Trading (Desert)
There was no wind, no animal cries, only the heavy, cool air inside the cave. Lu Heng sat on a stone bench, his fingertips tracing the interface of his Wristband, flipping through the trade posts for the Desert Region page by page.
Having just compared the living conditions in other areas, he already had a clear understanding of the situation.
Rainforests are teeming with venomous insects and floods; high mountains pose a significant risk of landslides and rockfalls; Island Region suffer from frequent windstorms and a lack of fresh water. These three places are either too dangerous or have fatal shortcomings, making them unsuitable for a first attempt at cross-regional transactions.
Only the desert region is different.
The biggest problem there isn't the rapid death toll from natural disasters, but the distorted distribution of resources—ore is plentiful but people are scarce, while other resources are limited.
Lu Heng patiently flipped through the pages.
The screen was filled with posts asking for drinking water, seeds, and moisture-proof supplies, while a pile of ordinary ores sat unattended, making it dizzying to look at.
After scrolling for a long time, a pinned trading post caught his eye.
The poster is a desert survivor who buys large quantities of animal hides and bones and offers large-scale exchanges for exclusive minerals. The accompanying picture shows a pile of dark gray, fine-grained rough stones on the sand, labeled as: Black Iron Tier Agate Stone.
This was the first time Lu Heng had ever seen this kind of stone.
He had absolutely no idea what it was for.
Fortunately, the other party's post was very detailed, clearly stating the function for a smooth transaction:
[Black Iron Tier Agate Stone, a desert-exclusive mineral. When added during forging, it increases weapon hardness and resistance to chipping; when mixed into building materials, it significantly improves the earthquake and impact resistance of walls, suitable for fortification reinforcement and weapon refining.]
After reading this description, Lu Heng instantly understood its value.
It is a genuine hard currency used for both infrastructure and forging.
What we lack is this kind of auxiliary material that can strengthen equipment and reinforce walls, and it is not produced in the mountainous areas, making it a scarce and essential commodity.
Without hesitation, he opened the other party's private chat window.
Lu Heng didn't reveal his demand, only showed off his own goods, and remained calm and unhurried.
[Lu Heng: I see you've been collecting animal supplies for a long time. I have a stockpile of animal hides and bones, all from complete hunts, without any defects. How many agate stones can you exchange for them?]
The other side replied quickly, clearly they had been waiting in the channel.
[Desert Trader: I also buy water and seeds, but what I need most right now are animal hides and bones. The desert is scorching hot during the day and freezing cold at night; they're not windproof or frost-resistant. Animal hides provide wind protection and insulation, and animal bones can be used to build a framework to reinforce shelters—they're much more stable than ordinary Stone. How much do you have, and what quality?]
Lu Heng glanced down at the pile of supplies in his inventory.
During this period, a lot of exotic beasts were hunted, and a large amount of ordinary animal hides that were discarded or were surplus were accumulated. In addition, there were Black Iron Tier animal hides dropped from several kills of high-level exotic beasts, as well as a large number of animal bones that were usually broken down and kept but never used. The stock was very sufficient.
[Lu Heng: Fifteen animal hides, a mix of ordinary and Black Iron Tier, all in perfect condition. Plus fifteen animal bones, without damage or decay. The entire set is ready to use.]
The other party was silent for a few seconds, then began to probe by lowering the price—a typical post-apocalyptic trading tactic.
[Desert Trader: The volume is alright. There's no standard market rate since this is a new account, so I won't rip you off. It's a 1:2 exchange; you provide the resources, I give you double the amount of agate rough. This price is already very fair.]
Lu Heng immediately realized that the other party wanted to take advantage of him.
Reject directly.
[Lu Heng: No, one to two is too low. One to three, if we can negotiate, then we can continue.]
[Desert Trader: Your price is outrageous! Black Iron Agate is a unique mineral, and we have to expend energy to mine it. How can you raise the price so high?]
The other party began to deliberately inflate the value of the ore, trying to manipulate people's psychology.
Lu Heng stood his ground, his logic crystal clear.
Lu Heng: Don't bring up physical strength.
I spent the whole morning snorkeling and looking at the zone records. Your desert is full of mineral resources. There are many exposed mines and few wild animals. Mining only requires a little effort and there is almost no risk to your life.
What's really difficult about you guys are the animal hides and bones—things that can only be obtained by hunting exotic beasts.
Lu Heng: My goods are different.
Every piece of skin, every bone, was earned through real battles and life-threatening struggles against wild beasts in the mountains. Injuries and dangers were commonplace.
You guys work a little harder at mining, but for me, selling my mined items is a gamble with my life.
You think you lost out? I think I did.
After I sent this message, there was a long silence on the other end.
It clearly hit the real pain points in supply and demand.
Desert survivors don't lack strength; what they lack is the living resources they've traded their lives for.
After a long pause, the other party replied again, their tone much softer, but they still wanted to negotiate for a little more profit.
[Desert Trader: Okay, you can say that. A 1:3 ratio is fine, but all your goods must be perfect finished products, no defective items mixed in. Once the total quantity matches, I'll close the deal.]
Lu Heng finalized the decision immediately.
[Lu Heng: Fifteen animal hides + fifteen animal bones, at a ratio of one to three, totaling ninety pieces of Black Iron iron agate. All to be delivered in one go, no delays.]
[Desert Trader:... Okay.]
To be honest, I have a lot of ore here, and it's just sitting there doing nothing. Trading it for a whole set of thermal and reinforced supplies is a sure win. Deal.
The next second, a cross-regional transaction verification window popped up on the Wristband.
Lu Heng selected the corresponding animal hides and bones, and then confirmed the submission.
The system briefly refreshed.
His inventory of surplus animal supplies, which had been piling up for a long time, was instantly emptied, replaced by ninety solid-colored Black Iron iron agate rough stones, neatly stacked in his inventory.
The transaction has been completed.
Lu Heng opened the details page of the agate stone and took a look.
It has a fine texture and a substantial weight.
Considering the intended use indicated by the other party, whether it was for reforging weapons, sharpening blades, or expanding and reinforcing the Shelter's walls, these agate stones would come in very handy.
The cards in their hand have become even more numerous.
After completing the transaction with the desert trader, Lu Heng did not close the partition interface.
The Global Region trading system had only been open for a short time, and a large number of resource listings were still being refreshed. Since he had nothing better to do, he continued scrolling down, slowly browsing various exchange information in the Desert Region.
Most of the listings were for repetitive ores of ordinary value, of little use to him. After flipping through most of the page, a sparsely listed order caught his eye.
It is a Black Iron Tier arm shield.
The post has been up for quite some time, but there are almost no inquiries, indicating that nobody cares about this little item. Most survivors trading protective gear prioritize full-body armor, shoulder armor, and heavy round shields; this kind of accessory that only protects the forearm is too niche.
Lu Heng clicked on the details and carefully read through the equipment description.
This is a forearm shield designed specifically for forearm use. Its shape conforms to the curve of the forearm, making it close-fitting, lightweight, and extremely low in weight. It only covers the key areas of the forearm, such as tendons, blood vessels, and muscles, without restricting wrist movement or obstructing hand movements. Raising your hand, striking, dodging, or engaging in close combat will not be affected in the slightest.
In actual combat, you can directly use your forearm to block the claw strikes, charging collisions, and flying debris from the beasts, specifically protecting the parts most vulnerable to tearing, scratching, and severe injury in close combat.
Unlike large shields, which are bulky and cumbersome, while they offer a large defensive area, they can restrict movement and slow down the overall rhythm.
When Lu Heng saw it, he immediately had an idea.
He always fought with Bronze Hunting Blade, employing a style of close-quarters rapid attacks, short-range slashes and thrusts, and agile maneuvering, relying on speed and precision to win. Heavy shields were a complete burden for him; wearing them would only disrupt his entire fighting rhythm, making it a net loss.
But this arm shield is a perfect complement.
His left hand can block and defend, stabilizing weaknesses in close combat, while his right hand wields Hunting Blade for full-force attacks. This separation of offense and defense, and the balance between light and heavy attacks, perfectly suits his current fighting style.
Without hesitation, Lu Heng opened the private chat.
After briefly inquiring about the equipment's overall condition and confirming that it was undamaged and without any hidden damage, I discussed the exchange terms with the other party.
The survivors on this side of the desert didn't lack ore or raw materials, but they lacked other survival supplies. After a few rounds of simple bargaining, the other party made their needs clear: fresh meat and Energy Core.
Lu Heng happened to have some extra money on hand.
The deal was finalized: five pounds of raw meat in exchange for a regular Energy Core, in exchange for this Black Iron Tier arm shield.
Once both parties confirmed that everything was correct, a transaction verification window popped up on the Wristband, and the goods were successfully delivered.
A few seconds later, the black shield that fit his forearm lay quietly in Lu Heng's storage compartment.
The moment the transaction was completed, something suddenly flashed through Lu Heng's mind.
With the full opening of the Global Trading Channel, has the material donation function been unlocked yet? I was busy trading right now, and just remembered.
He casually pulled up his Wristband, checked the donation interface, and carefully verified everything.
The function is now fully open, and all compliant reserve supplies can be donated voluntarily by survivors. There are no mandatory requirements; it is entirely based on the survivors' willingness.
Lu Heng pondered for a moment, then got up and walked out of the stone cave, heading towards the ice cellar on the side.
The ice cellar was extremely cold, and a chill permeated the air. It was filled to the brim with raw meat, all of which he had accumulated from hunting strange beasts in the mountains during his recent trips.
He looked at the piles of frozen meat, silently comparing the living conditions in different places.
The various survival areas he has learned about each have their own dangers and shortcomings.
The dangers of Rainforest Region lie in the countless poisonous insects, miasma, and various toxic organisms; the environment is damp and treacherous, teeming with poison.
The Island Region is rich in marine resources and contains a great many poisonous creatures, but most of these creatures cannot land and pose a limited threat to land survivors.
High Mountain Region are prone to landslides, rockfalls, and low temperatures, which pose risks of natural disasters. As a result, the number of exotic animals is relatively small, and large-scale close combat is rare.
Only the mountainous forest area where he lived.
There were no extreme natural disasters, nor were there poisonous miasma everywhere, but the number of terrestrial wild beasts and strange creatures was extremely abundant, and they could be seen everywhere. Encounters were commonplace. It was precisely because of this that his meat reserves were so plentiful that they were overflowing and could not be used up at all.
Keeping large amounts of leftover meat piled up in the ice cellar for extended periods serves little purpose other than taking up Storage Space.
Without much thought, Lu Heng directly operated the interface, selected half of the raw meat in the ice cellar, and confirmed the donation.
As the system notification popped up, a large amount of stockpiled fresh meat was simultaneously cleared out.
With the unnecessary burden removed, the ice cellar's storage became neat and appropriate.
Standing in the chill of the ice cellar, Heng felt exceptionally at peace.
With a shield suitable for close combat for self-defense, and a streamlined and rational inventory, their combat strength and reserves are steadily improving.