Chapter 13: A Massive Shopping Spree
The first thing that caught Lin Wu’s eye was a small sign hanging at the entrance of the market.
【This Week’s Material Prices】
【Timber: 2 Crystal Coins per unit】
【Fresh Water: 3 Crystal Coins per unit】
【Iron Ore: 5 Crystal Coins per unit】
【Coal: 8 Crystal Coins per unit】
【Fuel: 12 Crystal Coins per unit】
【Rare Vein Ore: 15–35 Crystal Coins per unit】
【Rare Vein Crystals: 3000–5000 Crystal Coins per piece】
“Are rare vein ores really worth that much?” Li Ye asked, surprised.
Lin Xia nodded.
Upon learning that Li Ye had 483 units of Thunder Ore in his possession, she immediately covered her mouth in astonishment.
“That many? Are you that lucky?”
At that moment, probably due to the large crowd, the entire market grew somewhat chaotic. Lin Xia stepped forward and began to orderly organize the market’s flow.
Li Ye couldn’t help but glance at Lin Xia a few more times.
This young woman, barely in her early twenties, was generous and efficient, without the usual haughty airs of a lord’s child, which made him feel quite favorable toward her.
About half an hour later, Li Ye finally sold all his Thunder Ore at 25 Crystal Coins per unit.
The reason it took so long was that no one in the market was willing to buy all his ore in one go; people only bought a few units at a time, with the largest purchase being just thirty units.
12,075 Crystal Coins.
Li Ye counted the money with satisfaction.
Among the coins were many crystal cards, which were also a universal currency in this world, each equivalent to 100 Crystal Coins and typically dropped only by elite-level monsters.
Seeing that sum, Old Zhou and the others relaxed considerably.
“Let’s go buy supplies,” Li Ye gestured.
He first purchased 600 units of coal in one go.
As the coal filled the reserves, the energy level of the Tomorrow rose to 61%.
Seeing this, Li Ye breathed a sigh of relief. After all the ups and downs, the energy was finally back above the safe threshold. During their time in the wild, he had often worried that the Tomorrow might run out of power and stop.
Next, he began picking out level 1 items in the market.
The Roland Fortress market did carry level 1 goods, though in limited quantities. Stores that had level 1 items always displayed them in the most prominent places.
Level 1 beds, level 1 tables and chairs blueprints, level 1 machetes...
Li Ye weaved through the market, quickly scanning several shops’ level 1 merchandise and blueprints.
As the lord of a mobile city, he preferred crafting over buying. So rather than purchasing level 1 items, he was more interested in level 1 blueprints to input into the production workshop and unlock manufacturing projects.
After careful selection, he settled on two things.
One was a level 1 crop seed—Morninglight Wheat—priced at 1,500 Crystal Coins; the other was a level 1 off-road vehicle blueprint selling for 1,000 Crystal Coins.
Morninglight Wheat was a crop native to Roland Fortress, maturing within a month and boasting a “10% yield bonus.” It was sold in the official shop of the fortress, mainly to residents from other towns, survival convoys from outside, and mobile city lords.
As for the level 1 off-road vehicle blueprint, it was sold by a bounty hunter living in the upper district of Roland Fortress. He claimed it had dropped from an elite goblin he had slain.
Building a level 1 off-road vehicle required consuming 200 units of iron ore and 10 units of car parts. Car parts could also be manufactured in the production workshop, requiring 5 units of metal each, meaning in total, crafting one off-road vehicle needed 250 units of iron ore.
The vehicle came with the useful effect of “10% fuel consumption reduction,” making it quite practical.
Li Ye didn’t hesitate and bought it immediately.
Mobile cities generally had vehicle fleets used for scouting and gathering supplies, as well as for striking resource points held by monsters.
Although the Tomorrow currently lacked enough resources and personnel to form a fleet, purchasing the blueprint early was a wise move.
The bounty hunter happily pocketed ten crystal cards and left.
Li Ye quietly counted his money.
He had spent 4,800 Crystal Coins on coal and another 2,500 on these purchases, leaving him with just over 4,700 Crystal Coins.
Next, he spent 2,500 Crystal Coins to buy 500 units of iron ore.
He had to admit that level 1 iron ore was incredibly useful — it was needed for making bullets and shells, upgrading city components, producing items, and even as emergency fuel when the mobile city’s energy was low.
Initially, he had thought about spending all his coins on iron ore, but after consideration, he decided it wasn’t necessary.
His intelligence system made it relatively easy to find iron ore or mines in the wild, so 500 units would suffice for now.
With the remaining two thousand or so Crystal Coins, Li Ye bought vegetables and fruits suitable for storage, dried meats, staple foods like flour, and some ordinary furniture for the Tomorrow.
The furniture wasn’t for himself; his lord’s chamber was already fully furnished. He bought these to provide for the new residents joining the city.
Additionally, Li Ye purchased a few chickens and ducks and allocated a plot in the middle tier for raising them. In the wasteland apocalypse, these poultry fetched prices far higher than usual.
Before long, the money was nearly all spent.
After stocking up on supplies, Li Ye tried recruiting new residents in the fortress.
However, this time no one showed interest.
Compared to a mobile city, the fortress offered better living conditions: it was safer, more spacious, and didn’t require wandering the wilds or living in constant fear.
After all, people naturally seek a comfortable life.
While moving the newly bought supplies, Old Zhou asked Li Ye,
“Ali, when do we head out to the wild?”
Li Ye rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“We’ve finished most of what we needed to do. Let’s rest here tonight and set out early tomorrow morning.”
In the time that followed, Li Ye left the market and went to the factory district.
Because there were many repair shops, he searched for quite a while.
Finally, he spotted a young man squatting at the entrance of one repair shop.
The young man was about twenty-three or twenty-four, wore glasses, and looked somewhat scholarly.
He was currently holding his chin in both hands, wearing a worried expression.
Li Ye’s thoughts stirred—this must be the person mentioned in the intelligence report who had been fired.
After some conversation, Li Ye learned his name was Ning Wen. He had originally been an apprentice at this repair shop but was dismissed less than two months in.
Ning Wen was surprised to learn Li Ye was a mobile city lord.
Upon hearing Li Ye’s intentions, he was stunned.
“I wouldn’t really call myself a gunner…” he scratched his head sheepishly.
In fact, Ning Wen had served as an intern gunner at Roland Fortress a few years back but was laid off after just a few months.