Chapter 168: Vegetables

However, Ni Mengxue had no intention of wasting more time on the matter. She still had plenty of work to do.

Now that the solar panels were ready, she needed to focus on producing temperature-regulating equipment and clothing.

That would require her to enter another seclusion in her industrial space.

Meanwhile, the electrical network was gradually expanding throughout the base.

More residential buildings were being connected every day.

Ni Mengxue believed that once the residents began enjoying electricity in their homes, their attitudes toward the base’s development would improve considerably.

Besides, she could continue making structural changes through the system at night.

For now, she needed to focus on her next mission.

Ever since completing the task of constructing ten buildings, the system had issued her another objective.

[New Main Mission: Recruit 10,000 tenants and help them settle in Fair Shallow Land. [Mission Completion Reward: Fulfillment of the population requirement for the next system upgrade. Additional construction options will become available after the upgrade.]

Ni Mengxue examined the list of future unlocks.

Among them were expanded agricultural facilities, a clinic, a school, a combat equipment shop, and several other specialized buildings.

Her eyes brightened. ’These are exactly what the base needs.’

A clinic would improve medical services, while a school would give the younger residents an opportunity to continue their education.

The combat shop could also provide equipment for the base’s soldiers and ability users.

She was tempted to examine every option immediately. However, she eventually restrained herself.

’There’s no point getting excited about things I can’t unlock yet.’

She closed the interface and entered her industrial space.

Recently, her Merit Points had been disappearing at an alarming rate.

Between construction, equipment production, and the cost of stocking the shops, her expenses had increased considerably.

To recover some of those losses, she had decided to sell the vegetables stored in her space.

However, she didn’t intend to sell them cheaply. She had set the price at five thousand per pound.

It was expensive, but fresh vegetables had become extremely rare since the apocalypse.

Even residents with plenty of zombie crystals often struggled to obtain them.

And as soon as the vegetable shop opened, several customers hurried inside.

Among them was Bo Jun. He had always loved leafy vegetables.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to eat any for a long time because they were almost impossible to find.

The moment he heard that Fair Shallow Land was selling fresh produce, he rushed to the store.

Inside, neatly arranged vegetables filled the display shelves.

There were fresh green leaves, crisp stems, and several other varieties that he hadn’t seen in months.

Bo Jun stared at them in surprise and then he checked the price.

Although five thousand per pound was far from cheap, he didn’t hesitate.

He immediately placed an order for twenty pounds of vegetables.

Yao Chun had always been looking for better food options.

Although compressed biscuits were convenient and filling, they were hardly enough to satisfy the nutritional needs of someone with his muscular build.

However, when he saw the fresh vegetables displayed inside the shop, a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes.

’If this base can actually sell fresh vegetables, then Fair Shallow Land is truly extraordinary.’

After all, even a powerful settlement like Burning Star Base rarely offered fresh vegetables to ordinary residents.

Anyone who wanted to purchase them would need a considerable amount of money, high-tier zombie crystals, and the right connections.

Yet here, fresh vegetables were openly available for sale.

To Yao Chun, this was practically a jackpot.

Without hesitation, he purchased thirty pounds of vegetables.

As news of the shop spread, more residents began arriving.

Their astonishment only grew when they saw the shelves filled with fresh produce.

Some couldn’t believe their eyes. Others immediately began purchasing as much as they could afford.

Among the customers was a man named Tian Li.

The moment he saw the vegetables, his eyes turned red.

He reached out and gently touched a fresh green leaf before hurriedly wiping away his tears.

"I thought I would never see such delicacies again in my lifetime."

His voice trembled with emotion.

"But here I am, actually getting the chance to eat fresh vegetables again."

He turned toward the surrounding residents.

"I really want to thank the base leader. Although the base leader sometimes seems rather heartless, we can’t deny everything they’ve done for us."

Tian Li gestured toward the vegetables.

"They’ve provided us with shelter, affordable food, and now even fresh vegetables."

He shook his head in amazement.

"Even if these vegetables cost a hundred high-tier zombie crystals, I would still consider buying them. But the base leader is selling them for only five thousand points per pound! That’s practically a bargain!"

The surrounding residents nodded in agreement.

"He’s right. Where else could we find vegetables this fresh?"

"Even the larger bases can’t guarantee a supply like this."

"I was beginning to forget what real vegetables tasted like."

The atmosphere inside the shop became increasingly lively.

Customers crowded around the shelves, eagerly selecting their favorite vegetables.

Some bought enough for a single meal, while others purchased large quantities to store at home.

Before long, the shop’s inventory began disappearing at an astonishing speed.

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Meanwhile, Ni Mengxue was still working inside her industrial space.

After several hours of effort, she finally completed her first set of temperature-regulating clothes.

The finished outfit was made from a lightweight, flexible fabric with a smooth surface. Thin temperature-control components were woven into its inner lining, allowing the clothing to adjust to changes in the surrounding environment.

Ni Mengxue examined her work with satisfaction. ’Finally!’

However, before she could celebrate, a system notification suddenly appeared.

[Warning! Vegetable Shop Inventory Depleted. Please Restock Immediately.]

Ni Mengxue was stunned. She stared at the notification for several seconds. ’What?’

She had only recently stocked the vegetable shop.

How could everything have sold out already?

She hurriedly opened the shop’s inventory interface.

Sure enough, every vegetable category showed zero remaining stock.

Ni Mengxue blinked in disbelief. ’Just how many vegetables did these people buy?’

She had expected the shop to attract customers, but she hadn’t imagined that the entire inventory would disappear so quickly.