C16 Sorry I Dont Have Any Rice!

As the last of the rice at Ocean Mountain Base was being snapped up, Amu and Yang Hanshuang exchanged a knowing glance. Tossing an empty rice sack to the ground with a smirk, Amu announced, "Sorry folks, we're all out of rice for today."

Sold out?

The crowd lining the street was stunned. Hadn't they been assured that each person could exchange for one and a half kilograms of rice daily? How had it run out so quickly?

"No, not yet! I haven't gotten mine!"

"What's going on? Surely Boss Shen hasn't had a change of heart?"

Murmurs of discontent rose among the Ocean Mountain Base locals, "We never should've let those scavengers get in line!"

Baldie fixed Amu with a steely gaze. "Brother Mu, you better not be pulling our leg."

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Amu replied, his smile unwavering.

Yang Hanshuang paid Baldie no mind, her attention fixed on the brooding Blind Chung.

Blind Chung's solitary eye blazed with fury and a thirst for vengeance. "So, Cloud Mountain Base friends, you find it amusing to toy with me?"

His booming voice silenced the crowd. No one dared to make a peep in the presence of a level-three superpowered being, not even the level-two experts.

Baldie's sinister smile faded as he edged back, remembering that while Ocean Mountain Base's supplies were nearly depleted, Han Iron Base hadn't secured a single grain.

This was shaping up to be quite the spectacle.

"The rice is truly gone for today, my apologies," Amu responded coolly, unfazed by Blind Chung's glare. A crackle of electricity danced across Blind Chung's hand, and with a sharp "Kacha!" he obliterated the stall's table.

The brothers from Cloud Mountain Base quickly rallied, eyeing Blind Chung with suspicion and bracing themselves for a potential skirmish.

"It's sold out, that's the end of it. Our boss only allocated so much rice. If you missed out, it's not on us."

"Exactly. Han Iron Base should've shown up earlier if they really wanted rice," the Cloud Mountain Base brothers jeered under their breath, their taunts reaching Blind Chung's ears. Infuriated yet amused, he retorted, "What now? You're going to pin this on me too?"

Amu remained silent and gestured for the brothers at Cloud Mountain Base to start packing up.

"I, Cheng, didn't come all this way for nothing. You can't let me leave empty-handed."

Blind Chung stood his ground, the electric glow in his palm not only persisting but growing more intense.

The men of Cloud Mountain Base exchanged uneasy glances, knowing they stood no chance against a peak level-three lightning wielder.

The standoff continued.

The folks from Ocean Mountain Base showed no signs of leaving, instead, they seemed to relish the prospect of a clash between the two bases, knowing any skirmish would play to their advantage.

Parting the crowd, Yang Hanshuang appeared, her striking beauty a beacon in the tension.

"My apologies, but we've truly run out of rice for today. However, Master Chung, perhaps you could negotiate with Master Shen to share half of what Ocean Mountain Base acquired yesterday."

Her suggestion caught the Ocean Mountain Base crowd off guard.

"What are you implying, Yang Hanshuang?" Baldie erupted, pointing at her with fury. "Why doesn't Cloud Mountain Base trade with Han Iron Base? You're always helping Shen Chen sell his rice. I refuse to believe you're not reaping some rewards."

"Rewards? Sure, there are rewards. But our rice is used up daily, unlike some who are too stingy to feed their own," Yang Hanshuang replied coolly, her words leaving a sour taste in the mouths of those from Ocean Mountain Base, who could neither consume nor enjoy the rice they hoarded, only trade or sell it.

"Ah, life is better at Cloud Mountain Base. We actually get to eat the rice we get."

"And us? It's just... unfair."

Murmurs of discontent began to spread among the Ocean Mountain Base crowd, sensing the inequity in their rice distribution.

Baldie, catching the shift in his men's sentiments, stiffened. "Miss Yang, your Cloud Mountain Base must be quite affluent to provide such a luxury to your people. Somehow, I find that hard to believe."

Yang Hanshuang's smile was serene. "Luxury? It's merely food. And with our partnership with Boss Shen, why would we ever worry about lacking rice?"

"You..."

Baldie was at a loss for words. Just as he was scrambling to come up with something to say, he caught Blind Chung's menacing approach and quickly plastered on a smile. "Brother Cheng, our supplies are running low. How about you come by early tomorrow instead?"

"Are you kidding me? I need that rice today, or where would that leave my reputation?"

Blind Chung was adamant, his gaze fixed on the rice clutched by the Ocean Mountain Base folks, his greed unmistakable as he licked his cracked lips.

The people from Ocean Mountain Base, wary, quickly backed away, widening the gap between themselves and those from Han Iron Base.

"What's happening? Weren't they just after Cloud Mountain Base a moment ago? Now, in the blink of an eye, Han Iron Base has turned their sights on us."

"Tsk, I'd rather die than give it up. The Cloud Mountain Base folks feast on rice every day, and we're expected to surrender ours? I'd rather eat it all myself than give it away."

"Exactly. Eat it all ourselves. Every last grain!"

...

A gale whipped through the streets, sending old newspapers flying and ratcheting up the tension to a breaking point.

There was no question that if Han Iron Base didn't secure the rice today, Blind Chung wouldn't back down easily.

Scavengers lurking in the distance, keen on the commotion, no longer dared linger. They bolted with their rice, fearing the hard-earned grains might be stolen.

Within seconds, the only goods left visible on the street were the bags of rice held by the people from Ocean Mountain Base.

"Mr. Shen, we're all trying to get by. Don't be so tight-fisted. You got yours for one level-1 Crystal Core per kilo and a half. I, Blind Chung, am a man of standing. How about I offer you ten times that amount?"

Blind Chung proposed with a sly grin, but Baldie just sneered through clenched teeth, "What a joke. Even if you offered a thousand times more, I wouldn't trade."

The fresh, plump rice could fetch thousands per kilo on the black market, and Blind Chung was offering a mere ten crystals?

Heh, as if Ocean Mountain Base was just giving it away!

But what Baldie found most intolerable was that Cloud Mountain Base had now become the spectators, enjoying the drama. It should have been their turn to watch from the sidelines. The Cloud Mountain Base crowd indulged in delicious rice daily, yet they stood by as if it were just another day.

Damn it!

With a sly grin, Baldie looked at Yang Hanshuang's enigmatic, elegant visage. Suddenly, he addressed Blind Chung, who was closing in, "If Cloud Mountain Base is willing to part with some rice for Brother Cheng, I'm prepared to offer an equal share in exchange for you."

"That bald jerk!"

Amu was seething with anger. Seeing Blind Chung refocus on Cloud Mountain Base, he quickly whispered to Yang Hanshuang, "Things are going from bad to worse."

"Don't panic, let's wait and see."

"Wait? Blind Chung is about to make his move. How can we just wait?"

Amu was frantic.

Yang Hanshuang remained unfazed, her beautiful eyes fixed on the supermarket shimmering in the distance. She wondered if Shen Chen had anticipated this turn of events and what his next move would be.

She couldn't wait to find out.

Inside the supermarket.

Shen Chen had indeed seen it coming, though he was on the verge of losing his cool.

Upon unveiling the beast cage, he was met with an adult crawler, significantly larger than himself. Glancing at the flimsy chain in his hand, he let out a wry smile. This was trouble.

His initial plan was to parade the crawler like a show of force, akin to walking a dog. But the real challenge was the adult crawler's overwhelming strength, making it impossible to control.

Outside, the tension was mounting. If he didn't intervene, a fight was inevitable.

In a fit of urgency, Shen Chen scratched his head, then, with a determined bite of his lip, he threw caution to the wind. He cracked open the cage door and stepped out.

A breeze tousled his hair as a smile played across his handsome face. He cheerfully greeted the stern-faced crowd.

"Hey there!"