A Shady Merchant from Boulder City

Chu Guang was very lucky; he didn't encounter any difficult dangers along the way.

Not only that.

As he walked near Bett Street, he happened to see a caravan from Boulder City unloading goods at the entrance of Bett Street.

Old Man Watt, with a hunting rifle on his back, stood aside smoking his homemade pipe, while Old Charlie was chatting happily with the caravan leader. The scavenging helpers nearby were unloading goods under the watchful eyes of the gunmen.

The caravan leader was called Manager Li; Chu Guang didn't know his full name, only that he was from Boulder City and had eight gunmen and about twenty Mutated Yaks under him.

Every so often, he would bring people and animals to Bett Street to sell some supplies and take away the "special products" from here.

In the Wasteland, especially in urban areas, animals are more reliable than vehicles.

The roads are full of broken-down cars and collapsed ruins, and many roads are poorly maintained, with severe cracks on the surface, and even plant roots growing through them. Most wheeled vehicles simply cannot move.

In contrast, donkeys, cows, and horses are good things. Although they are not fast, there are almost no roads they cannot travel.

Most importantly, they are cheap, easy to maintain, and consume thirty catties of grass per hundred kilometers.

Technology isn't always reliable, at least not here.

Of course, for long-distance journeys across provinces, that's another situation.

Chu Guang had once seen a truck that was half-wheeled and half-tracked, with a cannon barrel as thick as a chimney standing on it, giving off a strong punk art vibe.

But this kind of bulky truck usually doesn't drive into the city. It usually unloads outside the city, trades with small and medium-sized caravans active in nearby areas, and leaves when finished.

Chu Guang noticed that among the goods transported to Bett Street this time, there was actually a woman wrapped in a long robe.

Her hands and feet were in shackles, her ankles were marked with a barcode, and her delicate, fair skin didn't look like that of a survivor in the Wasteland, but more like an elf from a movie.

Or rather, a "commodity" cultivated in a petri dish.

Clones?

Chu Guang had only heard that Boulder City had a slave trade before, but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes. However, such a "luxury item" could probably only be afforded by the Town Chief himself.

Chu Guang didn't go forward immediately but waited quietly in the shadow of the ruins for the transaction to be completed.

The "Cowboys" were very busy and didn't stay here.

After loading the goods, Manager Li reached into his怀 and took out a few white Chips, throwing them to the scavenging helpers as if he were giving alms to beggars.

Then, amidst a chorus of grateful flattery, he and the gunmen drove the Mutated Yaks, laden with large and small bags, onto the road.

Chu Guang followed far behind, walking two streets.

However, at this moment, the man walking beside Manager Li suddenly stopped and looked directly towards him.

Chu Guang, who had been discovered, was slightly startled.

There was at least a hundred meters between them. How did this guy spot him?!

However, since he had been discovered, following behind no longer made sense.

Chu Guang walked out from the ruins, first raising his hands to show he had no ill intentions, then walked over with the black plastic bag.

Maintaining a distance of ten meters, he stopped under a tilted coffee shop sign.

For both sides, this was the safest distance.

If a conflict occurred, the Carbon Nanotube Bulletproof Vest he wore close to his body would be enough to buy him at least five seconds to escape.

As long as he wasn't shot in the head...

"I have no ill intentions, I just want to make a deal with you."

The man named Manager Li narrowed his eyes and rested the shotgun on his shoulder.

"Are you a scavenger from Bett Street?"

"Chu Guang."

"I don't care what your name is, and we don't do small business," the man looked at the plastic bag in his hand with a playful gaze. "You'd better give this little bit of stuff to that old man of yours named Charlie."

Chu Guang didn't speak, but opened the plastic bag, revealing the goods inside.

The man clearly knew his stuff. The expression on his face froze; he obviously hadn't expected the plastic bag to contain not scrap parts and batteries, but this kind of good stuff.

Chu Guang noticed a hint of almost imperceptible greed flash in his eyes.

"Where did you get it?" the man asked.

Chu Guang looked at him and said calmly,

"In the sewer, next to the Mutated Leech nest. But even if I told you where it is, would you be willing to go?"

"Just asking, don't mind."

The greedy look in his eyes subsided slightly. The man handed the shotgun in his hand to his attendant and walked up to Chu Guang.

"How do you plan to sell it?"

The recycling price in Bett Street was one Chip per 50g, but the real value of this stuff was definitely more than that!

Chu Guang was silent for two seconds, decided to take a gamble, and quoted five times the price of the Bett Street recycling station.

"There are 2000g here, I want 200 Chips!"

"Deal."

Seeing that the man agreed without much hesitation, Chu Guang immediately realized that his offer was too low.

As expected, the price that damn Town Chief sold to these merchants was definitely more than this!

These leeches who eat people without spitting out bones!

Chu Guang silently cursed the Town Chief and his family in his heart, wishing he couldn't get it up tonight.

"Let's be friends, my name is Lister."

The man extended his right hand, shedding his previous arrogant attitude, and a smile appeared on his face. "I rarely do business directly with scavengers, but you're an exception... I'm very interested in you."

Chu Guang was neither humble nor overbearing, shaking his hand.

"Thank you, my name is Chu Guang."

"I know, you just said."

Releasing his hand, Lister stared at Chu Guang and continued, "So first, I hope the transaction we made today won't be known by that old man named Charlie."

Chu Guang said, "He certainly won't know, and I don't want to cause trouble either."

"Haha, you're a smart man."

Satisfied with Chu Guang's answer, Lister smiled and nodded, continuing.

"I can pay you 200 chips now, but... since you're going to use these chips to exchange for things anyway, why not buy directly from me and save the intermediate markup? I still have some remaining supplies here, I can give you a 20% discount, how about it?"

Chu Guang didn't believe his so-called 20% discount nonsense. Anyway, there was no way he could know how much the goods on the backs of these yaks sold for in Boulder City.

However, as long as he sold them cheaper than Bett Street, there was no reason for him to refuse.

"I need weapons, do you have any?"

"Of course, which kind do you want?"

"Guns."

"Guns, huh?" Lister rubbed his chin. "How about a 9mm bolt-action pipe rifle? It only costs 200 chips, and I can give you 30 rounds of ammunition. If you buy extra ammunition, it's 1 chip per round, that price is absolutely fair."

"With a 20% discount?"

"This is already a 20% discount. If you think it's expensive, I naturally have cheaper options, such as a pipe pistol worth 100 chips, with a 5mm caliber. It's quite effective against Marauders, but not highly recommended for Mutants."

It's already a 20% discount, huh.

I'll believe you when pigs fly!

Chu Guang stared at him and said, "A 9mm bolt-action pipe rifle plus 60 rounds of ammunition. In addition, I want 20... no, 25 chips to buy food and other supplies."

Looking at the indifferent shrug from Lister, Chu Guang continued in a serious tone, "There's more than 2 kilograms of mushrooms in the Mutated Leech nest, but I can only collect from near the nest... Do you understand what I mean?"

"You want me to invest in you?" Lister looked at Chu Guang with interest. "Interesting."

Chu Guang said unmoved, "Why not? I bet you can still make a lot of money even at this price. And if you agree, the goods I can bring next time will be ten times what it is today! Aren't you tempted?"

Lister was tempted.

Honestly, this was indeed a good proposal.

Hauling these two kilograms of Blue Umbrella Mushrooms to Boulder City, let alone one bolt-action pipe rifle, he could buy ten.

These bumpkins living in the distant suburbs had no idea what Anti-Radiation Agents and Radiation Scavengers meant to the people living in the city.

The good stuff was all hidden near those nuclear craters!

"Generally speaking, very few people can take chips from my hands."

Lister signaled his assistant to retrieve a pipe rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition from a nearby Mutated Yak.

"You are an exception."

Counting out 25 white chips from his pocket, Lister handed them along with the goods to Chu Guang.

"20 kilograms of Blue Umbrella Mushrooms, huh? Consider it an investment, I'll wait for your news."

"I'll be back here once at the end of the month, and it should be the last time this year, barring any unforeseen circumstances."

"Hope to see you then."

Mutated Leeches.

No one wanted to provoke those things.

Only God knew how many disgusting bugs were hidden in that thing's nest, and the most fatal thing was that ordinary penetrating firepower was completely useless against them.

Their terrifying regenerative ability and vitality allowed them to split into two new individuals even when cut in half after a brief struggle, let alone just making a few small holes in their bodies.

As for setting them on fire...

Not to mention whether it would even catch fire, but even if it did, it would burn down all the valuable things with it.

It would be a complete loss.

"Oh right, for twenty kilograms of Blue Umbrella Mushrooms, I'll count it as 2000 Chips. You can order directly from me, no need to pick through what others have left behind."

Looking at Chu Guang, who was fiddling with the weapon in his hand, Lister reminded him.

Chu Guang stopped what he was doing, looked at him, and asked.

"How do I know what goods you have?"

Lister snapped his fingers.

The person next to him understood and handed over a square tablet.

"There are pictures on it, swipe left and right to choose... If you know how to use it, I won't teach you. I guarantee the quality of these goods is fine, but I don't guarantee that the actual goods you receive will look exactly like the pictures."

Chu Guang took the tablet and quickly scanned it, finding that there were quite a few good things on it.

Especially when he saw what he needed most.

"Have you chosen?" Lister urged, watching Chu Guang as he browsed.

"I've chosen," Chu Guang returned the tablet and said to him, "A 10KW Wood-Burning Generator and a KV-1 Power Exoskeleton."

"You have good taste. Although the KV-1 is a basic model, it's also the most durable. But what do you need a generator for? Instead of worrying about running out of power, you might as well buy a few more batteries. I offer a trade-in service here, it's very cheap."

Generators weren't cheap; one unit cost 1200 Chips.

In comparison, a KV-1 Power Exoskeleton only cost 800 Chips, and a matching Chemical Energy Battery was only 150 Chips.

Even the most expensive battery replacement wouldn't cost over a thousand.

And if he bought this thing, where did he plan to put it?

An exoskeleton could be worn under clothes, but something like a generator wasn't something an ordinary scavenger could afford.

Seeing through Lister's concerns, Chu Guang said.

"Don't worry, I won't bring it back to Bett Street."

"I was just asking casually. How you handle it is none of my business. Anyway, even if you say I sold it to you, I won't admit it, and you'll be the one who ends up in trouble." Lister shrugged and glanced at the sky in the distance. "It's getting late. See you around."

Chu Guang stopped him.

"Wait, I want to ask, do those things I just ordered get an 80% discount?"

Lister chuckled, waved his hand without looking back, and said.

"The prices you see are already discounted."

Chu Guang: "...%￥#￥%"

You son of a...!

Just wait and see how I'll fleece you bunch of unscrupulous merchants in the future!

Watching the caravan disappear into the distance, Chu Guang turned and left with a dark expression.