Chapter 20: The First Transaction Completed-Cultivando na Era do Apocalipse: Adotando uma Criança e Abrindo uma Fazenda(Lua de outono traz tranquilidade)

Li Siba and Li Siqi were assigned to the underground parking garage of the Baihui Plaza. On the way there, Li Siqi kept complaining.

"Damn underground garage. What could we possibly scavenge in an underground garage? Is our safe zone short on cars? They’re just squeezing us because we joined late and our names are at the bottom of the list. They took all the good floors for themselves."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he chambered a round and fired at a nearby tree trunk to vent his frustration. The gunshot echoed piercingly through the silent department store plaza.

The leader on the other side scoffed at the sound, assuming it was just that hot-headed Li Siqi wasting ammunition again. It didn't matter; once he ran out of bullets, he would have to scavenge supplies himself to trade for more.

"Brother Seven, why is there a truck parked at the entrance to this garage?"

Li Siqi’s eyes lit up. A truck appearing in a place like this was highly irregular. The bright red vehicle was spotlessly clean, devoid of even a speck of blood or grime, standing in stark contrast to the surrounding decay.

Li Siqi climbed into the driver’s seat, glancing at the pink, bubbly decorations inside. On the seat, there were even a few white feathers. He grinned broadly. "We’ve hit the jackpot today. There’s a good chance there are people in this garage, maybe even women."

Li Siba checked the cargo hold; it was completely empty. The two men entered the garage together.

Li Siqi called out with a cocky air, "Anyone here? We’ve built a safe zone in the neighboring district, not far from here. Join us, and the safe zone will protect you."

Li Siba followed behind, echoing the sentiment, "That’s right! The men can go out with us to scavenge for supplies, while the women and children stay in the safe zone to cook, grow vegetables, and such."

Their voices reverberated through the garage. Inside the wreckage of a flattened van, a severed, decaying arm hung out the window. In the shadows around the corner lay a pile of unrecognizable remains; beneath some dark fabric, a white, glistening tibia protruded, its fractured end coated in strands of grayish-black tendon, while several fat maggots crawled sluggishly out of the pant leg.

There was no breeze in the garage; instead, a thick, stagnant air seemed to flow slowly, carrying a heavy scent of death that clung to their ankles. Both men couldn't help but shiver.

Li Siqi hastily lit a cigarette and took a drag, grumbling, "Damn it, this place is giving me the creeps."

Li Siba, feeling equally uneasy, whispered, "Brother Seven, I don’t think anyone could stay here. How about we just leave?"

Just as Li Siqi was about to turn back, he noticed a trail of wet footprints on the ground. Simultaneously, Tang Miao emerged from behind an overturned sedan, cradling a snow-white silkie chicken.

"Y-you... are you telling the truth?"

The woman before them wore a simple white nightgown, her black hair reaching her shoulders with slightly curled tips. Her small nose was smudged with dust, and her wet, wide eyes looked at them with apparent terror. The live silkie chicken in her arms made both Li Siqi and Li Siba swallow hard.

Li Siba tucked his gun away. "Don't be afraid, little sister. Where did you get that chicken? Are you all alone?"

Finding a live piece of poultry in this day and age was a rare stroke of luck.

Tang Miao nodded. "Yes, just me. This chicken... I raised it myself."

At these words, Li Siba’s mind began to wander. Li Siqi noticed and gripped Li Siba’s gun barrel, turning to Tang Miao. "Little sister, wait a moment. Let me discuss with him what kind of position we can arrange for you in the safe zone."

Tang Miao nodded obediently.

"What’s wrong, Brother Seven? It’s just her; we don’t need to worry, do we?"

"It’s not just one; it’s a group." Li Siqi pointed his chin toward the floor. The messy footprints, left after stepping in puddles, stretched all the way back behind Tang Miao. "I suspect this girl is a lure, sent to test if we’re worth trusting, get it?"

Those hiding in the shadows must have plenty of supplies; otherwise, they wouldn't have a truck. Li Siba nodded in sudden realization. "I get it, Brother Seven."

Tang Miao, standing nearby, had heard every word of their conversation. Before they could deliver their "verdict," she proactively offered the chicken. "How about I sell this silkie to you? It weighs 3.8 pounds. Can you give me 100 yuan, or something of similar value?"

Li Siqi put away his gun and approached her with a grin. "Why sell it? It's your chicken; keep it and eat it yourself."

Tang Miao feigned fear and took a step back. "But I’m afraid to kill it. If I sell it to you, you can take it and eat it. Or you could give me some other supplies in exchange for this chicken."

"Oh, killing a chicken is easy! Leave it to me!"

Li Siba snatched the bird. As it let out a few clucks, he immediately twisted its neck. He looked smug as he held the carcass. "See? Nothing to it."

*Heh. So her silkie just sacrificed itself?* The trade failed, so it looked like Plan B was the only way.

Tang Miao slowly lifted her eyes, and just as she was about to act, a mechanical voice echoed in her mind.

[Congratulations to the host for completing your first trade! High-quality silkie chicken, weight 1.97kg. Trade successful, 300 points earned! Items in the shop priced at or below 300 points have been unlocked. Happy shopping!]

*Oh?*

Li Siqi was quietly observing the area behind Tang Miao, asking with feigned kindness, "Little sister? Are you scared silly? Don't be afraid. Killing chickens isn't a job for a girl like you. The safe zone has professional cooks; let them handle these things."

Li Siba weighed the chicken in his hand. "That's right, that's right. You all can just do some cleaning or light work in the safe zone." He couldn't stand it anymore; he wanted to cook and eat this chicken right now. If he took it back to the others, he probably wouldn't even get a chicken foot.

"Mmhmm." Tang Miao deliberately pitched her voice higher and called out to the space behind another vehicle. "Rourou, bring the other chicken out too."

Zhang Xinrou took a deep breath. Inside the car, the cub and Jiang Nanxing wanted to poke their heads out to watch, but Zhang Xinrou pushed them back. She carried the last chicken from the farm and walked over to Tang Miao.

"Rourou, give them this one too. We have plenty more where we came from. Consider these two chickens a welcoming gift."

Zhang Xinrou mimicked Tang Miao’s tone, pitching her voice up as she replied, "Okay! Thank you for being willing to take us into the safe zone." She got goosebumps all over her body the moment she said it.

Li Siqi grabbed the second chicken first and twisted its head off as before. A dead chicken was much easier to hide than a live one.

[Congratulations to the host for completing your second trade. High-quality silkie chicken, weight 2.1kg, value 300 points. Cumulative points: 600. Items in the shop priced at or below 600 points have been unlocked.]

*Well, well,* she thought, *this trading system is even more user-friendly than the beginner protection period.*

To further confirm this, Tang Miao pretended to go back to the car to fetch supplies, bringing out a few Class A tomatoes and cucumbers, insisting they eat them right away. Sure enough, the moment Li Siqi and Li Siba took a bite, the system notification triggered automatically. Five points for a cucumber, five points for a tomato.

Trading items from the farm didn't require Tang Miao to collect payment; the system handled it automatically.

Zhang Xinrou leaned in close to Tang Miao and whispered, "Tang Miao, why are you smiling? What do we do now?"

Tang Miao patted her shoulder, smiling as she sighed, "I’m smiling because we don't have to keep acting anymore."