144: Jiang Fei snatched Yao Damang away?

“What new style? I was robbed!”

Mentioning the sad affair, Yao Damang's tears started to fall.

“Boss Jiang, why is my life so bitter? I finally managed to squeeze into the Rich Area, to be on equal footing with them, and even bought a large villa that was just renovated. But before Xiao Jin and I could move in, it was ransacked and destroyed by rioters!”

“Half of my belongings were there! My big cigars, over twenty gem-studded daggers, and more than thirty packs of cigarettes are all gone!”

“Before the apocalypse, those cigarettes sold for 50,000 yuan a pack!”

Jiang Fei instantly recalled the supplies she had collected in the Rich Area.

She had accidentally plundered her business partner's home.

Unable to return them, Jiang Fei comforted Yao Damang: “Out with the old, in with the new.”

“I can supply you with goods for a week for free. All the materials you earn will be yours as compensation.”

“You didn't rob me, so why compensate me?” Yao Damang said with a bitter smile:

“I won't be able to make any profit either.”

“The Rich Area suffered heavy losses due to the riots. They won't be trading externally for at least a year.”

“Unless the apocalypse ends immediately and life returns to normal, there's no way they'll part with their remaining savings.”

“Boss Jiang, our partnership is coming to an end.”

Cutting off a source of gold didn't worry Jiang Fei; instead, she calmly asked:

“I have a friend, whom you also know, named Crippled Wang. He runs a General Store on Nantong Avenue, acting as a middleman.”

“If you're willing, I can introduce you to work with him, and I'll be your common supplier.”

The Rich Area and West Street no longer held much potential, so she needed to expand her business to earn more gold.

After all, unlocking one area in the Supermarket now required tens of tons of gold.

If she didn't work hard to earn it, she really wouldn't be able to unlock anything.

Yao Damang nodded excitedly: “I'm willing!”

“Then let's go now.”

It was also a good time to collect the gold Xiao Jin Yang No. 1 had left for her.

Jiang Fei called Jiang Zhengkang and Han Yang downstairs to move the supplies from Yao Damang's car.

Then she got into the truck and led the way.

Upon arriving at the General Store, Crippled Wang was playing mahjong with Scarred A Meng and others.

Noticing Jiang Fei and Yao Damang outside, Crippled Wang casually pulled a younger brother to play for him and got up to walk to the door.

Thinking Jiang Fei was there to collect gold, Crippled Wang took down the keys hanging on the wall.

“Boss, the gold and the goods you requested earlier are all in the warehouse. I'll have people move them now.”

“No rush, let's talk business first.”

Jiang Fei discussed the partnership with Crippled Wang: “Besides the current types of goods in my shop, my boss can also provide dried medicinal herbs and aquatic products.”

“I've seen the map of the Safety Shelter. There aren't many shops in North Market and Dongyang District, so you can do business there.”

“Same as before, the gold goes to me, and you split the obtained supplies equally.”

Crippled Wang looked troubled: “A partnership is fine, but the Dongyang District is where government officials' families live. I don't dare to deal with them...”

“Every time I go to the Planting Base to deliver supplies to Xiao Rong, I tremble.”

Yao Damang: “I can handle the Dongyang District, and you can be responsible for sales in the North Market.”

“After all, I've donated quite a lot of supplies to the government, so entering the Dongyang District shouldn't be a big problem.”

This time, Crippled Wang readily agreed: “Then we'll start working when the weather cools down.”

“Boss, do you and Big Brother Yao want to stay for dinner?”

“We're having hotpot tonight. I also managed to snatch, cough, get a few good bottles of wine. We can drink and discuss the details of the cooperation later.”

Jiang Fei and Yao Damang agreed.

Crippled Wang had Scarred take people to the warehouse to load Jiang Fei's gold and protective gear.

Besides the gold plundered from the Rich Area, there was also what Crippled Wang had earned from selling jewelry previously.

The remaining younger brothers cleaned up and prepared the hotpot ingredients.

Nearly two hours later, a large round table was set up in the General Store, with five gas hotpot stoves.

On the table were sliced beef, duck intestines, tripe, lamb leg, luncheon meat, fresh spinach, cabbage, potato slices, apples, watermelons, and ginseng fruit.

Jiang Fei, Yao Damang, Crippled Wang, Scarred, and A Meng ate here, each with their own pot.

The Wu Brothers and the others ate from a large communal pot in the warehouse.

Crippled Wang brought a bottle of Rémy Martin and whispered to Jiang Fei: “How's the food tonight, Boss?”

“I snatched it all from the Rich Area that day.”

Jiang Fei: “Keep it low-key.”

You're sitting right next to a victim.

Naively thinking Jiang Fei was afraid he'd be discovered by the government, Crippled Wang chuckled: “It's fine, I won't tell anyone.”

Taking out clean disposable paper cups, Crippled Wang poured drinks for everyone.

The meal finally finished in the evening, and the details of the cooperation were also clearly discussed.

Crippled Wang would find a place to store the goods and renovate it according to Jiang Fei's requirements.

Once it was ready, Jiang Fei would start supplying goods, not forgetting to ask Crippled Wang to help her collect cardboard boxes and insulation boards.

Crippled Wang happened to have a lot, so he immediately had his younger brothers load them onto the truck.

Yao Damang was drunk, and since Crippled Wang didn't know his address, he arranged for him to sleep in the shop.

Jiang Fei only drank half a cup, which didn't affect her driving.

Soon, the younger brothers who were loading the goods returned: “Miss Jiang, your car can't fit that many supplies. We've split them into three trucks. Where should we deliver them for you?”

“Mingshang Apartment Complex back gate. I'll go with you.”

“Boss, I'll see you off.” Crippled Wang stood up, and just as he walked out of the shop with Jiang Fei, he felt a gust of hot wind.

The wooden shelves placed at the entrance were blown over.

Crippled Wang was a little scared: “There hasn't been such a strong wind since the extreme cold ended. This is just like the day the apocalypse first began...”

“There will be a sandstorm in the future. I don't know the exact date, but remember to take anti-sand measures recently.”

Jiang Fei reminded Crippled Wang, got into the truck, and returned to the back gate of the Mingshang Apartment Complex.

The younger brothers arrived shortly after, handed the keys to the three large trucks to Jiang Fei, and then left discreetly.

With no one around, Jiang Fei put the three large trucks and her old truck into the Supermarket.

Ding—Detected gold: 4,200,000 grams of gold.

Ding—Congratulations to the Host for successfully unlocking the first area of Supermarket Floor 4 [Vegetables & Fruits—Fruit Area]. Gold required to unlock the next area: 32,768,000 grams.

Current gold owned: 477,270 grams.

Bonus reward: One Lucky Wheel spin. Does the Host wish to use it?

“Use it.”

After quickly saying thanks, she went to check out the new area.

Ding—The Host is very lucky today! Congratulations on receiving 'Thank You For Your Patronage!'

Jiang Fei was used to this and mentally checked Supermarket Floor 4.

A quarter of the white fog had dissipated.

This time, there were 20 extra-long, extra-large double-sided shelves.

Unlike before, the shelves held many transparent boxes for fruit.

One transparent box could hold a maximum of one 5-pound durian, and like the Supermarket warehouse, it could preserve food indefinitely without spoilage.

On the double-sided shelves of Floor 4, only one transparent box could be placed on each side.

The shelves were stocked with various fresh tropical, subtropical, temperate, warm temperate, and cold temperate fruits such as dragon fruit, pineapple, durian, cranberries, star fruit, bananas, lychees, olives, mangoes, mangosteens, wax apples, rambutans, passion fruit, avocados, kiwis, coconuts, watermelons, longans, tangerines, grapes, papayas, guavas, apples, pears, persimmons, and cherries.

Fruits like jackfruit and sugarcane were placed on the bottom layer of one of the shelves, in the largest transparent boxes.

The Supermarket was quite good at saving space.

Jiang Fei glanced at the Supermarket warehouse's supplies.

Crippled Wang had given her 200 folded empty cardboard boxes, 200 insulation boards, 1000 individually packaged medical masks, 300 bottles of 500ml alcohol, 400 disposable full-body protective suits, 100 gas masks, and 50 sprayers that could be carried on both shoulders.

There were also disinfectants, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, goggles, disposable medical gloves, and other protective supplies, 100 of each kind.

Now there was no need to worry about future viruses.

Jiang Fei took out another truck, loaded it with iron plates, foam strips, a welding machine, masks, alcohol, etc., enough for 5 people.

Then, she used the walkie-talkie to contact her teammates.

No one answered.

Xiao Hua Lao and the others wouldn't possibly forget to charge their walkie-talkies. Could it be... something happened?

Taking a gun, Jiang Fei walked towards Building 2.

As soon as she reached downstairs, she saw a homeless man curled up at the entrance of the unit.