Chapter 139: Sheep Leader vs. Yang

Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Sheep Leader vs. Yang

Weapons and food were the most important resources in the Disaster Year, and weapons were even more important than food. With weapons, you could get food. But if you had food without weapons or Strength, it would just be stolen.

When Xiaqing asked to trade for so many weapons, she didn’t expect Yang Jin to agree. She would have been happy even if he cut her offer in half.

But to her surprise, Yang Jin didn’t haggle at all. He agreed outright.

"Okay. Gas and generators went up in price last month, but since we’re partners, I’ll give them to you at the old points value. We still have some Bullets and grenades in stock, so we’ll count those at the old rate too. The total comes to... two hundred sixty-one thousand, three hundred fifty-two point four points. Let’s round it down to two hundred sixty thousand. That comes out to two thousand six hundred and ten spinach seeds. How does that sound?"

Xiaqing’s heart soared, but she forced herself to remain calm on the surface. "That’s fine. But I can’t guarantee delivery in three months. If I don’t have enough spinach seeds by October, I’ll have to make up the rest next May."

"Of course." Yang Jin agreed readily. "If that happens, you’ll just have to add an extra one hundred Green Light Spinach seeds to the delivery next May."

Xiaqing nodded. "Alright."

Yang Jin moved on to the next item. "You went to watch Captain Tan’s team clear out No. 9 Territory a few days ago. You must have seen their new shoulder-mounted light Grenade Launchers, right? This Grenade Launcher has an effective direct-fire range of 300 meters and an 80mm caliber. It weighs about 19 pounds, with a warhead weighing about 3.3 pounds, each filled with over 2 pounds of explosives. It can blow away vehicles and even small helicopters. It’s the most powerful weapon the government currently allows squads to own, and it’s perfect for a Strength Evolver. I managed to get a batch on my last trip out. I can sell you one for the base price of one hundred fifty thousand points. Want one?"

"Yes!" Xiaqing answered without a hint of hesitation, her eyes visibly brightening. ’With a light Grenade Launcher, I could blow away anyone who tried to attack my territory, even if they came in an armored car or a helicopter!’

Before Yang Jin could state his terms for the trade, Xiaqing heard the Sheep Leader’s footsteps outside the room. She immediately stood up. "Please wait a moment. My Evolutionary Sheep is here."

This wasn’t her reinforced security door at home, so the sound of the Sheep Leader trying to open it was extremely loud. Xiaqing rushed to open it before the Sheep Leader could start ramming it with its hooves. She asked in a low, gentle voice, "Didn’t I tell you to entertain our guest at home? Why did you run over here?"

The Sheep Leader ignored Xiaqing, its eyes narrowed as it stared at Yang Jin inside the room, its expression clearly annoyed.

They were at a critical point in the negotiation, and the last thing Xiaqing wanted was for the stubborn Sheep Leader to pick a fight with Yang Jin. ’Yang Jin is a total Iron Rooster who never takes a loss. If the Sheep Leader headbutts him, how many resources will he demand from me in compensation?’

Xiaqing stuffed a piece of compressed rations into the Sheep Leader’s mouth and whispered coaxingly, "This is a companion of Brother Luo and Captain Hu. He’s here to talk business, not to have a strength competition."

’This is a losing deal—getting thrashed and having to pay for it. Not happening.’

Noticing that the Evolutionary Sheep Xiaqing called "Leader" was sizing him up, Yang Jin slowly rose to his feet, meeting the gaze of the animal with the terribly sheared coat.

When the Sheep Leader saw Yang Jin stand, it lowered the hoof it had been about to paw at the ground in a show of aggression and took a step back.

’It can tell I’m stronger than it. Xiaqing says it’s not that smart, but it’s not an idiot either.’ The corner of Yang Jin’s mouth twitched into a small smile as he sat back down and continued sipping his tea.

With her back to Yang Jin, Xiaqing didn’t notice his subtle reaction. Seeing that the Sheep Leader wouldn’t come inside, she gave it another piece of compressed rations and handed over a small basket. "Leader, go catch some bugs for the fish. I’ll make you something delicious tonight."

The Sheep Leader squinted for a few seconds before taking the basket in its mouth and leaving.

Xiaqing breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to Yang Jin with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. My Evolutionary Sheep is very territorial."

"Being territorial is a good thing. It can guard your home." Yang Jin resumed the negotiation. "Have you planted your spinach yet?"

"I just planted it two days ago. It hasn’t sprouted yet."

Yang Jin nodded. "Are the spinach leaves or roots available for trade? The roots, of course, would be after you’ve harvested the seeds."

The juice extracted from the roots and leaves of Green Light Spinach with a Yi Element content over 0.05% was the main ingredient for creating Special Level Nutrient Liquid, making it extremely valuable.

Xiaqing nodded. "The spinach roots can be traded after I’ve harvested the seeds. But I can’t trade the leaves from the growing plants, because I’ve already promised them to Lord No.7."

Yang Jin started negotiating. "About a pound of spinach with a Yi Element content of 0.06% yields eighty milliliters of juice. After purification, that can be made into one dose of Special Level Nutrient Liquid, which sells on the open market for two thousand points. I’ll buy your spinach at a rate of six hundred points per pound. How does that sound?"

’Six hundred points?’ That was far lower than Xiaqing had estimated.

Before she could even figure out how to start haggling, Yang Jin refilled her teacup and asked calmly, "The internal trade price for spinach between the Safe Zone’s Planting Center and the Research Institute is about the same. Do you think it’s unfair because Zhang San offered you a higher price?"

Xiaqing decided to be direct. "Brother San said that after I juice my spinach, for every fifteen milliliters of juice, I can add one gram of the medicine he gave me to create a nutrient liquid that’s even better than the Special Level version."

By that calculation, one pound of spinach could produce over five doses of Special Level-equivalent nutrient liquid, which should be worth ten thousand points. Six hundred was a ridiculously low offer compared to her expectations.

Yang Jin didn’t negotiate the price directly. Instead, he asked, "Did Zhang San happen to mention the shelf life of the spinach juice after you add the medicine?"

"He said to store it at a low temperature and drink it the same day." Xiaqing understood what he was getting at. "So to extend the shelf life, I’d need to add preservatives?"

"I don’t know what kind of medicine Zhang San gave you, but it’s definitely something special." Yang Jin’s eyes were bright, his smile dazzling. "If you’re willing to give me half of it, I can absolutely give you a price you’ll be happy with. Once I’ve analyzed its components, we could partner up to produce a lower-cost Special Level Nutrient Liquid, which would also increase the price I could offer for your spinach roots."

Xiaqing immediately shook her head. "No."

Although her idol hadn’t said so explicitly, Xiaqing felt that the medicine definitely couldn’t be traded openly. If she gave it to Yang Jin, she’d probably end up on her idol’s blacklist.

Yang Jin had expected her to refuse. He leaned back in his chair and laid out the situation for her. "After the spinach seeds mature, the roots will wither and spoil within two days. They have to be processed into nutrient liquid immediately."

"The nutrient liquid you make yourself with the medicine has too short a shelf life. It’s fine if you need some Special Level Nutrient Liquid on the fly during the growing season—you can just process it for same-day use. But for the large quantity of roots you’ll harvest once the spinach matures, selling them immediately is the most profitable option."

"The incident at No. 9 Territory has drawn a lot of attention from the Safe Zone. This entire region is now under scrutiny, so you’d be wise not to trade any of your territory’s native resources with anyone besides me and Zhang San. The spinach won’t be mature for a few more months, so there’s no rush. Take your time to think it over, and contact me when you’ve made a decision."

"Okay." Xiaqing nodded immediately, taking the opportunity to ask about No. 9 Territory. Since the incident there, Luo Pei had also been incredibly busy, and Xiaqing hadn’t had a chance to ask him what was going on.

"I just got back, so I don’t know the specifics myself. However, I heard Fire Phoenix was furious when they got news of what happened at No. 9 Territory. They’re planning to come and clean up the mess personally."

Yang Jin reminded Xiaqing, "They suspect Zhang San came to this region because there’s an important resource here that he needs. That’s why Li Si has been collecting specimens from the surrounding territories for analysis. For now, their focus is still on Zhang San, but you need to be careful. Try to act like the other Lords and don’t give anything away."

After a moment, Yang Jin added, "But you don’t need to worry too much. I’ve already set up a confusing formation. As long as you don’t expose it yourself, Fire Phoenix’s people won’t find the spring."

Xiaqing thanked him. "Thank you, Captain Yang. Besides the spinach roots, what else are you interested in trading for?"

Yang Jin stated his needs directly. "Yi Stone and Pollution-free Spring Water. May I see your Yi Stone?"

’Doesn’t Brother Luo have one? Why does he need to see mine?’ Xiaqing grumbled inwardly. But since she happened to have one in her pocket, she figured it couldn’t hurt to let him take a look.

Watching Xiaqing pull out a dark, egg-shaped iron object, open it, and remove the Yi Stone, Yang Jin commented with praise, "Is this the Yi Stone Protection Shell you made? The quality looks excellent."

’Finally, someone who recognizes quality!’ Xiaqing thought smugly, but her words were modest as she handed the shell over as well. "It’s the first one I’ve made. It took me two whole days of work. It’s not really presentable, just something I cobbled together for myself."

Yang Jin took the shell, twisted it open, and inspected its thickness and weight. He gave a sincere evaluation. "The fundamental purpose of a protection shell is to protect the Yi Stone. The one you’ve forged is much higher quality than many of the lighter, more aesthetically pleasing ones traded in the Safe Zone. Polish it up a bit, and you could definitely sell it for two hundred points."

’Look how well he speaks! And what a nice smile!’

Feeling a bit giddy, Xiaqing struggled to stay rational. "My three Yi Stones are already allocated, so I can’t trade them. But the spring water is an option."

"What I want isn’t..."

"BAA!"

Before Yang Jin could finish, the Sheep Leader’s bleat echoed from outside the window. Yang Jin turned to look and immediately stood up.

Xiaqing, who had her back to the window, stood and turned. She wished she could just cover her face and pretend she hadn’t seen a thing.

Her idiotic companion, the Sheep Leader, had actually gone and fetched the Head Wolf.

’So that’s why the stubborn oaf took the basket and left so willingly. It wasn’t going to catch bugs, it was going to get backup!’

And the backup it had called was very, very powerful.