Unlike the tense atmosphere inside the Immortal Xianzhou, the Stellaron Hunters Base was unusually tranquil.
Blade, Kafka, and Silver Wolf were unusually absent from the mission. Blade was busy in the kitchen, while Yan Bai, who was left behind, occasionally lent a hand to him. Kafka was nowhere to be seen, Jintiao sat on the sofa in a daze.
" Blade--!" Silver Wolf, sitting in his gaming chair, called out to the outside of the room, and the call quickly reached the kitchen.
"Mr. Ren, Miss Silver Wolf seems to be looking for you." Yan Bai reminded him, seeing Ren sweating profusely from his work.
Ren frowned slightly. "Judging from her tone, she's finished her drink. Get her a bottle from the fridge. If she wants potato chips, tell her she's going to eat dinner first, and she can have them after that."
"Okay." Yan Bai glanced around, and a black cabinet quickly caught his attention. He gently pulled it open, revealing a refrigerator almost full of energy drinks.
Yan Bai's figure walked through the living room, looking somewhat comical as he carried a bottle of beverage. He greeted Jintiao as he passed her.
"What's this?" Jintiao's curiosity was piqued. "A drink for Miss Silver Wolf," Yan Bai replied briefly. "Oh," Jintiao responded softly, saying nothing more.
"Miss Silver Wolf-- " Yan Bai pushed open the half-closed door.
"Hmm, it's you? Where's Blade?" Silver Wolf asked curiously as Yan Bai walked into the room.
"Mr. Ren said you wanted a drink and asked me to get it for you," Yan Bai said, scratching his head.
"You? That's a bit odd, isn't it?" Silver Wolf shook his head vigorously. "No need for that. Just make yourself at home." He paused, then added, "By the way, could you get me a bag of potato chips?"
"Oh, I'm afraid that won't work, Miss." Yan Bai grinned mischievously. "Mr. Ren said he wants to eat now, and he'll have potato chips after he finishes eating."
"Alright, alright," Silver Wolf's face suddenly fell, his earlier cheerfulness turning to dejection. " Blade really is like a mind reader, he knows everything..."
" Silver Wolf— " Kafka's voice came from afar, "We're running out of groceries, order some to be delivered quickly." The sound of high heels drew closer, and the door was flung open.
"I'm busy playing games, I don't have time." Silver Wolf decisively rejected Kafka's request. Yan Bai glanced at the computer screen: 0/16/0
"Okay, Wolf Venerable got angry and started crying and making a scene because of playing games~" Kafka said, stirring things up.
"I didn't cry and make a scene—" Silver Wolf retorted through gritted teeth.
"Alright, I won't trouble you." Kafka smiled helplessly, then turned her gaze to Yan Bai: "Then, I'll have to trouble you and Jintiao."
Yan Bai smiled and said, "Okay, what do you need to bring back?"
"Just enough for a week, the quantity is up to you. And bring me back two coats too." Kafka smiled, after all, they were still wanted criminals, and it wasn't good for them to show their faces in public.
The two walked out of Silver Wolf's room at almost the same time.
" Jintiao?" Yan Bai called softly.
"What's wrong?" Jintiao was still lost in thought on the sofa, replied.
"Ms. Kafka asked me to go buy some groceries. Shall we go together?" Yan Bai invited.
"Okay, sure!" Jintiao replied, and Kafka, who had stepped out, tossed out a key. "The key to the small spaceship parked outside. There's a market on the nearest planet. Thanks."
"Okay, I understand," Jintiao replied, and led Yan Bai outside.
"Isn't this spaceship... a bit too small?" Yan Bai's eyes were full of surprise: apart from a cargo hold, the cockpit could only barely seat two people.
"Hmm... it's okay, let's squeeze in." Jintiao smiled and opened the entrance door, "Can you fly a spaceship?"
"No." Yan Bai honestly shook his head.
"Then I'll go." Jintiao got into the driver's seat first and patted the passenger seat. "Get in?"
"That's quite surprising, you can do this too?" Yan Bai teased, plopping down in the passenger seat and closing the door.
"Who said I could fly it?" Jintiao made a face. "This kind of spaceship can be autopiloted."
Yan Bai's face darkened after hearing this.
Before long, the spaceship landed in a desolate area. Jintiao told Yan Bai the story of Glamoth the whole way. According to the navigation, the market was not far away.
"I never imagined... you and Firefly had this kind of past." Yan Bai, sounding somewhat downcast.
"It's okay, at least I'm different from my comrades who have been buried in the flames of war: we still have tomorrow."
"Yes, sometimes I realize how precious it is to have a tomorrow to look forward to..." Yan Bai suddenly sighed.
"This must be it?" Jintiao suddenly said, pointing to a group of buildings ahead.
Small stalls were scattered all around, almost perfectly matching Yan Bai's first impression of the place. He was even certain that there weren't many places this backward, old, dilapidated, and small, even on Fansha Star.
"Can I really buy a coat in this godforsaken place?" Yan Bai's eyes were filled with hesitation.
"... Probably--" Jintiao hesitated, this place didn't seem like the kind of place that could sell high-end products.
"Never mind, let's buy groceries first." After much thought, Yan Bai finally made up her mind.
"It's better than standing here... Let's go." Jintiao agreed. Although the stench was quite unpleasant for the two, the Stellaron Hunters's request pushed them forward, and they finally stood before the market.
"Perhaps... it's even worse than it appears from afar—" Yan Bai sighed softly. The filth and disorder of this place had definitely reached a point where it deserved to be cleaned up.
"Hurry up and finish buying, then leave." Jintiao seemed nonchalant; the stench of corpses on the battlefield was far more unbearable than this.
Fortunately, the market wasn't far from them. "Boss?" Yan Bai asked cautiously, receiving a lazy yet gruff voice in response. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, hello, I'd like to ask how much these vegetables and meat cost?" Yan Bai asked politely again.
"Meat is 600 Credits per pound, and vegetables are 300 Credits per pound." The shopkeeper didn't look up. The strong smell of blood filled the air, causing Yan Bai to frown.
"Six catties of vegetables, eight catties of meat, and a bag of rice, thank you," Yan Bai replied, saying no more.
"Okay, you'll have to wait in line." The owner said, lighting a cigarette and smoking. The sight of the ash falling made the two men's hearts tighten, but they were relieved that it didn't land on the food.
The two glanced at each other one last time, then finally turned and left. "This boss doesn't seem very reliable..." Yan Bai whispered to Jintiao. "What can we do? Who told you to buy from him?" Jintiao shrugged. "There's no use thinking about it so much, let's go."