185: The Market of the Gifted

"Two young brothers, we've arrived!"

The vehicle stopped at the base entrance, where many people were gathered, most holding hoes and other farming tools, as if going to cultivate land.

Hong Wei's family and Tang Ping got out.

Hong Wei's son casually put away the vehicle; the huge vehicle immediately transformed into a small toy car that could be held in one hand.

Hong Wei looked at those people, then turned to Tang Ping and said, "See? These people are going to cultivate contaminated land. Inside the base, planting has already begun. I heard that on contaminated land, the crops grow very fast. The first batch of planted grain will be ready soon. Once purified, it can be eaten."

"Is that purification limited, or can any amount of grain be purified?" Tang Ping asked. If it were the latter, it would be somewhat terrifying.

Hong Wei shrugged, "How could I know something like that? But I guess it shouldn't be a small amount, given how many people are out cultivating land."

"That's true."

The procedure to enter the base was very simple; they only needed to register their names. Then they would receive an ID card, which was exclusive to the Tang Lake Base and also served as a currency card.

The Tanghu Military Region Base also adopted a contribution points system, and any contribution points earned could be deposited into this card.

After receiving their cards, Tang Ping and Zhang Xile parted ways with Hong Wei's family. Hong Wei's family went ahead to tidy up their assigned house. Because the two families came together, their rooms were adjacent. However, Tang Ping and Zhang Xile began to explore the base.

Zhang Xile held the card with some interest. "Brother Tang, this thing is good! It's very convenient to use. Why don't we implement it at our Shelter?"

Tang Ping rolled his eyes. "You think you can just implement it? Don't let this unassuming little card fool you; it requires a lot of technology. With our primitive Shelter, which just solved its electricity problem, you still want technology?"

"Besides, this thing, while useful, is also easy to tamper with."

Zhang Xile nodded. "That's true. And it also seems inconvenient for transactions. This base seems to operate on a rationing system, and contribution points can only be spent with the official authorities; they can't circulate freely among individuals."

Tang Ping put away the card in his hand. "Each has its own advantages. A rationing system is more suitable for a Shelter with so many people. After all, there are many people but little land and little food, unlike us, where there are few people, much land, and much food. Even if there's no grain, the grass in the Shelter can be pulled up and eaten without worrying about contamination."

"Hey, you two, are you new? Do you want some grain? The price is reasonable; anything valuable on you can be exchanged. If you really have nothing, clothes will do."

A short man walked over, hunched over, looking at the patrolling guards with fear in his eyes.

"Grain?" Zhang Xile was curious. "Isn't grain here only available from the military, exchanged with contribution points? How can there be free trade?"

"Heh, listen to you," the short man chuckled and winked. "With so many people, how could there not be some market?"

Tang Ping and Zhang Xile immediately understood; it was something like a black market.

"Coincidentally, we don't have any contribution points right now and need to get some food. You lead the way," Tang Ping said.

"I can, but..." The short man rubbed his hands.

"Hey, you're trying to extort us just for leading the way, aren't you?" Zhang Xile grabbed the short man by the collar.

The short man felt the force, his expression changed, and he quickly smiled ingratiatingly. "My lord, this is how I make a living. I stay here every day, with people coming and going, my eyes are strained just looking for new faces who just arrived, to earn a guiding fee. Please don't make it difficult for a humble person like me, a dignified Talent User!"

"Is this enough?" Tang Ping threw him half a pack of cigarettes.

The short man's eyes immediately lit up. "Enough! Enough! Hehehe, as expected of a Talent User, so generous! Cigarettes are good stuff."

Zhang Xile didn't smoke, but he also managed a Shelter and knew that after people had enough to eat, they started thinking about pleasure, and tobacco and alcohol were good things for that. "How much grain are cigarettes worth here?"

The short man opened the cigarette pack and looked inside. "This pack of cigarettes is well-preserved, and it's Longxia brand. These eight sticks should be worth about half a catty of sweet potato flour."

"Only that much grain? I thought it would be two or three catties." Zhang Xile knew that the value of tobacco and alcohol in his own Shelter seemed much higher than here. But then again, their Shelter's people didn't lack food.

"Look at you," the short man said. "To get this much, I'm already overestimating. If you're in a hurry to sell and don't carefully look for a buyer, half a catty of sweet potato flour would be a struggle." The short man carefully put away the cigarettes. "Let's go, I'll take you to the market. There are many good things at this market; it will definitely open your eyes!"

Tang Ping and Zhang Xile were indeed astonished. The market was not inside the base but outside, in an abandoned factory.

The environment inside, of course, goes without saying. People came and went, selling everything imaginable: torn clothes and pants stripped from some unfortunate soul, pots, bowls, and ladles, various pre-apocalypse snacks and drinks, and even screws, wires, lamps, batteries, and similar items salvaged from who knows where.

Here, grain was hard currency.

Of course, Tang Ping and Zhang Xile had no interest in these things.

"Is there a market exclusive to Talent Users?" Tang Ping asked. He had never seen offline Talent User transactions and wondered if there was one here.

The short man's face showed an expression of having expected this, and he fawningly said, "Yes, yes, of course there is! Please follow me, my lords."

Following the short man, they arrived at the fifth floor, the top floor of the factory building. At the stairwell, there were even Talent Users standing guard.

"This is it, my lords. I can't go inside. If you want to enter, just slightly display your Talent." After saying that, the short man whispered, "My lords, if you have a Shelter, you absolutely must not reveal it."

Afterward, the short man seemed very afraid of this place and hurried downstairs.

The two men guarding the stairwell were chatting, completely oblivious to the arrival of Tang Ping and Zhang Xile.

The two of them briefly displayed their Talent and were about to enter when the two Talent Users immediately blocked them. One of them said with displeasure, "Don't you understand the rules? Is this a place you can just enter?"

"Didn't they say that as long as you're a Talent User, you can enter?" Zhang Xile frowned.

Tang Ping looked at the two men's expressions and immediately understood that they had displayed too little power and were mistaken for easy targets.

"Don't you understand the rules? Then I ask you now, what rules are you talking about?"

The golden-red flames reflected on the two men's pale faces.

"Fourth-rank!"

"Hahahaha, my two elder brothers, my brother here is ignorant. Please come in, quickly, come in!" The other Talent User, sweat beading on his forehead, quickly made way.

"Hmph." Zhang Xile raised his head, snorted, and stepped inside.

As soon as they entered, they seemed to cross a barrier, and the noisy sounds inside immediately rushed in.

"Heh heh, you want to trade a broken knife for my shelter item? Let me tell you, my toy car can turn into a real car that you can drive! And don't let it fool you; it's just a small sedan, but the interior space is wider than a double-decker bus!"

"Let me tell you, this is an exclusive apocalypse RV, and it has the characteristics of hiding its aura and silent driving. No bargaining, I only trade for b-rank talent upgrade stones!"

"Toy car? Is there a Shelter for sale here, just like Brother Hong Wei's son's?" Zhang Xile curiously looked in that direction.