Chapter 56
Qiao Ning didn't have to wait long; about ten minutes later, Ying returned.
"The leader doesn't agree to you joining, and... he said he hopes you leave this area as soon as possible." Ying said coldly, "I can't help you. You should leave now. It's best to go back to where you came from, otherwise other wanderers won't be as easy to talk to as I am."
“Some homeless people prefer to eat the flesh and blood of natural people, especially natural women like you who are perfect and have delicate skin. They believe that the flesh of natural people can purify the radiation energy in their bodies.”
"In the real world, cannibalism is not an exaggeration, but a fact."
After saying that, Ying turned to leave and extinguished the campfire.
Qiao Ning was not surprised by the result. The hunt was a relatively important operation for these wanderers; they wouldn't easily let a stranger in. Otherwise, it would be too late to regret it if something went wrong.
After Ying extinguished the fire and was about to leave with the roasted, rancid beast meat, Qiao Ning slowly spoke up: "Food, water, and medicine—I can use these to trade with you for energy stones, or the corpses of mutated beasts and plants. I can trade them regardless of radiation levels. As for the specific price, I need to see the items before I can determine it."
“I will appear here every night at eight o’clock and leave at dawn. You can go back and tell your leader this, and let him think it over carefully.”
Ying looked at her with an incredulous gaze, seemingly unable to understand how Qiao Ning, a seemingly slender and delicate natural person, dared to be so bold as to make a deal with the homeless on the ground and even brazenly declare that she had supplies on hand.
Doesn't she understand the principle of not flaunting wealth? Or does she have some kind of backing that makes her unafraid of being murdered and robbed?
Qiao Ning seemed to see through her thoughts, but did not explain.
Putting aside her various skill cards, equipment, and weapons, her "100% Accuracy" skill combined with ten different types of firearms is something these wanderers cannot handle.
The last time, Qiao Ning had opened a Golden Treasure Chest containing the book "A Thousand Miles of Sighting" and a Diamond Treasure Chest containing the Golden Skill Book "Thousand Puppet Masters". These were the reasons behind Qiao Ning's confidence.
The dog kept nibbling and chewing on this and that in the ordinary backpack hanging in front of it, never stopping.
Ice Scale must have been itching to gnaw on something, so after searching around, she finally used the zipper of her backpack to gnaw on it.
Qiao Ning patted the backpack, signaling it not to be naughty.
“I can’t take your words too seriously. Everyone wants those things, but even the best things need to be alive to get them. I will relay your words to the chief, and you’d better not try anything funny, or I won’t be able to protect your life. No one can lie to our chief.”
This time, Qiao Ning waited longer than usual, clearly indicating that the leader of Ying had considered the matter for a long time.
After waiting for almost an hour, Ying finally arrived with a few homeless people.
The homeless man at the front was an elderly man who appeared to be old. His body was deformed and severely ulcerated. Qiao Ning was shocked after just one glance and did not dare to look any longer.
With such severe radiation sickness, I don't know how they've managed to survive until now.
“I heard from Ying that you want to trade with us,” the old man said in a rough, hoarse voice.
Qiao Ning replied, "Yes, I wonder what your decision is?"
"Don't rush, little girl, what's your name?"
"Qiao Ning".
"There doesn't seem to be a Joe among the nobles of the underground city."
"There's no need to test me. I'm not from the dungeon, and you don't need to know my background. It has nothing to do with our deal. You just need to tell me whether you're willing to trade with me."
The old man could tell that Qiao Ning was running out of patience after waiting for so long, so he said, "The transaction is no problem, but how do you plan to exchange it?"
"We'll take as much food and water as you have. As for medicine, it depends on your pricing. If the price is too high, we're afraid we won't be able to buy much."
Qiao Ning took out a batch of canned goods, dehydrated vegetables, bread, compressed biscuits and other dry food, as well as sausages and cured meats that can be stored for a long time.
She had too much drinking water stockpiled due to these natural disasters, and she took the opportunity to clear out a batch, about 300 liters.
Qiao Ning also took out a set of table and chairs from her spatial backpack and sat down.
"These are the supplies I plan to trade tonight. Anyone who has energy stones or the corpses of mutated beasts or plants can bring them to trade with me."
She didn't even hide the fact that she had storage tools.
However, the homeless seemed quite accustomed to storage tools, and it appeared that this was not the first time they had seen similar items.
The homeless people's physical deformities and mutations varied in different directions; some were very agile and quick. They had some supplies on hand, so in just a few minutes, they brought over a considerable number of mutated animal and plant corpses.
"Energy stones are too precious, and we don't have any extra to exchange for them right now. Could you see if we can trade these for them?"
After Qiao Ning took out the supplies, the homeless people couldn't take their eyes off them. If it weren't for the fact that Qiao Ning had large firearms to deter them, they probably would have swarmed up and looted them long ago.
Qiao Ning picked up a piece of mutated beast meat. Ice Scale sniffed it and then looked disgusted, but still ate it. It ate the meat with a higher radiation level more quickly and without as much aversion.
This means they don't like to eat anymore.
Qiao Ning fed the summoned giant locust again. The locust wasn't picky and loved to eat any kind of meat. The higher the radiation level, the more it liked to eat.
Qiao Ning also planned to keep some of it and take it back to the toilet to see if it could be broken down into something useful.
The two parties negotiated the transaction price and finally agreed on a price of 100 jin of highly radioactive mutant beast meat in exchange for a can of food, a bottle of water, or half a jin of meat, or half a jin of vegetables and fruits.
The mutated beasts they brought over each weighed over a thousand pounds.
When the homeless people saw that Qiao Ning was really willing to exchange supplies for highly radioactive animal meat and plant scraps, they lined up to exchange and buy them.
Besides food and water, daily necessities and cold weapons were also very popular.
Qiao Ning quickly exchanged all the supplies she had brought out, and then the group left in a group when it was time to hunt, their whereabouts unknown.
Qiao Ning sat in a chair waiting, and when she got too tired, she would climb onto the table and take a nap. With Bing Lin's keen senses, she wasn't afraid of being ambushed. Besides, she was wearing a defensive ring on her hand, which could activate invincible defense in critical situations.
She used her Thousand-Mile Sighting skill to discover that the wanderers were heading towards a wilderness.
[Is that person stupid? The things she brought out are so rare; even the nobles of the underground city probably can't afford such good food. She actually traded them for high-grade radiated beast meat—that stuff can't be eaten! What's she going to do with it?]
"Mind your own business. They're rich and can do whatever they want. Besides, do you think hunting high-level mutated beasts is easy for us?"
Which hunt didn't end with everyone covered in wounds, or even many deaths, before it was successful?
The supplies she provided were indeed good, seemingly natural items free of radiation pollution, but we don't absolutely need to buy them. We can survive eating plants and meat exposed to moderate levels of radiation, can't we?
[You two stop gossiping about them. The leader has given the order: hunt as many high-level mutated beasts as possible these next few days. You can also sell the energy stones you've been saving. Those stones won't breed; selling them will get you a good amount of goods.]
To be honest, that luncheon meat and sausage were really delicious.
Everything tastes delicious, even the water is wonderful. I've never tasted such clean and sweet water since I was born. No wonder that natural woman can be so delicate and fair-skinned; she eats and drinks so well, of course she'll be fair and tender.
"You really dare to say that! Aren't you afraid the chief will hear and punish you? That woman is our business partner now. If we offend her and she stops trading with us, who can bear the responsibility? The chief might tear you apart!"
"I was just saying, I wouldn't dare have any ulterior motives. Didn't you see what that woman was holding? A rocket launcher that big, one shot would probably blast me to pieces."
Qiao Ning withdrew her skill and waited for them to return from their hunt. It was almost 3 a.m., but Qiao Ning's wait was worthwhile. These wanderers had hunted a giant python and obtained a level 3 energy stone about the size of a fist.
Qiao Ning used ten bottles each of wound medicine, antidote, anti-inflammatory medicine, and painkiller, and also added some canned eight-treasure porridge to exchange for the level 3 energy stone.
On the way back to the highway, the energy stone was stolen and eaten by Ice Scale before it could even be warmed up in his hand.
Qiao Ning was worried that it would get sick from eating something bad, but the little guy wasn't afraid at all and fell asleep in the backpack with a soft snore.
Once in the car, Qiao Ning carefully took the puppy out of her backpack and placed it on its favorite soft cushion.
The dog, who was perfectly fine, is now sleeping with its limbs loose and limp, looking like "a strip."
Perhaps sensing the familiar scent, the puppy knew it was back in the car. Growing increasingly unguarded, it simply rolled over, revealing its belly covered in fine white fur, and lay on its back, snoring softly as it fell asleep.
Icescale slept for a long time, and while it was sleeping, sparks even appeared on its body, setting the cushion on fire.
Qiao Ning could only use mixed metals in the crafting menu to build a metal doghouse and put Ice Scale inside to sleep.
When Binglin woke up, it was already nine o'clock the next morning.
The second day after the natural disaster: sunny, slightly warm, radiation level 40.
Does anyone have a radiation protection suit? I'm willing to pay a hefty price.
Why is the radiation level so high today? When I got out of the vehicle to pick up the supply crates, the sun was so strong that even though it was only for less than two minutes, my arms were already sunburned and turned purple-red through my clothes.
My face is also sunburned, it's burning and stinging. I don't dare touch my facial skin now, it peels off easily.
I was lucky enough to get some sunscreen; it's truly an essential item for home and travel. Back in the modern world, I never understood why my wife would apply sunscreen even just to take out the trash. Now I finally understand her feelings.
[It's only the second day of the natural disaster, and the severity is already this high. How are we going to survive the rest?]
Wearing multiple layers of clothing can block some radiation, and at least prevent direct sunlight from hitting your skin.
[I don't know what's wrong with my neck. It became extremely itchy after I got out of a car once. Later, the system alerted me that my skin had developed a minor lesion and that I needed to promptly remove the radiation energy from my body, otherwise the lesion would continue to worsen and eventually become incurable.]
[I was so embarrassed! I'm too lazy to clean the toilet in my car, so I usually relieve myself near the road. Then the sun hit me, and you know how it is… Luckily, I found a tube of radiation remover in my car, and it's back to normal now. I sincerely advise everyone not to make the same mistake I did; please be sure to protect yourself from the sun and radiation.]
Qiao Ning finished scrolling through several messages in the chat channels and was just about to call Bing Lin for dinner when she turned around and saw that the doghouse was empty.
She searched the car but couldn't find it. Just as she was about to get out, she suddenly saw Binglin lying on the sunniest spot on a rubble slab, her belly pressed against the ground.
Its ears and four paws were covered in red hairs, and its fur was glossy and shiny in the sunlight.
"Binglin, come back for dinner. After you finish eating, go up to the roof of the car and sunbathe."
Upon hearing the sound, Binglin slowly stood up from the ground, stretched out its forelimbs, and kicked with its hind legs to warm up its body. Then, it leaped three or four meters and jumped back onto the car in a few quick movements.
The man and the dog each washed their paws and prepared to eat.
Today, Qiao Ning cooked dumplings. Her favorite was beef dumplings. She ate five or six in a row, dipped them in vinegar and chili oil, before stopping and asking the dog next to her, "Why aren't you eating? Don't you like this flavor?"
Ice Scales howled twice and raised its claws, pointing at the dipping sauce dish on Qiao Ning's table.
Why doesn't it have this?
Qiao Ning: "...You're a puppy, you need to eat lighter food. Eating too much of these seasonings isn't good for you."
Ice Scales was not satisfied and insisted on eating it with dipping sauce.
Qiao Ning could only prepare a dipping sauce for it as well. She originally wanted to help it dip its claws, but she didn't expect that Binglin's claws were quite powerful. Its sharp nails were like knives and forks. It would pick up a claw, dip it in the sauce, and then put it in its mouth.
With a series of smooth movements, a large plate of dumplings was finished in just a few minutes.
When Qiao Ning saw its gaze turn to her plate, she quickly covered it with her hand: "You've already finished yours, this one is mine."
Sigh, where did the well-behaved, sensible, and considerate puppy that used to give her its food go?
Binglin looked uninterested. When she jumped off the stool, she seemed to have accidentally stepped into a hole and knocked Qiao Ning's dumpling plate over with her claws, causing a whole plate of dumplings to fall to the ground.
Ice Scales, like a bolt of lightning, leaped left and right, devouring all the dumplings before they hit the ground.
Qiao Ning: "..."
Very good. From deliberately tripping and knocking over the plate to finishing all the dumplings, not a single action was superfluous.
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