Chapter 19: Rotten grapes and chicken feed became hot commodities in the wasteland trade market

Ye Heng laid out an intact piece of cloth on the stall before him, his mental power entered the space, and as he was about to select suitable trade goods, many lunch boxes suddenly appeared on the table.

Experienced Ye Heng recognized at a glance that these were delicious lunch boxes; Miss Lin had come again to bring him tasty food!

"Lin... Lin Meng, you've gone to trouble again; actually you don't need to give me such good food."

The first time he called the goddess's name, Ye Heng felt a little nervous, but he continued to call her Miss Lin, fearing she might be displeased.

Lin Meng heard that Ye Heng was also there, and quickly said:

"Don't be polite; this is my thank-you gift. The gold, silver, and jewels you gave are valuable, and I've also profited a lot from them. These are what you deserve, so don't feel embarrassed."

"By the way, what are you doing?"

Lin Meng sensed that Ye Heng's mental power seemed to wander over those supplies, but he had no intention of taking them.

Ye Heng told her about the trade fair, and Lin Meng replied after hearing:

"Trading with others is naturally good; you surely have many supplies I can't provide, so your idea is great. But at first you could take some less valuable items to test the waters."

Food, water, medicine—these should be extremely precious in the wasteland era.

The reasoning that an innocent man who carries a jade invites guilt—Ye Heng surely understands it better than she does; Lin Meng merely mentioned it casually and wouldn't interfere further, soon going about her own business.

With Lin Meng's support, Ye Heng's original slight unease vanished instantly, and he began to think more seriously.

Half an hour later, the crowd at the trade fair grew larger and larger.

Ye Heng had already selected three trade items and nodded at Sun Hao.

Sun Hao immediately stepped up to the stall and began shouting.

"Come take a look, come take a look—sincerely exchanging scarce supplies! Whoever has goods, come see! We have clean drinking water, some fine grain, and fruit that can replenish vitamins!"

After Sun Hao shouted just once, nearby people were instantly drawn over, and soon the corner stall was packed to capacity.

"Got water? Want to trade a thousand bullets for it?"

"You want to trade bullets for water? Dream on! I'm willing to offer two thousand crystal cores!"

"What does fine grain look like? Let me see—I've never seen fine grain before!"

"You actually found fruit! Are you sure it's non-toxic? I have plenty of weapons—want to trade?"

Everyone chattered at once, all eager to seize the opportunity.

On the stall, the far left held a 500-milliliter bottle of water—of course it was fish‑tank water; Ye Heng couldn't bear to use the well water Lin Meng gave him, let alone bottled mineral water.

Besides that, there were two fist‑sized portions of fine grain—actually the chicken feed Lin Meng planned to throw away.

The fruit was the original grapes, looking a bit wilted, but to these people it was still a top‑notch delicacy.

Seeing that the crowd had gathered, Ye Heng then cleared his throat and said:

"I want to exchange for crystal stones, or lightweight handheld premium weapons; if anyone among you has the resources, you can find me for a private trade."

The crowd, which had been eager, became utterly disappointed upon hearing those two items.

"You actually want such precious crystal stones? I don't have any."

"I don't have any either; it's really a pity, otherwise I'd love to taste that purple little fruit."

"Who says no? My family suffers from malnutrition; the vitamins in this fruit are a great tonic..."

"That fine grain also looks excellent—such fine powder, you can tell it's delicious at a glance."

Although most people had nothing to trade, they still lingered nearby, unwilling to give up, each harboring their own thoughts.

Just then, a group of uniformly dressed people suddenly appeared in the crowd—they were members of the Special Zone's internal Defense Team.

They usually patrol the outskirts of the Special Zone from time to time, and when there is a trade fair they also collect a fee, serving as security.

Ye Heng hadn't expected the Defense Team to be nearby; he was startled, but quickly calmed down.

He believed that the fact he had produced this food would soon spread throughout the Special Zone.

If he could thereby trade with the upper-class citizens inside, the quality of what he obtained would be even better.

Opportunity and danger often go hand in hand; he could take a gamble.

"Our Team Captain invites you brother to come inside the tower for a detailed talk, please."

Ye Heng waved his hand, and everything was collected into his space.

Seeing this, those who had thoughts of robbery immediately gave up.

This person actually has his own personal space, making it hard to attack.

Here, personal space is a very private ability; no means can obtain another's space contents without their consent.

Even if killed, the items inside the space won't burst out; they will disappear together with the owner.

Therefore, once someone has a space, killing them for loot becomes less worthwhile—unless you simply dislike them and want to destroy what you can't obtain.

However, most people still value their lives, so such crazy individuals are few.

Ye Heng and Sun Hao were brought to the watchtower outside the Special Zone's high wall, where Defense Team Captain Luo Song personally rose to greet them.

"Brother, please take a seat quickly; I heard you want to trade high‑grade food for crystal stones and weapons, so I had my subordinates bring you here."

Luo Song still had duties, so he skipped the pleasantries, got straight to the point, and placed one of his crystal stones and a handgun on the table.

Ye Heng and Sun Hao exchanged a glance; this Defense Team Captain is a straightforward person—when talking trade he doesn't beat around the bush, and it saves us from his small talk, which is nice.

Ye Heng picked up the handgun and found it was indeed a finely crafted firearm; moreover, the laser‑type shot has greater range and speed, making it the most suitable weapon against heavily armored mutant beasts.

Seeing Ye Heng seemed satisfied, Luo Song continued with further introduction:

"This laser handgun consumes very little crystal core, and it also has an auto‑aim function for moving targets, giving a higher hit rate—don't believe me? Try it out right here."

Upon hearing this, Ye Heng's eyes lit up instantly, and he made his decision right away.

"Exchange—one firearm plus one crystal stone, and I can provide you with more food."

Luo Song's face showed delight; he dismissed his subordinates and then asked in a low voice:

"I hope to exchange for more of those purple little fruits; my child is allergic to the nutritional supplements developed by the medical team and can't absorb them, so she suffers a severe vitamin deficiency and often falls ill."

I hope I can exchange for more of those purple little fruits; my child is allergic to the nutritional supplement developed by the medical team, can't absorb it, she lacks vitamins severely, and often gets sick.

Ye Heng heard the words and was greatly startled.

"Your child also lacks vitamins? Although fruits are hard to come by inside the Special Zone, wanting to eat vegetables shouldn't be a problem, right?"

The Purified Special Zone has uncontaminated soil; vegetables are precious, but as a Defense Team Captain, he surely can't be unable to afford vegetables, right?

Luo Song heard the words and let out a heavy sigh, his face full of helplessness.

"The soil inside the Special Zone isn't as clean as you imagine, and vegetable yields have been declining."

"You civilians might think we upper citizens lack no supplies, but in fact our life isn't as good as you think; precious resources remain in the hands of a few."

"Nutritional supplements can cause adverse reactions even in adults; actually, many children in the Special Zone are allergic to supplements, and I have no choice—I wanted to try buying your fruit."

Ye Heng was shocked.

It turns out that those high-and-mighty upper citizens in the Purified Special Zone aren't living in paradise either.

Compared like this, the resources the goddess provides them are absolutely top‑grade; he'll have to be more careful in his next transaction.