Chapter 168: Transaction

Liu Yun sat down opposite the two brothers and narrowed her eyes slightly. "I don’t remember ever telling Pei Rui my name. How did you learn it? And what do you want from me?"

Under her scrutinizing gaze, Pei Yan remained calm. "Miss Liu, do you know that you are quite famous in this base?"

Liu Yun stared at Pei Yan in silence for a few seconds before replying, "Oh? This is news to me."

Seeing how cautious she was, Pei Yan smiled slightly. "Miss Liu, you don’t need to be so guarded around us. Thanks to the supplies you gave A Rui before, I’m still alive today."

Hearing this, Liu Yun raised her eyebrows slightly. "So, what is your purpose in inviting me here today?"

Pei Yan glanced at Pei Rui when she asked this question.

Understanding the meaning behind his elder brother’s glance, Pei Rui stood up and walked to the corner of the tent. He opened the backpack lying there and rummaged through it for a moment before taking out a small pouch.

Returning to his seat, Pei Rui handed the pouch to Pei Yan.

Liu Yun’s curiosity grew as she watched Pei Yan open the pouch. Before long, she finally got a clear look at its contents.

As Pei Yan poured out the contents, the crisp sound of objects hitting the floor echoed through the small tent.

Ding... Ding... Ding...

Liu Yun’s eyes flickered at the sight of several elemental crystal cores scattered across the floor.

Pei Yan looked at her and said, "I believe Miss Liu knows what these are."

"Yes. These are elemental crystal cores," Liu Yun confirmed.

She then shifted her gaze to Pei Yan’s body, taking in his numerous wounds and the bandages wrapped around his abdomen.

Noticing her gaze, Pei Yan smiled slightly and explained, "I sustained these injuries while fighting zombies during my last mission."

Liu Yun studied him for a moment before asking, "Young Master Pei, you didn’t invite me here just to show me these elemental crystal cores, did you?"

Pei Yan nodded before continuing, "Miss Liu, I want to buy your lemon tea."

The moment he said this, Liu Yun thought, ’I remember only telling the soldiers about the lemon tea. How did he find out about it?’

With questions filling her mind, Liu Yun said, "Before we discuss business, could you answer a few questions for me first?"

Pei Yan gestured for her to continue. "Of course. Miss Liu, feel free to ask."

"Young Master Pei, I don’t remember telling anyone about the lemon tea except for the soldiers. Can you tell me where you got this information?"

Pei Yan calmly replied, "Miss Liu, I’m a mercenary. Most of the time, I accept missions issued by the military to make a living. Because of this, most of my colleagues and friends are soldiers rather than ability users or other mercenaries."

"I’ve got the information regarding the lemon tea from one of my friends. He is a soldier under Captain Lian."

Liu Yun nodded in understanding. "I see. No wonder you know about the lemon tea."

Having answered her question, Pei Yan pointed to the elemental crystal cores scattered on the floor and asked, "So, can I exchange these elemental crystal cores for some lemon tea?"

Liu Yun didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she asked the System.

’System, how many System Points can I get from one elemental crystal core?’

Two seconds after she asked, the familiar mechanical voice rang in her mind.

[Player, you can exchange one Level 0 Zombie Elemental Crystal Core for 20 System Points.]

After receiving the answer, Liu Yun looked at Pei Yan and said, "Normally, I sell one cup of lemon tea for three crystal cores. However, elemental crystal cores are more valuable than ordinary crystal cores, so you only need to pay two elemental crystal cores for each cup."

Pei Yan’s eyes lit up at her words. Suppressing his excitement, he pushed the elemental crystal cores toward Liu Yun.

"I only have ten elemental crystal cores for now. Miss Liu, I’d like to buy five cups of lemon tea."

"Alright." Liu Yun stored the ten elemental crystal cores in her inventory before asking, "Do you have a container to store the lemon tea?"

Hearing this, Pei Rui quickly retrieved an empty plastic bottle from a cardboard box in the corner of the tent.

Handing it to Liu Yun, he said, "Elder Sister, you can use this."

Liu Yun took the bottle from him before taking out a cup of lemon tea from her inventory. The moment the lemon tea appeared in her hand, its refreshing fragrance spread through the tent, filling the air almost instantly.

Pei Yan and Pei Rui took deep breaths before letting out long, satisfied sighs.

While Liu Yun poured the five cups of lemon tea into the plastic bottle, Pei Rui leaned closer to Pei Yan and whispered, "Elder Brother, this lemon tea really is as miraculous as the rumors claim. I already feel refreshed just from smelling it."

Pei Yan hummed in agreement before whispering back, "A Rui, remember to keep this a secret. Otherwise, instead of saving our lives, this lemon tea could become the very thing that ends us."

"Yes, Elder Brother," Pei Rui replied before turning his gaze toward Liu Yun.

A few minutes later, Liu Yun handed the plastic bottle filled with lemon tea back to Pei Yan.

Pei Yan accepted the bottle and said, "Thank you, Miss Liu."

Hearing this, Liu Yun waved her hand dismissively. "There is no need to thank me. This is simply a transaction between us."

Seeing that Pei Yan had nothing more to say, Liu Yun added, "If Young Master Pei has nothing else to discuss, I will take my leave first."

Before she could stand up, Pei Yan stopped her. "Miss Liu, please wait a moment."

Liu Yun paused, turned to look at him, and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

Rather than explaining himself, Pei Yan turned to his younger brother. "A Rui, take that thing out."

Pei Rui nodded and went to the backpack. This time, he came back holding a small box. He handed it to his elder brother before sitting down and waiting silently.

Pei Yan took the small box and handed it to Liu Yun. "Miss Liu, please accept this as a token of my gratitude for saving my life."

Liu Yun hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take the small box. The instant her fingertips touched it, a notification rang in her mind.

Ding!

[Congratulations, Player, for obtaining Scattered Opportunity x1!]