Reborn in the end of the world, I scavenged in the empty city and bought for free

Yan Fan was driving the car on the road, and the car was moving forward with difficulty in the heavy snow. Everything around was covered with snow. Compared with the scene when I went out yesterday, it seemed as if a layer of shell had been replaced here. Even if the car windows were closed tightly, one could still hear the sharp sound of the wind whistling past, which made one's scalp numb. That sound was like the harsh sound of a knife cutting through cloth, and the coldness eroded one's senses bit by bit.

It usually takes more than half an hour to get to the farmers' market, but it took me nearly an hour to get there. Fortunately, the car has good performance and there was no problem driving after the anti-skid chains were installed.

Because of the recent sharp drop in temperature, the shops at the farmer's market have not stopped business. On the contrary, there has been a constant stream of people. Even because of the heavy snow, people who live nearby or have means of transportation still drive there.

When the car drove to the open-air parking lot of the farmer's market, we saw that at least half of the parking spaces were already full. A man wearing a black jacket and wrapped tightly in a torn towel immediately rushed over. He was the parking attendant here. He made a three sign as soon as he came up, and then he was heard shouting, "Thirty points per hour."

Yan Fan frowned as soon as he heard this number. It was obvious that they were taking advantage of the opportunity to extort money. When he parked here before, it only cost five points per hour, but now it has increased several times.

"Forget it, one hour is enough. Thirty is fine. This kind of weather is not easy for everyone." Gu Tongwan didn't want to waste time at this critical juncture.

Yan Fan handed over his card. The man, with only his eyes showing, had a flash of smile in his eyes. He swiped the card swiftly and then directed the car to stop at another location.

After the two got off the car, the man who parked the car said with a half-smile, "You guys are here to buy charcoal too, right?"

Yan Fan and Gu Tongwan had no intention of responding to his words, but unexpectedly he continued on his own: "After the temperature dropped in the past two days, more and more people have bought charcoal, but the price has also increased several times. If the temperature continues to drop, the charcoal will be even more expensive. Today, ordinary charcoal is sold for seventy-five yuan per catty, and the better smokeless lychee wood is sold for one hundred and twenty yuan. This price is really exaggerated. How do you think ordinary people can survive? The senior officials of this base don't even think about controlling the price of charcoal. Isn't this going to force ordinary people to death?" The man shook his head and sneered disdainfully: "But then again, these countless profiteers selling charcoal are happy now. A lot of charcoal was transported from the north this morning, but two more people died in the logging team. The forest is not peaceful now. The logging team will risk their lives if they go in. If it weren't for a few dollars, who would be willing to do this business? Oh, I won't say anymore. I find it boring if I say too much." The man put his hands in his coat pockets, and his whole body huddled like a quail.

Gu Tongwan and Yan Fan looked at each other and saw a hint of solemnity in each other's eyes.

The two walked side by side in the alley leading to the charcoal sales. Gu Tongwan walked in first and said, "Yunyun told me that the base may restrict the supply of charcoal recently."

Yan Fan's eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly calmed down. He clenched his hands slightly and nodded, "It's not impossible. Under the current circumstances, the supply of charcoal will definitely not keep up. If there is no limit on charcoal, the inventory will not last long. In addition, in this kind of weather, we can't continue to send logging teams deep into the forest."

"That's what I think, but I'm worried that if we limit the amount of coal, there will definitely be a riot at the base. Not to mention whether the Self-Defense Forces can suppress it, the order that has been painstakingly established so far will collapse overnight for the entire base. So I really want to know which idiot made this decision."

Yan Fan suddenly stopped and hesitated for a while before saying, "Perhaps some people just want order to collapse? In troubled times, heroes emerge, and only in troubled times can one seize power. Every time there is a change in history, it is the best time for a change of regime."

Gu Tongwan was stunned. She didn't expect that Yan Fan thought more deeply than she did. She had thought about this possibility before, but she didn't dare to delve into the conspiracy. After all, if someone really did this, it would be tantamount to using the future and lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the entire Jiangcheng base as a stepping stone before seizing power.

She was not from the system, and even though she could sense something was amiss, she could not guess the true intentions of those in power, nor did she understand how important power and profit were that would make them risk the hopes of all mankind.

"If it's true, Jiangcheng will be in chaos and the base will eventually be destroyed." Gu Tongwan sighed deeply, feeling powerless all over.

Yan Fan smiled and said, "Sister Wanwan, this kind of thing is not our turn to worry about. Even if there is such a possibility, the power structure of the base is complicated. Since we can guess this, others can guess it even more. Some people are willing to see Jiangcheng in chaos, and some people are bound to not want to see Jiangcheng in chaos. Instead of ordinary people like us speculating on the movements of the higher-ups, it is better for us to live our own lives first."

Gu Tongwan smiled and nodded: "You are right. If there is a limit on charcoal, it means that this extreme cold will not pass in a short time. We must make more preparations. Although the current price of charcoal is ridiculous, we still have to buy it. Otherwise, when it is several hundred points per kilogram in two days, we will not be able to afford it."

The two of them quickened their pace and headed towards the alley. As soon as they arrived at the alley where charcoal was sold, they saw that the scene inside was completely two different worlds from the outside.

It was around nine o'clock in the morning. The outside of the farmer's market was almost deserted, but the alley selling charcoal was packed with people.

"There are still so many people here in such heavy snow. It seems that everyone can't stand the cold recently." Gu Tongwan said half-jokingly, turning his gaze to the sign placed outside.

The price of charcoal has indeed increased several times compared to the previous two weeks. At first, charcoal was 10 points per kilogram, and then 30 points per kilogram in the previous two weeks. Now it is sold at 65 points per kilogram, and basically every store has a purchase limit of 30 kilograms. Lychee wood has been sold for more than 100 points per kilogram, and the purchase limit is also 20 kilograms. Not only that, the price of raw branches has also increased. The original purchase price per kilogram was 5 points, and now it has increased to 30 points. That's why so many logging teams have recently risked entering the forest. After all, if they can cut a ton of raw branches in a day, this is a profit of over 10,000 yuan. Even if seven or eight people share this money, it is still very considerable.

Gu Tongwan walked into a store that was not crowded. Several people were checking out. The boss was chatting with one of them, a cigarette dangling from his mouth: "If you want to buy charcoal first, hurry up. The price may not be the same in two days."

"Sister Wanwan, how much more do we want to buy?" Yan Fan glanced at the charcoal in the front row. The prices ranged from sixty to eighty. The best charcoal, such as lychee wood and sycamore wood, which produced less smoke when burned, cost around twelve hundred.

"Just buy some ordinary charcoal. Since it's limited, let's buy separately. You buy 30 kilograms and I buy 30 kilograms. Let's buy from a few more stores. I thought about it. We need at least 30 kilograms of charcoal every day, which is nearly a ton in a month. If the extreme cold continues, we still have to find a way to stock up more. I didn't think so much before, and it seems that buying now will cost me a lot of money."

Yan Fan handed over his card: "Sister Wanwan, I still have more than 5,000 points here. If it's not enough, you can use it first."

"Don't worry, I will definitely use it. We will pay separately later, otherwise how are we going to pay?" Seeing Yan Fan's surprised face, she smiled and said, "I'm just kidding, I will transfer the money back to you."

"It doesn't matter. My money is yours, Sister Wanwan. You've been eating and living for free for such a long time. And if you hadn't taken me in out of kindness, I don't know what I would have become now. Besides... I'm alone now. I haven't had any brothers or sisters since I was a child. I actually like your sister very much." It was rare for Yan Fan to say so much in one breath. The half-grown boy felt more and more embarrassed as he spoke. He didn't know whether his ears were red from the cold or from embarrassment. He could only smile foolishly.

The two of them bought things from all the stores in Charcoal Alley. They spent a lot of money, but they also gained a lot. The entire pickup truck was filled to the brim.

"One, two, three, four... twelve, a total of twelve bags, the count is correct." Each bag of charcoal holds 50 kilograms. This time, a total of nearly 600 kilograms of charcoal was purchased, which is enough to last for a while.

Gu Tongwan received a message just after getting in the car. When he saw the caller, a light flashed in his eyes.

[Already arrived in Jiangcheng, will arrive at the base tonight. ]

Gu Tongwan smiled and quickly typed on the keyboard, "Is this mission very hard? This trip seems to have taken quite a long time."

[Well, there were some changes in the capital, but they have been dealt with now. The weather has turned cold recently, so please keep warm.]

Gu Tongwan's eyes were fixed on the screen. The light from the phone screen reflected in her cold pupils actually added a bit of tenderness.

Yan Fan, who was driving, accidentally glanced at the rearview mirror and smiled, "Sister Wanwan, whose message is this? Why are you so engrossed in it?"

Gu Tongwan raised his head after sending the message and said with a smile: "A friend."

"Oh, a boyfriend?" When Gu Tongwan squinted at him, Yan Fan immediately changed the subject: "I mean, a male friend?"

"What do you want to say?" After relaxing, Gu Tongwan leaned his whole body against the back of the chair, but his hands were always stroking the phone.

Yan Fan shrugged: "I thought I was going to have another brother-in-law."

Who would have thought that the usually calm Yan Fan would occasionally reveal such a playful side? Before Gu Tongwan could figure out what he meant by this, Yan Fan suppressed his laughter and asked, "Is it the Mr. Chen we met last time?"

"...You are quite clever." Gu Tongwan smiled unhappily, but then added: "But who told you to yell like that? It's disrespectful."

"Oh... not my brother-in-law. I think he is a good match for Sister Wanwan. If I'm not mistaken, he is a high-level psychic, and his psychic type is similar to mine. I noticed it last time. His psychic power is very strong. No, it should be said that it is strong enough to crush everyone around him. He... can't be S-level?"

Yan Fan had actually been wanting to ask for a long time, but Gu Tongwan had never mentioned Chen Yanxi's identity to anyone. The last time Yan Fan met Chen Yanxi, they simply nodded and greeted each other, but in fact, Yan Fan had always wanted to fight with Chen Yanxi. For the strong, especially those standing in high places, the aura on them is unique. In addition, one is an ice-type mutant and the other is a frost-type mutant. Similar abilities make them more sensitive to each other's abilities than other people.

"Yan Fan, do you feel that you have eaten too much or are too idle today, so you are imagining things?" Gu Tongwan glanced at him and sneered.

"Goodbye, I won't ask anything. I'll just remain mute." Yan Fan had a mischievous smile on his face, but he looked like he saw through everything but didn't want to say anything.

I pulled a cart of charcoal back home and placed it directly in the small house that Yan had built before. There were actually more than a dozen bags of charcoal piled in it. Adding the ones I bought today, looking around, the whole corner was filled with snakeskin bags. This place had become a storage room.

After that, they cleared the snow on the plastic shed and hurried into the house.

"Let's turn on the news and check the weather forecast." Gu Tongwan took off his coat and quickly put on his plush slippers.

Aoao and Tutu, who were taking a nap on the second floor, immediately ran downstairs. Gu Tongwan held Tutu and rubbed him into the white fur.

There is no strange smell on Aoao and Tutu. Even though they usually eat the corpses of mutated animals in the space, they will lick the blood off their bodies after each meal. This is somewhat similar to the habit of cats. This saves Gu Tongwan the trouble of cleaning them frequently.

Tutu's neck was hugged by Gu Tongwan, and the child thought that the master wanted to play with him, so he didn't make any noise at the moment, but rubbed his head against Gu Tongwan obediently. On the contrary, Aoao next to him jumped up and down, and just by seeing his brother being pampered by the master, he became a little bit petty and deliberately butted his head wildly at Gu Tongwan's feet.

When he raised his head from Tutu's side, Gu Tongwan felt that the coldness all over his body was dispelled a lot, and then he heard the news reporting the recent weather.

[It is expected that in the next 10 days, cold air activities will frequently affect Jiangcheng. The average temperature in the eastern part of the northwest region, North China, and Jianghuai will be basically lower than usual. The temperature in some parts of the eastern and northern regions will be 15-25°C lower than usual. The temperature in most other parts of Jiangcheng will be 20°C lower than the same period of previous years. ]

"It looks like the temperature has really dropped. Luckily we bought the charcoal a day earlier. Yan Fan, believe it or not, once this weather forecast comes out, it will be impossible to squeeze into the farmer's market."