The two figures wore goggles and black masks, dressed similarly to the stuttering person from before.
Before long, they arrived at the entrance of a cave.
The taller one stepped forward and knocked on the door.
“Yu Hong from Baiqiu Village?”
“It’s me. What do you want?” Yu Hong replied, hiding beside the door, leaning against the stone wall.
He didn’t hide behind the door itself but rather avoided it.
“I heard you have better辉石 for sale?” The person did not introduce themselves but asked openly.
“What better辉石? I don’t know what you’re talking about, and who are you?” Yu Hong asked in a hushed tone.
“Stop being so secretive. We’ve seen the two pieces in Lin Yiyi's hands. They’re impressive. With your abilities, you shouldn’t stay here anymore. You should come with us to the town where there are many more辉石 for you to showcase your skills and save more people,” the tall one urged in a low voice.
“By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Zhao Zhenghong, and this is Xu Yang. We are from the Joint Army in the town.”
“Joint Army?” Yu Hong’s heart skipped a beat. “Sorry, but I don’t want to go to the town. I feel safe on my own here. Although I could sell the strengthened辉石, I can't right now. I don’t have enough for myself and don’t have the time to make more.”
He indeed considered using the strengthened辉石 to trade for supplies, but he couldn't mass-produce them just yet.
It took three days to make one piece, which felt like a huge waste to him.
“Right now is the peak period; there are many places needing辉石. If you come to the town with us, you will be protected by a lot of people and can focus on making new strong辉石. It has to be better than hiding here alone and worrying about everything,” Zhao Zhenghong continued to persuade.
“No thanks, I’m used to living alone. I wouldn’t be comfortable in the town. I appreciate your kind intentions.” Yu Hong firmly refused again. “If you want to buy, you’ll have to wait until the peak is over.”
The other person behind Zhao Zhenghong discreetly reached for the gun strapped to his thigh upon hearing this.
But Zhao Zhenghong stopped him with a gesture.
“Mr. Yu Hong, according to the wartime emergency regulations established when the Joint Army was formed two years ago after the Black Disaster, article twenty-eight, paragraph three: if there is a significant talent or technology to optimize military strength, a mandatory enlistment can be carried out, and compensation will be given afterward.”
He paused for a moment.
“Actually, we could forcibly enlist you against your will. However, since we’re all locals of Baishi Town, I’m giving you a chance. You don’t have to go, but you must share your technology for making strong辉石 with us.”
“In this critical time, every extra piece of strong辉石 could mean saving a life. Besides, after sharing your techniques, it’s not like you won’t be able to make them yourself. This won’t affect your solitude here at all, and you’ll also contribute to the community and avoid a lot of trouble, right?”
Zhao Zhenghong spoke with logic and reason.
If it were someone else, they might have been persuaded.
But unfortunately for him, the strengthened辉石 was not something he could create solely through his own skills; it relied on the black seal's power.
And the black seal’s abilities must remain hidden from others.
“Sorry, I only accept exchanges; as for technology, you won’t be able to grasp it.” Yu Hong replied calmly, his tone resolute.
With the reinforced wooden door, he didn’t fear that they could come in.
Outside the door, Zhao Zhenghong’s eyes flickered but he didn’t get angry.
He merely smiled.
“Alright, since that’s the case, we’ll visit again another time. Mr. Yu Hong may think it over. After all, suffering alone here cannot compare to enjoying life in a bunker, with food and drink guaranteed, not to mention possible companionship.”
He gave his companion a pat, and the two turned away, descending the stone steps of the cave and walking off into the distance.
Before long, they vanished into the forest without a trace.
However, in a spot not visible from the cave’s entrance, a person in camouflage clothing quietly pressed against the rock wall, hiding to the right of the door.
This figure looked just like Zhao Zhenghong and his companion.
One hand gripped a dagger, back pressed against the rock wall, standing straight like a lizard, motionless.
At this position, as soon as the cave door opened, he could rush in immediately and take control of the one inside.
During this time, Yu Hong quietly shifted his eyes from the peephole and exhaled.
After observing for a while and confirming there was no one around, he relaxed slightly.
‘I want to exchange for something else, not this.’
The strengthened辉石 would undoubtedly attract undesirable guests.
However, for the sake of the stutterer’s safety, he had to keep his treasures hidden.
Additionally, since the name of the strengthened辉石 would spread, it was inevitable that others would come to seek him for exchanges.
After all, the previous辉石 had been too heavy and inconvenient to carry, just like when the stutterer dispelled the strange shadows, tossing them out by the handful.
Coming back to himself, Yu Hong decided not to go out but instead waited quietly in the cave.
With food and water available, he could at least hold on for another day.
There was no rush to leave, in case those two had any other tricks up their sleeves.
Leaning against the fireplace and feeling its warmth, for the first time, Yu Hong thought that perhaps living safely in this shelter wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Suddenly, a loud grumbling noise came from his stomach.
Yu Hong’s expression changed immediately, and his good mood vanished like smoke.
He dashed to the corner, pulled out a small bucket, and dropped his pants over it.
With a loud splash, he positioned himself just in time.
Then, his complexion changed completely.
He... had diarrhea!!
Cramping in his belly signaled that this was no ordinary incident but possibly an intestinal infection!
Quickly wiping himself with leaves, Yu Hong barely stood up when his stomach churned again.
He had to lift the lid off the bucket for another round of messy relief.
‘What a hassle!’
After standing, Yu Hong quickly rummaged through the clutter he had around and soon pulled out a small black box.
Opening it, he found two deep blue capsules whose purpose was uncertain.
But Yu Hong remembered that this medicine seemed to be cold medicine given by Doctor Xu, not anti-inflammatory.
He had finished all his anti-inflammatory medicine previously, and later, when he ran short, the stutterer traded a lot of good things with Doctor Xu, but it still wasn't enough.
In the end, out of kindness, Doctor Xu had even done a poor trade.
It was only after taking the medicine that he finally started to recover.
‘No, I must find a way!’ Yu Hong closed the bucket, but the stench in the cave had already begun to spread.
He had to open the peephole to allow air to flow in and out.
‘I need medication, either for intestinal inflammation or an anti-diarrheal!’ Yu Hong thought anxiously.
He suspected that drinking unboiled rainwater had caused his troubles.
But strangely, all the water he had drunk before was filtered through the stutterer’s filthy water filter, and he hadn’t gotten sick then.
Instead, it was the rainwater that seemed harmless but caused his stomach issues.
Yu Hong pressed his belly and glanced at the newspaper reporting on the countdown for the reinforcement, noting that only a little over two hours had passed.
There was still plenty of time left.
He glanced outside at the sky and, gritting his teeth, stuffed a couple of boards into his vest and stomach.
He then picked up the steel nail辉石 stick and walked to the door.
He needed to visit the other villagers in Baiqiu Village to ask if the post office had any medicine.
Otherwise, if he waited until tomorrow and lost too much from the diarrhea, he would certainly feel exhausted, making his condition even worse.
Also, he had to find a way to restock his medicine, for when he returned, he could perhaps use the black seal to strengthen himself.
Grasping the door handle tightly, Yu Hong twisted it hard.
Click.
The door lock turned with a sound.
But instead of moving, Yu Hong remained still, quietly waiting.
He even held his breath, listening to the sounds outside.
Suddenly, he pushed the door open with force.
Then, with a bang, he quickly slammed it shut.
With a crisp sound as the door closed, a figure dashed by just in time, tumbling down the stone steps and landing hard in the grass below.
“Damn!”
The person cursed as they got up, calling a few words in an unfamiliar dialect from who-knows-where.
After noticing the cave was silent, the figure looked at the sky and snorted coldly before swiftly turning to leave.
Behind the door, Yu Hong took a deep breath, a fine sheen of cold sweat forming, but his expression gradually relaxed as he continued standing quietly behind the door.
After waiting for another ten minutes and confirming no more sounds outside, he slowly opened the door.
Bright sunlight flooded in; it was just around noon, the best time for sunshine.
‘There are still at least five hours until dusk.
The post office is probably over a mile away; there’s plenty of time to make it back and forth, and I can also ask other nearby villagers if they have anything to trade.
If the post office doesn't have medicine, I might find it elsewhere.’
For trading purposes, Yu Hong took along his water filter cup.
This filter was a result of his enhancements, well made with a much stronger filtering capacity than ordinary devices and should be quite popular.
This item was entirely crafted by himself; the wooden cup was simple, just a round hole carved from a block of wood.
As for the filter materials, a piece of cloth and charcoal had an extremely low cost and didn't take long to enhance.
It could easily serve as a specific product for his trades.
With the filter cup in hand, he carried the stick and tucked some jerky and a skin bag of water into his pocket.
Yu Hong stepped out, following the stutterer's directions, quickly heading to the post office.
Due to his frequent visits, a small path had long been worn into the ground, and the grass was shorter where he walked compared to other areas.
Furthermore, because the stutterer was afraid of getting lost, he had intentionally made marks on the trees.
Yu Hong jogged along without any diversions.
About half an hour later, he finally arrived at the supposed post office of Baiqiu Village—a square white stone house.
Surrounding the house was a low fence, and on the wooden door was a sign that read: Ring the bell before visiting.
Yu Hong looked at the stone house, walked up to the sign, and found the bell had already fallen to the ground.
He picked it up; it was a copper bell about egg-sized, giving it a gentle shake.
Ding-dong!
The bell rang out.
He kept shaking, the sound echoing through the woods, spreading outward in circles.
But there were no birds, no insects—only the rustling leaves swaying in response to the wind.
He kept this up for several minutes.
The stone house was silent, indicating no one was inside.
“Stop ringing! The postal worker went to the town bunker, and there's no one here.”
A careful middle-aged female voice drifted from the side.
Yu Hong turned towards the sound and saw a petite, blonde woman in a dark green jacket standing up from behind a cluster of bushes.
(End of Chapter)