On the wide main road, a convoy of more than a dozen specially modified vehicles was slowly approaching. At the very front and rear were rows of armored vehicles leading the way, while two off-road vehicles and three heavy trucks were interspersed in the middle.
Looking at the caravan, Chen Ping couldn't help but ask, "Is this a trade caravan that came from other refuge fortresses?"
The burly man Liu Zhuang stared enviously at the tight security at the front of the convoy, noticing that even the guards were armed with automatic rifles. He exclaimed, "That's right, it's really enviable! Look at the protective measures at the front, they're really thorough."
Then he said to Chen Ping, "Oh, by the way, what's your name? My name is Liu Zhuang."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ping replied, "Liuzhuang? My name is Chen Ping."
Liu Zhuang enthusiastically suggested, "Brother Chen Ping, why don't we follow the caravan closely? It would be much safer that way, since there's still quite a distance to go."
So the two leisurely followed behind the convoy, though their walking speed couldn't keep up with the vehicles, and soon they were out of sight of the dust kicked up by the convoy. Chen Ping asked hesitantly, "The convoy is no longer visible, should we quicken our pace to catch up?"
Liu Zhuang, on the other hand, seemed quite calm: "Why follow them? Just follow this road. The convoy will take care of the dangers along the way. We can just focus on following the route."
"Oh, Brother Chen Ping, look, the green-haired wolf died a terrible death. What a pity, it was beaten to a pulp and is now worthless. No wonder it was left here."
Chen Ping examined the blue wolf on the ground. Its overall appearance was similar to the wolf that Liu Zhuang was carrying, but its fur was light blue and its size was much larger.
Liu Zhuang glanced at it, then quickly squatted down, took out a small knife, and began to cut it up.
"Hehe, I knew it. Following the convoy, I was sure I could pick up some scraps."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ping said, "Given all this, what else could there be?"
Liu Zhuang: "Well, Brother Chen Ping, you don't understand, do you? The Green-haired Wolf is a mutated beast, and its meat is very expensive. The wild wolf behind me, only its pelt is worth a little money."
"Although this blue wolf's fur has been battered and bruised, it is still more valuable than a whole wolf."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ping nodded.
Soon, Liu Zhuang separated the wolf's fur and was now cutting up relatively intact pieces of meat. In just over ten minutes, the wolf had become a bloody, mangled corpse, with bloody holes that looked quite horrifying.
Liu Zhuang smiled with satisfaction: "You've really struck it rich! This little bit of stuff is worth more than a whole wolf."
Chen Ping: "Is the difference really that big? A slightly defective product is more expensive than a whole, complete wolf?"
Liu Zhuang quickly put the wolf pelt and pieces of meat into the bag. After looking at the wolf, he thought for a moment and gave up. After all, it would be quite tiring to carry such a big wolf back. He could just skin it.
Hearing Chen Ping's words, Liu Zhuang said while skinning the wolf, "Of course! The Green-haired Wolf is a mutated beast. One Green-haired Wolf can take on five ordinary wild wolves. How could it not be expensive?"
"Furthermore, the blue-haired wolf is also a wolf, and it is a social animal, usually moving in groups of at least three, so hunting it is very difficult."
Chen Ping: "Then why is there only one mangled corpse here? Where are the other blue-haired wolves?"
Liu Zhuang put away the wolf pelt, along with a piece of the best meat from the wolf, before replying.
Liu Zhuang: "Well, it was probably taken by the convoy. It can only be left because it's too dilapidated and the convoy doesn't want it. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for us, hehe."
"Let's go and see if there's anything else. After all, we're still a bit far from the fortress. Maybe we'll have a good harvest today."
......
Chen Ping and Liu Zhuang continued along the tracks left by the convoy, and as expected, they discovered more mutated beasts and ordinary wild animals that the convoy had not collected. Each time they found such a "treasure trove," Liu Zhuang became increasingly excited, his face flushed red, as if he had found the road to wealth.
More than an hour had passed, and Liu Zhuang's bag was bulging, filled with the remains of various mutated creatures. Although they did not look complete, these limbs and fragments had immeasurable value in the post-apocalyptic environment.
When the bags were no longer full, Liu Zhuang even carried a rather large spiky-tailed rat on his back, deciding to stop there. As more and more people noticed this "way to make money" and rushed to follow the convoy, Liu Zhuang realized that further greed might cause unnecessary disputes or conflicts, so he wisely chose to stop while he was ahead and be content with his already substantial gains.
Chen Ping: "Hmm, not picking them up anymore?"
Liu Zhuang: "No, no matter how many there are, my bags can't hold them all, and they'll easily attract the attention of some ill-intentioned people, making it easy for them to be robbed. This is just right."
"In addition, this spiky-tailed rat, although it is also a mutated beast, is not valuable. Only its spiky tail is worth some money. Its flesh is poisonous. Although it won't kill people, only the lowest-class people will buy it, so the price is very low."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ping nodded. It made sense. Indeed, possessing a treasure is a crime; those who lack strength are easily targeted.
Chen Ping: "How long is it from Happy 101 City Fortress?"
Liu Zhuang looked around and then smiled, "Almost there, about another hour's journey. Hmm, an hour's walk. The trade caravan should have arrived by now, right?"
BANG BANG BANG!!!
A tremendous roar came from ahead. Chen Ping looked up and saw a corner with thick black smoke.
The two exchanged a glance, then quietly moved closer. They saw that the convoy, which had been intact before, was now in disarray, with many armored vehicles destroyed and the other vehicles in similar condition.
There were still a bunch of corpses lying around. Chen Ping only recognized the clothes that had been guarding the car earlier; there were mostly corpses with messy clothes.
Liu Zhuang: "Holy crap! Those clothes? It's the Wild Tide! The Wild Tide actually attacked the trade caravan? Have they lost their will? Daring to attack a trade caravan, they're sure to face retaliation from the two major fortresses."
Liu Zhuang immediately pulled out a cell phone, the kind that old people have, the kind that can only make calls.
Liu Zhuang immediately dialed a number, and after two beeps, the call connected.
Liu Zhuang: "Captain! Something terrible has happened! The trade caravan has been attacked by the Wild Tide people! You need to bring men over here immediately to investigate. The location is near the Red Glow River Bridge on the main road of the city fortress!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
