After watching yet another customer leave in disdain, the vendor finally couldn't hold back any longer. He slammed his palm onto the head of his subordinate behind him and roared angrily, "I told you to go collect supplies! What the hell were you thinking when you brought this crap back?!"
"Do you think this shit can sell now?!"
"Boss Fang," the muscular man behind him said in a small, aggrieved voice, "At that time, I didn't find any good supplies. I thought a thief shouldn't leave empty-handed, so I had to bring something back. I happened to come across a gym that hadn't been completely looted, so my brother and I carried everything back."
The vendor, half-laughing in anger, put his hands on his hips. "So you're saying you two are strong, huh?"
The muscular man nodded with pride. "We've been strong since we were kids."
Chen Mang passed by the stall and continued deeper into the gathering. Along the way, he saw all sorts of random items being sold, even paperback novels priced at just 1 unit of Iron Ore.
He inquired about prices at each stall, mainly to get a sense of the general market.
He didn't have much desire to buy, though.
After all, he didn't have much money on him. The primary currency of exchange was still Iron Ore, and he only had 600 units of it on his Train.
But he still bought a few things.
For example, the old hen that Lao Zhu was carrying. The hen could still lay eggs without a rooster, though the eggs would be unfertilized and unable to hatch into chicks.
Before the apocalypse, almost all eggs sold in supermarkets were unfertilized. The hens that laid them might have never even seen a rooster in their lives.
This hen cost him 400 units of Iron Ore.
The price was acceptable.
Besides getting an egg almost every day, if he was lucky enough to encounter a rooster in the future, he could breed more chicks. Then he could dedicate a train car to raising chickens, which would be part of an ecological cycle.
Chen Mang reached the end of the gathering and saw a man sitting on the ground, exuding a wild aura. In front of him was a wooden board with the words "Bloodthirsty Mad Bull" written on it. This was the person he had agreed to meet for a trade at the gathering.
The man was heavily hairy, the kind of person most people would avoid passing by at night in a bustling market.
Chen Mang walked over slowly, crouched down, and said softly, "Old brother, I'm from the Stellar."
"How much Spider Silk did you bring?"
The wild man's eyes lit up, and he grinned as he pulled out a large pile of Spider Silk from a box behind him. "It's all here. A total of 4500 units of Grade 1 Fine Spider Silk. It's a bit short of what you asked for, but if you ask around later, it should be enough."
"Old brother, name your price."
The man's smile faded slightly, and his expression turned serious. "Spider Silk isn't used in many places. As far as I know, the only Vehicle Components that require Spider Silk are 'Spider Legs' and 'Spider Venom.' But it's still a rare material. You can't dig it up in the Mines. It only drops from killing Man-Eating Spiders."
"Old brother, I'll give you a fair price."
"5000 units of Iron Ore."
"That's a one-to-one exchange. This price is definitely not high, considering it's a rare material."
Chen Mang waved his hand, and Lao Zhu took out a Handheld Zombie Perception Blocker from his pocket and placed it in front of the man. Chen Mang then said, "Take a look at this. I can trade with this. But, as you know, the value of this item is high. You'll need to add something."
Along the way, he hadn't just been wandering aimlessly. He had been gauging the market. Through his inquiries, he learned that the prices of special items were generally high. Special items had unique effects that could be decisive in certain situations.
For example, the Handheld Zombie Perception Blocker, the Hell Staff, and the Train Token.
If he were to really sell his Hell Staff, he could probably trade it for someone like Ji Chuchu, a top-tier female celebrity. But few people could afford it, and he wasn't willing to sell it anyway.
Being able to control the Train from a kilometer away wasn't just about convenience. It meant the Train could essentially become a fifth limb, allowing for many unexpected attack methods.
The wild man took the special device, which looked like a walkie-talkie, and after checking its panel, he was slightly stunned. This thing... was truly a good item!
This device could block the perception of Level 1 Zombies. Whether searching for supplies or in other situations, or even when surrounded by a Corpse Tide, this device could play a significant role. With a bit of luck, it could even save a life.
For him, what mattered more was—
This device could be even more valuable in his hands!
There was a rare green-grade Vehicle Component called the Vehicle-Mounted Zombie Perception Blocker. One of the crafting requirements was this Handheld Zombie Perception Blocker, and he happened to know a Train Conductor who had the blueprint for this component.
After buying that blueprint and crafting the component, he could upgrade it further. Then, he could completely ignore Corpse Tides while traveling the wastelands.
His safety would be greatly improved.
When mining, he wouldn't have to worry about being harassed by Corpse Tides. The value of this was immense.
Admittedly, Spider Silk was indeed a rare material, and it was much harder to obtain than Iron Ore. But it was also true that this material was useless to him. It had been sitting in his inventory for a while. Trading 4500 units of Spider Silk for a Handheld Zombie Perception Blocker would indeed require him to add something.
Chen Mang's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the man's reaction. Seeing this, he had a rough idea of the situation and coughed lightly. "Forget it, let's not trade with this item. Biao Zi, go to the Train and call a few people to bring down 5000 units of Iron Ore."
The man, still immersed in his daydream, immediately pressed down on Biao Zi's hand, which was about to take the Blocker. He forced a smile and said awkwardly, "Don't rush, don't rush. Let's talk more. I quite device."
"But as you know, it can only block Level 1 Zombies. Its effect is quite limited."
However, he quickly changed his tone and hurriedly added, "How about this? I'll add something more."
The wild man took a deep breath and pulled out a tall female Slave from behind him. "I'll add this woman. 4500 units of Spider Silk plus this woman in exchange for your special device. How about that?"
Chen Mang looked expressionlessly at the woman behind the man. She was tall, standing at 187 cm, even taller than him.
Because of her height, her skeletal frame lacked aesthetic appeal, though her face was decent.
"Old brother, do you have some misunderstanding about me?"
"I'll just trade Iron Ore for your Spider Silk."