Chen Ye frowned slightly. The price quoted by the man before him was somewhat steep.
In the apocalypse, food was the hardest currency, far more valuable than gold or jewels. This was especially true for raw staples like rice; most people had been surviving on processed biscuits and instant noodles for far too long.
Among those who had escaped from Apricot Blossom Town, few had the foresight to grab rice. Most had foolishly rushed for the potato chips and snacks, leaving the life-sustaining flour and grains behind.
Seeing Chen Ye’s frown, the bald man spoke cautiously, watching his expression closely.
“If Mr. Chen really wants it… five catties. Five catties of rice will do!” he offered hurriedly. “Or, if Mr. Chen could help repair the bus twice for free, this toolset is yours!”
With fewer than a hundred people in the convoy, word of Chen Ye’s supposed Mechanic Sequence spread quickly.
Chen Ye hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Deal.”
The man was overjoyed, personally helping carry the heavy toolset to Chen Ye’s motorized tricycle.
He next traded a few packs of instant noodles for seasonings, salt, oil, and similar supplies.
The market had been open for an hour and a half; only thirty minutes remained. Chen Ye still hadn’t secured any gasoline.
Only Chu Che, Nana, and the still-absent Iron Lion had gasoline, and their prices were all similarly high. Chen Ye was worried.
Did he really have to part with his precious grain? He hadn’t eaten rice in days himself. The thought of trading it away stung.
Maybe I can use that secret to trade for gasoline and Nana’s knife, he mused. I want the fuel, but I also want that blade.
Throughout his browsing, a gaze had been fixed on him.
It belonged to Zhou Lan, the celebrity and owner of the small sedan. Compared to the others, her supplies were meager, yet a crowd of men lingered around her stall, their intentions clear.
Seeing Chen Ye hesitate, Zhou Lan seemed to make a decision. She gritted her teeth, stood up, and pulled a square metal jerrycan from the back seat of her car.
“Sister, what are you doing?”
A handsome boy rushed over and caught her hand. He resembled Zhou Lan quite closely; had he been a girl, he would have been a beauty.
“Xiaoxiao, let go,” she said gently. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“I won’t! Sister, are you planning to give our gasoline away?” the boy protested stubbornly.
“Silly child, it was hard enough for us sisters—brother and sister—to get this gasoline. Do you think I’m that foolish?”
The boy looked at her skeptically. “Really?”
“Of course,” she smiled, patting his head.
When the boy finally let go, Zhou Lan carried the heavy can over to Chen Ye.
“Mr. Chen,” she called out, interrupting his thoughts. “I have a can of gasoline here. If you’re interested, I’m willing to trade.”
Chen Ye turned, surprised. “What’s the price?”
“Ten catties of rice. Or eight, if ten is difficult for you.”
Chen Ye frowned. Chu Che and Nana were demanding twenty. This celebrity was asking for less than half? It was suspiciously cheap.
As if reading his mind, Zhou Lan lowered her voice. “I have another can, enough to reach the next supply point. I’m offering this to you at a discount because… well, I hope that if I encounter difficulties in the future, Mr. Chen might look out for me.”
Chen Ye looked at her, understanding dawning.
In this dark world, a celebrity like Zhou Lan was a firefly in the night—beautiful, conspicuous, and vulnerable. The lecherous stares surrounding her stall were proof enough. If not for the fragile order of this specific convoy, she would likely have been devoured long ago.
As the apocalypse wore on, society’s order and civilization were slowly collapsing. One day, they might return to outright barbarism. Then her celebrity status would bring danger rather than protection.
Chu Che and Nana already had their own circles, while Zhou Lan remained outside them. She was probably seeking his protection. After all, he counted as a newly awakened Beyonder.
Chen Ye considered this. “Not enough,” he said flatly.
Zhou Lan’s face paled. “Mr. Chen… what else do you want?”
Her little group consisted only of herself and her brother. They had found few supplies in the town, little more than ordinary survivors. This can of fuel was the most she could offer. Without another suitable supply stop within a week, giving it away might leave their car unable to run. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Give me the gasoline,” Chen Ye said calmly, “and I agree to your request. If you run into trouble, I’ll help you.”
“Ah?” Zhou Lan stared at him, stunned.
She hadn’t expected this handsome, sunny-looking young man to be so utterly shameless. He wanted the gasoline for free?
Food and fuel were lifelines. She had nearly died obtaining this can. And he wanted to take it without offering a single grain of rice in return?
Zhou Lan flushed with anger. Her usually gentle eyes hardened as she glared at him. How could he be so shameless?
“You… Mr. Chen, don’t you think that is going too far?” she asked through almost clenched teeth.
Chen Ye looked at her without a hint of guilt. “Perhaps you can pick out some clothes you like from my stash,” he offered indifferently.
“Besides, Miss Zhou, if you really had other choices, you wouldn’t be standing here talking to me.”
“Before the apocalypse, I might not even have had the chance to know you. But this is the apocalypse.”
“I am a Sequence Beyonder. You are merely an ordinary person.”
“You decide.”
“You…” Zhou Lan’s chest heaved with anger.
Before the apocalypse, good-looking as he was, she would scarcely have spoken to someone like Chen Ye. Their lives would never have crossed.
But now…
Her face reddened with anger and humiliation, her pretty eyes growing moist. She had never felt this way before.
She stood silent for a full thirty seconds.
At last, the former celebrity gritted her teeth.
“Fine! Deal!”