Chapter 1082: An Excellent Middleman

As a qualified middleman, the key is to precisely grasp the customer's needs, and at the moment when it has both the need and the ability to pay, push the supplies right in front of it so it can't refuse.

Xia Qing opened her laptop and showed the full set of canine protective suits to Broken-Waist Wolf, "Handsome Wolf Bro, these are the newly released Level-3 outdoor protective suits for wolves. The defense is excellent, and they're more comfortable to wear. Only 8,000 points per set. If Little Wolf Bro and Little Wolf Sis wear them, they won't have to worry about parasites, and human blades and arrows won't hurt them either. Would you like some?"

These protective suits sell for 6,000 points per set in the safe zone, and middleman Xia Qing charges a 2,000-point handling fee per set.

Broken-Waist Wolf very decisively pushed the points card it had been allocated across to Xia Qing.

Xia Qing immediately swiped it with the card reader and showed it to Broken-Waist Wolf. "This points card only has 3,000 points on it—not enough to buy the protective suit. Handsome Wolf Bro, could you give me two more points cards?"

"…Alright, once the protective suits are bought, I'll deliver them to you right away. Handsome Wolf Bro, look—doesn't my laptop have a really clear screen? Your laptop screen is blurry because it got damp in the mountains. How about getting a new one? 25,000 points each."

After showing the pictures, Xia Qing began bringing out the physical goods.

First was a necklace made from the pearls Chang Li had brought back for her. "Handsome Wolf Bro, look at this pearl necklace. The Queen and Little Wolf Sis are sure to love them. Want two strands? Only 800 points each. With such a beautiful necklace, your family will be the most tasteful evolved-wolf family on the whole Blue Star…"

Then came the little hat Seeing Xin Yu had made for Daigua Monkey. "Isn't this pink hat pretty? Wear it on your head to keep out bugs and sun. Hand-sewn by humans. Only 500 points each. Handsome Wolf Bro, want to buy one for Little Wolf Sis? …Two? Great! Handsome Wolf Bro, you really have taste!"

Although Broken-Waist Wolf was shrewd, it had refined taste and was willing to pay for new things. Xia Qing just loved customers like this!

After spending several points cards, Broken-Waist Wolf walked to the entry door, placed its big paw on the open entry door, and revealed its cute little fang tips.

Xia Qing…

"Broken-Waist, I really can't trade this one to you. Besides, where would you put it if you traded for it? This is a side-hinged door—not suitable for installing on a mountain cave."

Broken-Waist Wolf took out a walnut-sized high-grade Yi stone from its own supplies and pushed it toward Xia Qing.

Xia Qing immediately hesitated. "This…"

She really couldn't refuse…

But how would she explain it to Third Brother? Take this door off and haul it all the way to Mountain Fifty-Five?

No good—next time Third Brother came to visit and saw she'd switched back to the old door, he'd definitely lose his temper. How about asking Seeing Xin Yu and Yang Jin if they could get their hands on this kind of door?

Seeing Xia Qing struggling and hesitating, Broken-Waist Wolf pushed another high-grade Yi stone toward her.

Seeing Xia Qing still hesitating, Broken-Waist Wolf raised its paw, about to scrape the two Yi stones back.

"Deal!"

Any more hesitation and she'd be less than human. Xia Qing immediately pressed down on Broken-Waist Wolf's big paw, stuffed the two high-grade Yi stones into her own pocket, and beamed like a flower. "Handsome Wolf Bro, I agree to trade you an entry door of the same model. Install it wherever you want. I'll throw in the hardware, cement, batteries, and after-sales service."

How many points is this kind of door? 5,000.

How many points are two high-grade Yi stones worth? Currently unknown—the Yi stones Beard Feng took for appraisal haven't been sent back yet, but they're definitely worth more than the door!

After Xia Qing cleaned and maintained the two canine protective suits and put them on Broken-Waist Wolf, the clever wolf, with eight high-grade Yi stones, six mid-grade Yi stones, eight points cards, two strands of pearl necklaces, two little hats, and a small mirror Xia Qing threw in for free tucked around its neck, picked up two stalks of evolved Bai Mao grass in its mouth and returned to Mountain Fifty-Five, burying the grass roots in the soil by the stream.

Wolf Lao Er, having finished patrolling its territory, returned to the abandoned village, nudged open the screen door with its head, rinsed the mud off its big paws in the wooden basin, pushed open the entry door, and stepped into the cool, dry room.

"Lao Er's back? Lao Er, you're so thoughtful—you're standing at the very top of the pyramid of evolved wolves in the whole universe!" Xia Qing, who was counting Yi stones, looked up and thanked her companion with overflowing enthusiasm.

Lao Er walked over with a very happy grin, nuzzled Xia Qing's head, and left quite a few damp wolf hairs on her black hair.

Little Feimao, who was sorting supplies in its nest, stared at Xia Qing's head for a while, then jumped onto Lao Er's back and used its little paws to scrape off a clump of wolf hairs to pad its nest.

Xia Qing complained to Lao Er, "Broken-Waist is getting more and more stingy. Negotiating with it is even more exhausting than negotiating with Yang Jin."

These two were equally shrewd, but Yang Jin knew how to talk nicely, while Broken-Waist Wolf didn't, so negotiating with it took longer and was more draining.

If it weren't for maintaining long-term friendly cooperation and trade relations with the northern wolf pack, Xia Qing would really love to pin Broken-Waist Wolf down and shave all the fur off its legs!

Lao Er grinned with its mouth open, tongue out, laughing happily.

After complaining, money-mad Qing shared her joy with her companion. "Lao Er, look—I harvested 44 Yi stones today! Look! Yi stones are rare and precious minerals. Other people would be ecstatic to have just one, but I have six boxes!"

By type, the Yi stones Xia Qing owned could be divided into two categories: high-grade and mid-grade. By weight, they could be divided into three categories: about 30 grams, pigeon-egg-sized; about 50 grams, walnut-sized; about 180 grams, goose-egg-sized. These unbroken Yi stones were sorted and stored by Xia Qing in five sturdy boxes.

The remaining box held Yi stone granules that needed protective shells.

After returning in the evening, Xia Qing brought back the Yi stone granules from the greenhouse within her territory. Tomorrow she was going to make a trip to the hidden valley on Mountain Fifty to collect the Yi stone granules used there to protect the crops.

In the year-plus since entering the territory, Xia Qing had harvested a total of 57.5 pigeon-egg-sized mid-grade Yi stones, 77 walnut-sized mid-grade Yi stones, 10 goose-egg-sized mid-grade Yi stones, 11 pigeon-egg-sized high-grade Yi stones, and 31 walnut-sized high-grade Yi stones from various channels.

It sounded like a lot, but her usage was also huge.

Just in the third Harmful Rain of Disaster Year Eleven that had just passed, to protect the seven mu of Green Lantern crops, Green Lantern chickens, Green Lantern insects, and Green Lantern fish, Xia Qing used 33 pigeon-egg-sized Yi stones and 2 walnut-sized Yi stones; to protect the Green Lantern crops, spring fish, and crabs in the hidden valley, Xia Qing used 15 pigeon-egg-sized Yi stones.

Fortunately, these Yi stones were only used during the Harmful Rain period and put away afterward. If future Harmful Rains and Harmful Snows all lasted as long as those in Disaster Year Ten, these Yi stones would last at least 9 years, enough to protect the important crops and animals through 27 Harmful Rains and 9 Harmful Snows.

Besides the Harmful Rain period usage, there was also daily usage. The three lords of Territory Three, Employee 001, the two cellars, and the two refrigerators all needed to wear or use Yi stones long-term—this portion came to 4 walnut-sized stones per year.

Although the usage was large and it pained her heart, when it was time to use them, Xia Qing didn't hold back at all. She earned Yi stones to boost her own combat power and quality of life—otherwise, why work so hard?

These heavy Yi stones brought her a deep sense of security. If she maintained her current usage rate, these Yi stones would be enough to last 20 years.

Damn, what a sense of security! How can a person be this happy!

Xia Qing, sitting cross-legged on the sofa fiddling with the Yi stone boxes, couldn't help showing off to the red squirrel in the corner cage. "Freeloader, you must understand my happiness right now better than anyone."

Mama Red Squirrel and Qiang Zai were leaping up and down in the cage—they were hungry and wanted to go out and find food!