Chapter 49 - 44: Transaction

Chapter 49: Chapter 44: Transaction

"All I have is a simple hand-drawn map. It marks the main routes and the locations of the large shelters we know of. It might not be precise, but the general directions are correct." Zhao Ming carefully pulled a notebook wrapped in waterproof tarp from inside his coat. He opened it to a page where a crude map was indeed sketched out in different colored pens.

"We can describe the routes and dangers to you, tell you everything we know. As for the Jiang City Shelter..." Zhao Ming paused, a complex expression crossing his face. "The information we have is from over a month ago. Management is said to be very strict, but you no longer need to hand over most of your supplies. You do have to undergo a physical examination to get temporary residency, though. It’s no paradise inside, either. I’ve heard there’s plenty of factional conflict and hoarding of supplies, but at least you’re guaranteed not to freeze or starve to death. They also have some armed forces to defend against corpse tides."

Xu Mo listened intently, his mind working like a high-speed computer, recording and analyzing every word. The hand-drawn map was crude, but it was enough to give him a basic sense of direction. The information about the routes and the shelter was even more critical.

"Alright." Xu Mo nodded. "You provide the map and tell me the details about the routes and the shelter’s situation. In exchange..."

He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over the three of them again. He noticed they were unconsciously holding their breath.

"I can give you five packs of compressed biscuits," Xu Mo stated his price. The biscuits were scavenged from an "emergency food warehouse." They were small, high in calories, and perfect for a trade.

This offer showed he had the ’power’ that came with resources, but it was also reasonable enough that it wouldn’t make them so greedy they’d do something desperate.

At the words "compressed biscuits," the eyes of Zhao Ming and the other two visibly brightened. Big Bull’s Adam’s apple even bobbed unconsciously. Five packs of compressed biscuits, eaten sparingly, would be just enough for their group of thirteen to hang on for another day or two.

"Deal!" Zhao Ming agreed immediately, with almost no hesitation.

’I offered too much!’

Hearing them accept without a moment’s hesitation, Xu Mo knew he had offered too much. High-calorie foods like compressed biscuits were clearly a hot commodity in the apocalypse.

Afraid Xu Mo might go back on his word, Zhao Ming carefully tore the map page from his notebook. He thought for a moment, then borrowed a pen from Xu Mo to add a few notes in the margin, marking some dangerous areas they had just passed through that weren’t on the original map.

For the next ten minutes or so, a peculiar transaction took place on that frigid, windswept street. Zhao Ming and Sun Xiaoyun took turns speaking, recounting everything they could in as much detail as possible for Xu Mo: their journey, the routes they chose, the dangers they faced, treacherous terrain, hostile survivor groups, and all the information they had on the Jiang City Shelter.

Xu Mo listened with focused intensity, occasionally interjecting to ask about a key detail or two. He seemed to be taking it all very seriously.

Once the information exchange was complete and Xu Mo was satisfied, he turned and went back inside his shelter. He returned a moment later with five vacuum-sealed packs of compressed biscuits and a blister pack of fever reducer with only three pills left, which he handed over.

"These five packs of compressed biscuits are what you earned," Xu Mo said. "The three pills are a gift. Consider it a gesture of goodwill."

"Thank you so much, friend." Zhao Ming’s voice was emotional, even trembling slightly. The two beside him also fixed their gazes on the supplies Xu Mo had just handed over.

"It was just a trade," Xu Mo replied calmly, carefully folding the map and placing it in his pocket.

Both parties fell into a brief silence again. The atmosphere seemed a little more relaxed than before, but the underlying wariness remained.

"Well... we’ll get out of your hair, then," Zhao Ming said, glancing at the sky.

Xu Mo nodded without another word, simply watching as the three turned and carefully retreated the way they had come, their figures gradually vanishing behind the ruins at the corner of the street.

Only after he was sure they were truly gone did Xu Mo finally let out a slow breath. His right hand, which had been resting near the trigger guard, relaxed a little.

The encounter had been tense but without incident, and he had gained a great deal from it. He now had a valuable map and much-needed information about the outside world.

But Xu Mo knew this probably wasn’t the end of it. The leader of this survivor group hadn’t shown up yet. The group’s overall disposition would require further observation.

Clutching the crude but significant map, he turned and walked back into his shelter.

Back in the shelter, Xu Mo immediately re-fortified the door. Then, he eagerly sat by the fire and began to study the map carefully in the flickering light.

The map was indeed crude. It was hand-drawn on notebook paper, with rough lines and an imprecise scale, but the key information was clear at a glance. He first found his own location: Cyan Pine Ridge Town. The name finally gave Xu Mo a clear sense of place for the ruins he had been living in for months.

Xu Mo’s gaze shifted east, following a winding line labeled "Route 201" to a spot specially marked with a red circle. Next to it was written [Jiang City Shelter]. This was the destination the small team had mentioned, and the one from Liu Ning’s diary as well.

Besides Jiang City Shelter, the map also had the names of a few other towns scattered across it, along with two or three shelter names written in smaller letters. Some had an ’X’ drawn next to them, while others had a question mark, likely indicating that those places were abandoned or their status was unknown. Simple symbols also marked known danger zones, such as "horde gathering area," "roadblock," and "landslide."