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墨書 Inktalez
"Make way for us! This room belongs to us now, and everyone inside needs to get out! Don't just occupy the space without doing business; this place is ours today!" The Huang Brothers swayed as if they were the Haier Brothers, one on each side, starting to drive people away. The lounge next to the Ticket Booth was the best room in the entire hall, where the powerful and influential gentlemen resided.
Inside, everything was tidy and clean, with a dozen beautiful girls ready to serve at any moment.
Life was truly good.
It was this kind of life that made them cherish their existence. The boldness they had when the apocalypse first struck had slowly faded amidst the indulgence. They enjoyed a life of tranquility, trading food and selling off their once-acquired wealth.
Those Mutated Plants allowed them to continuously amass wealth. As long as everyone united, ordinary people did not covet their riches; after all, the prices they sold were quite reasonable, and gathering even one plant required considerable effort.
The Huang Brothers' clearing activities had nearly angered everyone. However, seeing Zheng Yifan's fearless demeanor and the sycophantic attitude of the Huang Brothers quickly extinguished any remaining impulse. The mere fact that they dared to rush in from the jaws of the mutated beasts known as Swallows spoke volumes about their courage and resolve.
Without iron willpower, achieving this was impossible.
Slowly, a group of people moved from the Ticket Booth outside. Although a dozen girls followed behind them, their glances were filled with flirtation that was utterly captivating.
It had to be this way because they had discovered someone stronger; they needed to seize this opportunity.
As long as they could charm the leader among these newcomers, their future lives would be secure.
Zheng Yifan entered inside. Those who had narrowly escaped followed him in to tidy up the room.
They had received orders from Ten Thousand Steps, the hefty man, to clean up the entire place and remove all unnecessary items.
The leader didn't need all that clutter.
He had already gathered that Zheng Yifan intended to acquire those Garbage Essence Fruits. How many were there in Ancheng? A rough estimate suggested at least tens of thousands. This was still considering that Ancheng's city streets had many Mutated Plants yet to be harvested.
Those were the additional targets for Zheng Yifan, needing the Survivors to gather them.
It was just like Hu Lao San's team; if it weren't for this robbery incident, they would have entered the botanical garden honestly and waited for Zheng Yifan to announce his acquisition plan.
They would have made a fortune.
But unfortunately, there were no "ifs." They had all been wiped out, not a single Survivor left. The attack from Ten Thousand Steps was indeed very reliable, leaving no room for future troubles.
"Boss! Is this table still here? What about the sofa?" The Huang Brothers followed in and began directing the ordinary Survivors to clean up the house. In less than ten minutes, everything was tidied up neatly. The only place that remained dirty was definitely under Zheng Yifan's feet, as no one dared to ask him to move.
"Leave the table clean and keep it. Also, leave four chairs. We still need somewhere to sit," Zheng Yifan said, pointing to a corner and instructing them to arrange a mattress there.
The girl in his arms needed rest.
Zheng Yifan was already considering exchanging a bottle of Essence Fruit for the girl after sweeping up a batch of them.
This stuff wasn't very expensive for him; he could quickly earn thousands from it. He didn't mind spending on just one bottle.
"Huang Brothers! Arrange for a few people to come with me to get the food. Several tons of food can't be moved by just anyone!" Zheng Yifan said as he took the initiative to head outside.
His target was the house across the street, where he could mix in and store the supplies first.
The Huang Brothers casually followed behind him.
"Boss, you can leave everything to me. It's just a few tons of stuff, right? If we don't need flexibility and speed, I can handle this completely," Huang Brothers said, patting his chest confidently.
Just now, that fat guy from Ten Thousand Steps, the Drunkard, really caught the leader's attention. Those dozen or so Superpowered Individuals, along with Hu Lao San's head, became stepping stones for him to become a favorite in front of the leader. This forced me to leave the Telecom Building, the Gathering Place, just to strive for a future with the Huang Brothers. How could I possibly endure it?
"Alright. Then come along and give it a try; if it doesn't work out, we can call for help," Zheng Yifan said, not caring much about anything else as he stepped outside.
The other Survivors were not necessarily brave enough to go out. Although the Swallows seemed harmless, they were merely searching for Zombies as food. However, others did not see it that way; in their eyes, the Swallows were hunting. They couldn't care less about what the prey was; they could only force themselves into the situation.
Everyone believed that this fierce beast's target was themselves. Taking a single step outside made their hearts race with fear. Some might even wet their pants.
After a while, everything remained calm and uneventful. The Swallows circled above their heads like fledglings returning to their nests, constantly showing goodwill. Occasionally, they would dive down and glide over Zheng Yifan's head, their tail feathers sharp like scissors, more eager to interact with people than those from the Post-Apocalypse.
As one flew overhead, Zheng Yifan smiled kindly at the Swallows.
The Swallows had not forgotten anything from the Post-Apocalypse; they chirped a few times above Zheng Yifan's head like obedient little ones before continuing their flight.
On the ground were traces of the Huang Brothers transporting food. Strands of hair rolled like waves, carrying bags of rice weighing nearly a ton.
It wasn't that he couldn't carry more; it was simply too much quantity that wouldn't fit in that room.
There were forty bags of rice and an accurately calibrated electronic scale.
Plus several dozen plastic bags.
This was a complete setup for street vendors, lacking any high-end appearance. Yet these items were the most precious in the apocalypse, especially in Ancheng.
The cleanup work in Ancheng was thorough, and Zombies had been contained in fixed locations. The search for supplies had reached a critical moment. All those resources had been thoroughly scoured out.
Now, the prices of food have risen one by one. Having a channel to obtain food has become the most important thing.
Right now, a new opportunity to acquire food has emerged, and it is in the place they once valued the most: the botanical garden.
Of course, most of the strong individuals have already become Superpowered Individuals, while ordinary people still struggle for Essence Fruit. A vast amount of wealth has been acquired by the first batch of Superpowered Individuals, those who possess powerful Superpowers.
The moment each person becomes a Superpowered Individual likely determines their lifetime achievements; a single step ahead can lead to rapid advancement. This is not a Hope Gathering Place; there is absolutely no comfortable life here—only the law of the jungle. Strength means resources, and resources mean survival.
When one is weak, there’s no telling when even a Superpowered Individual might have to rise up and crawl before other Superpowered Individuals, begging like a dog for a bowl of leftovers.
Tail-wagging in desperation is certainly not a derogatory term in the apocalypse; it might even be seen as a compliment because at least they are still alive and can continue to live. That is enough.
They are already the fortunate ones. Many others do not even have the chance to beg; they can only gasp for breath as they lie on the ground waiting for death. Others wouldn’t even bother to give them a final blow to end their suffering.
“Leader! The food has been piled up. When will we announce the specific trading details?” The Huang Brothers stood like sentinels at the entrance, their faces devoid of any smiles. Only their cold gazes pierced through anyone's curiosity, instilling fear in their hearts.
Liu Hao lay carelessly beside the mattress where Zheng Yifan had placed it. He looked at the quietly sleeping girl with a smile on his face; she was so gentle and serene that anyone who saw her felt a sense of happiness.
“Are you better at brush calligraphy or penmanship?” Zheng Yifan asked Ten Thousand Steps beside him. This Fellow from the Post-Apocalypse was a high achiever, and good calligraphy was almost a required skill.
“I’m good at both, but if I’m writing something to post on the wall, it looks better when done with a brush,” Ten Thousand Steps replied, choosing his strongest skill in soft brush calligraphy. He decorated what Zheng Yifan wanted with his own understanding and embellishments before hanging it at the entrance.
The bright red characters combined with paper almost plastered across the entire window made it impossible to pretend not to see.
Zheng Yifan was very pleased with Ten Thousand Steps' beautiful soft brush calligraphy; however, he knew he couldn’t match it. His own handwriting resembled that of a dog’s crawl compared to Ten Thousand Steps’ elegant strokes—it was simply worlds apart.
For a brief moment, the outside world erupted in chaos. It wasn't just the Superpowered Individuals conducting business outside.
Even those within the botanical garden were completely stirred up.
The botanical garden seemed to explode in an instant, with people scattering in all directions. No one was sulking anymore or glaring at Zheng Yifan with hatred. They all wanted to pick the unwanted Garbage Essence Fruits. Those who possessed Advanced Essence Fruits rushed to Zheng Yifan's door, hoping to exchange them for a good price.
However, they were destined for disappointment. Zheng Yifan showed no interest in the Advanced Essence Fruits, which weighed hundreds of pounds. He only needed the Garbage Essence Fruits, and he wanted to leave some breathing room for Ancheng Common Survivor.
He even planned to flood Ancheng with a batch of B-Rank Essence or perhaps establish a faction dedicated to cultivating low-grade Essence Fruits.
Even low-grade Essence Fruits were hard to come by elsewhere, but not in Ancheng. Here, Garbage Essence Fruits were as common as stones on the street, easily found everywhere. The influx of Essence Fruits would serve as a propellant for the Hope Gathering Place.
At the entrance stood the two Huang Brothers, and few dared to cause trouble there. Their hair was tangled together, and their weapons resembled steel forks held high above their heads, ready to strike at anyone who approached.
"Excuse me... big brother, do you accept the most ordinary Essence Fruits inside?" A timid voice emerged at the entrance.
It belonged to a boy around seventeen or eighteen years old, holding a woven bag that bulged with unknown contents. He peered curiously at the bright red paper detailing the exchange rules, his face filled with excitement.
He was merely an ordinary botanical garden manager, overseeing a few mutated plants that might produce Essence Fruits.
His task was to hire regular Superpowered Individuals to capture zombies and feed them to the mutated plants he managed.
Almost periodically, the mutated plants would yield several Low-Level Essence Fruits. These items were practically worthless in the Apocalyptic World.
Yet, if left unpicked, the mutated plants would continue to grow these fruits. To prevent them from being overrun by Garbage Essence Fruits, he had developed a habit of collecting the fruits produced by the mutated plants and stacking them in storage.
The other administrators nearby saw his method and decided to pick the Garbage Essence Fruit as well, finding it convenient. This particular fruit was the weakest, and their laziness over time led them to let him help dispose of it.
Unfortunately, he never discarded the Garbage Essence Fruit; he simply stored it in the warehouse, and over time, no one bothered with it.
Just earlier, when he came out to sell an Essence Fruit for the owner of the Mutated Plants, he noticed a notice. Initially feeling disheartened, he suddenly remembered the Garbage Essence Fruit he had carelessly left in the warehouse, forgotten by everyone.
He could barely recall those items himself, having just checked on them that morning. A whole large woven bag full of them was taking up space, and he had planned to throw them away that evening.
Who would have thought there would be a shortage buying such trash? Even the stones on the street were worth more than the Garbage Essence Fruit.
Regardless, he decided to come and give it a try. As long as he could sell them, he was sure he would make a fortune. He firmly believed today would bring good harvests.
"Of course we buy Essence Fruits! Didn’t you see the notice next to us? If you have them, come inside; if not, don’t bother us. Our leader might just get annoyed and throw you out," the Huang Brothers threatened in unison, their intimidation quite effective, scaring the young man thoroughly.
"I have! I really have Essence Fruits! This whole bag is full!" He half-knelt on the ground in panic, looking at the people inside as if they were deities.
"If you have Essence Fruits, come in! We’re just collecting items; we’re not robbing you. Besides, you probably don’t have anything worth robbing!" Zheng Yifan said with his mouth full of meat, chewing noisily.
The room was filled with sounds of chewing; in this apocalypse, it wasn’t weakness but rather a display of abundance. The rich smell of meat wafted outside, making those waiting outside hungry and eager to see who would be the first to enter and test whether they could indeed exchange for food.
"Yes! I have many of the most ordinary Essence Fruits!" The young man was destined for success; he was the first to take a chance today. (To be continued...)
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