Merchants from a Neighboring City

"I should've realized it earlier!"

"Water Caltrop Lake's richest resources aren't just the fish in the lake—they're the abundant nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium along its shoreline! We're almost there, right up ahead!"

As he led Mosquito toward the lakeshore, Gale talked excitedly the whole way.

The two stopped at a shallow bank by the lake.

The vegetation here was lush, making it easy to hide. Whether for humans or animals, it was an excellent spot to get water.

Gale had barely raised his hand to point when Mosquito stepped ahead of him, crouching before a relatively flat rock.

He extended his index finger and lightly wiped the rock face, then leaned in to sniff it before cautiously licking it.

Ignoring the sting in his eyes, Gale hurriedly asked, "How is it?"

Mosquito spat onto the ground, his face showing both delight and concern.

"Pah! Why the fuck is there still fresh stuff..."

Gale: "..."

Although he had accidentally tasted fresh bird droppings, one thing was certain: there was indeed a large amount of struvite here.

The main component of this mineral was Mg(NH4)[PO4]·6H2O. It had an orthorhombic crystal structure, and just from its chemical composition alone, it was easy to see how widely useful the stuff was.

More than that, once struvite accumulated in sufficient quantities, its ammonia content would gradually oxidize into nitric acid under the action of nitrifying bacteria. It would eventually accumulate beneath the soil in forms such as potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, calcium nitrate, and magnesium nitrate, forming what was known as nitrate earth.

This nitrate earth, a "companion mineral," only needed simple treatment—for example, mixing it with plant ash whose alkaline water had not been filtered out and boiling it to precipitate the calcium and magnesium ions—to produce saltpeter containing a small amount of impurities!

Simply put, finding bird droppings basically meant getting hold of saltpeter.

And having saltpeter basically meant having gunpowder!

In fact, it wasn't just bird droppings. Large amounts of mutant animal excrement were scattered along Water Caltrop Lake's shores. Over time, it had gradually weathered, settled, and hardened, eventually forming deposits of dungstone.

As for why there was so much dungstone by the lake, it was actually easy enough to understand.

During the early years after this planet entered the wasteland era, it had gone through a severe cold period that lasted nearly half a century.

During that time, Water Caltrop Lake Wetland Park, being the most water-rich area around, had been home to large numbers of wild animals and livestock that had escaped from ranches.

These droppings had probably been left behind back then.

Only after the severe cold period ended and the uninhabited urban areas developed more flourishing ecosystems did this place gradually become deserted.

"With this nitrate earth, making black powder shouldn't be a problem!" Mosquito rose from the ground and looked excitedly at Gale. "Give me a hand. Let's take more of it back."

Gale asked doubtfully, "We've got nitrate earth, and we've got charcoal, but doesn't the black powder formula also need sulfur? Where are you planning to find sulfur?"

If he remembered correctly, sulfur was generally found near volcanic craters or hot springs.

But this area clearly did not look like it had either of those things.

Mosquito froze for a moment.

Obviously, he had not had time to consider that problem.

"Uh, if there's no sulfur, sulfates can work too. The process is just a little more troublesome... They should still be pretty easy to find, right?"

Gale looked around and shrugged helplessly.

"Anyway, let's look first."

Unfortunately, there was no sulfur in the forest, nor was there anything by the lake that looked remotely like sulfur.

Thinking about it, that made sense.

How could something like that possibly appear in a wetland park?

Fortunately, just as the two were about to give up, they found some gypsum deposits beside a small river flowing out from Water Caltrop Lake.

The stuff was calcium sulfate. When fired with carbon at high temperatures, it could produce calcium sulfide and carbon dioxide. It was exactly the sulfate mineral they were looking for!

"How the hell did I forget about this?!" Mosquito smacked the back of his own head in frustration. "A couple days ago, when I watched Old White and the others making cement, they seemed to mix in this gypsum powder! Isn't this fucking calcium sulfate?"

Gale said with a wry smile, "So this is what they call failing to see what's right in front of you."

"Anyway, the outcome's good." Mosquito picked up some gypsum ore and put it into a plastic bucket, washed his hands, then stood and looked at Gale. "Let's go. We've got the materials, so let's head back too."

Gale nodded and followed behind him.

The two returned together to the survivor settlement. Just as they were about to head toward the little wooden house, they noticed a commotion at the entrance to the settlement.

The players who had been working at the construction site had somehow come down from the scaffolding. They were all carrying weapons and had surrounded a two-headed cow.

A strange man stood beside the two-headed cow.

He wore a leather jacket and had a fawning smile on his face. He made strange gestures with his hands while babbling incomprehensibly.

Mosquito stopped in his tracks, his face full of curiosity.

"Who was that? A new NPC?"

I hadn't heard anything about an update today.

"No idea. I'll go ask..."

Gale was a man of action. He set down the plastic bucket in his hands and strode over to Brother Scrambled Eggs, who was watching the commotion by the smoking rack. Tugging him aside, he asked curiously.

"What's going on over there? Who's that guy?"

Brother Scrambled Eggs folded his arms and shook his head.

"I don't know the details either. I heard from the others that one of our guys ran into him while hauling stones back from the construction site. Then this guy just started following behind them without saying a word, all the way back here."

As Gale walked closer, he heard the players talking.

"Why does that cow have two heads?"

"A domesticated mutant?"

"This guy followed us all the way here! I'll bet he's up to no good. He might even be a raider spy!"

"Not necessarily. What if he's an NPC?"

"That doesn't make sense. If he were an NPC, he wouldn't be impossible to communicate with, right?"

"Maybe we haven't triggered the conditions yet?"

"How about we lock him up first and wait for the Administrator to come back?"

Feeling the increasingly hostile stares around him, Sun Shiqi, surrounded by the crowd, felt an enormous weight pressing down on him.

Though he had a revolver hidden beneath his leather jacket, with the safety already off, even if he emptied the cylinder, he only had six bullets.

And the shelter residents closing in around him would never give him the chance to fire six times.

One hammer per person, and he would be lying on the ground.

"I'll say it one more time. I mean no harm. I'm a merchant, understand? A merchant! Damn it, even two hundred years ago, no matter how bad things got, surely traveling merchants still existed as a profession, right? Or did you sleep so long that you forgot?"

"Fine, calm down. Let me put it another way. I want to trade the things on this cow's back for something you have in abundance and I happen to need... anything will do! Of course, if you don't want to trade, that's fine too. I'll leave right away. I promise I won't disturb you again!"

Seeing that communication was completely impossible, Sun Shiqi had already begun considering retreat.

However, these shelter residents showed no intention of moving aside. Instead, they closed in further, and some even took out ropes.

Despair filled Sun Shiqi's heart.

Just as he was considering whether to make a desperate fight of it, the blue-coated people surrounding him suddenly parted, opening up a path.

A man walked over, carrying the corpse of a mutant reindeer on his shoulder.

That mutant reindeer weighed at least a hundred kilograms and was nearly the size of a horse, yet the man carried the prey that completely covered him as though it were nothing, his stride perfectly steady.

Though he wore a harmless-looking blue coat, Sun Shiqi still sensed an extremely dangerous aura from him.

This guy...

He was definitely no ordinary shelter resident!

The man tossed the prey heavily onto the ground, exchanged a few words with his companions, and the crowd obediently dispersed.

Watching the man approach, Sun Shiqi grew tense, every nerve drawn tight.

In an instant, a thought flashed through his mind. If he could take this man hostage, perhaps he could leave this place safely.

Yet his instincts told him that if he truly tried it, he would die the instant he made his move...

"Who are you?" Chu Guang asked, looking at him.

Hearing the man speak to him, Sun Shiqi froze slightly before a look of delight instantly appeared on his face.

"You can speak? No, that's not what I mean. I mean, you can speak the language here?"

The language here naturally referred to Human Alliance language.

Before the war, this entire region had belonged to Human Alliance territory, so naturally they had used a unified language. Logically, the shelter residents should have been speaking Human Alliance language too, but for some reason, these people were a little different.

Chu Guang frowned slightly and continued.

"I'm the one asking questions now."

"Answer me. Who are you?"

Hearing the hostility in his tone, Sun Shiqi hurriedly explained.

"My surname is Sun. My name is Sun Shiqi. I'm from Red River Town next door! I'm a merchant!"

Red River Town?

Hearing the unfamiliar place name, Chu Guang raised an eyebrow slightly.

He only knew that this was Clear Spring City, located in River Valley Province in the heartland of the Human Alliance. As for what other cities existed in River Valley Province, he was not very clear on that.

"What are you doing in Clear Spring City?"

Sun Shiqi answered cautiously.

"I'm a merchant... Of course I came here to do business."

Chu Guang's expression did not change.

"A merchant? Then why did I hear from my companions that you were following them?"

"A misunderstanding, it was absolutely a misunderstanding!"

Sun Shiqi waved his hands, explaining with a helpless laugh.

"I was originally heading to Boulder City. On the way, I happened to see them wearing blue jackets and thought there might be a shelter or something nearby, so I wanted to trade with you for a few things... I'm just a merchant. I truly meant no offense!"

He had not expected these people to be so sensitive.

If it had been an ordinary survivor settlement, he would never have dared to approach alone so rashly. But a shelter was different.

Those little darlings in blue jackets were famously naïve across the wasteland—easy to bully and even easier to fool.

Most of them were elites from pre-war society, or descendants of elites. They often styled themselves as heirs to civilization: proud, arrogant, and looking down on everyone else.

At the time, he had simply thought he would follow them. At worst, they would mistake him for a beggar and chase him off. It would not cost him anything.

Who could have imagined that after leading him inside, these people would surround him without a word? They would not listen to him, nor did they seem inclined to let him leave.

They had no sense of fair play at all!

Chu Guang did not relax his expression because of the man's explanation. He continued to stare at him impassively.

"Whether you intended offense or not, you did do something offensive to us. I believe that anywhere in this wasteland, following someone does not count as friendly behavior. Am I right?"

Sun Shiqi was drenched in sweat. He nodded despite himself.

"...You're right."

"Good. It seems you've realized your mistake." Chu Guang nodded. "But don't worry. We're reasonable people. Just now, I convinced my companions and told them that you were willing to apologize for your offensive behavior."

Sun Shiqi hurriedly nodded.

"Yes, yes, I am willing!"

At those words, a smile finally appeared on Chu Guang's face.

"Good. Oh, you don't mind if we pick something ourselves, do you?"

Sun Shiqi froze, staring blankly at the man before him.

"Wait, what do you mean, pick something yourselves?"

Chu Guang replied as though it were only natural.

"You can't apologize empty-handed, can you? Otherwise, what kind of apology is that? We're not extorting you. At most, we'll pick one item from the things on your ox cart."

As he said that, the smile on Chu Guang's face gradually faded.

"Don't tell me... you can't bear to part with it?"

Sun Shiqi's expression looked worse than crying, but he still forced himself to nod.

"No! Everything's on the cart... Go ahead and choose."

This bunch of bandits!

Where was the restraint and pride of civilized people?

They were actually robbing a ragged wastelander!

It was like a wealthy man rolling in money robbing a beggar by the roadside. Did these people not feel ashamed of their actions?

So infuriating he was shaking!

Sun Shiqi cursed viciously in his heart, but he maintained a smiling face, not daring to reveal the slightest hint of displeasure.

He was gradually beginning to realize that this shelter seemed fundamentally different from the shelters he had encountered before.

As for Chu Guang, he did not care what the merchant was thinking.

It was not important.

Seeing how sensible the man was, a pleased smile returned to his face.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."