Big Fish Eat Little Fish, Little Fish Eat Shrimp

While Chu Guang was conversing with the head of the Yu family, the players watching from the side were whispering amongst themselves. "Did you catch what the manager was just talking about?" "Nope!" "I understood a little bit. To put it simply, he traded one kilogram of coarse salt for ten pelts?" "And didn't he get that kilogram of coarse salt for three kilograms of smoked meat?!" "Three kilograms of smoked meat for ten pelts? Holy shit! What a massive win! Shouldn't ten pelts fetch at least two guns? He's totally ripping off the natives!" "Think bigger, man! By the way... how many silver coins does the manager charge us for coats and leather gear again?" "...?!" "Fuck?!" "Holy crap?!" These lovely little players seemed to have stumbled onto an alarming realization, but Chu Guang, who had made a killing, didn't care in the slightest. Did it matter? Obviously not. If he didn't buy low and sell high, could he even call himself an NPC? Did they really think they had transmigrated to an alternate world? If they couldn't stand it, they could go launch a private server where they could tweak silver coins, stats, and gear however they pleased, as "reasonable" as they liked. Yu Hu, the Yu family's second son, was still counting on his fingers. Addition and subtraction within one hundred proved a bit challenging for him. One hyena skin traded for 150 grams of coarse salt. In Bet Street, 150 grams of salt cost 3 chips, which meant... one hyena skin was worth 3 chips? That was one chip more than selling it to Old Charlie! And the quality of this coarse salt was far superior to what Old Charlie sold... There wasn't a single grain of sand mixed in! Finally figuring it out, Yu Hu turned to Chu Guang and said uneasily, "How can we do that? Won't you be taking a loss trading like that? How about a hundred grams instead, just like this time?" Looking at this naive, simple-minded kid, Chu Guang suddenly felt a bit sheepish facing him. He looked away toward the sky and patted him on the shoulder. "Have you ever heard of the phrase 'win-win'?" "Win... win-win?" This outsider always spoke in confusing terms. Yu Hu had barely managed to calculate the price of a pelt, and now he was completely bewildered by this brand-new phrase. He could only feel... that Big Brother Chu's expression looked profoundly enigmatic. "That's right," Chu Guang nodded and continued. "You made a profit, and I made a profit. What we have right now is a win-win." Delighted, Yu Hu looked at his father. "Dad! Let's sell all our pelts to Big Brother Chu from now on! That way, we'll win-win!" "Shut your mouth." The head of the Yu family clearly thought further ahead. Though certainly not because of the math—after all, when it came to schooling, like father, like son. Looking at Chu Guang, the old man still harbored concerns. "I understand what you mean, but the mayor doesn't allow us to do business with outside merchants. If we're discovered..." Once or twice might go unnoticed. Over the long term, they would inevitably be found out. After all, the butchering and tanning were both done in Bet Street. If pelts vanished and never made their way to Old Charlie's shop, someone was bound to grow suspicious. Hearing this, Chu Guang gave an unconcerned smile. "Am I a merchant? Obviously not. My home is right here! We are neighbors, and even more than that, we are friends. Is there any problem with visiting a friend's home? Obviously not. "As for that Old Leech... ahem, I mean the mayor of Bet Street. Even if he forbids you from contacting us, it doesn't matter. You don't need to carry anything out from your house. Just bring your fresh kills straight here to me. "Our people can even butcher and skin the animals for you right in front of you, completely free of charge, guaranteed not to cheat you out of a single ounce! "When the time comes, leave the pelts behind, and take your meat and traded salt straight home. Or, you can simply sell the prey directly to me. Not only can you trade for salt here, but you can also exchange it for grain and dried smoked meat. It's bound to be much more cost-effective than taking chips to buy from Old Charlie!" Hearing Chu Guang's assurances, the old man's furrowed brows finally smoothed out, and he murmured with excited deference, "That won't do... We can't let you butcher the meat for nothing. By Bet Street's rules, the slaughterhouse takes thirty percent of the carcass. We'll give you thirty percent too!" *Holy shit?* *Running a slaughterhouse in Bet Street is that lucrative?* Then again, butchering was a skilled trade. Chu Guang sighed inwardly. As expected, he was still far too merciful. "You are being too polite. "Thirty percent is too much. Let's make it twenty!" ... Whether it was thirty percent or twenty, Chu Guang didn't want to haggle over the details. No matter how it was calculated, he came out far ahead. Of course, for these Bet Street scavengers, doing business with him was certainly far from a bad deal. After all, he was different from ordinary merchants. Those bloodsuckers were even more ruthless than leeches, always seeking one-off deals and aiming to suck out every last drop of marrow. After all, whether one would even be alive tomorrow was an open question, so who cared about the day after? As for him... He certainly had his sights set on much more than a few hides and chunks of meat. If handled properly, Bet Street might end up with a new mayor before long. At the very least, once enough mutual trust was built, a portion of the residents would likely choose to leave their homes and seek shelter under him. He just needed the right catalyst. The father and son thanked Chu Guang, finally accepted the kilogram of coarse salt, and prepared to take their leave. Right then, Xiaoyu, who had been hiding behind Yu Hu the entire time, suddenly popped out from behind her brother. Her dark, round eyes stared at Chu Guang, and she asked in a crisp, clear voice, "Are you coming back?" *Coming back?* Even though barely two weeks had passed, hearing that question gave Chu Guang the strange sensation of a lifetime having slipped by. Seeing that Chu Guang didn't speak, Xiaoyu continued, "Second Brother said you weren't dragged away by hyenas, that you're alive, but you won't be coming back anymore. But he said he could bring me to see you, so I tagged along. Xiaoyu just wanted to ask, do you still need that shed?" The girl still spoke without taking a breath, trying to cram every word into a single sentence and spit it all out at once. Nevertheless, Chu Guang caught the general meaning, and his heart was stirred. In his original plan, the shack in Bet Street was merely a fallback option and a means to barter for resources during the pioneer phase. Having Xiaoyu watch over it for two or three days was plenty. If he didn't return within three days, it meant he would never need to go back anyway. "You've been watching it for me all this time?" "Mhm!" Nodding like a pestle pounding garlic, Xiaoyu raised the tip of her nose proudly, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. At this moment, she wasn't shy or scared of strangers at all. "Xiaoyu promised to watch it for you, and I definitely wouldn't go back on my word. Second Brother said there was dust on your door and that you definitely wouldn't be back, but I even swept the dust off for you. "Even though that little bastard from the Wang family kept eyeing your doorframe and trying to pry the door open behind my back, Xiaoyu has very sharp ears, you know! I can hear the tiniest noise! He didn't dare hit me; Second Brother beat him up before." The more Chu Guang listened, the guiltier he felt. Back when he worked in sales, although he had never outright lied to people, he had certainly bamboozled his share of clients and preyed on human greed. But when confronted with a customer this earnest, innocent, and kind, he genuinely couldn't bring himself to take advantage. What could he say? *Sigh!* Forget it. Perhaps this was why, despite having a face as handsome as Daniel Wu, he had never become the top salesman or managed to land a wealthy patron. "Thank you for looking after my home for so long! But you won't need to anymore... "Consider that shed a coming-of-age gift from me. If there's anything inside you can use, feel free to take it apart and use it. No need to ask me." Xiaoyu nodded, only half-understanding. "You're really not coming back?" That was the only question she truly cared about. "Mhm, my companions need me. I'll be staying here from now on," Chu Guang phrased it gently. "Okay, then." Thinking about how she wouldn't have candy to eat in the future, Xiaoyu felt a bit downcast, but she quickly cheered herself up. "Thank you for the gift! Then, can Xiaoyu give it to my brother? My little nest is fine, but my second brother needs a bigger nest to get married, so he won't have to marry far away and can still visit often." "Ahem, for your brother... it should be called taking a wife. In any case, do as you like. It's yours now, anyway." Chu Guang patted her little head, then pulled all three lollipops out of his pocket and stuffed them into her small hands. "Take them and eat. These are all for you... Remember to peel off the wrapper." Still somewhat worried, he added, "And don't shove them all into your mouth at once. Only eat one at a time, or the flavors will clash and make you sick of them." "Uh-huh, fank you!" Having finally received the lollipops she had yearned for, Xiaoyu followed her family on their way back, though she parted with some reluctance. Night would fall soon, and monsters would crawl out from those tall, massive buildings to forage in the streets. That was what she had been told ever since she was little... ... Dusk. The area outside the north gate of the outpost base was bustling with activity. A tacitly established marketplace seemed to have formed here. Players had staked wooden signs into the ground inscribed with their identification numbers and IDs, cordoning off modest plots of land to mark their dedicated stalls. Those who were here yesterday returned today as well, and nobody caused trouble by tearing things down. At present, there were few players in the game, and everyone had joined through personal referrals, so they were generally friendly and well-mannered. After all, what good did it do to hinder others? Everyone present was part of the future top tier. Even the worst among them would be second-rate powerhouses, or at the very least third-rate bosses. If they didn't mind their reputation now, how could they hold their heads high later? Seeing how orderly the players were, Chu Guang, as the manager, was glad to take it easy. Going along with the "will of the people," he posted a notice outside the north gate: [Effective today, the area extending one hundred meters outside the north gate is designated as the "Market." Shelter residents are free to set up stalls and conduct trade.] [Consignment shelves are located in the Shelter Resident Hall. A rental fee of 1 silver coin is required to list items on consignment. If unsold after seven days, items will be delisted; additional rent may be paid to renew the listing.] Once the notice was posted, players swarmed over to read it, erupting into cheers. "The manager is awesome!" "Fantastic! Is this an in-game update? The market feature is finally here! Hell yeah!" "Anyone buying mutant hyena fangs? Now that the market is open, can enchanting, gem-slotting, and inscription-carving be far behind? If you don't stockpile materials now, when will you? How else are you gonna get stronger?" "Anyone buying mushrooms? Fresh, big mushrooms! Wuwuwu, please come buy them! I promise I won't raise the price again—four copper coins from now on, seriously!" "Boss Crow, did your mushrooms go to college?" "Can they lay eggs?" "Can I buy them to release them into the wild?" "Can they make Diona spit in my drink?" "Holy crap, you pervert!" Watching the rowdy players, Chu Guang wore the indulgent smile of an old father. Life was getting better by the day. It was just that the days were growing dark earlier and earlier... ... Before night fell, the Yu family returned to Bet Street, but the atmosphere here felt somewhat different from usual. A handcart was parked in front of Bet Street's gate. Beside the cart stood two men wearing animal-pelt coats, carrying pipe rifles on their backs, along with an emaciated, bedraggled slave whose gender was unrecognizable after prolonged torment. Old Charlie stood at the entrance, negotiating with the leading man with a fawning smile on his face. The man, his face carved with blatant impatience, blew smoke rings directly into Old Charlie's face. The other burly man was also urging Old Charlie to hurry up. Before long, Old Walter, the gatekeeper, led a woman out from inside. She was draped in a long robe, her hands and feet shackled, with a barcode stamped onto her ankle. The glimpses of her snow-white skin would have stirred admiration in anyone, man or woman alike. Xiaoyu had never seen such a pretty older sister. Her dark, round eyes blinked, filled with curiosity and envy. "Brother, who is she?" Yu Hu whispered, "I don't know. Probably someone the old mayor bought from outside. Heard she's a clone or something?" "A clone. Look at her eyes, not a shred of soul in them. Don't look!" The father had clearly seen more of the world. He reached out to tug his son and daughter, murmuring, "Don't make a sound, and don't make eye contact with those men. We'll wait here for a moment until they leave." Both children obediently followed their father, hiding within the shadows of the street corner. The man in pelts inspected the goods, let out a chuckle, patted Old Charlie on the shoulder, and gave him a thumbs-up. Then Xiaoyu watched as the rough man tied the woman's hands to the handcart, called to his companion, and departed. "Brother, where are they taking her?" Yu Hu didn't know how to explain it. As a man, he could guess, but he didn't know how to put it into words. Whenever winter approached, every household in Bet Street had to respond to the mayor's mobilization by turning over supplies. Did that mean the old mayor didn't need to pay tribute to someone else? Obviously not. It was just like big fish eating little fish, and little fish eating shrimp. "You're still young. Don't ask so much." "I'm not little anymore," Xiaoyu grumbled. Amused by her words, Yu Hu rubbed his sister's little head. "Good girl. If you're not little, eat more meat. Only eating meat makes you grow tall... What's that plastic stick in your mouth? Does it taste good? Got any more? Give me one to try." "No! Go ask Big Brother Chu yourself." Xiaoyu darted away nimbly, like a little fish. "Time to go." The old man carefully tucked the salt into his chest pocket. Then, reaching out, he plucked the plastic stick Xiaoyu had been chewing on all the way back from her mouth and tossed it into the corner of the wall. Ignoring her aggrieved pout, he pulled both of them along toward Bet Street. Old Charlie glanced at the three of them, saying nothing, and casually continued chatting with Old Walter beside him as if nothing had happened. "Did the shelter you used to live in have girls that pretty?" "No. The people living in my shelter were normal human beings, after all." "That woman isn't normal?" "Clones come in two kinds. One kind develops from infancy, growing naturally, almost no different from normal people. The other kind is the expedited batch, kept inside incubation pods until fully developed, no different from commodities... That second kind comes in all sorts of varieties. Their purposes and development cycles vary wildly, with high-end and low-end tech involved. You wouldn't understand even if I told you." Old Walter chuckled, offering Charlie a cigarette. "There's still some time before dark anyway. Tell me about it." Old Charlie let out a sigh, and like a storyteller, began recounting that brief, wonderful chapter of his past. Xiaoyu wanted to stop and listen too, but her father had no interest. Giving them no room to argue, he hurried her and Yu Hu along, rushing home.