86: Chapter 86 Crimson Scales and Flowing Fire, The Sealing Ring!

"Girls might not be keen on gear, but they won't refuse making their living space cozier. I've already thought of the copy for you; post it in the chat channel."

Lin Xiao handed the recipe diagrams to Wen Yiran.

"Who says the apocalypse can only be about miserable survival? A safe house can also be a Dream House!"

...

Wen Yiran took the blueprints, stunned for a moment, and tilted her head. "Brother Lin, has your account been hacked?"

Lin Xiao ignored her.

But the girl had already quickly typed that sentence into her memos, muttering as she typed, "This line is good, this line is good..."

"For the picture, I'll take a close-up of that shell wind chime. Make the lighting warmer and add a filter..."

She looked up, her eyes sparkling.

"A sense of security is given by weapons, but a sense of happiness is given by yourself. Use this as the sub-headline?"

Lin Xiao glanced at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "You're the professional, you decide."

Wen Yiran had completely entered her zone, clutching the blueprints and starting to brainstorm the nine-grid layout.

"Car 6 is all girls now. Even though they're all Level 1 territories with small areas, it's precisely because they're small that they want to decorate them beautifully even more."

Wen Yiran flipped through the blueprints rapidly. "The furniture styles in the public store are too ordinary. They'll definitely love these designs with Harbor Town characteristics!"

"You handle the pricing," Lin Xiao said. "Don't be too ruthless; think long-term."

"Understood!" Wen Yiran was already calculating the marketing strategy. "We won't fight a price war; we'll fight a demand differentiation war. As long as one girl starts decorating and the others see the effect, they'll naturally follow suit..."

"Exactly!" Lin Xiao nodded and pulled out several more advanced purple recipes.

Solid wood beds, fur rugs, and closets that expanded storage space.

"Sell these to Fan Sinian and the others," he said. "The captains on the leaderboard have upgraded their territories; it's time they improved their quality of life."

"And buying from us is cheaper than the public store or other individual sellers. Not just furniture—in the future, there will always be a discount for our own people on equipment, materials, and medical supplies."

This was the rule Lin Xiao wanted to establish.

The front half of the train car would not only become a power base but also a community of shared interests.

He provided security, resources, and a path for advancement, while the passengers exchanged their loyalty and contributions.

When everyone was tied to this war chariot, the cost of betrayal would become unbearably high.

...

While Wen Yiran dove back into her business war, the atmosphere in the workshop was entirely different.

The workshop had no ceiling light installed; only the light from the master bedroom filtered through the door frame, cutting a slanted corner of brightness.

Facing the light, Jiang Wanwan was patiently helping Tian Xiwei try on a red dress.

This equipment was named [vermilion scale flowing fire].

Although it was only Level 2, when worn by Tian Xiwei, it displayed an aura that surpassed Level 3 equipment.

Equipment could adapt to the wearer's physique, showcasing their best state.

Especially for her, being a celebrity.

It was practically tailor-made.

The light pouring in from the main room illuminated the dark red silk with a sunset-like gradient, flowing quietly along the curves of her body.

The off-the-shoulder bodice sculpted the contours of her collarbones and shoulder blades into something soft and elegant.

The back was nearly bare, with a deep V-neck plunging straight to the waistline, held together only by three silver chains, making one's heart race.

At the high slit of the skirt, dark red chiffon billowed like evening clouds.

With every step she took, the skirt would quietly slide open from the top of her thigh, snowy-white delicate skin and silver armor plates flashing alternately.

She turned slightly, her long hair brushing over her shoulder.

The hem of the skirt traced a semi-arc in the air, and the bright silver armor plates embedded in the silk lining rippled outward. The reflected light spots, like crushed diamonds, scattered onto the surrounding walls, turning into a flowing galaxy.

Jiang Wanwan stood beside her, her eyes full of admiration.

"Very beautiful."

Lin Xiao's voice came from the doorway.

He leaned against the door frame, his tone flat, but his heart was already surging with waves.

Tian Xiwei looked up at him, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately just lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt.

Lin Xiao walked over.

"Pick a weapon you like," he said, pointing to the surrounding walls.

It wasn't a question.

Tian Xiwei instinctively wanted to refuse.

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she met his eyes.

That gaze, full of pressure, forced her to swallow her words back down, and she obediently walked to the display rack.

The display rack held spare equipment that Lin Xiao had organized from his storage boxes.

Three staves of varying lengths, a pair of short blades with energy circuits, a scythe, a longbow...

"Try to feel them; don't just look with your eyes."

Jiang Wanwan said softly from the side, her voice gentle, making Tian Xiwei feel warm inside.

Tian Xiwei closed her eyes.

Her eyelashes were very long, casting dense shadows on her cheeks.

She reached out, her hand gently brushing over the surfaces of the equipment.

The gear began to emit a faint glow.

The staves were ice blue, the short blades were dark red, the longbow was amber...

But every color flickered past her perception rapidly.

None remained.

After scanning all the weapons, Tian Xiwei looked at the two behind her somewhat uneasily.

"None you like?" Jiang Wanwan asked.

Tian Xiwei nodded.

Lin Xiao didn't press her. He pondered for a moment, then walked to the equipment bench and took out a weapon blueprint glowing with purple light.

After a minute of clanging and hammering, a silver-white bracelet that looked ordinary but was Level 3 appeared in his hand.

"Try this one."

Tian Xiwei lowered her head, took the bracelet, and felt it carefully.

The bracelet's appearance was so plain it was almost bland.

But as she sensed the equipment carefully, countless tiny black threads suddenly emerged inside the bracelet, swimming and intertwining like living things.

"This is..." She opened her eyes, filled with confusion.

"seal ring."

Lin Xiao crossed his arms and came before Tian Xiwei. "Though it's not an offensive piece of gear, it suits you well."

"Your ability is Construction, creating items from nothing, but it requires a massive consumption of mental power."

"And the function of this bracelet is to store mental power, making it more stable when you construct things."

He paused.

"And it won't be as tiring."

The consideration in his words made Tian Xiwei blush.

She didn't speak, simply snapping the seal ring onto her wrist.

The moment the metal touched her skin, those black threads suddenly became active, spreading up her wrist and forming faintly visible patterns under her skin.

Combined with the vermilion dress, it created a unique sense of beauty.

At the same time, for some reason, a strange shadow flashed deep within Tian Xiwei's pupils.

[Weapon: seal ring]

[Type: Ranged]

[Level: 3]

[Attack: 44]

[Trait - Dark Kingdom: Every 2 hours, drains 1 point of the user's mental power, converting it into [Darkness] stacks, up to 60 stacks. Stacks can be consumed to gain corresponding mental power.]

[Trait - Glory: Each stack of [Darkness] provides 5 points of Attack.]

[Trait - Abyss Gaze: After [Darkness] reaches 30 stacks, provides 20% mental power recovery speed.]

[Trait - King's Judgment: After [Darkness] reaches 60 stacks, you can choose to consume all stacks; the next attack deals bonus damage equal to (Consumed Stacks x 2.5%). After use, no new [Darkness] stacks can be gained for 24 hours.]

[Durability: 50/50]

[Darkness never devours its own children; it is merely waiting for them to grow up.]

Seeing how Tian Xiwei couldn't put it down, Lin Xiao asked, "Are you sure about this one?"

Tian Xiwei nodded vigorously.

Lin Xiao smiled and took a pile of skill scrolls from his storage box. "Then pick the skills you want."

If an outsider saw this quantity, they would likely lose the ability to speak on the spot.

His personal holdings almost exceeded the sum of all other passengers on the entire train.