C4 But I Unlocked It in Advance!

"Ah? What did you just say?" Shen Chen asked, turning to her.

"I was saying that I'd like to sell the rice you gave me to get other food, to help my base last a bit longer," Yang Hanshuang explained earnestly. They had sold the rice, yes, but it was a gift from Shen Chen. She didn't want to betray her friend's generosity by selling it off in secret.

"Oh, that's all? No need for that!" Shen Chen dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand.

But Yang Hanshuang was visibly worried. "Shen Chen, a thousand catties might seem like a lot, but with hundreds of people at the base, it won't last more than a few days."

Shen Chen quickly clarified, "No, no, no, you've got it all wrong. I'm saying you all should just stick with me from now on! We'll reduce the daily limit from three catties per person to one and a half. And don't worry about me running out – my boss just allocated another 10,000 catties of rice to me!"

"10,000 catties?" Yang Hanshuang was stunned into silence.

Despite her usually icy demeanor, never showing emotion in front of others, she couldn't help but let tears of relief and joy escape.

10,000 catties of rice was a game-changer for everyone involved.

"Um, Hanshuang, did I upset you? Please, don't cry... Let me," Shen Chen fumbled, reaching out to comfort her.

"Just stay still, let me hold this moment," she said, embracing Shen Chen tightly to hide her tears from anyone else.

"Hanshuang, if I asked you to be my woman right now, would you say yes?" Shen Chen whispered, patting her back gently.

"I would," Yang Hanshuang responded with conviction.

"Eh, don't take it so seriously, I was joking," Shen Chen quickly backpedaled.

"I know it was a joke. But the kindness you've shown with this ten thousand catties of rice, I'd do anything for you," Yang Hanshuang said, wiping the tears from her eyes with a solemn expression.

"Hold on, I never said I'd give it all to your base. There's a limit! With just a few hundred people, how much of the ten thousand catties can you actually use? Maybe two thousand?" Shen Chen interjected.

"Why can't you just give it all to me?" Yang Hanshuang asked with dissatisfaction.

"I wish I could, but I have my rules, and I can't break them," Shen Chen replied, shaking his head.

"Rules are meant to be flexible. Plus, there's no one else around, no oversight. You're the one calling the shots!" Yang Hanshuang argued, failing to grasp the situation.

"Listen, Han-Shuang, I'm just the boss here. If I start bending the rules and the big boss gets upset, then what? We're dealing with ten thousand kilograms of rice now, but what if the next batch is fifty or a hundred thousand? We can't afford to jeopardize the bigger picture," Shen Chen explained earnestly.

"Fine. For the next three days, everyone gets one and a half kilograms of rice. I'll arrange for people to pick it up. In return, I'll send over half of the superpowered individuals from our base to help you maintain order," Yang Hanshuang conceded.

"No, no! If you bring too many people, what if they scare off my other customers? Just bring a few, and have someone help me with the books and audits," Shen Chen quickly interjected.

"You call the shots," Yang Hanshuang agreed with a nod.

As Yang Hanshuang and the others took the rice and departed with a large group, Shen Chen closed the account book and tidied the list before leaving.

Out of nowhere, a shadowy figure darted out. Shen Chen might not have reacted instantly, but his body was already primed for combat—a survival instinct honed by the apocalypse.

"Shen Chen!" A man wearing ragged jeans and carrying two knives appeared beside him.

"Gouza, you scared the life out of me!" Shen Chen said, exasperated.

"Man, what have you been up to all afternoon? I saw a bunch of people leaving with rice, but you're empty-handed. I've been trying to figure it out all afternoon. Can you clear things up for me?" Gouza inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"A level-1 zombie crystal core for one and a half kilograms of rice—interested?" Shen Chen offered.

"Absolutely! I can flip it for a profit of at least three thousand. Why wouldn't I?" Gouza responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"This is the going rate today. Give it some time, and rice will be the cheapest commodity in our city," Shen Chen declared with conviction.

"Come on, it's not April Fool's Day, man. What kind of joke are you pulling? Everyone's scrambling for farmland, and no one's brave enough to expand into unfenced territory. You're well aware of the hefty cost of cultivating rice within those fences. Prices have been stable for years; they can't just drop out of the blue. Plus, there's a shortage of the stuff!" Gouza shook his head in disbelief.

"Just trust me this time. Offload all that old rice you've been hoarding. Swing by my place tomorrow, and I'll hook you up with fresh rice," Shen Chen urged with a level tone.

"Ah? Hahaha, Shen Chen, that's hilarious," Gouza laughed, slapping Shen Chen on the shoulder.

"I'm dead serious, Gouza. I handed over a thousand catties of rice to Yang Hanshuang and his crew today. I'm going to keep supplying them with two thousand catties for the next three days. Plus, I've got another eight thousand catties coming out of my stash over the same period. Add it all up, and that's a whopping ten thousand catties!" Shen Chen explained as they walked.

"What? Ten thousand catties?" Gouza's jaw practically hit the floor.

"That's right, ten thousand catties," Shen Chen confirmed, unfazed.

"Bro, you're not messing with me, are you?" Gouza was frantic, clawing at the few hairs on his head.

"Why would I lie? You've seen it with your own eyes. If you don't sell fast, tomorrow's price won't be today's. Hanshuang's group has put a lid on the news for the night. This is your last shot," Shen Chen said earnestly.

"Damn, damn, damn! Okay, bro, I'll take your word for it. But if there's no rice tomorrow, you're a dead man!" Gouza blurted out before dashing away like the wind.

He didn't bother to question Shen Chen about the source of the rice; he knew Shen Chen would never spill the beans. And he didn't concern himself with why Shen Chen was willing to 'dump' the rice at such low prices.

If he hadn't been there that afternoon, lurking on the sidelines, he would never have taken Shen Chen's claim seriously. But there's no denying the evidence of your own eyes. Who else in Jiangbei City could casually produce 1000 pounds of rice in a single stroke?

"Good luck," Shen Chen called after Gouza's retreating figure before heading back to his dilapidated home.

The system had stopped supplying him with ready-to-eat meals, offering only rice. Shen Chen rummaged through his home but failed to find a suitable pot for cooking.

"System, is there any way to unlock a pot early and sell it to me?" he asked, out of options and turning to the system for assistance.

"Early unlocking requires a purchase: a steam pot, frying pan, pressure cooker, or any other type of pot. The fee is one level four crystal nucleus. The cost of the pot is separate."

"Forget it, I'm not buying," Shen Chen decided.

After all, a level four crystal nucleus was worth 45,000 level one crystal nuclei! Just to unlock a pot? He must be loaded to even consider it!

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