The Post-Apocalyptic Big Farm Owner

Chapter 8: Entering the City (Part 2)

While Luo Jianguo was lost in thought, a heavyset man carrying a child pushed his way through the crowd. The man had a plastic bag slung over his shoulder; it was bulging, though it was unclear what was inside. “Sir.” At the greeting, Luo Jianguo snapped back to attention. He glanced over, nodded at the man and child before him, and asked politely, “Is there anything you need?” “I picked up a few melons from the nearby mountains and wanted to ask you to take a look, Leader, to see how much grain they’re worth.” The heavyset man was, of course, Li Ba. He set down the bag, took out a jade-green melon, and placed it on the table. The emerald-green rind was as translucent as jade and gave off a tempting, fresh fragrance. The moment the extra-large jade melon—grown in the mysterious space—was brought out, it immediately drew the attention of everyone around. “This, this is…” Luo Jianguo looked utterly astonished. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed such a massive melon existed in this world; the refreshing fragrance wafting from it was enough to make anyone’s mouth water with just one whiff. “Mutant fruit!” Those four words flashed through his mind. Luo Jianguo immediately perked up. As a mid-level official in the settlement, he was well aware of how important mutant fruits were to the Evolved. If he could confirm that the giant melon on the table was a mutant fruit, his internal supply card would gain at least one hundred points, which he could use to purchase scarce supplies. “Xiao Li, go get Captain Zheng to come over.” At Luo Jianguo’s command, the young man beside him—known as Xiao Li—immediately rose from his seat and jogged toward the city gate. Before the apocalypse, Zheng Jun had been a second lieutenant and platoon leader in an Armed Police unit stationed in Liyang County. After the apocalypse, he awakened as a powerful Evolver and was put in charge of the settlement’s entire city defense force. Upon hearing that a refugee might have turned in a mutated fruit, he dropped everything and rushed to the city gate. “Move aside, everyone, move aside.” A chorus of shouts rang out. Moments later, flanked by a squad of Armed Police soldiers, Zheng Jun strode forward. He looked to be no more than twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, dressed in a second lieutenant’s uniform, with a tall, straight posture and a strikingly heroic bearing. “Damn! What a big show!” Li Ba muttered to himself upon seeing this. It seemed he had underestimated the value of the mutated fruit—even high-ranking officials had been alerted. “Team Leader Zheng.” Luo Jianguo had already stood up to greet Zheng Jun as he approached. He knew Zheng Jun’s status better than anyone: he was the trusted right-hand man of Major Liang Shaoping, the settlement’s highest-ranking official, commanding nearly three thousand Armed Police soldiers responsible for the entire settlement’s defenses—a position of great power and influence. “Director Luo.” Zheng Jun nodded in acknowledgment. His gaze then fell on the jade melon on the table; he took a quick step forward, picked it up, and brought it close to his nose for a deep sniff. “There are signs of dispersed Yuan Energy—no doubt about it… it’s a mutated fruit!” As an Evolver, Zheng Jun quickly determined that this large melon was a mutated fruit. An indescribable joy flashed across his stern face as he turned to ask Li Jianjun, “Director Luo, who turned this in?” Luo Jianguo looked at Li Ba and was just about to speak when Zheng Jun’s gaze had already shifted to Li Ba. He asked urgently, “Was it you?” “It was me,” Li Ba replied with a sheepish smile. “Where did you get this melon?” Zheng Jun pressed, his gaze sweeping over the plastic bag beside Li Ba. “How many more do you have?” “I stumbled upon this big melon over by Beishan,” Li Ba said, pointing casually, then lifted the bag onto the table. When he opened it, there were three more melons of exactly the same size inside, along with a melon vine. “There’s only one melon vine in that area, so I brought it back, roots and all.” As he prepared to hand over the jade melons in exchange for permission to enter the city, Li Ba had already devised a plan to answer any questions about their origin. Zheng Jun nodded upon hearing this, then asked in detail about where the melons had grown. Li Ba pointed in a random direction. Afterward, Zheng Jun actually dispatched a squad of Armed Police officers to search the area Li Ba had indicated. “Director Luo, calculate the payment based on a 1-to-30 grain exchange rate.” At Zheng Jun’s instruction, Luo Jianguo immediately took out an electronic scale and weighed the melons; the four jade melons totaled sixty-five jin. Before he could settle the account with Li Ba, Zheng Jun directly took the plastic bag containing the melons and said to Luo Jianguo, “Give him an extra fifty jin of grain—that’s for the vine!” With that, he led his men away. Sixty-five jin of green jade melons, at a one-to-thirty exchange rate, were worth 1,950 jin of grain. Adding the cost of the vines brought the total to exactly 2,000 jin. As Luo Jianguo finished his calculations, Li Ba sensed stares fixed on him from behind—some filled with envy, others with jealousy, greed, or covetousness—all coming from the refugees around him. Had this been in the refugee camp, Li Ba might have been afraid. But here, he felt not a shred of panic. Unless these refugees were suicidal, any attempt to cross the line would result in them being shot on the spot by the fully armed Armed Police officers stationed at the city gates. “Want to go into the city?” “Of course.” “All right, give me your name.” “Li Ba！” “What?” “Li as in ‘dawn,’ and Ba as in ‘Little Tyrant.’ ” “You didn’t explain it clearly—I thought you were trying to take advantage of me!” Having purchased sixty-five jin of mutated fruit, Luo Jianguo was in high spirits. As he registered Li Ba and Yan'er, he even cracked a few jokes. The registration process was quick. Before long, Luo Jianguo handed Li Ba and Yan’er two small booklets. “These are your ID cards. With these, you can live within the inner city of the settlement and receive half a jin of grain aid every day for a year… Remember, these cards are very important—don’t lose them, or it’ll be a hassle to get replacements.” After handing over the IDs, Luo Jianguo pulled out a thick stack of tickets. “These are grain coupons issued by the settlement; they’re equivalent to the old currency. With these coupons, you can go into town to buy grain, clothing, and other daily necessities. Of course, they have many other uses as well—you’ll find out once you’re in town.” Luo Jianguo gave him a “you know what I mean” look. He had Li Ba count them—a total of 2,000 jin of grain coupons. After deducting the 600 jin required as an entry fee upon entering the city, 1,400 jin remained. As he put away his ID, Li Ba discreetly slipped two grain coupons out while counting them—one for fifty jin and one for twenty jin—and quietly handed them to Luo Jianguo and Xiao Li. They were clearly delighted by Li Ba’s gesture and gladly accepted them. It’s important to note that Luo Jianguo’s monthly salary amounted to no more than 100 jin in grain coupons, which was barely enough to support his large family, leaving him in a very tight financial situation. Although he was an upright man, he wasn’t stubborn; he took what was rightfully his but wouldn’t accept a single fen that wasn’t due. Li Ba’s thoughtfulness endeared him to Luo even more, and he advised him, “Little Li, you’re a smart guy. Remember what I tell you: once you get to the city, use this money wisely to start a small business and try to get a firm foothold there as soon as possible.” “Thank you, Director Luo,” Li Ba said, his face beaming with gratitude. “If you run into any trouble, you can come find me. I can’t promise to help with major issues, but I can sort out any minor matters for you,” Luo Jianguo offered, extending a hand of friendship. For those who survive in the post-apocalyptic world, half depends on luck and half on wits. The young man before him had both luck and intelligence; Luo believed that as long as he stayed on the straight and narrow, he could make a name for himself in the settlement. Extending this gesture of goodwill now was also a way to build another connection for the future. After expressing his deepest gratitude for the advice, Li Ba took Yan'er by the hand and strode toward the city gate. For the first time since the apocalypse, Li Ba felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. As they passed through the city gate, he presented his ID; the Armed Police officers on duty glanced at it and immediately let them through. Finally, they were in the city! This had been Li Ba’s dream for many days; now that it had come true, it felt like a dream—he could hardly believe it. Yan'er, too, was beaming with excitement as she followed him into the city, gazing left and right at everything that seemed so new and wondrous. Separated by just a wall, it was as if they were in two different worlds. Before the apocalypse, Xibu was rich in hot spring resources and had been developed by Liyang County into a premier tourist and resort destination. Li Ba had visited there before, and now, returning to Xibu Town after such a short time, the bustling scene before his eyes was even more vibrant than it had been before the apocalypse. The streets were bustling with pedestrians, lined with shops, and filled with the constant clamor of vendors hawking their wares. Walking down the familiar streets, Li Ba momentarily felt as if he were back before the apocalypse, enjoying a life of peace and contentment. “Handsome guy!” Several young women, dressed in flashy outfits, stood by the side of the street soliciting customers. One of them, wearing a miniskirt that revealed her thighs in black stockings, even ran over to greet Li Ba. “Streetwalkers!” Li Ba glanced at her and immediately understood what was going on. “Handsome guy, you look like you just got to town. Want to have some fun? It’s not expensive—the full package is only ten jin of grain coupons!” The woman was quite attractive, with a stunning figure and a sharp tongue. She didn’t mind that Li Ba was dressed in rags; she hooked her arm through his, rubbing her ample bosom against him repeatedly, flashing a seductive smile as she acted with unbridled passion. Counting the days, Li Ba hadn’t had sex in several months, and as her ample breasts brushed against him, his “little brother” immediately sprang to life. The woman was quick to notice; upon seeing this, she giggled and became even more passionate in her movements. Li Ba could barely hold back; he was about to drag this slut inside for a quick romp. It was only ten jin of grain coupons—he could easily afford it with his current wealth. However, just as his mind was wandering, he felt someone tugging at the hem of his shirt. Looking down, he saw Yan'er’s disapproving gaze fixed on the woman beside him. He had no choice. To maintain his noble and glorious image in front of the little one, Li Ba reluctantly said, “I’m not interested. Get lost.” As he spoke, he gave the woman a knowing wink. She caught the hint, stuck out her tongue to lick her red lips, and silently whispered to Li Ba, “Hunk, I’ll be waiting for you.” Seeing how understanding this woman was, Li Ba smiled with satisfaction, though he muttered to himself with righteous indignation, “This place is a cesspool. Kid, let’s get out of here fast.” Yan'er was actually quite pleased with Li Ba’s self-restraint. She wasn’t very old, but she had a vague understanding of matters between men and women. Of course, she knew exactly what kind of business these women, dressed like temptresses, were in. Before leaving, Yan'er turned her head and shot the woman a fierce glare: “Don’t even think about corrupting my Uncle Li!” That was what the little girl was thinking at that very moment.