"What do you need this junk for?" The merchant took a glance at the list, frowning.
"I'm a farmer, can't you tell?" Lin Yi replied earnestly.
"You? A farmer?" The merchant raised his head incredulously, sizing up Lin Yi.
With your trendy outfit, you don't look anything like a down-to-earth farmer. Are you rapping to me right now?
However, seeing Lin Yi's serious expression and his determination to get the farming tools on the list, and considering that he's a stable long-term customer, the merchant advised earnestly:
"Since the apocalypse, the soil has long been polluted. Only a few crops can survive, and their yield and quality are very unstable. Are you sure you want to farm?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yi's expression changed slightly.
The merchant keenly noticed the change in Lin Yi's expression and gestured seriously: "Many people have tried to solve this problem, but no one has succeeded yet. Even hydroponics doesn't work; the water is polluted too! Understand?"
"Understood!" Lin Yi nodded thoughtfully, lowering his head in contemplation.
The merchant let out a sigh of relief, not wanting these seemingly trivial issues to affect their transaction.
But just as he felt at ease, Lin Yi's next words raised his tension abruptly again.
"What did you say?" The merchant doubted if he heard it wrong, asking uncertainly.
"I said, I want two sets of everything on the list!" Lin Yi pointed at the list, his tone as firm as a rock.
The merchant was dumbfounded, eyes wide open, anger in his gaze.
Did my feelings get flushed down the drain? Didn't you hear a word I said?
"Suit yourself, come back in an hour for the goods." The merchant waved his hand helplessly, unable to persuade a stubborn ghost.
"What is this used for?" Lin Yi placed a coin onto the table.
He could get this kind of coin from killing zombies or completing any task in the shelter. They were scarce, and even very rare.
But he had to rely on these coins to purchase the necessary construction for the shelter.
The merchant glanced at it and gave an explanation.
Upon hearing it, Lin Yi learned that every Professional could get these coins, but their utility was very minor.
They could buy various system items from the system's vending machines: weapons, equipment, skills, and even food.
But the most critical issue is that the vending machine locations appear without any pattern, completely randomly, and usually they relocate within a few days, whether you can find one depends entirely on luck.
In short, although most Professionals have this thing, it has no practical use, so—its value is very low!
At this moment, the light in Lin Yi's eyes made the merchant a little uneasy, causing him to subconsciously shift his position.
"How much is food exchanged for coins worth?" Lin Yi asked.
"Uh... it's too hard to find these vending machines, don't count on finding one." The merchant tried to dissuade Lin Yi from this idea.
No matter how much food you have, don't waste it like this. Wouldn't it be better to recruit a few more girls?
"I run around everywhere, the odds are pretty high, quote me a price and let's see." Lin Yi smiled slyly, already calculating in his mind.
This is a huge business opportunity; how many coins does selling potatoes to the system earn?
But if the price is right in trading with the merchant, his profits could double instantly. Investing the profit back into production would be like a snowball effect, his growth rate would be immeasurable.
"Why do you always buy such junk, what's the use?" The merchant was very annoyed, feeling that his cooperation with the other party was nearing bankruptcy and would soon be over.
"Two coins for one pound of food."
"How about using 90 pounds of potatoes for 200 coins?" Lin Yi said with a smile.
"What!? Ninety pounds—" The merchant was so surprised he stood up directly from his chair.
Realizing many people around were looking this way, he quickly leaned closer to Lin Yi and lowered his voice: "Ninety pounds! Do you really have that much?"
He looked at Lin Yi with eager eyes.
"You go ahead and collect, I'll bring the food tomorrow. Now, hurry and prepare the items on my list." Lin Yi pointed back at the shopping list, gesturing for two sets, then turned and walked towards other stalls.
Watching Lin Yi's departing figure, the merchant couldn't help but clench his fist excitedly and give a silent "Yeah!"
But then he realized his gaffe, quickly straightened his back, glanced left and right, and coughed awkwardly.
Lin Yi wandered around the trade market.
He didn't find any decent weaponry but did find a few vaccine bracelets.
One of which still had one use left, and another had two left. Each bracelet required two pounds of food.
Walking through the first floor of the Louvre, he didn't find anything interesting.
However, when passing by the women's institute, a beautiful red-haired woman caught his eye, her striking looks instantly stirring his appetite.
...but he really had no time to linger now, it was a crucial period for his transformation from "gang leader" to "business tycoon," every step had to be cautious and error-free.
Hence, he could only suppress his inner urge, swallow hard and return to the merchant to collect his goods.
The batch of goods was packed into a large camping bag by the merchant, containing three folding shovels, a watering can, plastic buckets, a hoe, and various agricultural tools.
Roughly estimated, they weighed several hundred pounds.
But with Lin Yi's strength of 16 points, this was not a big challenge. After paying, he easily hoisted the backpack over his shoulder and left the Louvre.
The refugee camp on the plaza was still the same, a group of hungry people surrounded Lin Yi, begging for food.
Lin Yi pushed these hungry people away and quickly returned to the apartment building, then teleported back to the shelter.
"Boss, you're back!" Chen Youyou saw the boss return with a large backpack, her face immediately blossomed with an excited smile.
"All the things you asked for are here, how's the harvest in the field?" Lin Yi put down the backpack, rubbing his sore shoulders, it was quite heavy after all...
"All done, the kids did great."
"Not bad." Lin Yi nodded in satisfaction.
"Boss..." Chen Youyou awkwardly averted her gaze, speaking softly.
"What is it?"
"Can we make some curtains or something? I don't want people watching me while I shower..." She glanced at the twin brothers sorting electronics.
Lin Yi nodded in agreement.
This suggestion is very necessary and must be implemented quickly!
It's not just those two young guys who struggle to control their gaze, even he, as an "old uncle," sometimes finds it hard to resist.
He still remembers, just this morning, indulging a bit in appreciating Chen Youyou.
Lin Yi indicated that in these matters, Chen Youyou could arrange according to her privacy and plans.
After all, he wasn't a heartless boss; he valued humanity and human rights.
After the conversation with Chen Youyou, Lin Yi turned to a giant poplar tree.
There, a frail old man sat at a desk piled with books and documents, engrossed in research.
Lin Yi squinted, only hoping he was worth the food he consumed.
Moreover, the contract was still unsigned...