Chapter 42 Shopping

Chapter 42: Chapter 41: Shopping

Han Ning’s gaze lingered on the stall selling "overnight services" for less than half a second before he expressionlessly looked away.

Wasting precious supplies for a momentary thrill was truly unwise. He figured it would be better to just advance on his own.

He led Snow Cake toward a relatively quiet corner of the banquet hall.

As they passed an inconspicuous stall, two rusted iron cages caught his attention. A faint, musky stench wafted through the air.

The cages didn’t hold cats, dogs, chickens, or ducks, but several gray rabbits. Beside the iron cages sat an acrylic water tank. Within its murky depths, four fish with tea-yellow and teal scales bobbed half-dead in the water, gasping their last breaths.

GULP.

Seeing these animals, Han Ning’s Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably.

Meat! He had been eating compressed biscuits, canned goods, and plain white rice for almost a month. His palate had long since gone numb from the blandness. Any edible thawed meat he had was devoured ages ago. He had forgotten how long it had been since he last tasted fresh meat.

"How much to trade for these?" Han Ning asked, squatting in front of the cages.

The stall owner was a lean middle-aged man with drooping eyelids, looking rather lethargic. He lifted his gaze to scan Han Ning, then glanced at the ferocious Snow Cake beside him before speaking slowly.

"Which one do you want?

"I have three grass carp here, two male and one female. There is one male crucian carp, and four rabbits, three male and one female.

"A male fish goes for three cans of meat, or an equivalent amount of food or points.

"The females are more expensive. One is worth the price of three males, so that’s nine cans. The rabbits are the same; a male rabbit is six cans, and a female is eighteen."

"That expensive..." Han Ning frowned.

A pair of rabbits would cost twenty-four cans. If he were to buy them, he would definitely need a male and a female so he could breed them.

Considering this was the apocalypse, the number of living animals would only decrease and become increasingly precious without special protection and breeding. It was normal for them to be sold at a premium, but this price... was still quite steep for Han Ning.

Moreover, fish were incredibly difficult to keep alive in this environment. They might die within two days of him buying them, resulting in a total loss. Rabbits were also prone to sudden death without specialized farming techniques.

"It’s too expensive," Han Ning shook his head. "Can you lower the price for the female rabbit? Eighteen cans is enough to feed a person for several days."

The stall owner sneered, tapping the cage with a bony finger. "Expensive? Brother, have you not seen the state of the world right now?

"Do you know how much risk I took to get these live animals? A female rabbit can have litters. If raised well, it’s a goose that lays golden eggs. Eighteen cans, not one less.

"If you think it’s too expensive, go look somewhere else."

The man’s attitude was resolute, showing no signs of budging.

"Forget it." Han Ning ultimately waved his hand in regret and left the stall.

For the next while, Han Ning continued strolling through the banquet hall. He walked up to a relatively bustling stall. On the table sat several unopened boxes of butane gas canisters for portable stoves, a few packs of solid alcohol blocks, and some bottled liquid alcohol. There was also a small bucket of diesel beside the table.

"How much to trade for the gas canisters and alcohol blocks?" Han Ning asked.

The stall owner, a muscular man in construction clothes, replied in a fairly polite tone, "One box of gas canisters—four cans—goes for four meat cans, or an equivalent amount of compressed biscuits or rice. A pack of ten solid alcohol blocks is two cans.

"A five-hundred-milliliter bottle of liquid alcohol is one can. Diesel is a bit pricier; this small five-liter bucket is fifteen cans."

"Tsk... not cheap."

In the apocalypse, the value of energy was second only to food. It was a given that the prices would be steep. Han Ning quickly did the math in his head.

Inside his backpack, aside from a few bottles of water and a small amount of emergency rations, he mostly had canned food. This was his hardest currency at the moment. Knowing he would be out for a while today, he had specifically brought ten cans of luncheon meat with him.

"I want one box of gas canisters and two packs of solid alcohol blocks." Han Ning counted out the corresponding cans from his backpack and handed them over. "Eight cans."

The muscular man took the cans, weighed them in his hands, and, after confirming the packaging was intact, nodded in satisfaction. He handed the box of gas canisters and the two packs of alcohol blocks, wrapped in a plastic bag, to Han Ning. "Deal! You’re a straightforward guy, brother!"

Having replenished some of his energy supplies, Han Ning felt much more at ease. He then used his remaining two cans and a pack of compressed biscuits to trade for a small roll of fairly durable nylon rope, a small box of waterproof matches, and a folding tactical shovel.

Compared to energy and food, these tool-based supplies were clearly not as expensive. Han Ning figured that he wasn’t lacking in offensive means right now, so getting a multi-purpose tactical shovel would be incredibly useful. Even in close-quarters combat, the shovel could double as a weapon.

Looking at his mostly empty backpack, Han Ning didn’t linger. He led Snow Cake—who still seemed a bit reluctant to leave the market—and prepared to head back.

While Han Ning was picking out supplies at the banquet hall market, inside the presidential suite on the top floor of the resort’s main building, heavy curtains completely blocked out the POURING sound of the rainstorm outside.

A few candles were lit in the dim room. The flickering flames stretched and shrank the shadows of the three figures sitting around the sofas, creating a solemn and mysterious atmosphere.

Chen Feng and Lu Yunping, both wrapped in bandages, stood respectfully before the three men.

"Chairmen," Chen Feng nodded politely.

Sitting in the central single sofa was a man who looked to be in his forties. He wore a dark gray shirt, his expression calm and his eyes profound.

"Chen, did you call us over for something?" the middle-aged man smiled faintly.

"Chairman Wu, we recruited a highly capable Awakened today. We came specifically to brief you on the matter," Chen Feng answered truthfully.

"Oh?" The man sitting on the left raised an eyebrow, a look of interest crossing his face. "Let’s hear it."

Chen Feng took a deep breath and gave a detailed recount of their encounter with Han Ning, particularly highlighting the brief but thrilling battle. He neither exaggerated nor downplayed the events, objectively stating Han Ning’s bizarre and powerful vine manipulation abilities, as well as the ferocious Crocodile Lizard that had clearly been tamed.

"His Vine Technique is not only exceptionally tough, abundant, and fast, but it can also instantly erupt with hundreds of sharp Wooden Thorns, forming an inescapable blanket attack. My Wind Shield... was pierced through almost instantly."

Lu Yunping chimed in from the side, "Furthermore, he seems capable of being immune to or rapidly breaking free from the Spirit illusions of the Mirage Insects, which is incredibly rare. Overall, Han Ning’s strength... is likely on par with the three Chairmen."

"On par with us?"

Rather than being displeased, Chairman Wu, the leader of the three, showed profound interest. "If he can make you give such an evaluation, Chen Feng, it seems he really must have some serious skills.

"Immunity to Spirit illusions... This kind of ability is an invaluable treasure when exploring the Fog Area."