Exchange 22

Both of them wore goggles and black masks, dressed just like Stammering Yiyi earlier.

Soon, they reached the entrance of the cave, and the taller of the two stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Yu Hong from Baiqiu Village?"

"That's me. What's up?" Yu Hong, hiding beside the door, responded.

He wasn't hiding behind the door but avoiding it, leaning against the stone wall.

"We heard you have better luminous stones for sale?" the man asked without revealing his identity, simply proceeding with his questions.

"What better luminous stones? I don't know what you're talking about, and...who are you?" Yu Hong asked in a deep voice.

"Stop beating around the bush. We've seen the two pieces that Lin Yiyi has, they're impressive. With your skill, you shouldn't stay here, you should come with us to the town where there are more luminous stones to fully display your talent and save more lives," the taller man advised earnestly.

"By the way, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Zhao Zhenghong, and he's Xu Yang. We're both from the Town Coalition Forces."

"Coalition Forces..." Yu Hong felt a stirring inside, "*Sorry, I don't want to go to town; I feel safe staying here alone. However, I can sell enhanced pyroxene, but not now. I don't have enough for myself currently and don't have the time to make more,*" he declined.

He indeed had considered using enhanced pyroxene to trade for supplies, but at present, he couldn't produce them in bulk. One piece took three days, which was a considerable waste of the Black Mark's resources.

"It's a peak period now, and there are many places needing luminous stones. If you go with us to town, with the majority of people protecting you, you can surely focus on making new Large Pyroxene Stones, which is certainly more comfortable than worrying about everything on your own here," Zhao Zhenghong continued to persuade.

"No need, I'm used to living alone, and I wouldn't get used to the town. Thanks for your kind offer," Yu Hong refused again. "If you want to buy, you'll have to wait until after the peak period."

The other man behind Zhao Zhenghong quietly reached for the gun strapped to his thigh upon hearing this.

But Zhao Zhenghong intercepted his hand.

"Mr. Yu Hong, according to the wartime emergency regulations established by the Coalition Forces two years ago after the appearance of the Black Disaster, Article 28, Clause 3: In the discovery of personnel or techniques greatly enhancing military power, compulsory recruitment is permitted, followed by compensation as needed."

He paused.

"In reality, we could, without concern for your wishes, forcibly conscript you. But since we're all locals of Baishi Town, I'm giving you a chance. You don't have to come, but the technique for making Large Pyroxene Stones, you should contribute, right?"

"During these difficult times, every additional Large Pyroxene Stone might save a life. Besides, sharing the technique doesn't prevent you from making it yourself. It doesn't hinder you from living reclusively here and contributes to the community, reducing a lot of trouble, doesn't it?"

Zhao Zhenghong's words were logical and well-reasoned. If it were someone else, they might have been persuaded.

But unfortunately...

Yu Hong's enhanced pyroxene wasn't based on a technique he mastered himself, but the Black Mark.

And the power of the Black Mark couldn't be revealed.

"Sorry, I only accept trades, and as for the technique, you won't be able to grasp it," Yu Hong replied calmly.

With the reinforced wooden door, he didn't feel the other party could get in, so he was quite resolute in his refusal.

Outside the door, Zhao Zhenghong's eyes flickered. He didn't get angry but smiled instead.

"Alright, in that case, we'll visit again another time. Mr. Yu Hong can reconsider. After all, living alone here is hard. It's not comparable to enjoying life in a bunker, without worrying about food and drink, and even having girls assigned to you."

He patted his companion on the back, and the two of them turned and descended the stone steps at the cave entrance, walking away into the distance.

Soon, they disappeared into the forest, leaving no trace.

But in a spot invisible from the cave's window, another camouflaged figure was silently pressed against the rock wall, hiding to the right of the door.

This figure was dressed identically to Zhao Zhenghong and his companion, holding a knife in one hand, back against the rock wall, standing upright like a gecko, immobile.

In this position, as soon as the cave door opened, he could pounce inside and seize control of the person inside in an instant.

At this moment, at the cave window, Yu Hong quietly moved his eyes away from the edge of the observation slit and let out a breath. He watched for a while and, confirming no one was around, relaxed slightly.

'The trading partners I'm looking for aren't like this.....'

Enhanced pyroxene attracting unwanted guests was inevitable. But for Stammering Yiyi's safety, he didn't hide his stash or restrict its use.

Moreover, since the fame of the enhanced pyroxene would spread, more people would certainly come looking to trade.

After all, the previous kind of luminous stones were too cumbersome. They were extremely inconvenient to carry, just like when Stammering Yiyi had scattered shadows; she had to throw out the luminous stones handful by handful.

Snapping back to reality, Yu Hong didn't leave the cave but stayed quietly inside, waiting.

With enough food and drink now, and the water could at least last another day, he wasn't in a hurry to go out.

If those two had any plans to return, that would be troubling.

Leaning against the fireplace, feeling the warmth on its surface, Yu Hong for the first time felt that perhaps living steadily in a safe house like this wasn't such a bad thing....

Grr...

Suddenly, his stomach let out a gurgling sound.

Yu Hong's expression changed, and his good mood vanished instantly.

He quickly rushed to the corner, pulled out a small bucket, took off his pants, and aimed.

Splash.

As soon as he aimed, a series of splashing sounds erupted.

Yu Hong's face turned completely ashen.

He...had diarrhea!!

The twists and turns in his stomach told him that this bout of diarrhea wasn't simply due to the cold but was very likely an intestinal infection!

Soon, after wiping clean with leaves, Yu Hong hadn't been standing long before he felt his stomach churn again.

He lifted the wooden lid of the bucket once more for another round of spray.

'This is trouble!'

Yu Hong, after rising, quickly rummaged through the clutter he had brought, soon finding a small black box.

Opening the box, he found two dark blue capsules inside, with unknown purposes.

But Yu Hong remembered these were cold medicines given to him by Doctor Xu. They weren't anti-inflammatory drugs.

All the anti-inflammatory medicine had been consumed. Later, when it ran short, Stammering Yiyi had used quite a few good items to exchange with Doctor Xu, but it still wasn't enough, and Doctor Xu had made a loss in the exchange, out of goodwill.

After taking the medicine, his body gradually recovered.

'It's no good; I have to think of something!' Yu Hong closed the lid of the bucket, but by now, the odor had already spread throughout the cave.

He had to open the observation window to allow air exchange with the outside.

'I need medicine; either intestinal anti-inflammatory or anti-diarrheal would do!' Yu Hong thought anxiously, suspecting that drinking unboiled rainwater was what caused his diarrhea.

Strangely enough, the water previously drunk, all filtered with Stammering Yiyi's dirty filter, hadn't gotten him sick. But the rainwater...

It seemed odorless, yet drinking it upset his stomach.

Yu Hong clutched his stomach, glancing at the newspaper with its integrated Training Method, still counting down. Only a bit over two hours had passed since it began. There was a long way to go before it finished.

He looked outside at the sky, gritted his teeth, and stuffed a few boards on his chest and belly, then grabbed his steel-nailed pyroxene bar and headed to the door.

He had to make a trip to the other villagers' places in Baiqiu Village to see if the post office there had any medicine.

If he waited until tomorrow, too much diarrhea would surely leave him weak and exhausted, worsening his condition.

Also, he had to find a way to replenish his medical supply; once back, he might try using the Black Mark to enhance it.

His hand gripped the doorknob, twisting it forcefully.

Click.

The door lock turned with a noise.

But Yu Hong stood still, quietly waiting.

He even held his breath, listening keenly to any movements outside.

Woosh!

Suddenly, he pushed the door open.

Then, with a swift bang, he slammed it shut like a flash.

With a crisp splash, just as the door closed, a shadow passed by from outside the door, falling heavily down the stone steps, crashing into the grass.

"Damn!"

The person cursed, getting up while shouting several unknown dialect phrases.

Discovering the silence inside the cave, the person looked at the time outside, snorted coldly, and turned to leave quickly.

Behind the door.

Yu Hong took a breath, cold sweat slightly seeping, but his expression relaxed, still standing motionless behind the door.

After waiting for another ten minutes in this manner, he repeated the same probing action a few more times. Only after confirming there were no more disturbances outside did he slowly open the door.

The light outside was bright and cheerful; it was midday, the time when the sun was at its best.

'There are at least five hours until dusk, and it's a little over a mile to the post office, plenty of time for a round trip. I can also ask nearby villagers if there's anything to trade. If the post office has no medicine, maybe someone else has it.'

As for what to trade... Yu Hong brought his water-filter cup. The filter cup, enhanced by his doing, was made well and had much better filtering efficiency than regular devices, so it should be well-received if he takes it for trade.

And this tool was something he created himself; the wooden cup didn't even have a handle. It was simple to make, as all it needed was a piece of wood to carve out a round indent.

The filtering material just required a piece of cloth and a bit of charcoal, with very low costs and short enhancement time.

It could be used as his unique trading item.

With the filter cup, armed with his baton, carrying a few pieces of jerky, and a water-filled satchel.

Leaving the cave, Yu Hong followed the direction Stammering Yiyi gave, running to the post office.

Having made the trip many times, the ground had long been worn down into a path.

The grass on the path had also been cleared, growing shorter than elsewhere.

Additionally, Stammering Yiyi had made deliberate marks on the trees to prevent getting lost.

So, with a light jog, Yu Hong navigated the way without straying off course.

About half an hour later.

He finally arrived at Baiqiu Village's so-called post office—a square white stone building.

A fence enclosed the house outside, and a sign hung on the wooden door of the fence, reading: "Ring before visiting."

Yu Hong glanced at the stone house and walked up to the sign, but saw the bell had fallen to the ground.

He picked it up—a small copper bell, the size of an egg—and gently shook it.

Ding, dong!

The bell sounded.

He continuously shook it, the bell ringing non-stop, echoing in the woods, spreading out in waves.

But no birds or insects were heard, only the rustling of the wind blowing through leaves and branches, as if in response.

It rang for several minutes.

No noise came from the stone house, as if no one was home.

"Stop ringing, the postman went to the town's bunker, and there's no one here."

A cautious middle-aged woman's voice drifted from the side behind.

Yu Hong followed the voice and saw a short golden-haired woman in a dark green men's jacket, standing up from a cluster of bushes, hunched over.