Chapter 899: The Proposed Deal
"Stop talking!" the floating youth couldn't help but say.
Shangguan Xi tilted his head to look at him. "This guy isn't a player, is he."
"He should be a native here." Xu Huo warned, "Speaking too loudly might attract flying mutants."
Shangguan Xi immediately shut his mouth and hurriedly took out a silencing item. "Brother Xu, how about we leave first? What if we really do attract flying mutants?"
Speak of the devil—beneath the distant sky, three giant mutants flew over in formation. They were eagle variants, with wingspans reaching ten meters, their talons evolved into four claws, and teeth growing from their beaks. Their cries weren't the clear calls of birds but were murky, almost like roars.
"They're really here!" Shangguan Xi let out a "hey" and pulled out a crossbow-like item, firing three arrows in quick succession—these weren't real crossbow bolts; each small arrowhead shot out had tracking and homing capabilities, individually locking onto the three flying mutants!
"Boom!" The first mutant, failing before it could even engage, exploded into a cloud of blood. The second had half its wing blown off and fell into the swarm of insects. The third successfully dodged the arrow, but Shangguan Xi immediately pulled out a pistol.
It wasn't a real firearm. When he pulled the trigger, a seemingly light, oval object flew out. It stuck to the flying mutant's feathers and then burst open like a blooming flower, shooting out a dozen laser beams that pierced straight through the mutant's abdomen.
"Done!" Shangguan Xi grinned. "Although these items aren't great against insect swarms, they can still handle a few mutants."
Unfortunately, the two people above couldn't share his confidence. Xu Huo said, "Turn around and look behind you."
The sound of the exploding eagle had been too loud, attracting new flying mutants. But this time, it wasn't just a few—it was a whole flock!
"Brother Xu, we need to get out of here!" Shangguan Xi quickly said.
Xu Huo calmly replied, "My item can only provide space teleportation for two people."
The floating youth and Shangguan Xi both fell silent. If there weren't insect swarms below, they could hide inside the building, but going down now would basically mean death.
"I have a box I can hide in," Shangguan Xi said. "It should be safe to hide inside, but I'm afraid the insect swarm might carry it away."
Xu Huo looked at the direction the insect swarm below was moving and asked, "What's in the city center? The swarm isn't heading that way."
The youth's expression changed slightly. "That's not safe either. Two super-large mutants are lurking there!"
Before Xu Huo could speak, Shangguan Xi said, "Don't try to fool me. There are no super-large mutants near W18 Base City. Are the surviving natives of the base city hiding there?"
Clearly, he was right. The youth struggled and said to Xu Huo, "Throw me down! Go wherever you want, but don't go there!"
In just a few words, the flying mutants were already close. Xu Huo quickly threw a bottle of poison onto the rooftop, forcing back some of the carrion-eating insects, then landed on the roof. He took out the "101 Emergency Shelter" and, after taking one item from Shangguan Xi and the youth each, stuffed them inside.
Non-holders had to hand over supplies to enter 101. The youth, having attacked Xu Huo, couldn't resist, and Shangguan Xi only made a basic reaction before pulling his hand back.
The three entered the shelter. Once the door was closed, Shangguan Xi said, "Brother Xu, this item of yours is amazing! You could even live in here!"
The shelter indeed had beds, chairs, and other furniture, along with some dry rations and water.
Xu Huo tossed the item back to him and grabbed the youth, who was knocking and tapping on the wall. "Don't touch anything here casually. You can eat and drink as you please."
The 101 shelter could withstand the impact of a nuclear explosion from the outside, but the inside was easily damaged.
Shangguan Xi pricked up his ears, listening to the sound of the insect swarm crawling outside. "Those flying mutants don't seem to have come down."
The youth, who had refused food, crouched in the corner and said, "No mutant is afraid of carrion-eating insect swarms."
"If you're afraid of the insect swarm, why did you come out?" Shangguan Xi poked his forehead. "There's no food around here anyway."
"Some small mutated animals are edible," Xu Huo added.
The youth angrily slapped at Shangguan Xi's hand. When he missed, he said indignantly, "It's because of you two today that I didn't catch anything!"
Shangguan Xi casually grabbed a pack of jerky and waved it in front of him. "You have food, but you don't want it?"
The youth swallowed his saliva but stubbornly turned his head away. "Who knows if it's poisoned!"
"You're young, but your mouth is tough." Shangguan Xi stopped teasing him and turned back to Xu Huo, who had already sat down to rest. "Brother Xu, I have a few decent items here. See if any catch your eye."
Xu Huo had already checked the time and looked up. "No need to be so polite."
"It's only right, it's only right." Shangguan Xi placed a few items on the table. "You saved my life. A few items are nothing!"
Regarding Xu Huo's act of taking the items and then returning them, he tactfully didn't ask further.
Seeing his "if you don't choose, I won't stop" attitude, Xu Huo casually picked one up. It turned out to be a C-grade item.
He looked at the carefree young man across from him in surprise and nodded with a smile.
Both sides were happy, except for the youth crouching in the corner, whose stomach was growling from hunger.
Xu Huo threw the jerky back to him and proposed a deal: "I need to go to W19 Base City and want to hire a guide. If you can help with that, I'll give you five jin of food, with the guide fee separate."
The youth immediately looked up, holding the jerky with half-belief. "Really?"
"It's not hard for a player to find where the natives are hiding," Xu Huo said. "You should understand that."
Shangguan Xi chimed in, "We're not using force to make you lead the way. Doesn't that show our sincerity?"
The youth's expression darkened. Xu Huo glanced at Shangguan Xi, who rubbed his nose awkwardly. "Little bro, big bro was just joking. We're not bad people. If we were, we would have just left you behind and run."
When Xu Huo could only take one person, choosing to take Shangguan Xi and leaving the youth behind would have been the optimal choice. Xu Huo didn't do that, and even Shangguan Xi didn't suggest it. Instead, he proactively offered to leave—that said a lot.
The youth's expression finally softened a bit. He looked past Shangguan Xi at Xu Huo. "His words don't count. I don't trust him. I'll only agree if you swear you won't force me or my people."
Xu Huo glanced at him briefly. "Lie-detecting instruments don't work on players."
The youth instinctively reached behind his waist but remained firm. "Only if you agree will I introduce you to a guide. Don't underestimate the people of W18. If you dare threaten us, we'll dare to take you down with us!"
"I can see that." Xu Huo rested his arms on the table, interlacing his fingers and propping his chin on them. "Alright, the intermediary fee is six jin, and the guide fee is ten jin."
The youth stiffened his neck.
"Seven jin, and the guide fee increases by two jin."
The youth's expression shifted slightly.
"Add another three jin each to the intermediary and guide fees. This is the last chance. If you don't agree, I'll find someone else." Xu Huo withdrew his hands, seeming to lose interest in the deal.
"Wait!" the youth blurted out.
(Chapter End)