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Fan was taken aback as he looked at the items already laid out on Zheng Yifan's table. With a face full of surprise, he pulled out a dusty cloth bag from his shoulder bag and smiled broadly, saying, "Brother, what a coincidence! I just collected ten fish today, and there are only two left. The rest have all been sold for Zombie Crystal s—sixty-two of the lowest grade Zombie Crystal s. How much smoke can you give me for them?"
Zombie Crystal s were a type of crystal that grew on the second cervical vertebra of Zombies, each about the size of a finger bone.
Almost every Zombie had these crystals, but those used as currency were typically found on First-Level Zombies.
These crystals were neither edible nor did they grant superhuman abilities. They could only promote plant growth; if forced to categorize them, they were merely a potent fertilizer.
However, food was the most critical resource at the moment. Just one Zombie Crystal could significantly increase crop yields in a square meter area. With such effects, Gathering Places began to buy Zombie Crystal s without limits.
Over time, they became a form of currency at Howling Wind Gathering Place.
"Two boxes of cigarettes," Zheng Yifan casually pulled out two boxes from a pack and tossed them to Fan. He then opened the bag Fan handed over and poured its contents into a wooden box on the stall.
The wooden box was half a meter square and had a larger box beneath it. This was the Point Counter that every stall possessed, specifically designed for counting Zombie Crystal s.
Each stall was equipped with a complete set of currency verification machines and measuring instruments.
Regardless of volume, size, or weight, there were corresponding devices for inspection.
Because of this, all Search Teams loved to trade their goods here.
"Hey brother, just two boxes of cigarettes? That's too little! I'm losing big on this deal. Please give me four boxes," Fan said eagerly, leaning closer to Zheng Yifan.
Zheng Yifan glanced at Fan and then at the electronic display on the Point Counter showing "sixty-two." He tossed another box of cigarettes to Fan.
"That's three boxes. Take it or leave it. This is because our stalls are next to each other; I gave you extra since it delayed your business," Zheng Yifan said as he took out a large handful of paper labels from the front compartment of his bag and stuck them on various products.
There would always be someone asking for prices; with so many people around, it would be difficult to manage without these labels.
"Thanks, brother! I'll save one fish for you; you should try it when you get home," Fan said. Seeing that Zheng Yifan's prices were reasonable but not foolishly low, he had no choice but to relent. He quickly changed his demeanor and carefully wrapped the fattest Catfish in a relatively clean piece of cloth before placing it on the wooden table behind Zheng Yifan's stall. He stuffed the cigarettes into his pocket and cautiously made his way through the crowd with the last fish in hand.
Meanwhile, on Zheng Yifan's table, the labels sparked excitement among the crowd. Those who didn’t have enough Zombie Crystal s immediately borrowed from friends or pooled resources with others to make purchases.
The people closest to the stall pulled out vouchers issued by the Gathering Place and shouted loudly while waving them around.
"One pound of sugar for forty Zombie Crystal s, give me a bag."
"I'll take a bag of salt, only forty Zombie Crystal s, that's too cheap."
"Let me have a cigarette to satisfy my craving; a pack of cigarettes is twenty Zombie Crystal s. Can you sell me two sticks from the pack? I haven't smelled smoke in almost a year; it's driving me crazy."
"No breaking packs! If you want to break it, find someone to chip in and buy your own!"
"Wow! A can of food is only one hundred Zombie Crystal s, and it's Braised Pork Canned Food. This stuff could get you a position as a Gatekeeper if you gave it to the Big Shots." Some speculators looked at the cans with gleaming eyes.
"Anyone with cash, buy quickly! These are all market-priced goods, too cheap!"
The scene was bustling, but there wasn't much left; over twenty people bought everything from the stall.
This is also why very few people keep Zombie Crystal s or exchange tickets at home; they usually carry them for peace of mind.
These twenty-some individuals were among the wealthier in the crowd, yet even this nearly emptied their pockets.
Despite that, they were still frenzied; the prices were simply too low. The prices outside the market had long been abandoned and matched what this seller was offering.
However, the outside prices were from three months ago. Now, supplies were dwindling, and the market prices hadn't changed in three months, having risen nearly thirty percent.
This meant that as long as they got their hands on these goods, they could turn around and sell them for a thirty percent profit. There was no risk involved, and they weren't worried about unsold stock at all.
As Zheng Yifan watched the people around him slowly disperse after clearing out his goods, more individuals stared hungrily at the items in the hands of those who had purchased them. They looked eager but swallowed hard when they noticed the guards silently approaching from the market.
The market guards were fierce Fellows, wielding genuine Machetes. Anyone who dared to disrupt order would be mercilessly cut down.
As for your body, there would surely be some deranged Fellows willing to take care of it.
By nightfall, it might end up on the tables of those Paupers wandering outside the Gathering Place.
"Thanks, guys!" Zheng Yifan put on a smile upon seeing the guards and tossed half a pack of cigarettes he had left after paying the entrance and management fees to the strongest-looking guard among them.
"With a bit of insight, if you encounter anyone in the market who doesn't understand the rules, just mention my name, Lu Laohu. I've got your back." Lu Laohu grinned as he caught the pack of cigarettes, taking a deep drag from the opened box before sharing some with his brothers. Finally, he lit one for himself and stuffed the last two into his pocket.
Feeling accomplished, he had sold a full bag of goods for a total of two thousand seventy Zombie Crystal s, enough to fill a bag of flour.
He placed the Zombie Crystal s into his backpack and then used the large black plastic bag that originally held sugar and salt to pack the catfish gifted by the fishmonger, adding it to his backpack as well. Zheng Yifan shouted loudly, "Don't worry, my fellow! The other members of the Firestorm Team are out there searching for supplies. If we find anything good, we'll be back here to sell it again. Come early next time!" He called out this hastily made-up team name and then plunged into the crowd, weaving his way toward the market exit.
Inside the market, people were bustling about, and in no time at all, he was lost among the throngs. Those who wanted to find Zheng Yifan to buy something quickly lost track of him.
At the entrance, Uncle Bo was pleased as he counted today's earnings. He watched Zheng Yifan walk out and gave him a slight nod.
Behind Zheng Yifan, his pack was now devoid of the supplies he had brought; it felt much lighter. However, it contained what he needed most.
Opening his Storage Space required a thousand First Level Zombie Crystal s. He had finally gathered enough. He wondered just how large this so-called Storage Space was and what that strange protection meant. Was it some sort of divine possession? Who knew what kind of bizarre thing it was.
Now that he had money, he could finally implement his plans.
With that thought in mind, Zheng Yifan quickened his pace toward the inner city.
There lay the most enticing place in the entire Gathering Place.
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