternate dimension.”
“Alright.”
Tang Yu’an obediently followed Zhou Qi, bringing Yuanbao along. The two of them arrived at the small house in the alternate dimension and then stepped outside.
It was also nighttime in the alternate dimension. Sensing their presence, Wang Cai and Yin Bi ran over with a small red bird in tow.
Excited, Yin Bi lunged at Tang Yu’an.
Instinctively, Tang Yu’an reached out to catch it. Normally, he would be knocked over and licked all over by Yin Bi, but this time…
Yin Bi was suspended in the air, struggling to move its limbs, but no matter how hard it tried, it remained firmly held in Tang Yu’an’s hands, unable to budge.
Tang Yu’an blinked in surprise before hastily releasing it and setting it down.
“Brother Qi, did you see that just now?” he asked.
Zhou Qi nodded and pointed to a large boulder near the house. “Try lifting that.”
“Okay!”
Tang Yu’an ran over and wrapped his arms around the massive rock, first testing his grip.
Then, with ease, he lifted the boulder—one that was much taller than him—straight off the ground.
“Wow! Brother Qi, look! I’m so strong now!”
He put the rock down and ran excitedly toward Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi, caught off guard, was suddenly scooped up into the air.
“…”
“Haha! I picked you up!” Tang Yu’an beamed, lifting Zhou Qi high.
Zhou Qi looked down at the boy’s bright, joyful expression. Though he didn’t particularly enjoy the position he was in, he couldn’t help the slight curve at the corners of his lips.
“Alright, put me down now,” he said.
“Just a little longer!”
Tang Yu’an spun them around in circles, laughing. “So this is what the description meant by a sense of powerful grace! This is so fun!”
Only when he started getting dizzy did he finally put Zhou Qi down.
Zhou Qi steadied him and happened to grab his gloved hand. Once Tang Yu’an regained his balance, Zhou Qi examined the gloves again and said, “It seems like the strength boost from these gloves isn’t fixed.”
When Tang Yu’an had lifted him and spun him around, his waist hadn’t felt any discomfort at all.
Tang Yu’an had only just acquired the gloves and couldn’t have such precise control over his newfound strength yet. It was likely an effect of the gloves themselves.
Tang Yu’an nodded. “These gloves are so useful! Should we each take one?”
“No need.” Zhou Qi suddenly wrapped an arm around Tang Yu’an’s waist and lifted him effortlessly.
Tang Yu’an, caught off guard by the sudden weightlessness, instinctively clung to Zhou Qi’s shoulders. “Brother Qi, what are you doing?!”
Zhou Qi chuckled, looking at him. “I’m plenty strong too.”
After speaking, he suddenly stiffened slightly, realizing just how close they were.
His gaze on Tang Yu’an shifted subtly.
Tang Yu’an, who had been laughing and playing around, also sensed the shift in the atmosphere. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Zhou Qi, his clear eyes filled with confusion.
Zhou Qi hurriedly let go of him, took a few steps back, and said, “Let’s figure out how to use the gloves tomorrow. It’s late—we should sleep.”
After saying that, he turned and walked into the small house.
Tang Yu’an scratched his head, not understanding what had happened, but he put the gloves away for now.
Later, after changing into his sleepwear and getting ready for bed, he saw Zhou Qi sitting on his floor mat, looking at his watch.
Tang Yu’an asked, “How long has it been since we left our original world?”
“It’s been three years,” Zhou Qi replied.
Tang Yu’an did some quick math. “That means our birthdays are coming up?”
They had crossed over in October, and his birthday was on December 26. In two more months, he would turn fifteen.
Zhou Qi’s birthday was a month after his, meaning he would be eighteen in three months.
“Time flies so fast…”
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but sigh. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he quickly said, “No way, I need to hurry up and finish my high school courses!”
Determined, he lay down, deciding that he would start studying seriously the next day.
Zhou Qi watched as Tang Yu’an pulled the blanket over himself. He pressed his lips together slightly, then turned off the lights and lay down as well.
In the dimly lit room, the soft rustling of movement soon broke the silence.
Zhou Qi opened his eyes quietly and saw Tang Yu’an, hugging his pillow and blanket, climb down from his bed and squeeze into the space beside him.
Nowadays, the boy “snuck into bed” quite openly.
In the past, he would at least be careful not to wake Zhou Qi, but now he simply threw down his pillow, got under the blanket, and wriggled in until his head rested comfortably against Zhou Qi’s shoulder.
Zhou Qi felt the warmth of Tang Yu’an’s presence and slowly calmed his mind.
He gazed at the slanted skylight above them, his heart filled with a bittersweet feeling—both happiness and an unshakable worry.
If only he and An’an could stay like this forever without growing up…
That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about his changing emotions affecting their relationship, nor would he have to fear that one day, An’an would grow up and fall for someone else…
Zhou Qi lay there, listening to Tang Yu’an’s steady breathing. Gradually, his own consciousness faded into sleep.
*
For the next ten days or so, they continued training and studying in the alternate dimension.
Once enough time had passed, they used the teleportation array to return to their original world—where, surprisingly, less than ten hours had gone by.
Thanks to unlocking a new pet slot, they were finally able to form a contract with the little red bird.
Tang Yu’an named it Ruby.
The tiny red bird perched on his shoulder, its beady little eyes curiously scanning its new surroundings.
This was its first time in this world, and everything was new and fascinating to it.
On another note, during those ten days, Tang Yu’an had also maxed out his progress with the Cat Teaser Wand.
[Special Title: “Cat Squad”]
[Description: Earned by using the “Invincible Cat Teaser Wand” to tame 100 dangerous creatures into docile cats.]
[Effects: Unlocks +1 pet slot. If three or more feline pets are owned, the special skill “Lightning Speed” is activated.]
Even better, this title could be equipped at the same time as the “Dog Squad” title!
Which meant—he had yet another additional pet slot to use!
But the best part? Since Wang Cai, Yin Bi, and Yuan Bao could all shapeshift into cats, the system recognized them as both dogs and cats.
So, since he now had more than three “cats,” the Lightning Speed skill was activated!
[Lightning Speed]
[Description: Exclusive skill of the “Cat Squad” title. When used on a pet, it increases speed by 50% for 20 minutes.]
[After the skill ends, the pet enters a weakened state for 24 hours.]
[Note: This skill cannot be used on the same pet alongside “Battle Frenzy.”]
Though the skill only boosted speed instead of all stats like Battle Frenzy, a 50% speed boost was nothing to scoff at!
After all, in combat, speed is everything.
Especially since Yuan Bao was a pet with speed-based abilities—once buffed, it moved so fast that even mental energy detection couldn’t track it.
If Hei Tuantuan were still around, Yuan Bao could probably easily catch it.
With their pets in tow, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi teleported to the Jufeng Grocery Store.
Brimming with confidence, Tang Yu’an declared, “Let’s go! Time to— wait, no… time to rescue the planters!”
