After lunch, the "Old Task Force" got into their jeep, left Cliff Village under the pretext of "seeing if we can trade for something," and headed for Shanao Town, attempting to make contact with the people of Year-End City.

In the mountain town where many houses had collapsed, the Year-End City convoy filled the small square and the surrounding streets, some of which Jiang Baimian and the others had not seen before.

The people of Year-End City were clearly familiar with the rules of Cliff Village. They had long separated the convoy, allowing vehicles loaded with important supplies to arrive in Shanao Town first.

These were all large vehicles, some carrying giant iron tanks, clearly for storing oil, and others with iron fences around their truck beds, filled with bleating sheep, mooing cattle, and grunting black pigs.

The stench they produced had already spread, and coupled with the bloody smell of the nearby slaughter, Long Yuehong couldn't help but hold his breath for several seconds.

"Did these come from the Frozen Wilderness?" he murmured curiously after recovering for a moment.

He knew that Year-End City was located in a warm and fertile mountain valley suitable for planting and grazing. However, the route from Year-End City to Cliff Village was mostly a snow-covered, bitterly cold wasteland, making it unlikely for these livestock to survive in such large numbers.

Long Yuehong didn't expect an answer, as the other members of the "Old Task Force" had also never been to Year-End City and didn't know the specific situation there.

He could only guess that either the people of Year-End City had traded for them in the south, or they had a unique method of keeping livestock from freezing.

At this moment, beside an off-road vehicle parked nearby, a middle-aged man wrapped in a thick cotton coat, his face bearing the marks of wind and snow, said with a smile:

"Our pigs, cows, and sheep from Year-End City are very resistant to the cold. They eat a little more, but the meat is really good. Would you like to buy one to try?

"Also, would you like to take a look at these furs? They're very cheap!"

The trunk of the off-road vehicle next to the man was propped open, displaying tanned furs, some from common cattle and sheep, and others from creatures of the Frozen Wilderness.

"Why are they resistant to the cold?" Shang Jianyao asked, digging to the bottom of the question.

The middle-aged man, who seemed to have been asked similar questions countless times, answered without hesitation:

"Some are cold-resistant breeds left over from the Old World, and some are from mutations of normal cattle and sheep. Don't worry, we've selected them and eaten them. Over the years, there haven't been any problems. In the words of our elder, it's a benign mutation."

Shang Jianyao nodded and asked earnestly:

"What is the average lifespan in Year-End City?"

"Uh..." The middle-aged man was stumped.

Clearly, Year-End City hadn't kept statistics on such things.

Shang Jianyao explained didactically:

"What I mean is, are there many people in Year-End City who die young?

"Or, do many people die before the age of forty?"

"It's okay... not worse than the larger human settlements in the south," the middle-aged man said after thinking for a moment.

Then, he tried his best to promote the furs on his vehicle.

The entire Shanao Town seemed to have turned into a large trade show, with each vehicle acting as a shop or stall.

Jiang Baimian politely listened to the middle-aged man's sales pitch and casually looked at the tanned furs:

"Who's your leader?"

"You want to talk big business?" The middle-aged man's eyes lit up.

Jiang Baimian neither said "yes" nor "no":

"Depends on the situation."

The middle-aged man immediately pointed to the sheep and pig slaughtering scene, where blood flowed everywhere:

"Over there, the one wearing the bear-skin coat and holding the opium pipe.

"Want some tobacco? Although Year-End City is in the Frozen Wilderness, the climate and soil in some parts of the valley are very suitable for growing tobacco, not inferior to those in the south."

"Do we look like smokers to you?" Shang Jianyao grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth.

Jiang Baimian asked:

"What's your leader's name?"

"Old He. Just call him Old He," the middle-aged man introduced enthusiastically.

The five members of the "Old Task Force" walked toward the temporary "slaughterhouse" located on a street on the side of the small square.

The freshly slaughtered beef, mutton, and pork were not for trade but were part of the convoy's food supply for the next few days.

Of course, if any Cliff Village residents insisted on bypassing the collective bulk trade and wanted to exchange some salt, tea, or industrial products for a few pounds of meat to improve their meals, the people of Year-End City wouldn't object.

At this moment, the convoy leader known as Old He was standing at the edge of the blood-stained street, directing his subordinates to cut the meat and sort it for preservation.

He was probably around forty years old, wearing a bear-skin coat and a furry melon cap. He occasionally picked up his opium pipe and took a puff. His face was thin and weary.

Thinking about what the village chief had said about the Year-End City convoy possibly having Awakened from the "Endling" or "Zhuang Sheng" domains, Jiang Baimian turned her head and glanced at Genvava, who was wearing a robe.

Genvava understood her meaning and nodded slowly.

He was the "Old Task Force's" last line of defense.

Although intelligent robots could also be affected by "electromagnetic interference," "matter interference," and some abilities, they were definitely more immune than humans.

"Old He, Old He!" Shang Jianyao greeted the leader of the Year-End City convoy enthusiastically.

Old He turned around, looked at them for a moment, and asked hesitantly:

"You are?"

Why did they act like they knew him so well?

Facing him, Jiang Baimian noticed that Old He's eyes were quite deep, which didn't quite match his appearance or temperament.

"We're from Cliff Village," Jiang Baimian replied with a smile, "but we're not people from Cliff Village."

Old He's gaze swept back and forth between her, Shang Jianyao, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen:

"I can see that.

"But no matter where you're from, you're our guests. What do you want to trade for?"

"Pigs, cattle, sheep, and furs are not what we want," Shang Jianyao answered before Jiang Baimian could.

Old He was quite calm:

"We also have flour, tobacco, and some special products from the Frozen Wilderness."

"No, no, no, that's not what we want either," Shang Jianyao shook his head triumphantly.

He was proud that Old He couldn't guess what they wanted to trade for.

Seeing a twitch in Old He's forehead, Jiang Baimian quickly stepped in to salvage the situation:

"We want to trade for intelligence.

"We're going to the Frozen Wilderness for a mission and want to get some information from you about the climate, terrain, and ruins."

Old He's expression relaxed:

"We do know quite a bit."

Saying that, he changed the subject:

"But some intelligence is very valuable. What can you offer in exchange?"

"Some conventional weapons or a high-performance battery, made by 'Orange' company," Jiang Baimian said, already having a plan.

For this mission to the Frozen Wilderness, the "Old Task Force" had applied for another batch of high-performance batteries. Adding them to the dozens they already had, they could be considered rich in this regard.

"One might not be enough," Old He smiled. "It depends on what you want to ask."

Although in the overall environment of the Frozen Wilderness, high-performance batteries were not as valuable as gasoline, diesel, and other materials, the climate in Year-End City's valley was warm, and many devices still relied on them.

Jiang Baimian took the lead and asked about the specific location of the city where Shang Jianyao's father had last appeared.

"I know there's such a city. We had contact with its residents a long time ago, but we haven't encountered them in over a decade. We don't know exactly where that city is located, only the general direction.

"It's near the 'White Knights Order.' You can look for it based on the climate. To allow so many people to survive in the Frozen Wilderness for so many years, the climate can't be too bad. Even if it's not as good as our Year-End City, it must be warmer than the normal state of the Frozen Wilderness."

Jiang Baimian asked for more details and received fairly satisfactory answers.

"Have you seen any special envoys from the Eighth Research Institute?" Shang Jianyao interjected impatiently.

Seeing that Old He looked a little confused, Jiang Baimian helped to add:

"Have you seen any strange people in the Frozen Wilderness? They seem to live somewhere in the Frozen Wilderness as well."

"I haven't," Old He shook his head. "I'm not sure if anyone else in Year-End City has. You can ask around later."

Jiang Baimian said "Mm" and took out a high-performance battery:

"That's all the questions for now."

After completing the transaction, Shang Jianyao suddenly took a step back, bent his arms, and struck a pose as if holding a baby.

He lowered his voice and said:

"All shall return to Fate!"

Jiang Baimian knew that this guy was testing the faith of Year-End City.

Old He laughed:

"You're also a follower of Fate? Many people in Year-End City believe in Him."

Just as Shang Jianyao was about to step forward and claim kinship, Old He said:

"Unfortunately, I am not."

"Then what do you believe in?" Shang Jianyao asked curiously.

Old He pulled out a pendant from his collar. It hung a wooden figure with a blank face, devoid of any features.

Holding the pendant, Old He said reverently and solemnly:

"I believe in Truth."