39: Trading Center

First, upon entering the trading center, trading posts and bounty posts came into view one by one.

However, most seemed more for show, and the novelty quickly wore off.

Trading items like lighters, matches, cigarettes, memory cards... were too numerous to count.

After all, the trading market was completely free and unrestricted.

Some people even listed a common plastic bag with a trading price of one million da xia coin.

Fortunately, although these posts could be published normally, the trading system would intelligently judge them as low-quality trading information and provide a one-click blocking option.

While scrolling, Chen Ming suddenly removed his finger and stopped moving.

A post titled [Rifle, plus thirty rounds of ammunition, exchanged for food and water] caught his attention.

"Someone is so generous they're even taking out this kind of thing to trade for food?"

Chen Ming could somewhat understand. After all, it was everyone's first time facing an apocalyptic environment, and it was normal to be at a loss and make some wrong decisions.

The least lacking thing in life is regret.

Clicked the post to view details.

The poster's name was: Robert Fairho.

It's worth noting that in the trading market, anonymity is not possible, and nicknames cannot be changed.

For example, the nickname Chen Ming displayed externally was Chen Ming.

"So it's a foreigner? Then firearms and weapons really aren't considered rare resources for them."

Chen Ming clearly remembered seeing news many years ago saying that in some countries, buying a gun was easier than buying cabbage.

There were dedicated trading places, similar to vegetable markets, where various firearms and weapons were scattered on stalls for people to choose from.

"So the trading center isn't restricted by region and can trade with people all over the world anytime, anywhere?"

After learning this, Chen Ming firmly believed that the environment within Great Xia might become chaotic faster than he had imagined.

This chaos was not limited to Zombie monsters.

The increasing collapse of order, coupled with the ability to trade firearms and weapons for food, inevitably meant there would be ambitious people wanting to seize the opportunity to conquer the world and become overlords.

Chen Ming knew very well that once such people appeared, he, or rather this villa shelter, would definitely be targeted by them.

Flies, though weak, are annoying when they constantly buzz in your ear.

Chen Ming couldn't stop such people from emerging; he only hoped they would be sensible and not come courting death, offering themselves up.

Continued scrolling down.

Reply content allows selecting existing items from the backpack, arranged in layers, and the poster decides who to trade with.

Similar to an auction house.

Posts can only exist for twenty-four hours. After twenty-four hours, if the poster is still not satisfied with the items offered by others, they can manually close the trade.

In addition, there was a more convenient method, such as specifying five loaves of bread and a bottle of water. Whoever offered these items first, meeting the conditions, the trade would automatically be completed.

Li Rong, Trading Item: A box of chocolate mini bread + 24, mineral water + 10!

Zhong Xianjun, Trading Item: Two packs of ham sausage, four bottles of cola!

Tokuda Toda, Trading Item: Large sushi platter!

Lee Quan Huan, Trading Item: Army stew family size gift package!

...

While Chen Ming was browsing, the screen suddenly dimmed, and a prompt popped up: [Trade confirmed, post will automatically become invalid in three to four seconds!]

As an observer, Chen Ming could not confirm the traded items. The only actions he could take were to actively or passively leave the post.

After browsing around and satisfying his curiosity, Chen Ming exited the trading center and returned to the fishing page.

No trading items that interested him appeared.

Next, Chen Ming opened the world chat channel.

There were two modes.

One was the regional chat channel, where people within the current fixed area could communicate with each other.

The other was the world chat channel, which was completely random. A channel could accommodate five thousand people to prevent chaos from too many people talking at once.

People from various countries would randomly appear in the channel, but there was no need to worry about not understanding what others were saying. The system would provide real-time translation with accurate wording.

There would definitely be no bloodshed caused by translation issues.

Chen Ming first entered the world chat channel.

Liu Xiuyun: I didn't expect the Eagle Faction to be so chaotic now. Fortunately, my business trip plan was delayed by a few days due to some matters, otherwise I would have been trapped there too.

Wang Shiyan: Quickly find an opportunity to stockpile more food and purified water. According to my estimate, Great Xia won't last for many days. I haven't received news from several of my friends by the sea for a long time.

Terada Ikumi: I need medicine. We are trapped at home by Zombies, and my child's high fever won't go down. Can anyone help me?

Yolande Potters: Those damned people in power, if they had refused Eagle Faction merchants entry earlier, they wouldn't have brought the Zombie virus here!

Honda Noah: Look on the bright side. After the apocalypse arrived, you no longer have to hide your inner desires and can live as you please. Today, I used a gun to break open the door of an old couple's house, occupied their home, and killed them.

Sierra Figueroa: You pervert! You'll get your comeuppance!

...

After looking through, most were venting emotions, expressing dissatisfaction with those in power and the entire world.

Chen Ming felt it had little value, so he actively exited and switched to the regional chat channel.

The system didn't specify how large this area was, but all five thousand members were online.

Cao Gensheng: Is anyone willing to sell their surplus food to me?

Wang Yuhua: Stop dreaming. At this stage, selling food? Isn't that something only a fool would do? Money? Heh, it will completely turn into a pile of waste paper in a few days!

Bai Renliang: One can of luncheon meat, five thousand, can buy up to five.

Guo Huizhen: I'll take it, how do we trade?

Jin Sijun: I'll add five hundred for each, sell them to me!

Wang Yuhua: Someone is actually selling? Then I'll add two thousand for each.

...

The entire regional chat channel had clearly become an auction house.

Chen Ming chose to exit; continuing to watch was a complete waste of time.

With that time, it would be better to cast a couple of lines.

[Fishing in progress...]

[Fishing successful! Congratulations Host on obtaining one notebook!]

[Fishing successful! Congratulations Host on obtaining pencil lead + 12!]

[Fishing successful! Congratulations Host on obtaining one billiard table set!]

Not bad, at least he had one more way to relax and entertain himself.

Living alone, he wouldn't be so lonely that he developed issues from idleness.

If psychological problems are not adjusted well, once severe, they won't be much easier than physical ailments.

Choosing to end one's life due to excessive despair is not entirely impossible.

Chen Ming was unwilling to overestimate his psychological resilience.

[Fishing in progress...]

[Fishing successful! Congratulations Host on obtaining one steamer!]

[Fishing successful! Congratulations Host on obtaining a Lao Gan Niang chili ten flavor gift package!]

[Fishing successful! Congratulations Host on obtaining a bundle of egg noodles!]

[Fishing successful! Congratulations Host on obtaining one remote control car!]

[Fishing successful! Congratulations Host on obtaining one ten-carat high-quality pink diamond!]

"A diamond..."

Chen Ming really couldn't figure out what use this thing had in the apocalypse.

To show off? To verify if a diamond can really scratch glass?

He wasn't that idle yet.

[Fishing in progress...]

[Fishing successful! Congratulations Host on obtaining S-Class Skill: Body Enhancement!]

"Hmm?"

If Chen Ming remembered correctly, he seemed to have... drawn this skill before.

"It can be repeated?"