Chapter 20: The Middleman

The monster merchant accepted the sachima and glanced at Yu Jiang’s three-wheeled motorcycle, which looked rather fragile amidst the wind and rain.

Forget it, they were all the same color anyway.

"500 crystal coins, and I’ll throw in a high-density waterproof tarp and a crafting scroll. I can't go any lower; my tarp even has the advantage of being very easy to clean."

"Deal!" Yu Jiang accepted the offer immediately, opening her light screen to scan for payment.

"Do you have any umbrellas for sale?"

The monster merchant looked at his own waterproof and fireproof cloak, his expression seeming to say, *Do I look like I need something as low-end as an umbrella?*

"I might have people here who want to buy goose-down feathers! Could you wait two minutes?"

The monster merchant nodded reservedly. "For the sake of those sweets, I have 900g of goose-down left. If you sell it all, I'll give you a gift."

Working on a rainy day was already annoying; selling it all would be a relief! It was rare to run into such a wealthy customer.

Yu Jiang quickly opened her friends list and called out to 'X' and 'Hanjiang Guying'.

"Do you want goose-down feathers? It comes with a waterproof tarp, 450g for 500 crystal coins. Opportunity knocks but once!"

[Received 500 crystal coins and 2 batteries from player 'X'.]

The gift notification arrived faster than the friend message.

X: "Many thanks."

Hanjiang Guying waited two seconds before asking, "What is goose-down?"

Yu Jiang sent the image of what she had bought. "It’s said to be more comfortable and warmer than duck down, and it can be used to make down jackets."

It wasn't a small amount, and since they had only added each other as friends yesterday, it was natural for them to ask.

Hanjiang Guying had spent some of his resources on materials yesterday, leaving him with only 512 crystal coins in total.

After hesitating for a moment, he sent the coins over. Such expensive material should have good insulation, and since he needed it right now, he decided to gamble on it.

Yu Jiang transferred the thousand crystal coins, completing the mutually beneficial four-way trade.

The monster merchant happily left behind a car air freshener before disappearing down the road.

Starting the morning with a stroke of luck put Yu Jiang in a great mood. The monster merchant’s car freshener didn't just add a pleasant scent; it also provided a certain degree of cold protection.

(When the warm fragrance fills the vehicle, you will feel cozy and warm.)

It would last for about a month.

Closing the window, Yu Jiang immediately opened her crafting bench. The down jacket blueprint provided by the monster merchant was even better than the thermal clothing.

Besides goose-down, it could also be crafted using monster down or cotton.

Crafting a single piece added 15 points of fatigue, double that of the thermal clothing. After three pieces were finished, Yu Jiang’s fatigue reached 45.

The fabrics provided by the merchant came in different colors: dark gray, Barbie pink, and army green. Yu Jiang had told them it would be distributed in the order of purchase, and she hadn't picked for herself.

Hanjiang Guying: "The color doesn't matter, as long as it keeps me warm."

After receiving it, Hanjiang Guying wrote: "This color is so beautiful, I love it! This garment is great; I can tell just by touching it how warm it is. I just crafted a vehicle component card and sent it over."

X: "......You’re still missing a few level-three vehicle component cards. I’ll provide them. Can you really not trade with me?"

He didn't suspect that she had picked for herself; when she sent the photo, the dark gray fabric had been visible. It was just the color... Shi Xu sighed deeply; he couldn't stand it.

When Yu Jiang saw him mention the component cards, she was wide awake. "I’m still missing two. Actually, if you give me one, I can trade with you."

Never mind Barbie pink—even if it were red and green, as long as she got batteries, she would trade!

[Received 2 level-three vehicle component cards from player 'X'.]

"Thanks." Yu Jiang happily traded a down jacket with him.

Now she had cold-weather gear, and the materials for the level-three vehicle upgrade were complete! However, she decided to wait until the battery ran out before upgrading.

Yu Jiang put on the windbreaker set, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the vehicle.

The rain was getting heavier; even the windshield wipers felt like they were struggling to keep up. In this weather, scavenging for supplies on the road was becoming increasingly difficult.

Originally, Yu Jiang hadn't wanted to get out of the vehicle to scavenge for fear of affecting her health stat, but after realizing something, she threw a plastic sheet over her head and rushed back into the rain without a second thought.

The dwarf shrubs that were once most common and easiest to harvest were disappearing! This wasn't a good sign; she had to harvest as much as she could while there were still some left along the roadside.

Yu Jiang's speed slowed down, but she didn't forget to send a reminder to the friends on her list.

By the end of the day, Yu Jiang had collected over a hundred 'small pieces of wood' and found two boxes.

One was wooden, the other iron.

She never expected the wooden box to contain a debuff—it was a vine covered in thorns that pricked whoever opened it.

[Unknown Thorny Plant: Extremely tough, can be made into rope after dehydration. Don't worry! It’s not poisonous, just causes a five-minute weakness state. Just endure it; if you can't, there’s nothing you can do, hehe!]

Yu Jiang: ......

[Player has achieved the 'Feels Like Being Hollowed Out' achievement. Oh my, you encountered such a low-probability event! Rewarding you with a double critical hit on your next box!]

Did that mean if she encountered a monster, it would also be doubled?

Once the weakness debuff was applied, Yu Jiang felt completely drained! She was listless, and even carrying two bundles of wood felt like a struggle.

Once the time passed, she continued forward and encountered the first iron box she had ever seen in the game.

Obtained supplies: Snow tires *2, snow boots *1, compressed biscuits *5, mineral water *3.

There weren't many items, but with the double critical hit, she ended up with 4 snow tires!

Later, she found another box containing two primary backpack expansion cards and one plant insulation cover.

The harvest was quite good. This was her second backpack expansion; it required two cards to add another 10 slots, and future requirements would be even higher.

With her inventory crisis resolved, and the three-wheeler's battery nearly depleted, she had traveled almost a hundred kilometers.

[Level-three vehicle upgrade requires 10 minutes. Please confirm if you wish to proceed with the upgrade.]

Yu Jiang chose to upgrade in place while the rain was lighter, and she managed to take down two ordinary zombies to earn some extra crystal coins.

On this first day of experiencing the 'empty-handed' penalty, the public chat was filled with wailing.

[Help! There really isn't a single box. The rain is so heavy, and my vehicle only has a broken plastic cover. I haven't even stockpiled the materials to upgrade the vehicle yet. How am I supposed to complete the weekly quest [Crying]]

[I don't understand. We agreed to cooperate so everyone could get 100 points, so why does it have to be like this?]

[I caught a cold, my health stat is still dropping, I'm cold and hungry, help me, wuwuwu.]

Sicily: [What does everyone need? It's my birthday today, I can trade with you. I have extra level-two vehicle upgrade materials. Three loaves of bread for one iron block.]

Player 3479: [Get lost, trying to profit from a disaster? That's so expensive!]

Suifeng 220: [They're just being kind; if the price doesn't suit you, don't buy it. How about this: everyone donate your supplies to those in need before the reset to avoid waste.]

Player 3479: [You get lost too! Your greedy scheme is so obvious it's disgusting. I've disliked you for a long time, you big idiot!]

Strawberry Candy: [People have been collecting cotton since last night. I haven't dared to sell. Is there some news?]

Kuangkukuang: [I don't know, but looking at this weather, the temperature might drop even further.]

Erba Dagang: [If possible, try to cover as much distance as possible over the next two days. It's possible the weather will get even worse later.]

That was true; Yu Jiang thought the same. One hundred kilometers was the minimum average requirement for the week.

Completing the task early provided peace of mind, allowing her to handle any unexpected situations later.

Having already found snow tires, she had a feeling things were not looking good.