Chapter 98

Su Jing had just marked Lao Zhou's private message as "priority" and her fingertip hadn't even left the panel when a second message from Lao Zhou popped up on the screen, accompanied by a short video—

In the video, several staff members in blue uniforms are gathered around the generator at the Chengdong Shelter. The generator's casing is covered with a thin layer of dust, and the "low fuel" indicator light on the dashboard is shining a glaring red. Several empty fuel canisters are piled up next to it. Old Zhou's voice is tired but urgent: "Boss Su, you see, if the generator stops, the shelter's heating and medical equipment will all be ruined. This 50 kilograms of gold crystal is a lifesaver. The rice and flour are freshly transferred from the reserve, and we guarantee they haven't gotten damp. If you're worried, I can send half of the supplies over for you to inspect first."

Su Jing opened the video and watched it twice. She then tapped "View other party's space supplies" on the panel. In the interface that popped up by the system, 1,000 kilograms of rice were packed in a vacuum bag with the words "2025 New Grain" printed on it. Through the transparent window, she could see that the rice grains were plump and without any mold.

The 500 kilograms of flour were packed in a moisture-proof cloth bag, labeled "Low-gluten flour, shelf life 18 months," with a test report next to it showing a moisture content of 12%, meeting long-term storage standards. She then pulled up Lao Zhou's real-name authentication information, which clearly stated next to the light blue system icon: "Head of the East City Shelter of the Flower Country, officially certified, historical transaction records: none (first transaction)," with no abnormalities.

“Grain is indeed practical.” Su Jing murmured to herself, calculating in her mind—although there is a planting area in the space, rice and flour are the daily staple foods. 1,000 kilograms of rice is enough for her to eat for more than half a year, and 500 kilograms of flour can also be used to make bread and steamed buns, and occasionally improve her meals, which is more practical than points.

Moreover, I had seen the East City Shelter on surveillance footage before; it was indeed chaotic. The generator going out would affect many people, so it was only right to lend a hand, since we are all Chinese.

Her fingertips tapped on the keyboard as she replied to Lao Zhou: "The supplies have been inspected and meet the requirements. I agree to the transaction. You should initiate a 'two-way spatial transmission' request first. After I confirm, the 50 kilograms of gold crystals will be sent simultaneously. Please make sure there is enough space next to the generator when receiving them. The gold crystals need to be stored separately to avoid collision damage."

Less than 10 seconds after the message was sent, the system popped up a notification that "the other party has initiated a two-way transmission request." Su Jing clicked "Confirm"—the panel immediately displayed "Transmission progress: 1%...15%...50%", and at the same time, a "ding" sound came from the space: [Received 1000 kg of rice and 500 kg of flour, which have been automatically stored in the "Grain Reserve Area". Storage status: Good, no dampness or mold].

She focused her mind and entered the space, and sure enough, she saw two neat piles of supplies in the grain storage area. Vacuum-sealed rice bags were piled up like a small mountain, while moisture-proof flour bags were placed next to them. The system label next to them also indicated "Edible period: 18 months (room temperature), 36 months (space low temperature storage)".

"Gold crystals are being transmitted. Please check your inbox." Su Jing replied to Lao Zhou again, and at the same time, she retrieved 50 kilograms of gold crystals from the "transaction reserve area" in her space. The bright yellow gold crystals were placed in a specially made metal box to prevent wear and tear during transmission, and were sent to Lao Zhou's coordinates through the system space.

Less than a minute later, Lao Zhou sent a message, visibly excited: "Received! The gold crystal is fine, very pure! Thank you so much, Boss Su, the generator will start soon, and the people in the shelter won't have to freeze anymore! If you need anything in the future, feel free to contact me anytime. There are some medical supplies in the shelter, and we can exchange them if you need them!"

Su Jing looked at the message, a slight smile playing on her lips. She replied with "You're welcome, take care" and then closed the chat window.

She picked up the hot jujube tea beside her and took a sip. The sweet, warm tea slid down her throat, dispelling the fatigue from sitting for so long. At this moment, the housekeeping robot "Chef 2" came over, and the screen displayed: "New food has been detected in the space. Do you need to plan a food consumption plan? The current food reserves can support a single person for 14 months. If vegetables are grown in the space, it can be extended to 20 months."

"Not needed for now, keep it in storage." Su Jing shook her head and looked back at the system panel—just after processing Lao Zhou's transaction, two new private message notifications popped up on the panel, one marked in red (United States), and the sender was "Hunter (Jack)";

The other one was marked in gold (EU), and the sender was "Emily". Without even reading the message, Su Jing could guess that it was someone trying to buy minerals. After all, "Number One Store in the World" had just launched, and the rare minerals were sure to attract a lot of people.

She first opened Jack's private message, which was very direct: "I am Jack. I want to buy 30 kilograms of gold crystals. I will exchange them with points. 100 points per kilogram. I will do it at the price you set."

Su Jing looked at the message and sneered inwardly—Jack had tried to steal her robot in the dungeon before, but now he was obediently buying ore. She remembered her own rules: non-Chinese users needed 10 times the resources for exchange, and points were not accepted. So she replied: "According to the shop rules, non-Chinese users need 10 times the resources for exchange. 30 kilograms of gold crystals require 3000 kilograms of rice + 1500 kilograms of beef and mutton + 500 liters of gasoline. The resources must be 'not expired and not spoiled.' Points are not accepted. If you agree, you can initiate a resource verification request."

No reply is needed if you disagree.

After the message was sent, Jack remained silent for a few minutes before replying, his tone a mixture of dissatisfaction and helplessness: "Your rules are too harsh! But we urgently need the gold crystals, so I agree. I'll prepare the supplies now and initiate the inspection later. Please keep an eye on things."

Su Jing didn't reply again, but instead opened Emily's private message, which read: "Boss Su, I'm Emily from the EU. I want to buy 20 kilograms of hematite to make defensive components. Can I trade it for some canned seafood from here? You decide the quantity."

Following the rules, Su Jing replied: "20 kilograms of hematite requires 10 times the amount of materials, namely 200 kilograms of canned seafood (must not be expired, any type) + 1000 kilograms of wood (dry and free of mold, suitable for heating). If the materials are qualified, an inspection can be initiated."

Emily replied quickly: "No problem. The canned seafood was just transferred from the cold storage, and the wood is also dry. I'll initiate an inspection now, please confirm as soon as possible."