ATDIWR Chapter 38
by VolareWhether it was Jing Shi Base or other bases, they all had beast tamers. One could say beast tamers were common, but mutated beasts were not, especially Tier 4 mutated beasts, which were even rarer.
But the mutated beast T Base was bidding on was a great white shark. This thing couldn’t survive out of water.
Cong Xun was from North Base, straightforward in personality, and said directly, “The level of this thing isn’t low, and it’s a good item. The problem is how to carry it around. Now that we have space storage items, we could raise the great white shark in a spatial dimension. But what about during combat?
Release the great white shark from the spatial dimension, have it eat someone in one bite, and then it gets stranded?”
“Pfft…” Several people couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Mutated beasts didn’t have crystal cores in their brains, but their bodies contained immense energy. Eating large amounts of mutated beast meat was very helpful for power users to enhance their abilities.
“I guess this thing is only good for eating its meat,” Cong Xun said. “When it comes to mutated beasts, look to our Northeast.”
However, T Base still offered a high price. Buying a Tier 4 mutated beast to eat at that price wasn’t just having a big head, but a brain full of water. In the end, no one bid, and it went unsold.
The T Base delegation looked very upset, and the M Country people sitting with them also had unpleasant expressions.
Among them was Cruz. Cruz had come by piggybacking on T Base’s quota. Later, he was detained by Jing Shi Base. M Country people came, paid a large amount of resources to bail Cruz out, and conveniently stayed to continue using T Base’s quota to participate in the auction.
In a sense, they rose and fell together.
The fifth auction item was also a mutated beast, a peak Tier 4 Golden Tiger provided by North Base.
That Golden Tiger was golden all over, with black stripes and dark spots on its body, and a large ‘King’ character on its forehead, looking majestic.
Even when trapped in a cage specially made by power users using their abilities, it still didn’t lose its dominance.
Even in the cage, the Golden Tiger showed no sign of being disadvantaged. It roared towards the sky, its voice shaking the surroundings, fully displaying its kingly pressure.
This was a good beast to tame.
Unlike the great white shark, this Golden Tiger was highly sought after and was eventually bought at a good price.
The sixth auction item was a dual-type Tier 6 Zombie Crystal Core of Thunder-type and Wind-type, provided by Luo City Base.
The crystal cores were not auctioned individually. The starting bid for the two together was almost double the combined price if they were auctioned separately.
Luo City Base was clearly well-prepared. Everyone knew that Jing Shi Base Commander Gu Jinsheng was a dual Thunder and Wind type power user, and his ability was stuck at the peak of Tier 5, about to advance to Tier 6.
Of course, Tier 6 Zombie Crystal Cores were definitely good items, and there were many bidders. Gu Jinsheng simply used space storage items to participate in the bidding.
Finally, he used five 200 cubic meter to 300 cubic meter space storage items to purchase those two Zombie Crystal Cores.
The outcome was a win-win. Luo City Base was satisfied, and Jing Shi Base was even more satisfied.
Space storage items sold at a high price, but they were the producers, so the cost was almost negligible. The two Zombie Crystal Cores were essentially obtained for free.
The seventh item was a peak Tier 5 Wood-type Zombie Crystal Core, the eighth…
It wasn’t until the second-to-last auction item was presented that the host finally revealed a genuine smile and introduced it, saying, “This item is very special. Its bidding price is low, requiring only one jin of grain. However, what we are bidding on today is not the item itself, but its priority purchase right.”
“What does that mean?” Cong Xun asked his companion next to him. “It means this thing can be mass-produced, there are many of them, but they aren’t sold randomly. To sell it, you have to recharge and become a VIP first before you can buy it.”
Luo City Base’s Jiang Fuzhong gave Du Ruanlan a thumbs up, “Boss, you’re truly brilliant and insightful. You predicted it correctly. I thought Jing Shi Base had no more tricks up its sleeve as the auction was about to end.”
Du Ruanlan was very interested in this item that appeared last. “This should be the highlight of the day, something that will absolutely make all bases go crazy.”
Owen’s fiery red lips parted slightly, “It could even be related to the survival of a base.”
A kimchi power user rolled his eyes and said scornfully, “You Hua people are just country bumpkins with no vision. You like to make things fancy with just a little good stuff. What good things haven’t we seen in H Country?”
Completely forgetting their fanatic and obsessed look when they first touched the space storage item earlier, as well as their impotent rage when they failed to bid on it due to lack of resources.
Third Base was just a small base, with its commander being a Tier 3 power user. They really hadn’t seen many good things; their eyes were wide with amazement. Unfortunately, with their base’s worth, they couldn’t even afford the cheapest unsold item, the great white shark.
Shen Mo touched the space pendant on his chest through his clothes, secretly feeling fortunate that Chen Chen had exchanged the item back. Otherwise, if it had been brought to the auction, half of their base’s resources wouldn’t have been enough to compete.
Ding Yong was also dazzled by the sights, fantasizing about the day he could become one of those bidders.
“Jing Shi Base is truly abundant. Good things keep coming one after another. The space storage item was already shocking enough, and they put it as the first item, treating it like nothing. Now, this final item, it must be the real good stuff,” Ding Yong sighed.
Tang Tang bit her lip, watching with fervent desire in her heart, and even more, deep jealousy. How she wished to be one of the people in the VIP boxes upstairs. Now, she could only sit on the first floor, not even daring to raise a bid paddle.
“I wonder what kind of treasure Jing Shi Base’s auction item is?”
The host lady pulled away the red cloth covering the tray, revealing a small mountain of nutrient solutions stacked on the tray. “The final item of this auction is nutrient solutions!”
“Nutrient solutions from sci-fi movies. Drink one dose and you won’t feel hungry, and it provides the most basic daily nutritional needs for the human body.”
The host listened to the sudden uproar below, very satisfied with the effect she had created.
“The nutrient solutions are only ten milliliters per dose, divided into versions for ordinary people and power users. They are available in one-day, three-day, five-day, seven-day, half-month, and one-month doses.”
These didn’t require much explanation from the host; the power users could understand them. It was precisely because they understood them so clearly that they were even more shocked.
“Holy crap, Old Zhang, pinch me quickly to see if it hurts. What is this, nutrient solutions? You don’t need to eat for several days after taking one dose? I didn’t hear that wrong, did I?” Cong Xun shouted.
Old Zhang immediately pinched Cong Xun’s arm hard. Cong Xun let out a painful cry. Old Zhang was satisfied. “It hurts so much, it seems I’m not dreaming, it’s real. Damn, nutrient solutions!”
Although Du Ruanlan was mentally prepared and knew it would be something very shocking, she hadn’t expected it to be something that directly seized people’s lifeline like nutrient solutions.
Du Ruanlan’s expression was complex. “Space storage items, nutrient solutions… these two things seem to have suddenly appeared after Third Base drove away a traitor.”
“Honey, are you saying these two things are related to that person who was slandered by Third Base?” Owen gasped. “Damn, Chen Chen is an idiot, isn’t he! He drove away a god like that! What’s in his head isn’t a power user’s crystal core, it’s zombie virus, right!”
Jiang Fuzhong sincerely said, “Is there a possibility that his head is full of idiots!”
Owen chuckled, “That’s also possible.”
Du Ruanlan’s gaze looked far towards the nutrient solutions on the host stand. “Things are about to change.”
Shen Mo was so shocked that he stood up directly from his chair, craning his neck to see clearly what the nutrient solutions looked like.
There were quite a few people standing up to look like him, so it didn’t seem out of place.
Even Tang Tang couldn’t resist, craning her neck to look as well.
She only felt that after attending the auction, she realized how little she knew. Third Base was, after all, a small base. Staying within its small plot of land all year round, she had no idea that the outside world had developed to this extent!
At the same time, a strong ambition rose in her heart, which was to stay in Jing Shi Base!
She didn’t want the outside world to have developed into a space age while she was still struggling to get a bite to eat, trying hard to please an old man with yellow teeth and half his body in the grave.
Tang Tang secretly made up her mind that no matter the cost, one day, she must settle in Jing Shi Base!
T Base was in an uproar. Several M Country people started talking directly in English.
“Are the effects of the nutrient solutions really as they advertised?”
“Could it be a deliberate gimmick by the Hua people? You know how Hua people love to exaggerate their publicity. It would be great if we could experience it ourselves like the space storage item.”
South Base’s Han Zhiwei’s eyes gleamed. “Our grain crop yield in the south is low. In the past, we always relied mainly on grain supply from the north. If the nutrient solutions are real, then our death rate in the south could be reduced by at least two-thirds each year.”
Everyone looked eagerly, wanting to see it with their own eyes and experience it personally.
Jing Shi Base, as the organizer and producer, fulfilled the wishes of all base representatives. They had someone push a cart to distribute it. There wasn’t much, just one dose per person.
Almost everyone who received the nutrient solution drank it immediately, except for the M Country people. They didn’t trust the Hua people, fearing the nutrient solution had problems. None of them drank it, but instead forced a Hua person from T Base to drink it.
“How is it?” The M Country power users’ eyes were wider than each other’s; they were all waiting for his answer.
The T Base representative rubbed his stomach. “I seem to be full. I was very hungry just now, but now I don’t feel that way anymore.”
The M Country people couldn’t believe it. “Such a small thing, not even as big as a piece of bread!”
One of the M Country people decided to test it personally. “I’ll try it.”
Then he personally experienced the magic of the nutrient solution. The feeling of fullness came so quickly; he could feel it as soon as he drank it.
The effect was immediate. Several M Country power users were too curious and disregarded the potential danger. They all tried it, and then let out cries of amazement like country bumpkins.
Cruz said solemnly, “We must report this matter immediately, right now. This is too important for our country.”
M Country’s land was barren, and the yield of grain and other crops was low, completely insufficient to meet demand. For hundreds of years, M Country had always been like this, practicing banditry. If they couldn’t get by, they would rob and wage war.
M Country’s representative sent to redeem Cruz, DeWitt, narrowed his eyes, calculating. “Tell that Hua person to contact Han Yaokun as soon as possible. By any means necessary, they must get that person.”
M Country people often resided at T Base. Most of their influence was concentrated there, so they didn’t have a clear understanding of many things happening inland.
For example, although they had seen the video about the space storage item, they didn’t understand the love, hate, and entanglements between Chen Chen, Tang Tang, and the third hidden person in the video. They simply regarded these two people as those who discovered a treasure and wanted to keep it for themselves. Deeper layers of the story were either not dug into or deemed unnecessary.
Ultimately, it was due to the lack of timely information.
Their main attention was on Han Yaokun. The timing also happened to be coincidental; Han Yaokun had just been brought back to Jing Shi Base, and right after, space storage items and nutrient solutions appeared. Even if someone said these had nothing to do with Han Yaokun, would the M Country people believe it?
Killing intent filled Cruz’s eyes, and he made a throat-slitting gesture. “If we can’t win him over, kill him! Such talent must never fall into the hands of the Hua people. M Country is the strongest country in the world, the future world overlord!”
H Country’s land was also barren. Watermelons and other fruits were sold in slices there, and strawberries were sold individually, which showed how scarce resources were. They were very vocal, but for such a small country of two and a half billion people, they didn’t even have enough cabbage to eat and had to import from our country of several billion people. If we stopped selling to them one day, they wouldn’t be able to afford their national dish, kimchi.
Those two country bumpkins were so insulted in the supermarket that day, yet they didn’t forget to take grain and cabbage when they left, which shows how much they lacked food. Now, seeing the nutrient solutions, their eyes were glowing green.
After drinking, several kimchi power users said in unison, “Buy! We must bid on it.”
Almost everyone present had this idea. When the bidding started, the atmosphere of the auction was pushed to a climax again. Something that was originally worth less than a jin of grain, its priority supply right was bid up to a frightening level. The top three bidders almost went all out, pouring in resources equivalent to ten years’ worth.
M Country lost because they hadn’t prepared in advance, while H Country couldn’t afford the resources after just two rounds.
Finally, the top three priority purchase rights were bought by Luo City Base, North Base, and South Base.
The final auction item was a mental-type Tier 6 Zombie Crystal Core, added temporarily by M Country.
If this crystal core hadn’t been brought out after the nutrient solutions, at any other time, it would have fetched an exorbitant price.
Precisely because it came after the nutrient solutions, everyone’s attention was on the nutrient solutions. The rare Tier 6 mental-type Zombie Crystal Core wasn’t that appealing anymore, and it was finally easily exchanged for by Gu Jinsheng using space storage items.
After the auction ended, everyone was still talking enthusiastically, only the topic of discussion had shifted from the space storage item at the beginning to the nutrient solutions.
Tang Tang walked out, caught in the crowd, feeling disoriented. For a moment, she felt as if she were dreaming. When had the world outside Third Base developed so rapidly? It seemed as if they were no longer on the same level as Third Base.
Tang Tang’s eyes wandered unconsciously. Suddenly, she saw an unexpected yet exceptionally familiar figure – Ji An!
Tang Tang’s legs moved uncontrollably, and she walked towards the second floor involuntarily. Not far from Ji An, Tang Tang hid behind a pillar.
In Gu Jinsheng’s open palm lay a Zombie Crystal Core that was transparent and shimmered with rainbow-colored light.
“This Zombie Crystal Core was bought by me personally, I’m giving it to you.” Gu Jinsheng had always remembered that Ji An wanted to see the high-grade mental-type Zombie Crystal Core that M Country used to redeem someone. Unfortunately, that was base property and was given to Han Yaokun, who needed it the most. With that crystal core, Han Yaokun could advance.
Later, as soon as the M Country delegation arrived, they stated they wanted to add a mental-type Zombie Crystal Core. Gu Jinsheng immediately thought of bidding on one to give to Ji An.
Originally, Gu Jinsheng wanted to trade privately, but the M Country delegation refused. They insisted on putting it up for auction to publicize that their M Country still had high-grade mental-type Zombie Crystal Cores to sell and needed publicity.
Gu Jinsheng had already made up his mind to bid on it, no matter the cost.
The three people following Ji An, who had absolutely no presence in Gu Jinsheng’s eyes, all stared wide-eyed.
Tang Ning and Zheng Yan were alright; to them, a Zombie Crystal Core was just valuable.
But Wu Youyang was different. He was also a mental power user, and he also needed mental-type Zombie Crystal Cores. It was just that this Tier 6 crystal core was too high a level for him currently, and he couldn’t use it. But it was still a mental-type Zombie Crystal Core! He truly dreamed of someone being so generous as to give him one.
Ji An looked at the Zombie Crystal Core with a complex expression. “I was bidding on it too at the time. To get it, I raised the price several times. If I had known it was you bidding, I wouldn’t have increased the price.”
“I told you before, tell me what you like, and I’ll bid on it.”
Ji An suddenly remembered that Gu Jinsheng had indeed said something like that. It was just that Ji An was used to being independent; for anything he wanted to do, he always figured out how to get it himself. Even when he was with Chen Chen, it was mostly Chen Chen relying on him; he was always the independent one.
After experiencing those events, over a long period of time, the window to Ji An’s heart had closed. Even if outsiders were close, they were always separated by a pane of glass and couldn’t truly enter.
So the moment he saw the Zombie Crystal Core, he was too excited and then he forgot.
Gu Jinsheng seemed to have seen through Ji An’s thoughts. He sighed almost imperceptibly, “It’s for you.”
Ji An said, “How many resources did you use? I’ll figure out a way to gather them for you as soon as possible.”
Gu Jinsheng had contacted M Country for the transaction privately, and the price wasn’t disclosed, so Ji An didn’t know that Gu Jinsheng had bought it with space storage items.
Gu Jinsheng’s eyes were deep and silent. He just stared directly at Ji An. Those eyes seemed to convey a thousand words, clearer and more profound than Gu Jinsheng’s usual taciturnity.
This kind of gaze made Ji An feel panicked, as if he understood everything, as if the two of them had already reached a stage of mutual understanding.
Ji An subconsciously avoided Gu Jinsheng’s gaze, which was so hot it burned beneath its coolness. “I’ll accept it. Thank you. If there’s anything you need help with in the future, I’ll do my best.”
Gu Jinsheng didn’t move his eyes. His gaze fell on the top of Ji An’s head, then on his slightly lowered profile, and finally lingered on his fair neck.
Something beastly in Gu Jinsheng’s eyes seemed no longer containable, about to break out of the sea, choose its prey, and swallow the person in front of him in one gulp.
He had to close his eyes and lock that threatening beast back inside.
“Nutrient solutions, you helped me a great deal.”
Ji An giving Gu Jinsheng the right to handle the nutrient solutions indeed helped him solidify his position even further.
Thinking this way, accepting this Zombie Crystal Core seemed to become more reasonable.
But just as his hand touched the crystal core, the space necklace on his chest suddenly became terrifyingly hot. The heat seemed to scald Ji An’s skin.