After packing the canned goods, energy bars, and compressed biscuits that needed to be exchanged for currency into a plain cardboard box, and handing it to Shang Jianyao, Bai Chen unfolded the tent cloth to cover the 'Orange' rifle, 'Berserker' assault rifle, 'Tyrant' grenade launcher, 'Grim Reaper' man-portable rocket launcher, various ammunitions, first-aid kit, and the remaining supplies.
This way, looking inside through the windows wouldn't reveal anything of value.
Seeing this, Jiang Baimian nodded almost imperceptibly, her eyes filled with admiration.
After tidying up the trunk, Bai Chen turned around and saw Long Yuehong's puzzled expression, and simply explained:
"It's easy to guard against big thieves, but hard to defend against petty ones.
"Nan Yi's place isn't the most orderly place."
In places that are too orderly, outsiders are relatively conspicuous.
Jiang Baimian added with a smile:
"When we come back later, we'll have to move some things upstairs and keep them close, that's the safest way."
She didn't mention continuing to take turns guarding the jeep on the second floor, because she didn't know what kind of trouble they would get into next, and it was crucial to maintain good energy.
Sometimes, after several consecutive days of insufficient sleep, even if you feel energetic and have no problems, your reaction will be half a beat slower, or even a whole beat slower, in the event of an emergency.
People can be deceived, especially in their self-perception.
Long Yuehong nodded, seeming to understand, and saw that Shang Jianyao was already carrying the cardboard box and walking towards the yard exit near 'Afu Gun Shop'.
In Weed City, the alleys were relatively narrow, only wide enough for one car to pass through, and the surrounding buildings were more than ten meters high, which meant that only around noon in winter did the sunlight fully penetrate, dispelling the coldness.
But once you left the alley and came to the main street, the sunlight became intense, warming people up, and the wind was no longer so biting.
"We'll pair up and keep a little distance. A group of four is too obvious," Jiang Baimian said to Long Yuehong and Bai Chen, glancing at the passersby.
Without much explanation, Bai Chen immediately understood the team leader's meaning and quickened her pace with Long Yuehong.
Soon, the two pairs were five or six meters apart.
Long Yuehong looked around with a sense of novelty:
"There's no public canteen here?
"There are quite a few people in the noodle shops and restaurants..."
This didn't fit his imagination of a wasteland wanderer settlement.
In this regard, both Shuiwei Town and Qifeng Town were closer to his expectations.
"There are many foreign ruins hunters here," Bai Chen explained in the simplest terms.
Long Yuehong was aware of this fact, and even knew that Weed City was a central exchange point for materials at the intersection of the three major forces, with many people coming and going every day, only slightly quieter in winter.
However, he didn't understand what this had to do with his question.
Bai Chen glanced at him and further explained:
"Most outsiders don't stay in Weed City for too long. Each time they come, they stay for a maximum of two weeks, staying in small hotels or renting short-term rooms, without a place to cook."
"I see..." Long Yuehong finally understood.
This was something that could never happen within Pangu Biology.
Even if they went to visit relatives and friends on other floors, they could quickly return home, or be directly put up for the night, so there were no hotels or daily rentals in the underground building.
As they were talking, Jiang Baimian suddenly quickened her pace and caught up.
She asked the way in the guise of a stranger:
"Are there usually many people in this alley at night?"
She was referring to the alley across from the South Street Slave Market.
Bai Chen recalled and said:
"In the winter evenings, apart from West Street, there aren't many people outside."
"Thank you," Jiang Baimian said with a bright smile.
Then, she returned to Shang Jianyao's side.
"Team Leader's acting is so realistic..." Long Yuehong exclaimed sincerely.
Bai Chen didn't say much and continued towards the central square.
Compared to other parts of Weed City, this place seemed very spacious, and the ground seemed to have been repaired, making it quite level.
In the middle of the square was a stone statue of a human, an old man holding a gun in one hand and a book in the other.
He had a thin face and was wearing a hooded robe that didn't seem very practical, and his slightly sunken eyes were watching the humans coming and going.
"Is this the bastard, Xu Erde?" Long Yuehong asked with great interest.
"Yes," Bai Chen walked around the statue and towards the municipal building to the north, "Actually, his most accurate title should be the governor of Weed City, but everyone is more used to calling him the city lord. Oh... there's also a tax official, directly responsible to 'First City,' and the exchange window is under him."
Long Yuehong wanted to ask what 'tax' meant, but he felt that he had asked too many questions along the way, so it would be better to ask next time.
Before long, they arrived in front of the municipal building.
This was a four-story building, generally brown-yellow in color, with some flower beds in front.
On the ground floor of the municipal building, there were nearly ten windows open, and each window had a considerable number of people lined up in front of it.
"The seven on the left are exchange windows," Bai Chen led Long Yuehong, looking for the line with the fewest people waiting. "The blackboard in front lists the exchange rates for different materials today. Materials not listed cannot be exchanged."
"Will ours be okay?" Long Yuehong suddenly felt a little worried.
"No force will refuse food," Bai Chen said with great certainty.
In fact, people like them who exchanged food for money were a minority within a minority.
Most people came to Weed City to exchange other materials for storable food, but the currency of 'First City' had to be used as a benchmark.
Long Yuehong breathed a sigh of relief and asked curiously:
"If there are materials that can't be exchanged, what do you do? Go to the underground market?"
"You can also go door-to-door and promote them, or spend some materials to set up a stall in the formal market. These are all relatively time-consuming options," Bai Chen looked around, as if to determine the length of the other lines. "After coming a few more times and getting more familiar with things, you'll be able to recognize the main buyers of different materials and negotiate directly with them."
At this time, Jiang Baimian, with her hands in her pockets, pointed her chin at the line where Long Yuehong and the others were:
"You go line up there. I saw a public library nearby, I'll go browse it."
On the right side of the square was a white-walled building with multiple entrances. One of the entrances had a sign that read 'Weed City Public Library'.
This was also one of the great achievements of Xu Erde, the greatest city lord represented by the statue.
Therefore, the statue held a gun and a book in its hands.
Shang Jianyao glanced at Jiang Baimian, didn't say much, and walked towards Long Yuehong and the others.
Jiang Baimian exhaled, watching it spread into a white mist in the air, and then happily arrived at the library door.
A piece of white paper was pasted on the wall next to it, with the following written in both Grey Earth language and Red River language:
"Only citizens of this city and formal hunters or higher can borrow."
Here, the hunter badge is really useful... Jiang Baimian sighed and walked in.
This place was similar to Pangu Biology's library, also consisting of a bookshelf area and a reading area. Jiang Baimian went straight to the former.
She browsed casually and soon came to an inconspicuous corner, pulling out a rather old, thick book.
The title was written in pure Red River language, and translated to:
*The Internal Revenue Code*
On the Grey Earth, at this stage, this was a useless book, placed here more for filling the bookshelves, and no one would borrow it at all.
Jiang Baimian quickly turned to page 650 of the book and folded it over.
Then, she took out a piece of memo paper and a fountain pen from her pocket, and in this deserted place shielded by many bookshelves, she quickly wrote a paragraph:
"8 PM, alley across from South Street Slave Market."
This was the contact method with the intelligence officer.
If it was completed before 2 PM, 8 PM meant 8 PM tonight, and if it exceeded 2 PM, it meant 8 PM the next night.
Folding the memo paper, Jiang Baimian clipped it in the middle of the book, and then, she pushed the book back to its original position.
…………
In front of the exchange window, Long Yuehong looked at the coins in his hand and said in a low voice:
"Isn't this just paper?"
Their supplies were exchanged for a total of 10 Ore, which today could buy about 12 jin of raw pork.
But these Ore were just thin, textured paper, with colorful patterns, a man's profile, and the number '1' on them.
"Outside the sphere of influence of 'First City,' they are indeed roughly equivalent to paper," Bai Chen echoed indifferently. "If there's a choice, picking gold and silver coins cast by 'First City' would be better."
Unfortunately, that was hard to come by.
"Then let's go eat lunch quickly," Long Yuehong suddenly had the feeling that the money in his hand would quickly turn into paper if he didn't spend it.
At this time, Jiang Baimian had returned and met up with them, keeping their distance.
At Bai Chen's suggestion, they returned to South Street and entered the 'Time-Honored Noodle Shop', 'sharing' a table.
"Their oily spicy noodles are delicious," Bai Chen seemed to recall something, her expression quite gentle.
"Oily spicy?" Long Yuehong asked in astonishment.
That sounded luxurious!
Is this the life in larger settlements on the Grey Earth?
Bai Chen gestured to the boss for four bowls before saying:
"Weed City is very suitable for growing rapeseed and peppers, and many nearby manors produce them, keeping prices very low.
"However, the noodles in these small shops aren't very good, not as refined as what the nobles eat..."
Speaking of this, Bai Chen suddenly stopped and didn't continue.
Jiang Baimian glanced at her and said with a smile:
"I just hope we can get it done quickly. Look, Shang Jianyao hasn't spoken for a long time."
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a sudden commotion outside.
After a while, someone passed by, and the boss who was making noodles casually asked:
"What's going on?"
The passerby pointed in the direction of the square:
"It seems the library is on fire."
Jiang Baimian's eyes narrowed instantly.