C15 Just Wait and See What Happens Next!

"I don't think that's a good idea. It might stir up some unnecessary trouble," Amu said, his tongue tied. Shen Chen clapped him on the shoulder and reassured, "No worries. If they want rice, they'll play by my rules. Make it clear—if they're not on board, they can take a hike."

"You got it!" Amu, emboldened by Shen Chen's assertive stance, bellowed, "Friends from Ocean Mountain Base, get in line behind. Scavengers have priority."

His call set the whole area abuzz. The scavengers, who had been too intimidated to approach the Ocean Mountain Base folks, were suddenly filled with gratitude. Shen Chen's blunt approach showed no fear of the base's influence.

This, of course, didn't sit well with the Ocean Mountain Base crowd. "Why should we, who arrived so early, have to wait?"

"Exactly! Why should those garbage scavengers get ahead of us?"

Their reaction was exactly what Shen Chen had anticipated. As they kept berating Amu, Shen Chen strolled over and said with a mocking tone, "The rice is mine, and I decide how it's distributed. If you're not happy with that, feel free to leave—no farewells necessary."

"Boss Shen, you..."

Confronted with Shen Chen's direct involvement, the Ocean Mountain Base group exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to speak up. They depended on Shen Chen for their livelihood, and with the Cloud Mountain Base and a level-three fire-type mutant present, they had no choice but to step back and yield their spots.

The selling point was suddenly deserted, with no scavenger daring to step forward for fear of crossing the Ocean Mountain Base.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the rice supply is limited today. If you don't act fast, I'm afraid..."

Shen Chen's smile was slight, his message crystal clear. The scavengers rushed over, desperate to secure their share of rice, their very survival at stake.

The Ocean Mountain Base people's demeanor shifted dramatically at the mention of 'limited rice,' especially Baldie, who demanded, "Boss Shen, what are you implying? We've been here since the crack of dawn. You better not be saying there'll be no rice left by our turn."

"Of course not. I'm no swindler."

Shen Chen's eerie grin sent an involuntary shiver through the ranks of the Ocean Mountain Base.

Shen Chen wasn't rushing to experiment with the small crystal. Instead, he waited patiently. Gouza had indeed distributed the flyers, and by now, the folks from Han Iron Base should have made it here.

"Why have you put the Ocean Mountain Base people at the end of the line? Should I take that as you currying favor with them?" Yang Hanshuang asked pointedly. Shen Chen simply shrugged, "You could see it that way."

Yang Hanshuang noticed that Shen Chen's focus wasn't on the sales point. His gaze kept sweeping across the distant streets. She murmured, "What are you waiting for?"

"A good show."

Half an hour later, Shen Chen spotted a group of figures at the far end of the street. His eyes, dark and shining, squinted at the sight of them. He gestured to Amu, who caught on quickly and bellowed, "People from Ocean Mountain Base, you can start lining up now!"

Yang Hanshuang also caught sight of the distant crowd, recognizing the attire of the Han Iron Base. "Why have they come? By having the Ocean Mountain Base line up now, do you have some sort of plan?"

"Take a guess." Shen Chen's smile was mischievous. A spark of fire danced in Yang Hanshuang's piercing eyes. "I'm guessing you're the type to hold a grudge."

"That's one way to interpret it. Remember, when the Han Iron Base people get here, don't let everyone from Ocean Mountain Base exchange their goods. Tell them we've run out of rice for today."

Yang Hanshuang paused, then grasped the cunning behind Shen Chen's taunting smile. "Ah, so this was your strategy."

"Haven't I said before? Ocean Mountain Base expects to gobble up all this rice? There's no such easy deal."

"But aren't you worried about something going wrong? What if Han Iron Base decides to..."

Shen Chen shook his head. "What can they snatch if there's no rice?"

Yang Hanshuang fell silent, the aloof demeanor of the young man before her sending a shiver through her. The once outcast, likened to a homeless dog, now had the confidence to contend with the powers of the base, even plotting against them with such strategic poise.

Yang Hanshuang braced herself. Should any mishap occur, she would unhesitatingly protect Shen Chen, safeguarding this last beacon of hope.

"By the way, did you manage to catch that level-three Crawler I asked you for this morning?"

"Got it. It's in the supermarket, covered with a cloth in the metal cage," Yang Hanshuang said, eyeing Shen Chen with a peculiar look. "What's your plan? Just a heads up—don't do anything foolish. These folks are way out of a Level Three Crawler's league."

"I'm well aware. Just watch the show."

With that, Shen Chen turned and headed into the supermarket. Yang Hanshuang let out a sigh. Shen Chen was becoming an enigma, a riddle wrapped in mystery. The more she tried to figure him out, the deeper she found herself lost in the mist.

Blind Chung arrived with his crew, and the mood on the street tensed up immediately. The people from Cloud Mountain Base and Ocean Mountain Base eyed them with caution, while the scavengers kept their distance. Blind Chung was known for his cruelty and tyranny, and his past was notorious. What truly made him formidable was his peak level-three Thunder Esper abilities, a source of despair for many.

"What brings Brother Cheng to our neck of the woods?" Baldie asked with a forced smile. Blind Chung's laughter boomed, echoing through the streets like a scavenging vulture. "I heard a Level One Crystal Core could fetch one and a half kilos of rice and thought it was just a tall tale. Turns out it's true. Mr. Shen, keeping such good news from me? That's not very nice."

Inside the supermarket, Shen Chen chuckled coldly. "The real 'not nice' part is yet to come."

"I would've thought nothing gets past Brother Cheng's sharp ears," Baldie retorted with a hint of sarcasm. Blind Chung's expression chilled. He flicked up his black eyepatch and strode over to the sales counter, grabbing a fistful of rice and squeezing it fiercely. Lightning crackled, and the rice turned to dust. "So it's true."

"Master Cheng, please don't touch the merchandise if you're not buying," Amu said, his voice turning icy. Blind Chung smirked. "No need to get upset, young man. We're here to buy, and we'll buy plenty."

"Sorry, but there's a limit of one and a half kilos per person each day," Amu responded coolly. Blind Chung chuckled once more. "Ah, your boss sure knows how to run an interesting business. Speaking of which, why haven't I seen him around? I, Blind Chung, would really like to meet the man who can command the Cloud Mountain Base."

"Sorry, Boss Shen is swamped right now. Friends from Han Iron Base, if you're looking to buy rice, you can start lining up."

Amu didn't bother with small talk and kept directing his brothers to distribute the rice.

Yang Hanshuang sidled up to him, feigning a check on the accounts while murmuring the instructions Shen Chen had given her. Amu's eyes widened in surprise. "Is Mr. Shen stirring up trouble? Could this cause issues?"

"I'm not sure, but he seems confident, like he's got a plan. Let's follow his lead for now. If things go south, I'll step in."

Yang Hanshuang was formidable, but so were Blind Chung and Baldie, particularly Blind Chung, a peak third-level lightning power user. A real fight could put them at a disadvantage.

Before Amu could voice his concerns, Yang Hanshuang silenced him with a glare. He resigned himself to the task at hand and kept on with the rice distribution.

Blind Chung gestured for the Han Iron Base folks to queue up behind those from Ocean Mountain Base. The sight was unexpectedly harmonious, the cascading white rice a delight to behold.

Blind Chung dispatched someone to call the Han Iron Base brothers to collect their rice. With Ocean Mountain Base all hands on deck, Han Iron Base couldn't lag behind; in this post-apocalyptic world, rice was as good as gold.

Once the Han Iron Base messenger had departed, the street fell quiet, save for the rustling of rice being bagged. A breeze teased Yang Hanshuang's hair, and a smile played on her lips. She had noticed that as the Han Iron Base envoy left, someone had stealthily followed...