Chapter 51

Upon hearing this, the Jiang family wished they could shut Ma Yanhong up.

With so many people watching, their family is bound to attract unwanted attention.

Grandma Jiang was furious. Hands on her hips, she launched into a tirade: "Have you no shame? What business is it of yours how many points my family sold?! It's your shameless nephew who sold tens of thousands more than he deserved. Now look what happened, he got reported! Doing these filthy things every day, aren't you afraid of retribution?! Your nephew is so young and does nothing but despicable things, and you still have the nerve to protect him? You've disgraced your ancestors for eight generations!"

"Let me tell you, we sell things to your nephew through legitimate channels, and the taxes are collected by the base store. If you say we're inflating prices, it's because your nephew is happy to buy them!"

"Today, the Jiang family is not afraid to say it outright. We did sell 90,000 points, and all the money has been spent. You don't need to keep an eye on the Jiang family's assets."

In her final words, Grandma Jiang addressed not only Ma Yanhong but also the onlookers.

Sure enough, someone immediately asked, "Grandma Jiang, where did you spend all these points?"

Grandma Jiang puffed out her chest and said, "Our family has produced two mutants, and we've used all our points to buy them resources!"

The onlookers gasped, "Mutants! Two of them!"

The group, who had initially harbored some ulterior motives, suddenly found themselves wanting to take advantage of the situation.

Upon hearing this, Ma Yanhong's man's expression immediately changed.

He went straight up to Ma Yanhong, grabbed her, and slapped her several times with both hands.

"Who told you to talk nonsense? Apologize to them right now!" Then he chuckled awkwardly at Old Mrs. Jiang, "My wife is upset and speaks without thinking, please don't take it to heart."

Ma Yanhong was furious. She was most proud of her son, who was a mutant, but she never expected that the Jiang family would suddenly have two mutants!

"Why should I apologize to them?! My son is a mutant too! A level 2 mutant! So what if their family has mutants? Can they be more powerful than my son?"

"Shut up!" Ma Yanhong's husband roared. "Apologize to me! Otherwise, you're fired tonight! Tomorrow I'll take you to the divorce hall to get a divorce!"

Ma Yanhong was stopped by the shout, her eyes reddening, and her resentment towards the Jiang family intensified.

She glared fiercely at the Jiang family, gritted her teeth, and said, "I'll only apologize if I die!" before running away.

The Jiang family members looked at each other in bewilderment.

—You can't even handle this?

They haven't even gone all out yet.

Ma Yanhong's husband was humiliated and furious. He gave the Jiang family a forced smile and went inside.

Seeing that there was no excitement to be had, the crowd dispersed.

Zhang Ji, who lives next door, also sent his children back home.

Seeing that Aunt Zhang didn't move, he called out, "Mom?"

Sister Zhang's eyes flickered. "You all go back first."

Seeing Ma Yanhong run away, Ye Qingyun gave Grandma Jiang a thumbs up, "Mom, your eloquence is amazing!"

Grandma Jiang said proudly, "When I was young, no one in the village dared to mess with me."

Just as everyone was about to go back, they saw Sister Zhang walking over.

Ye Qingyun greeted her with a smile, "Sister-in-law, what brings you here?"

Sister Zhang didn't mince words, "I just came to ask, is there really a mutant in your family?"

Grandma Jiang said, "How could it be fake? We would never joke about something like this."

Sister-in-law Zhang nodded, replied "I understand," and turned to go home, leaving the Jiang family members looking at each other in bewilderment.

Yuan Ying: "What brings this old lady here?"

Ye Qingyun: "I don't know, maybe I just came to ask if it's true or not?"

People don't dwell on things they can't understand.

Back in the courtyard, Yuan Ying complained to Jiang He, "The Ma family is really clueless. I thought we could get along well, but I didn't expect them to try to drag us down with them at this crucial moment."

Jiang He was also relieved, "Luckily, we've already settled the payment for the door she ordered from our store, otherwise it would be troublesome to deal with her in the future."

Yuan Ying snorted, "What's there to be afraid of? At worst, we'll just give her the deposit back and we won't do this business anymore."

Jiang He sighed, "It's not that simple. There's always someone nitpicking."

"Alright, we won't be dealing with this family anymore anyway. We still need to be wary of outsiders in the future."

Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, Wu Xiu pulled Jiang Zhi aside and whispered, "When you went out just now, did no one give you any trouble?"

Wu Xiu was afraid that her brother and sister would end up like the Ma family, being reported by Hu Qian.

Because Jiang Jun was still around, the brother and sister did not tell everyone about their encounter with Hu Qian at the research institute and how they had annoyed her.

Seeing Jiang Jun intently preparing bone needles for Xu Na and Yuan Ying to sew clothes, he told her about what had happened at the research institute earlier.

Wu Xiu was furious after hearing this, "That woman is no good at all! I should have stopped Ah Jun from marrying her!"

Jiang Zhi didn't know how to respond to this, but fortunately Wu Xiu didn't say anything more. Instead, she said, "Thanks to you, A-Zhi, your aunt will transfer another 5,000 to you. Buy whatever you like to eat, don't be stingy."

Jiang Zhi immediately smiled and said, "Thank you, Auntie."

The brother and sister got the most important things done in one morning, which gave them more free time.

After learning that the store was rationing food, everyone at home began making hurried preparations—

Jiang He and his two children applied antifreeze to the house.

This stuff is actually fat scraped from mutated sparrows, mixed with preservatives and deodorizers to form an antifreeze film.

Antifreeze film can keep items unaffected at temperatures tens of degrees below zero.

Jiang Hai discovered it when he went to a building materials store to buy equipment for the cellar.

After Jiang Hai bought some, Jiang Jun suggested painting some on the walls of their house.

Otherwise, given the current condition of their mud houses, they probably won't last long.

The women, meanwhile, prepared to sew jackets.

Jiang Hai went to buy firewood from the people of Jiangjia Village, since a fire is the most essential thing for getting through the winter.

Jiang Zhi originally wanted to help, but Wu Xiu shooed her aside: "Aren't you going to buy fruit? Hurry up and go. By the way, do you have Lei Zi's contact information?"

Jiang Zhi said no.

Wu Xiu gave her Han Lei's contact information directly, "Contact him. He and your second brother are childhood friends. They even worked together for a while before. They're very close. He definitely won't cheat us."

Yuan Ying also knew Han Lei, so she said, "By the way, I heard that he helped our family turn our fortunes around by reselling cotton aphids this time, and now he has a lot of resources on hand. Azhi, could you take a look and see if our family is still lacking anything, and buy some of it too?"

Jiang Zhi nodded in agreement.

Just then, Grandma Jiang suddenly rushed out of the house, "Azhi, come in quickly and take a look!"

Jiang Zhi followed them inside and found that the energy stone formed from the white eagle eggshell had been completed.

However, the color is much darker than the genuine one.

Remembering the two cotton aphids she had tested at the research institute, Jiang Zhi felt more confident.

The energy stone produced by this process is estimated to contain significantly less energy.

But no matter what, any extra is profit.

Jiang Zhi put the "fake" away and said to Grandma Jiang, "Grandma, don't put anything in there for now. Let it rest."

Grandma Jiang nodded repeatedly, "Of course, this is our family's treasure."

When Grandma Jiang heard that Jiang Zhi was going to buy things from Han Lei, she immediately said, "Then please ask him if he buys pickled cowpeas. If he does, I'll exchange them for some other vegetables."

Jiang Zhi: "Okay."

When Jiangzhi went out, Jiangshu insisted on going with her, no matter what.

Ye Qingyun was furious. "Are you a reincarnated starving ghost? You can't even walk when you hear about food! You're a grown man, can't you help out at home? Why do you have to go with your sister?!"

Jiang Zhi said matter-of-factly, "If A-Zhi buys fruit back, someone has to carry it, right?"

This reason was so compelling that Ye Qingyun had no choice but to let them go.

Grandma Jiang then packed a small handful of pickled cowpeas and asked Jiang Shu to take them to Han Lei.

After contacting Han Lei, the brother and sister arrived at the low-rent housing area.

After Han Lei made a comeback, he rented an entire floor and converted several rooms into offices.

The brother and sister had only seen Han Lei from afar before, and they almost didn't recognize him when they met this time.

He was dark-skinned and rough-looking.

But thankfully, he seemed to be in good spirits.

Han Lei was overjoyed to see Jiang Zhi and her brother, "A-Zhi, Da Shu, it's been so long!"

Jiang Shu greeted him with a grin: "Brother Lei, long time no see, you've made it big!"

Han Lei was unusually embarrassed. "What success? It's all thanks to you guys. If you hadn't entrusted me with selling cotton aphids, I might still be waiting to die in some corner of the world."

Jiang Wen treats him like a brother, and Jiang Wen's family is his family.

He waved to his underlings, "Brothers, come and meet your family."

The people who were sitting at the table stood up in unison, saying, "Hello, eldest sister! Hello, eldest brother!"

Jiang Zhi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Brother Lei, with this kind of entourage, anyone who didn't know better would think you're a gangster."

Han Lei also laughed.

Only he himself knew how precious the Jiang family's act of helping him in his time of need was.

If it weren't for the supplies Jiang Wen gave him, the brothers here would have almost starved to death.

This kindness is like saving a life.

He led the two men to his private office and, before leaving, instructed his underlings: "Take care of any clients you have. Don't contact me unless it's absolutely necessary."

The siblings were treated like VIPs.

As soon as he entered the house, Jiang Shu placed the pickled cowpeas that Grandma Jiang had given him on the table.

"Brother Lei, this is what my grandma asked me to bring to you, saying that you should try it."

Han Lei smiled and said, "Grandma, you're too kind."

Jiang Shu spoke quickly and bluntly, "Brother Lei, why don't you give it a try? If you think it's okay, my grandma can ask if we can exchange it for something else."

Upon hearing this, Han Lei immediately pinched off a piece and put it in his mouth.

After finishing the meal, he licked his fingers, saying, "It's almost exactly what the old lady used to make; the flavor is authentic."

As he spoke, he took out something that looked like a menu. “These are items that others have consigned here for sale. Take a look and see what you want to exchange. If you see something you like, I’ll call and ask for it for you.”

Although the siblings didn't have a particularly good relationship with Han Lei, they really liked his way of doing things—decisive, efficient, and straightforward.

The brother and sister huddled together and examined the items carefully, discovering that there were quite a few varieties.

There are food items, tools, weapons, and building materials.

There are also energy stones and various minerals, and some of them are even special items!

When an intermediary reaches this level, their influence changes significantly.

This proves that Han Lei has an extremely wide network of connections, which is enough to keep him in check even among mutants.

Jiang Shu: "Brother Lei, that's impressive. Your business is quite large."

Han Lei scoffed, very modestly: "What business? It's just enough for a few brothers and me to make three meals a day."

Jiang Zhi looked around for a while and found that there were many kinds of grains, including rare rice and sorghum, but the quantity was only about 100 catties.

"Brother Lei, how much is the rice?"

Han Lei glanced at it, then pulled out another pickled cowpea to chew.

"How much do you want? I have three groups of people selling rice. The largest group has about 80 kilograms of rice. It's all genuine rice with moderate toxin levels. You don't need to bother picking it out."

Jiang Zhi subconsciously licked her lips. They hadn't eaten rice for years, and they really missed the aroma of white rice. "We want it all."

Without hesitation, Han Lei said, "Okay, I'll contact them for you right away."

He then made phone calls to several sellers right in front of the brother and sister.

The other loose items are fine, priced at 35 points per pound, which isn't expensive.

But the seller who offered over 80 kilograms of rice was asking for a high price; one kilogram of rice cost 60 points, almost the same as meat.

Han Lei: "Old Wu, your price is unfair. 60 points is too expensive. Aren't you afraid you won't be able to sell them?"

The person on the other end of the phone snorted, "Don't give me that. The fact that you called me proves that someone is interested. Have you ever eaten Wuchang rice before? My rice is even more fragrant than the authentic Wuchang rice. Tell the person who wants to buy it that this is my price. 85 jin of rice, at least 5000 points. Contact me if you want it."

After hanging up the phone, Han Lei felt a little awkward. "Azhi, here's the price. If you both want them, I'll buy them for you."

He could afford to spend a few thousand points if he gritted his teeth.

When Jiang Zhi heard that he wanted to give it to them directly, she quickly said, "No, Brother Lei, we need to buy more than just this. You can't possibly deliver it all. Just charge the normal price."

Han Lei asked curiously, "What else do you want to buy?"

"We'd like to buy some other grains as well, and mutated fruits too. If there are any suitable special items or energy stones, we'd like to buy those as well."

Han Lei clicked his tongue inwardly. He scratched his nose. He wanted to repay the favor, but the things Jiang Zhi and her brother wanted were things he couldn't afford even if he sold himself.

"...Alright, then just give me 6715, and I'll buy all of this mutated rice."

Jiang Zhi raised her wrist, intending to transfer the money to Han Lei, but after a moment's thought, she suddenly realized something was wrong: "Wait a minute, Brother Lei, is this the cost price? You didn't even charge us a commission."

Logically, Han Lei should have charged a brokerage fee, 3% each. However, the price of 6715 that Han Lei mentioned was the seller's bottom price, and he did not charge them a brokerage fee.

Han Lei: "I don't want to take your agency fee, okay? You've helped me a lot, you should give me a chance to repay you, right?"

Jiang Shu felt rather embarrassed, since they hadn't really helped much back then.

"That won't do. How will you make money if you don't charge a commission?"

Han Lei laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'm not stupid. The seller has another copy."

Unable to refuse Han Lei's earnest invitation, the brother and sister didn't say anything more.

Having finalized the order for the mutated rice, Han Lei sent his underlings to pick it up.

Ginger twigs and ginger trees continued to research what to buy.

The brother and sister plan to buy some whole grains.

In the end, the two bought 78 jin of glutinous rice, 200 jin of cornmeal, 200 jin of sorghum rice, and 150 jin each of mung beans and red beans.

It cost a total of 9800 points.

These grains would normally be cheaper by a thousand or two thousand points, but because of the base's limited supply today, the prices have all gone up.

The two of them didn't think there was anything wrong with buying so much food.

On the contrary, Han Lei, who often deals in large sums of money, was still surprised when he saw the brother and sister buying things as if they didn't need points.

Why are you hoarding so much food?

Han Lei is Jiang Wen's brother, and he's a good person, so Jiang Shu sincerely said, "Brother Lei, to tell you the truth, we not only need to stockpile food, but also things to prepare for the winter."

Upon hearing the words "wintering," Han Lei immediately became restless. "Big Tree, you mean...?"

Jiang Shu nodded and explained about the drop in the upper limit of the minimum temperature and some other information about the base: "We discovered this through our own observations."

Han Lei was stunned.

He suddenly stood up and walked around a few times.

"Big Tree, are you telling the truth?"

Big Tree shrugged: "You can check the temperature data for this period of time."

Han Lei realized he had said the wrong thing, so he slapped his forehead: "Look at me, I'm so flustered. I didn't mean I didn't believe you, I'm just panicking. What I meant was, if this is true—"

He paused, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Jiang Shu continued, "You know about the food rationing at the base store today. You, being in this line of work, should know more about the movements of those important figures than we do. You can observe their situation; if they also start hoarding—"

Then there's no way to avoid it.

Han Lei slumped into a chair.

He muttered, "No wonder...no wonder...that's why people have been asking me about food and mutated beast pelts lately."

Jiang Shu raised an eyebrow, "They bought them all?"

Han Lei shook his head: "Not yet, but they did tell me to keep an eye out. I initially thought it was because the weather was too dry, causing reduced yields at the Botanical Research Institute." Han Lei wiped his face. "Thank you for telling me, otherwise, if it really came to that, my brothers..."

Jiang Shu smiled and said, "Don't be so polite, Brother Lei. We'll need your help to buy things in the future. I hope you can stay in this line of work for a long time."

Han Lei couldn't help but laugh.

I couldn't help but mutter, "You two brothers really are alike."

Jiang Shu didn't hear clearly: "What?"

Han Lei smiled and said, "It's nothing, just pick whatever you want, I'll try my best to get everything for you at the lowest price."

Jiang Shu was overjoyed upon hearing this.

There's so much stuff here, and it's a third cheaper than the base store. Anyone who doesn't buy it is a fool.

Han Lei even has quite a few mutated vegetables here, although not many.

Finally, the brother and sister put their money together and bought 50 jin each of eggplant, green peppers, carrots, baby bok choy, spinach, lotus root, and bean sprouts, spending 6,700 points.

Jiang Shu was incredibly excited at the thought of his soon-to-be-improved meals.

With so many ingredients, you could make enough for all of them to make Bo Bo Chicken...

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

They didn't have any points before, so they couldn't buy much and had to rely on gathering food.

However, the food they found themselves was of limited variety and they didn't get much.

Jiang Shu now feels that it's more satisfying to find good items to exchange for points and then shop at Han Lei's place.

When will we be able to achieve food freedom if we rely on our own foraging?

Unlike Jiang Shu's excitement, Jiang Zhi seemed relatively calm. Many of the items they were buying were things that ordinary people had saved up and consigned for sale; once bought, they were gone.

She asked Han Lei, "Brother Lei, we bought everything, will that affect you...?"

Han Lei understood what she meant: "There are quite a few of us. If we really wanted to stockpile goods, we wouldn't buy these vegetables. We might stockpile a lot of highland barley instead."

Han Lei wanted to make a big profit, but the source of goods was a problem.

In this situation, it's already an achievement to ensure that our own people don't starve to death.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi knew that the other party had their own channels, so she said no more.

The brother and sister continued to choose, and only meat and fruit remained, but the variety and quantity were limited.

There are only five types of fruit included: apple, banana, blueberry, mango, and jackfruit.

The quantity of each type was a pitiful ten or twenty kilograms, and they were all moderately toxic.

The same goes for meat; there's only one type of mutton, weighing 130 jin (approximately 65 kg), which is also moderately toxic.

After the previous lavish selection, the meat and fruit seemed pitifully small and expensive. Each type of fruit cost no less than 150 yuan per jin (500 grams), and even the meat was significantly overpriced.

The base store sells it for 80 or 90 points per pound, but here it's 120.

There was no other way; scarcity makes things valuable, and having something is better than not having it. The brother and sister gritted their teeth and bought all the fruit and meat on the list, spending another 32,000 points. To their delight, Han Lei helped them round down the difference.

After selecting most of them, Jiangzhi calculated the total.

It cost more than 30,000 yuan in total.

Now, even if the brother and sister spend money lavishly, they're starting to feel the pinch.

Jiang Shu started to feel guilty; he'd only bought this much for over 30,000 yuan…

"Ah Zhi, you can't blame me this time when we go back. More than 30,000... Mom will kill me if she finds out."

Jiang Zhi glared at him, "Then you don't eat it."

Jiang Shu: "That's impossible."

They bought a lot of food, but the two of them didn't have enough points left.

Jiang Shu looked at the pile of menu items they hadn't had time to choose from and felt itchy. "A-Zhi, should we still buy anything?"

Jiang Zhi also wanted to continue selecting.

Seeing this as a rare opportunity, and not knowing if there would be so many goods again after today, he asked Han Lei, "Brother Lei, do you buy energy stones here?"

Han Lei was taken aback again. "You bought it? Ah Zhi, you want to sell it?"

“You know we’re stockpiling goods, so we’re thinking of using some energy stones to tide us over.” Jiang Zhi took out the half-finished energy stone that had been made from the white eagle eggshell from her pocket and handed it over. “Could you help us see how many points we can sell it for?”

Han Lei took out a simple testing device from the drawer, beeped it on the energy stone, and smiled after seeing the value on it: "Although the energy is average, it can still sell for 20,000 to 30,000. I'll ask around for you."

Jiang Zhi asked, "What is this in your hand...?"

"This is a simple energy stone detector rented from the authorities. It can roughly measure the density of an energy stone, and the energy of the stone can be estimated based on the density."

Jiang Zhi suddenly realized.

Once again, I'm amazed at how many great things the base has.

After a moment, Han Lei put down the testing equipment: "Someone is willing to pay 27,000 yuan to buy it. Do you think this price is reasonable?"

Jiang Zhi heard Han Lei helping to raise the price throughout the process, and said with a smile, "That's right, thank you, Brother Lei."

Han Lei transferred the points directly to Jiang Zhi.

With extra points in hand, the brother and sister started picking things out again.

Han Lei has some basic skills, but the prices are outrageously high. For example, a single pelt of a mutated bear costs 100,000 points.

Although it has a large area, it is not cost-effective compared to mole fur.

Jiang Zhi couldn't help but feel fortunate that she had been lucky enough to catch all those mutated moles in one fell swoop; otherwise, she didn't know if the cotton harvested at home would have survived the winter.

After that, Jiangzhi bought more than ten kilograms of kerosene, spending several thousand points.

Then Jiang Zhi noticed a weapon listed as obsolete by the base in the weapons category on the menu.

"Brother Lei, have you ever seen this weapon before?"

Han Lei was still thinking about something when he heard Jiang Zhi ask, so he nodded and said, "The seller confirmed with me before that it is a first-generation energy gun. It consumes a lot of energy. In the past, the materials used to make this kind of first-generation gun could not keep up with the attack power, and it could only be scrapped after five uses. This one in the seller's hand can only be used twice more."

Jiang Zhi: "How much energy does it take each time?"

Han Lei gave an example, "Like that energy stone you just used, it's just enough for two uses."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi was immediately tempted.

How many points does this gun cost?

"The seller didn't offer a price," Han Lei hesitated for a moment, then said, "You want to buy it? It's not worth it to buy the first-generation gun now."

Jiang Zhi said, "We don't have enough weapons for self-defense right now. Having a gun would make us feel more at ease."

If winter were shorter, that would be fine, but if winter were as long as summer...

Even if the base remains stable in the early stages, when food becomes scarce later on, petty theft is almost inevitable.

In addition, their family was considered wealthy by outsiders, and the feather and long knife she had were not enough.

It's always good to have one or two decent weapons at home.

Han Lei seemed to have thought of that too. His expression turned somewhat grim. Finally, he said, "I'll help you contact him, but the seller made a request beforehand: whoever wants to buy this gun, he wants to meet them first."

This request made Jiang Zhi frown.

The seller must be someone important to have kept this gun, and she didn't want to cause trouble.

Han Lei noticed her hesitation and said, "I know this seller. He used to be the captain of the exploration team. He's a trustworthy person."

Jiangzhi: "In the past?"

"Yes, I got injured later and had to retire."

Jiang Zhi thought for a moment. All the other weapons Han Lei had were cold weapons. Apart from her eldest uncle Jiang Hai, no one else in her family knew how to use them.

Although energy storage tanks are expensive, they are easy to use and powerful, so having one at home gives everyone peace of mind.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhi was still reluctant to part with this rare energy gun, so she said, "Then could you please help me contact the other party, Brother Lei?"

While waiting for them, the brother and sister thoroughly studied Han Lei's "menu".

After reading through the names of the ores, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but ask, "Brother Lei, don't you have any space ores?"

Han Lei smiled wryly: "Azhi, private trading of space ore is not allowed. If discovered, it is a serious crime. Even I dare not break the base's rules."

"What if someone finds it?"

"It can only be sold to the government."

Jiang Zhi: ...They really don't leave any loopholes for us to exploit.

She asked casually, without much hope, "Brother Lei, do you know anyone who can make spacecraft?"

Han Lei laughed and said, "You've come to the right person. I actually know someone."

Jiang Zhi immediately perked up and straightened her back a bit.

"Could you introduce me to them? Are they still taking jobs? How much do they charge?"

"You can just ask me later," Han Lei said.

Jiang Zhi was taken aback. Just as she was about to ask a few more questions, she heard someone knocking on the door.

Han Lei went to open the door, and upon seeing the person who had arrived, he immediately laughed and said, "Speak of the devil, and he appears."

Jiang Zhi stood up, about to greet the person, but was stunned when she saw who it was.

"It's you?" The words just slipped out.

The man before me had a buzz cut, sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high, straight nose. His wheat-colored skin had a healthy glow, and a navy blue T-shirt accentuated the smooth lines of his shoulders and back. His arm muscles were taut, but what was most striking were his eyes, which seemed to see right through everything.

Lin Yuan was clearly surprised as well. Then he smiled and said, "What a coincidence."

Jiang Shu, listening from the side, was completely confused. "A-Zhi, when did you two meet?"

Jiang Zhi's expression was somewhat unnatural: "I don't know him."

The two had met two or three times, but her reactions seemed to suggest that she was very impressed with the man.

The thought of this made Jiang Zhi feel a little scared.

—Although, in fact, she was indeed very impressed with men…

Jiang Shu was even more puzzled: "Azhi, what nonsense are you talking about? This is our neighbor, Brother Lin. How could you not recognize him?"

Jiang Zhi was taken aback.

The man in front of them was actually the grandson of Old Master Lin, who lived next door.

What a coincidence!

She frowned. "I hadn't paid much attention before."

Jiang Shu, unsuspecting, greeted Lin Yuan with a smile: "Brother Lin, what a coincidence! I didn't expect you to be the seller Brother Lei was talking about."

Jiang Shu was often ordered by Ye Qingyun to deliver food to the neighbors, including the Lin family. Over time, he naturally met Lin Yuan as well.

Lin Yuan shifted his gaze from Jiang Zhi's face to Jiang Shu: "Is it you who want to buy that first-generation energy gun?"

Jiang Shu nodded excitedly, "Yes, Brother Lin, our family is large, so we were thinking of having a weapon to defend ourselves."

I don't know if Lin Yuan believed this or not.

He took a pistol, about the length of his arm, out of the black bag.

The barrel was covered in mottled gray-black metal, with several layers of electrical tape used for reinforcement at the joints. The trigger was somewhat rusty, and the grip was covered in worn-out rubber. A slot hung on the back, clearly for storing energy stones.

This first-generation energy gun is very different from the one they saw at Luo Yonghui's. This one looks... very rudimentary.

"This gun can still be used twice. If you want it, it's yours."

He had this gun for many years. After the base upgraded its equipment, he didn't change his weapon when he was the battalion commander and continued to use this one until the third-generation energy gun appeared, at which point he finally replaced it.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu exclaimed in delight, "Give it to us? Brother Lin, are you serious?"

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "I don't need this gun. If you think it's suitable, you can take it."

Jiang Zhi listened with some wariness to the frequent golden notification sounds emanating from the man's body in her mind. "Why are you giving this to us?"

Jiang Shu's face stiffened.

My dear sister is so foolish!

They've practically delivered it to your door, why ask any questions? Just accept it!

Lin Yuan smiled faintly: "I never intended to sell this gun."

Even Jiang Shu was curious now, "Brother Lin, why did you put this gun on consignment with Brother Lei?"

Lin Yuan: "It's no use for me. I'd rather give it to someone who needs it more."

Jiang Zhi pursed her lips. "Then why did you decide to give it to us?"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, "Maybe it's because I find you guys pleasing to the eye."

Han Lei laughed and said, "Since you all know each other, that makes things easier. Since Captain Lin is planning to give it to you, there's no need for him to pay me a commission."

Lin Yuan didn't say anything, but he still transferred a commission to Han Lei directly.

Upon hearing the payment notification, Han Lei exclaimed in surprise, "Captain Lin?"

"Consider this a thank you for helping my gun find a new owner."

Jiang Shu was overjoyed and exclaimed loudly, "Brother Lin, you're such a kind person! Thank you, Brother Lin!"

As she spoke, she happily touched the wooden gun. She had initially thought it was tattered and worn, but since it was a free gift, she instantly felt like a loving mother and found it pleasing to the eye no matter how she looked at it.

Lin Yuan smiled.

Han Lei knew his character, so he stopped being coy. He figured he could just take the loss and return the points the other person gave him next time they sold something.

That's how it is in this world; being too calculating only makes you seem distant.

Han Lei whispered to Jiang Zhi, "Ah Zhi, didn't you say you wanted to find someone who can make space stones?"

Jiang Zhi was somewhat conflicted.

If it were someone else, she would have asked without hesitation.

But the man in front of me...

For some reason, she always felt that the other person could see right through her, which made her somewhat wary.

But her intuition told her that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so Jiang Zhi hesitated. Jiang Shu, who was standing next to her, had no idea what she was thinking: "Hey, Azhi, what are you dawdling for? Just ask."

Then, he asked casually, "Brother Lin, do you know anyone who can help make a spacecraft?"

Jiang Zhi couldn't help but glare at her brother.

What a fool! He doesn't even know what kind of background others have, yet he rashly asked such a question.

Lin Yuan didn't answer Jiang Shu's question, but instead asked, "Do you have space stones?"

Jiang Shu was about to speak when Jiang Zhi interrupted, "You answer our questions first."

Lin Yuan thought to himself, "This girl is really wary of me."

"I do know someone who can make spacecraft, but unfortunately, he has retired from public life."

Jiang Zhi frowned slightly: "Can you tell us why?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment, "I guess he thinks others don't appreciate his talent, so he's unwilling to do it anymore."

Jiang Zhi:......

What kind of capricious reason is this?

Jiang Shu: "Brother Lin, who are you talking about? Tell us first, and we'll go and pay our respects to them ourselves."

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "You all know him too, he's my old man."

Jiang Shu was astonished—that gluttonous old man actually knew how to make such a high-tech thing as a spacecraft?

The brother and sister exchanged a silent glance.

Jiang Zhi hesitated for a moment and said, "Thank you, Lin Yuan... Brother, it's like this, a friend of mine was lucky enough to find a space stone, and she wants to turn it into a space artifact. Could you help us talk to Grandpa Lin about it?"

Lin Yuan found it somewhat amusing.

This girl calls me "brother" when she needs something.

"Although I really want to agree to your request, I regret to inform you that the old man said years ago that he would no longer build spacecraft."

Fearing that the siblings might not understand the weight of his words, Han Lei offered a few more words of explanation: "In the past, the people from the base research institute would sit in front of Captain Lin's house every day, begging Old Master Lin to come out of retirement, but they were all driven away. At that time, the people from the research institute persisted for a year, but they still couldn't get Old Master Lin to give in."

Jiang Zhi felt somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

Lin Yuan just smiled and didn't say anything.

He glanced at the time and prepared to go back.

"This energy gun is now yours. If you have any questions about its use, feel free to come to me."

Before leaving, he seemed to remember something and added, "By the way, my father really likes the meat dishes your mother makes."

Jiang Zhi was taken aback when she heard this. She looked up and met the man's eyes, which were as deep as a lake.

Before Jiang Zhi could react, Lin Yuan had already left.

Jiang Shu, however, was quick-witted for once: "Azhi, what does Brother Lin mean by that?"

Jiang Zhi came to her senses. "He meant for us to start with food."

Jiang Shu immediately became excited. He whispered to his sister, "That's easy. From now on, when we cook meat, we'll just make an extra portion for Old Man Lin. He'll be obliged to pay for it, and I don't believe he won't accept it!"

He had personally experienced the benefits of the spacecraft. With it, they could bring back more resources every time they went to collect them, and in the long run, it was definitely worth it.

“But,” Jiang Shu suddenly felt something was off, “we’re not even familiar with Brother Lin, so why is he helping us like this?”

Jiang Zhi rolled her eyes at him. "What else could it be? I just think you're stupid!"

Next, the brother and sister bought some strange building materials, which brought their shopping trip to an end.

Han Lei had his underlings deliver the goods to their door, and the brother and sister went home first.

When it came time to pay the final installment, Jiangzhi transferred an extra 1000 points.

Han Lei insisted on turning back, but Jiang Zhi stopped him.

"Brother Lei, this isn't a one-time business deal. We'll be coming back again. If you keep doing this, we won't dare to come back."

Only after saying that did Han Lei give up.

It was already 6 p.m. when I got back to the self-built housing area.

The setting sun dyed half the sky orange, and smoke began to rise from the chimneys of each household.

The aromas of various foods mingled with the smoke, some strong, some faint, lingering in the twilight, as if imbuing the area with a subtle, earthy atmosphere.

When they got home, the three children, who had been playing under the shed in the yard, rushed over to greet them warmly.

Jiang Sui: "Auntie, are you tired?"

Jiang Si: "Auntie, let me massage your back and legs."

Even Niu Xiaolu stammered, "Auntie Azhi, I... I can help you with chores too!"

Jiang Zhi smiled and patted Niu Xiaolu's head. "Xiaolu, just have fun at our house. You don't need to help with chores."

As she spoke, she turned around and tapped Jiang Sui and Jiang Si's forehead, jokingly saying, "You guys know what we bought today, right?" She spread her hands, "But we didn't buy anything today, what should we do?"

Jiang Si opened her big eyes and looked up, saying, "Auntie, it's okay if we didn't buy any fruit today. We can go buy some tomorrow."

Jiang Zhi couldn't help but laugh. She liked the two little ones the way they were now; this was how children should be.

Jiang He, hunched over, was pushing the plane, the sawdust falling at his feet. He laughed and said, "These two kids have been distracted since earlier. They're probably guessing what fruit you'll bring back. Xiao Lu is much better; he even helped with the work, tidying up the firewood for your uncle."

Jiang Si pouted, unhappy. "Second Grandpa, I helped Dad make tools today, but you didn't see it."