Han Ning's gaze lingered for less than half a second on the stall offering "overnight services" before he expressionlessly looked away.
Exchanging precious supplies for momentary pleasure was truly unwise.
Wasn't taking off by himself better?
With Snowflake in tow, he turned toward a relatively quiet corner of the banquet hall.
Passing by an inconspicuous stall, two rusted iron cages caught his attention.
A faint musky odor wafted through the air.
The cages didn't contain cats, dogs, chickens, or ducks, but several gray-furred rabbits.
Beside the iron cages stood an acrylic aquarium.
In the murky water, four fish with tea-yellow and bluish-green scales could barely be seen floating half-dead, appearing more out of breath than in.
"Gulp..."
Seeing these animals, Han Ning's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably.
Meat!
After nearly a month of eating nothing but hardtack, canned food, and plain rice, his mouth had long grown tasteless.
All the edible frozen meat had already been consumed.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd tasted fresh meat.
"Boss, how much for these?" Han Ning squatted before the cages and inquired.
The stall owner was a gaunt middle-aged man with drooping eyelids, appearing rather listless.
He lifted his eyelids to glance at Han Ning, then gave Snowflake—who looked fierce by his side—a once-over before slowly speaking:
"Which ones do you want?"
"Here we have three grass carp—two males and one female; one male crucian carp; and four rabbits—three males and one female."
"One male fish costs three meat cans or equivalent food or points."
"The females are more expensive—one female costs as much as three males, nine cans. Same for the rabbits—six cans for a male, eighteen for a female."
"So expensive..." Han Ning frowned.
A pair of rabbits would cost twenty-four cans.
If he were to buy them, he'd naturally want a breeding pair.
But considering this was the apocalypse, live animals—without special protection and breeding—would only grow scarcer and more precious.
Higher prices were to be expected, but this... was quite steep for Han Ning.
Moreover, fish were hard to keep alive in these conditions. They might die within days of purchase, resulting in a total loss.
Without proper breeding techniques, rabbits could easily die too...
"Too expensive." Han Ning shook his head. "Can you lower the price for the female rabbit? Eighteen cans could feed someone for days."
The stall owner scoffed, tapping the cage with his bony fingers:
"Expensive? Kid, do you even know what kind of world we're living in now?"
"Do you have any idea how much risk I took to get these live animals? A female rabbit can breed—raise it right, and it's a golden goose. Eighteen cans, not one less."
"If it's too pricey for you, go look somewhere else."
The man's tone was firm, showing no intention of budging.
"Forget it." Han Ning finally waved his hand regretfully and left the stall.
In the time that followed, Han Ning continued browsing through the banquet hall.
He stopped before a relatively bustling stall.
. Energy Exchange and High-Level Meeting
Several unopened boxes of cassette stove gas canisters, packets of solid alcohol blocks, and some bottles of liquid alcohol were arranged on the table, with a small bucket of diesel placed at the edge.
"How much for the gas canisters and alcohol blocks?" Han Ning asked.
The stall owner was a burly man wearing construction overalls, his tone relatively polite:
"One box of gas canisters (4 cans) for 4 meat cans or equivalent in compressed biscuits or rice. One packet of solid alcohol blocks (10 pieces) for 2 cans."
"500ml of liquid alcohol for 1 can. Diesel is more expensive—this 5-liter bucket goes for 15 cans."
"Tsk... not cheap."
In this post-apocalyptic world, energy was as valuable as food, and the prices were undoubtedly steep.
Han Ning quickly calculated in his mind.
His backpack contained mainly canned goods, aside from a few water bottles and some emergency rations.
These were currently his most reliable currency.
Anticipating a long trip today, he had specifically brought 10 cans of luncheon meat.
"I'll take two boxes of gas canisters and three packets of solid alcohol blocks." Han Ning counted out the corresponding cans from his backpack and handed them over. "8 cans."
The burly man took the cans, weighed them in his hand to confirm the packaging was intact, then nodded in satisfaction before passing Han Ning the two boxes of gas canisters and three plastic-wrapped packets of alcohol blocks. "Deal! You're straightforward, brother!"
With his energy supplies replenished, Han Ning felt considerably more at ease.
He then used his remaining two cans and one packet of compressed biscuits to trade for a small roll of sturdy nylon rope, a small box of waterproof matches, and an entrenching tool.
Compared to energy and food, these tool-like supplies were far less expensive.
Han Ning felt he wasn't lacking in offensive capabilities, and a multi-purpose entrenching tool could prove useful in many situations.
Even in close combat, it could serve as an effective weapon.
Seeing his now half-empty backpack, Han Ning didn't linger any longer. Leading Snowflake, who seemed reluctant to leave the market, he prepared to head back.
...
While Han Ning was selecting supplies at the banquet hall market, inside the presidential suite on the top floor of the resort's main building:
Heavy curtains muffled the sound of the pouring rain outside.
A few candles flickered in the dimly lit room, their wavering flames casting elongated and distorted shadows of three figures seated on the sofa, creating an atmosphere of solemnity and mystery.
Chen Feng and Lu Yunping stood before them, their postures respectful despite the bandages wrapped around their bodies.
"Chairmen," Chen Feng greeted politely with a nod.
The man seated in the central armchair appeared to be in his forties, his expression calm and his gaze profound, dressed in a dark gray shirt.
"Xiao Chen, what brings us here today?" the middle-aged man asked with a faint smile.
"Chairman Wu, we've recruited a highly capable Awakened today and came specifically to report this to you," Chen Feng replied truthfully.
"Oh?" The man on the left raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Do tell."
Chen Feng took a deep breath and recounted the encounter with Han Ning in detail, particularly the brief yet harrowing battle.
He neither exaggerated nor downplayed, simply presenting an objective account of Han Ning's bizarre and formidable vine manipulation abilities, as well as the obviously tamed, ferocious Crocodile Lizard.
"His Vine Manipulation isn't just exceptionally tough, numerous, and fast—it can also instantly erupt with hundreds of sharp Wooden Thorns, creating omnidirectional attacks. My Wind Shield... was almost instantly pierced."
Lu Yunping added from the side, "Moreover, he seems to either be immune or can quickly shake off the Mirage Worm's Mental Illusions. That's extremely rare."
"Overall, Han Ning's strength... might not be inferior to the three chairmen."
"Not inferior to us?"
Chairman Wu, at the forefront, showed no displeasure but instead revealed keen interest.
"If even you, Chen Feng, give such an evaluation, he must truly have some remarkable skills."
"Immunity to Mental Illusions... that ability would be priceless when exploring the Mist Zone."