Crackle, crackle.
The spacious abandoned factory felt desolate. Around a pile of dry wood burning in the campfire, over a dozen people gathered, the atmosphere cold and somber.
The shrinking flas devoured the dry wood, crackling as they finally grew stronger again, spreading warmth through the chilly air.
“Phew…”
Soone quietly exhaled a breath of frosty air.
Kiki clung to Lin Xian’s sleeve, her eyes filled with unease and fear.
“What do you an by 'ghost'? How is it different from zombies or those eerie creatures?” Lin Xian asked.
“I don’t know. It’s just that these events are often accompanied by supernatural phenona, like the 1542 radio station we just ntioned.”
Lin Xian furrowed his brows tightly.
Supernatural phenona—just hearing about them sent shivers down his spine.
Sensing the silence, Jiang Yun broke the stillness. “Eerie incidents—everyone who’s survived the past few months has encountered plenty. So of this information might be useful, or it might just be hearsay. Right now, survival is what matters most. Let’s not waste ti. If anyone has sothing they want or sothing they’re willing to trade, let’s go around and introduce it. Once we’re done, we’ll trade if needed or move on.”
“Agreed,” said a bespectacled man in a shirt and bulletproof vest, his face shadowed with gloom. “That Infinite Convoy of yours, you need red beans, right?”
He carefully took a single red bead from his pouch and placed it in his palm, his expression numb. “Trade it for anything—fuel, food, weapons. We’re short on everything…”
Lin Xian nodded. “What’s the trade value of this?”
“One hundred liters of gasoline or seven days’ supplies for ten people. For weapons, it depends on quality and demand,” Jiang Yun explained, spreading his hands. “Most trades are demand-driven. Trading more for less is common. But red beans are currently used as a benchmark by the Federation Phoenix and various scavenger groups, so their value is anchored—and likely to rise.”
“This valuable?” Kiki exclaid. “Aren’t these just used as antennae? Do they have other uses?”
“You don’t know?” soone in the group exclaid. “These things significantly enhance abilities. The Phoenix believes they might promote ability evolution and are key to researching Polar Night energy. Of course, they’re valuable.”
“And you can only find them on those monsters. You know how troubleso those creatures are, right?” said a middle-aged man, his face bloodied and hair disheveled, his voice hoarse.
Others nodded in fear. “Even the slightest mistake can wipe out a small convoy. I think 100 liters of gasoline is a bargain.”
Lin Xian’s pupils contracted as he realized the red beads’ true value.
The red centipedes and fog spiders were incredibly troubleso. Without heavy firepower, they were almost impossible to deal with and often caused severe losses.
If these beads could indeed aid ability evolution, then 100 liters of gasoline seed like a fair trade.
“Alright,” Lin Xian said. “We’ll trade for energy, food, or weapons—your choice. Co to my vehicle later to make the exchange.”
“Deal!”
The bespectacled man nodded and put the bead back into his pouch, his face blank. Judging by his expression, he’d likely just survived a grueling battle, leaving him too drained to haggle with Lin Xian.
“Let’s stick to the usual rules,” Jiang Yun said, stepping up. “Special requests first, then the basic supplies for exchange.”
Everyone nodded. Energy, food, and weapons were universal needs. Anything not urgently critical could be negotiated later, starting with the most pressing requirents.
“Let’s go in order, then,” Jiang Yun said, turning to a middle-aged man in a padded coat. “Brother Xu, you’re first. What do you need?”
“Alright,” said Xu Jin, seated on rubble at the outermost edge. He didn’t waste words. “My convoy needs a water purifier. Reverse osmosis preferred, but activated carbon will do—as long as the filter mbrane is fairly new. Anyone got one?”
He scanned the group. Only Shu Qin, a woman, raised her hand. “We’ve got a reverse osmosis unit,” she said.
Xu Jin’s eyes lit up.
“But…” Shu Qin shrugged. “It’s broken. Doesn’t work anymore. Probably sothing’s damaged. Anyone here know how to fix it?”
Her words left everyone exchanging glances in silence.
Broken equipnt was worthless—just dead weight on the road. Shu Qin’s convoy had a replacent, but they’d kept the broken unit, hoping to find soone who could repair it. Trading so supplies to restore it would make it far more valuable, whether for their own use or as a high-value trade item.
“I know a bit,” Lin Xian suddenly spoke from the corner, breaking his silence.
“Really? You can repair things?” soone asked in surprise.
“If it’s chanical, I’ve dabbled in it.”
Lin Xian’s words seed to ignite a fuse. The oppressive atmosphere from the earlier discussion about eerie phenona instantly lifted, replaced by a wave of curious and eager gazes.
“Can you fix vehicles?”
“Our heating system’s broken…”
“What about infrared detectors?”
“Could you handle drones?”
...
Lin Xian hadn't expected that his casual remark would spark such a flurry of responses, leaving him slightly taken aback.
"My teammate on the vehicle and I both know a bit about chanics," he said, maintaining a modest tone. "If it's just minor issues, we should be able to handle it. But so repairs might require specific tools."
He refrained from overpromising and didn’t reveal that his repairs were powered by his chanical ability. With his ability, as long as the issue was with individual components, he could scan the entire system and use materials from his decomposition space to fix it. However, if core components were missing, and he lacked both the materials and blueprints, there was no way to repair them from thin air.
"Really?" Jiang Yun, standing not far away, looked at him with intrigue. "Seems I invited the right person. In an apocalypse, skilled professionals are invaluable."
Next to Lin Xian, Kiki rolled her eyes slightly at what she clearly considered an overstatent. She held back a laugh, finding it harder to suppress than firing an AK.
Noticing the amused expression on the young woman’s face, Lin Xian shot her a quick glance before clearing his throat on purpose.
"I just know a little," he said humbly. "No guarantees I can fix it. Let take a look first."
Lin Xian didn’t want to brand himself as a walking toolkit. "If I can repair it, then we’ll discuss my price."
"That’s no problem," Jiang Yun agreed with a nod. "In that case, everyone can approach you privately later with equipnt issues. It’ll save us all so ti. Let’s move on to the next requests."
"Alright, then I’ll share mine."
Lin Xian scanned the group with a serious expression. "I know so of you here might be ability users. I’d like information related to ability evolution. Also…" He turned to Jiang Yun. "I’m particularly interested in your Soul Wave Detector."
Jiang Yun frowned slightly. "Sorry, but I’ve only got one set."
Lin Xian shook his head. "That’s not what I an. I didn’t get access to the information released by the Phoenix. I just want to understand the principles behind its design—or you could let study it briefly."
Jiang Yun’s eyes widened in surprise at his words. "You’re not saying you’re planning to build your own, are you?"
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