Chapter 338, Eagle Eye Spell
Yang Long sat in the chair, showing a slightly deceived expression.
Wu Heng also returned to his seat. "Matters like this aren't casually shared."
"True enough," Yang Long nodded in agreement, continuing, "Brother, just curious—why start collecting gold now? Isn't it a bit early?"
Unlike their last meeting outside the military market,
Yang Long seemed more talkative today, but his tone was more polite.
This was the shift in their respective roles.
In the military market, Wu Heng had to keep a low profile. Here, Yang Long had to do the same.
"With some spare grain, it's better to stock up ahead for when order is restored," Wu Heng explained.
Yang Long paused briefly, then simply said, "Smart thinking!"
"Captain Yang, did you come this time for grain as well?"
Yang Long nodded, "Yes, and we brought some gold. But your pricing for weapons and military gear seems a bit off the mark."
Wu Heng understood what he was hinting at.
He explained, "Don't worry, Captain Yang. We're only trading grain, not firearms or ammunition. The market remains yours."
For Wu Heng, firearms and ammunition were even more critical than grain.
Grain could be replenished anytime. The wood elves had plant-accelerating potions, ensuring an abundant supply.
Ammunition production, however, had not yet resumed.
"Still, the prices are too low. It's hard for us to trade with you," Yang Long continued.
"We're not short on firearms or ammunition. If needed, we'll trade with the military directly," Wu Heng responded.
Yang Long had no choice but to drop the subject.
Judging by the market's defenses, they clearly weren't short on weapons.
He moved on, asking, "Brother, tell me honestly, will you continue collecting gold?"
"Yes, the price remains unchanged. We'll take as much as you've got."
"No kidding?"
"No kidding."
"Good, that's what I needed to hear. We'll take our leave now," Yang Long said, standing up.
"Alright."
Wu Heng escorted them to the door.
They boarded their armored vehicle and drove away.
Outside the market, many vehicles from various shelters continued trading for grain.
...…
Near dusk,
the market grew quieter.
After confirming no more convoys were coming, Qi Hancai ordered the market to close.
Everyone began packing up and returning to the factory dormitories.
In Wu Heng's room,
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Qi Hancai walked in, carrying a bag. "A total of 32 pounds of gold and 4 Level 1 corpse cores."
Hearing the numbers, Wu Heng was a bit surprised.
Thirty-two pounds of gold equated to over 530 gold coins in the other world.
And that was just the first day's haul.
Many shelters were still skeptical and hadn't come yet.
Based on past experience at the bus station, the influx of gold would likely continue for some time.
The four corpse cores were another surprise.
"The shelters here are even trading corpse cores."
Qi Hancai replied, "At first, I was surprised too, but after chatting with some survivors, it makes sense."
"How so?"
"The shelters here are armed with guns and rockets. Successfully taking down Level 1 mutated zombies isn't that hard," Qi Hancai explained.
That explanation was indeed convincing.
Humans couldn't physically match mutated zombies,
but modern weapons made it possible to take down Level 1 mutated zombies. Plus, humans excelled at using traps and long-range attacks rather than direct combat.
"That makes sense," Wu Heng agreed.
Qi Hancai smiled and said, "With the market just opened, some are still observing. It won't be long before someone trades Level 2 mutated corpse cores."
Wu Heng nodded in agreement.
This market seemed more suitable than the one at the bus station.
Engaging everyone to gather spoils accelerated the process significantly.
"Yes, the market's doing well. Let's scale back other tasks for now and focus on maintaining it."
"Understood."
"Alright, be cautious in your work."
"Got it."
Qi Hancai left the room.
Wu Heng stored away the gold and corpse cores.
Then, he opened the portal and headed to Gold-Silver Island.
...…
Appearing in the fourth-floor study,
Wu Heng went straight to the alchemy room and placed the four Level 1 corpse cores on the table.
Nearby, on a shelf,
two bottles of finished Level 1 corpse core potions awaited.
After stowing them in his spatial ring, Wu Heng left the room.
Downstairs,
Minnie and Andviel were fitting a small vest onto the baby owl.
Its fluffy feathers were squeezed tight, making its head look hilariously oversized.
But it was undeniably adorable.
Watching the owl being dressed reminded Wu Heng of Yuli, who could transform into an eagle.
Her armor was a magical item that adjusted to her shape.
Seeing Wu Heng descend, the two called out, "Master!"
Andviel reported, "Master, the bounty for the pirates you killed has arrived, along with a Tier 3 merit. You can claim it at the front desk."
The two pirate groups were the Poison Blade Pirates and the Red Crown Pirates, killed during Sheila Grey's rescue.
"Remind me tomorrow morning. We'll visit the guild together."
"Okay!"
Minnie then updated Wu Heng on the pirate radio situation.
Philipa had started recruiting new sailors and upgrading the ship's weaponry.
While the pirate group wasn't strong,
their ship's equipment was excellent.
There wasn't much valuable intel, though.
Minnie enjoyed monitoring the radio for intel.
Having read many pirate comics, she was fascinated by pirate life.
She often checked the radio room multiple times a day.
After discussing important matters, Chef One announced that dinner was ready.
The three dined together.
After dinner, Wu Heng handed the two women potions to further enhance their physiques.
They cheered and drank the potions in the living room.
Once the effects wore off,
they trained briefly before heading to bed.
...…
The next day,
Wu Heng and Andviel visited the guild.
Passing through the main hall,
they checked the Tier 3 merit rewards at the front desk.
With Wu Heng's growing strength, many existing skills and magic items no longer benefited him.
After browsing the skill books for a while, he found one that caught his eye: [Eagle Eye Spell].
[Eagle Eye Spell]
(Description: Create an invisible sensor at a location to observe and listen. (Hidden sensor detectable by those with high perception.))
Seeing the name "Eagle Eye," Wu Heng initially thought it would enhance vision.
Or perhaps it was a ranger skill.
But upon reading the description, he realized it was an invisible surveillance camera.
Once placed, it could monitor and listen to an area.
However, it wasn't completely undetectable. Those with high perception could still discover it.
"I'll take this one," Wu Heng said.
The staff member nodded. "Understood, Deputy Steward."
Wu Heng stored the book and headed to his office.
...…
Inside his room,
Andviel was wiping down the desk.
Wu Heng instructed, "Andviel, tell Moya I'll handle the two corpses personally. Have her issue a transfer certificate."
"Yes, Master." Andviel wiped her hands and left the room.
Shortly after, she returned with the certificate.
Wu Heng took the document and went to the mortuary, where the coroner wrapped the bodies in straw mats.
He stored the bodies in his spatial ring.
With everything done, Wu Heng returned to his quarters.
Then he headed back to the zombie world.
...…
In the zombie world,
the market was open again.
Several shelters arrived one after another to trade grain.
Wu Heng stepped out from the dormitory and went to the empty lot behind the building.
He retrieved the two pirate captains' corpses.
Using [Raise Skeleton],
the two corpses stood up, revealing their levels and professions.
[Skeleton Thief (Level 12)]
[Skeleton Warrior (Level 10)]
It turned out that the Poison Blade captain had been a thief, while the other was a warrior.
Level 12 was quite high.
"You'll be Poison Blade. You'll be Red Crown," Wu Heng said, naming them after their pirate groups.
He equipped them both with gear and headed back.
...…
Returning to the factory area,
Qi Hancai approached Wu Heng.
"No issues, just like yesterday. Everyone's been following the rules," she reported.
Wu Heng glanced toward the market.
One SUV even had a mounted machine gun.
"Poison Blade, you'll stay with her from now on to ensure her safety," Wu Heng instructed.
Qi Hancai froze, staring at the tall, thin skeleton with two short blades at its waist.
She had her own skeletal bodyguard now?