234: Chapter 234 Shadow Deal

Night, thick and impenetrable.

The air in the corner of the dilapidated brick house was a mix of dust, mold, and the sour, fermented scent of that half-piece of coarse corn bun.

Ling Ye leaned against the cold wall, chewing the rock-hard bun in small bites, each swallow tugging at his parched throat.

With something substantial in his stomach, the burning sensation of hunger eased slightly, but it was followed by a deeper, more profound craving for more resources and greater security.

A single trade had only yielded a drop in the bucket.

He needed more.

But "more" meant a greater risk of exposure and deeper entanglement in the complex ecosystem of this gray zone.

He had to formulate a more precise "stay" plan, one that involved walking on the edge of a blade.

Objective: Obtain maximum value in survival supplies in the shortest possible time, attempt to capture fragments of information regarding the movements of The Plainclothes Organization or "Cleaning," and then, before the risk spiraled out of control, make a decisive exit.

Action Plan: "Short, Frequent, Fast" Gray Market Trading and Intelligence Gathering.

Core Principles:

Short: Compress the stay to 3-4 days.

Never procrastinate.

Frequent: Increase trading frequency, but diversify targets.

No longer limited to just the One-eyed Man.

Try to contact other seemingly "harmless" or "well-connected" fringe figures.

Fast: Every trade must be rapid and covert.

Leave immediately after obtaining items; do not linger or entangle.

Information gathering should focus on "listening" and "observing"; never proactively ask questions.

Security Redundancy: Always be prepared to abandon everything and flee immediately.

Pre-set multiple escape routes and establish backup observation points in different directions to ensure danger can be detected in advance.

Specific Steps:

1. Expand Trading Network (Proceed with caution):

Observe the "clients" of the One-eyed Man: Tomorrow, from a greater distance and a more concealed position, observe other "customers" heading to the One-eyed Man's stall for trades.

Note their characteristics, the items traded, and the direction they leave in.

Filter out targets who appear relatively "safe" (such as those who are elderly, frail, or only trading waste) as potential direct trading partners to bypass the One-eyed Man (extremely high risk, extreme caution required).

Find other "nodes": In other directions of this semi-abandoned area, especially near the edges of the shanty area where a few residents might still live, look for similar, covert barter points.

It could be the doorway of an inconspicuous shack or a fixed corner of some ruins.

"Commodity" Preparation: He needs more "hard currency."

Salt and matches are gone.

He needs to find other valuable, yet less sensitive things.

For example:

Metal: Search the ruins for relatively intact copper pieces, aluminum sheets, or even stainless steel parts.

These are needed by many bottom-tier scavengers.

Tools: Intact screwdrivers, pliers, small knives (ordinary, non-regulated); these are valuable in some hands.

Special Items: Unopened batteries, lighters, needles and thread, small mirrors, or even an intact old book (can be used for kindling or trade).

Cautiously utilize "spoils": Use the woven bags obtained to collect and carry these "commodities" more efficiently.

2. Intelligence Gathering (Passive Listening):

Blend into the background: When scavenging or collecting "commodities," choose positions near the activity paths of others (such as other scavengers or old people chatting at the edge of the shanty area) while maintaining a safe distance.

Make yourself look like a silent wanderer who only buries their head in searching.

Capture fragments: Prick up your ears and catch any relevant words floating in the wind: "The soldiers are here again," "Big movements on the east side (Dark Nest direction) at night," "Heard they are looking for...", "New regulations...", "Black market prices...", "Sick, no medicine..."

Do not analyze, do not associate, just mechanically memorize.

Observe abnormalities: Pay attention to whether strangers with non-local characteristics appear frequently (slightly neat clothing, traces of training in behavior, carrying unknown instruments), whether vehicles enter this area during non-patrol times, or if there is unusual tension or commotion inside the shanty area.

3. Priority for Medicine and High-Value Targets:

Medicine: Always the highest priority.

Anti-inflammatory drugs (like Amoxicillin), painkillers (like Ibuprofen), antibiotics (like Cephalosporin), and trauma medication (iodophor, gauze, Yunnan Baiyao, etc.) are key.

Try to indicate needs during trades using gestures or the simplest words (like "pain," "infection").

Trade using metal, tools, or other valuable items.

High-calorie, easy-to-store food: Chocolate, energy bars, canned meat, compressed biscuits.

Hide them immediately after acquisition as emergency reserves.

Practical equipment: Better knives (multi-tool knives), ropes, canteens/water bags, windproof lighters, tarpaulins, gloves, hats.

Intelligence verification: If rumors about "searches" or "abnormal events" are heard, they can be roughly compared with previous broadcast content and personal encounters to judge their authenticity or timeliness.

4. Risk Assessment and Evacuation Trigger Conditions:

Trigger conditions: If any one of these is met, execute the evacuation plan immediately.

Discovering oneself being followed, monitored, or feeling obvious malicious attention.

Witnessing Plainclothes Agents or "Cleaning" personnel conducting door-to-door checks or targeted questioning.

Violent conflicts, robberies, or unexplained riots occurring in the area.

Encountering extortion, threats, or the other party showing unusual interest during a trade.

Sudden deterioration of own health or signs of infection in wounds.

Evacuation Plan:

Immediately discard all non-essential items (including some "commodities"), carrying only core survival supplies, weapons, and intelligence.

Leave via the pre-set, most concealed retreat route, heading directly toward the wilderness, never looking back.

During evacuation, use complex terrain to shake off any pursuers.

After returning to the wilderness, immediately change hiding areas and stay completely silent for at least a few days.

He rehearsed the plan in his mind repeatedly; every detail, every response to every accident, was as clear as a picture.

Ling Ye licked the last crumbs of the bun clean and drank some water.

Then, he leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and began "Star Visualization," not to heal, but to calm his heartbeat, which had accelerated slightly due to the plan, and to gather his spirit, conserving every bit of energy for tomorrow's more dangerous operation.

The xuanyuan ring transmitted a constant coldness.

The rhythm of the "Ancient Ring" mark flowed quietly in the depths of his Soul.

The next day at dawn, the sky was still leaden gray.

Ling Ye left his hiding place early.

He did not head directly toward the One-eyed Man but chose the opposite direction, starting "work" in a new ruin—searching for valuable metal and tools.

His movements were not fast, but very careful.

He pried open loose bricks and stones with a steel rebar spear and pushed aside garbage.

In one morning, he only found a few rusted screws, a small piece of copper wire, and an old-fashioned razor blade half-buried in the soil, with a broken handle but an intact blade.

The blade was very thin but extremely sharp and could serve as a hidden cutting tool or trap component.

He tucked it away carefully.

In the afternoon, he changed areas, approaching the edge of a shanty area where there were still sporadic wisps of smoke.

Life here was slightly more vibrant; he could see a few women queuing in front of a public faucet (which was intermittent) and a few children running between the ruins.

He chose a corner piled with construction waste from which he could observe both the faucet and a main path, pretending to rummage while his ears caught snippets of conversation.

"...The water stopped again..."

"...Heard that Old Zhang's second son wanted to go to the west waste factory to pick up some iron yesterday, but was caught by the soldiers. They said it was something... illegal entry into a restricted area?"

"Pah! What restricted area! They just don't want people to pick up things! They themselves..."

"Keep it down! Do you want to die?"

"...That red light on the east side at night, did you see it? Creepy..."

"They say it's a machine malfunction, shooting cannons... Who believes that!"

"...Medicine is expensive again. That guy Hei San, his heart is pitch black..."

"Hei San? He seems to have hooked up with someone recently, his goods are much better now..."

"Hei San"? Ling Ye's heart stirred.

Was that the One-eyed Man?

"Hooked up with someone"? "Goods are better"?

This meant his channels might be more "upper-tier," perhaps able to get better things, but it also meant more complexity and more danger.

He continued listening, but most of it was complaints and trivia.

However, the information about "being caught at the west waste factory," the "red light in the east," "medicine prices," and "Hei San" were silently noted.

In the evening, he appeared again near the One-eyed Man's (Hei San?) stall.

This time, he did not step forward immediately but hid behind a collapsed wall, observing from afar.

A few people came to trade one after another.

There were scavengers like the old woman, and also younger men who looked slightly more "energetic."

Besides waste, people occasionally took out small bottles of liquid (alcohol?), full packs of cigarettes, or even unknown chunks wrapped in oil paper.

Hei San refused no one, but his expression remained cold, he spoke very little, and the trades were swift.

Ling Ye noticed that one of the men who came to trade, wearing relatively clean old work clothes, said something quickly in a low voice to Hei San while trading.

Hei San's single eye seemed to brighten for a moment, then he nodded, took a palm-sized package wrapped in newspaper from under the stall, and handed it over.

The man in work clothes quickly took it, stuffed it into his bosom, looked left and right, and walked away quickly.

That little package... could it be medicine? Or something else?

Ling Ye waited until the man in work clothes was far away and observed for a while longer.

Confirming there were no other abnormalities, he stepped out from behind the wall and walked toward Hei San's stall.

When Hei San saw him, there was no surprise in his single eye; it seemed he had sensed his presence long ago.

"Got goods again?" Hei San asked hoarsely.

Ling Ye did not speak.

From his woven bag, he took out the small piece of copper wire he had found in the morning and the razor blade, placing them on the stone slab.

Then, he pointed to his mouth, then to the place where medicine was previously placed, and finally, gestured at his waist, making a "tucked in" motion—he was asking if there were knives and food.

Hei San glanced at the things on the stone slab and sneered, his voice sounding like a broken bellows: "This little bit of stuff? The copper wire is too short, the blade... barely passable."

Ling Ye was silent, just watching him.

Hei San met his gaze for a few seconds, seemingly finding this silent young man with unusually calm eyes somewhat interesting.

He bent down, rummaged through a cardboard box, and took out half a packet of crushed instant noodles and an old fruit knife with a chipped blade but an intact handle, placing them on the stone slab.

"Take it or leave it."

Ling Ye looked.

Although the instant noodles were crushed, the seasoning packet seemed to still be there, and the calories were not low.

Although the fruit knife was old, it was more portable than a pipe cutter and less conspicuous.

He nodded and pushed the copper wire and the blade over.

The trade was completed quickly again.

Ling Ye put away the items and turned to leave.

"Wait." Hei San suddenly spoke from behind, his voice lowered.

Ling Ye's footsteps paused.

He did not look back, but his whole body's muscles tightened instantly.

"I like you, just a reminder." Hei San's voice carried an indescribable meaning.

"The wind is tight recently; 'the ones above' are checking strictly.

Those doing 'big items' should keep a low profile.

Also, don't run around at night, especially... the east side."

Ling Ye's body stiffened slightly.

The east side? The direction of the Dark Nest? Or did he mean the east side of this area?

He did not respond or look back, just quickened his pace and disappeared into the thickening night.

Back at the hideout, Ling Ye's heart was still beating a bit fast.

Was Hei San's "reminder" kindness? Or a warning? Or... some kind of probe?

"The ones above are checking strictly," "Those doing big items should keep a low profile," "Don't run around the east side at night"... These fragmented pieces of information vaguely matched what he had heard during the day and his previous encounters.

The wind was indeed tightening.

The intensity of the checks by the "Plainclothes Agents" or "Cleaning" personnel was increasing.

And the "east side" seemed to have become a direction requiring extra vigilance.

The instant noodles and fruit knife he obtained were of decent value.

But more importantly, there were those few sentences from Hei San.

This might mean that his "existence" in this gray zone was temporarily accepted, or even "marked" as a "regular" who could communicate to a limited extent?

This was both an opportunity and a greater risk.

He carefully tore open the instant noodle seasoning packet, poured the powder into his palm, and licked a little.

It was salty, savory, and had a strong taste of MSG.

He stored the remaining seasoning and noodle crumbs.

He inspected the fruit knife; although old, it was quite sharp after being wiped.

He tucked it into the back of his waistband, covering it with the hem of his ragged clothes.

Two days, two trades, and he had exchanged for food, potential medicine, tools, a woven bag, and some fragmented information.

The harvest was better than expected.

But he could feel an invisible pressure approaching.

Hei San's reminder, the patrol vehicle appearing again yesterday afternoon, the vague atmosphere of unease in the shanty area... all indicated that this area was becoming "lively."

It was time to consider executing the evacuation trigger conditions.

He had originally planned to stay for 3-4 days, but now, perhaps tomorrow, or the day after, he would have to leave.