The natural conditions of the Wasteland were brutally harsh. Because of the dry climate, most crops struggled to survive. Of the few that could be grown, some took forever to mature, while others yielded so little it was almost laughable.
The Flying Crow Gang had reclaimed some farmland around Deadwood Town, but the food it produced was obviously nowhere near enough to feed the entire town.
Fortunately, the Wasteland had other food sources.
Like the wild beasts roaming the wastes, or canned food dug out of the trash heaps...
Well. All right. Those sources were not exactly reliable either.
Deadwood Town's main source of daily necessities was actually trade.
Apparently, somewhere far away, there was a city called Bafeng City, where all sorts of goods could be bought.
As a bottom-tier scavenger, Jiang Qi did not know the details. He only knew that every so often, White-Claw Crow would leave with a convoy loaded with various goods, and when he returned, he always brought back large amounts of grain and other living supplies.
Some of those supplies would then be put up for sale to the town's ordinary residents.
The prices, naturally, were far from pretty—but they were not outrageously cruel either. After all, the Flying Crow Gang did not want the scavengers starving so badly they could no longer work.
At least, that was how things were in Deadwood Town. White-Claw Crow did have a bit of foresight.
As for whether other towns practiced outright scorched-earth exploitation, Jiang Qi could not say.
Besides the little shops that sold goods directly, there was also a place that sold prepared food. Only one such place existed, and it did not even have a name. It was also run by the Flying Crow Gang. It served not only as a place for scavengers to buy meals, but also as the gang members' drinking and dining spot.
The place was busiest in the mornings.
For many scavengers, it was the one place they visited each day. They would eat one filling meal, buy some dry rations, then head off to the garbage mountain and work there until evening before returning.
Jiang Qi used to do the same. But today, he had no intention of buying dry food. He told the others he was too tired and planned to take the day off, and only ordered breakfast.
A large handful of metal scraps bought him a warm bowl of mixed-grain porridge.
It was fairly thick, seasoned with salt and oil, and even contained some canned vegetables. The portion was generous too. All things considered, it was honest fare.
It was not delicious, but it filled the stomach.
In a place like the Wasteland, being able to count on food like this every day left little to complain about.
After wolfing it down, Jiang Qi hurriedly left the breakfast shop.
Most scavengers carried a strong stink on them. In theory, the Flying Crow Gang should have long since grown used to it, but in practice, if a scavenger lingered at the table too long, it was still possible for gang members to start trouble.
Such was life for people at the very bottom.
Things like this were unavoidable.
The gang had its own rules, but that did not make them good people.
When Jiang Qi arrived outside the bookstore, he hesitated.
This was actually his first time coming here.
Like most buildings in town, the place was built from sheet metal, plastic tarp, and metal framing—but it looked far nicer than Jiang Qi's shabby little shack, and the area in front of the entrance was kept very clean.
Looking at the little shop before him, Jiang Qi felt uneasy. Scavengers were unwelcome in many places around town, and he had no idea how he would be treated here.
Just as he stood there wavering, an aged voice drifted out from inside.
"Come in already. Quit standing around in the doorway."
"Ah... right..." Jiang Qi swallowed, symbolically patted some of the dust off himself, then stepped inside.
The shop was a little more spacious than he had expected.
There were a few old bookshelves holding paper books in barely passable condition, but far more shelves were filled with old electronic devices.
The layout was surprisingly open. It was obvious the Flying Crow Gang was not worried that anyone would dare steal from here.
Which made sense. The place was fitted with surveillance. If someone actually tried anything, all they would be doing was giving the gang an excuse to make an example of them.
Every now and then, the gang needed someone to establish its authority on.
And a "criminal" was always the perfect material.
Beyond the shelves, a chest-high counter stretched across part of the store. Behind it sat an elderly man who looked to be well past sixty.
Even indoors, the man still wore sunglasses. His gray-white curly hair was tied back carelessly, and his face was covered in a rugged beard of nearly the same color.
Though clearly old, his build was still powerfully solid. The thick muscles and heavy calluses on his hands made him look anything but easy to provoke.
And yet his presence was nothing like the sharp, aggressive aura of the other gang members. On the contrary, he felt unexpectedly gentle—almost easy to get along with.
"I know you," the old man said, reclining in a rocking chair with an oversized tablet in his hands, swaying leisurely back and forth. "Kid from the west side of town. First time here, right? So what's the matter—you looking to buy a few movies?"
"Uh, more or less." Jiang Qi naturally understood what kind of "movies" the man meant. Considering the hot-blooded age of the body he was currently living in, it was not strange for the old man to assume that. Jiang Qi had no intention of explaining. "I also want a tablet. A decent one."
"My stuff doesn't come cheap," the old man said, glancing at him. "Let's see what you brought."
Jiang Qi said nothing. He simply took out an alloy block and set it silently on the counter.
The old man picked it up, held it close to his sunglasses for inspection, then let the corner of his mouth curl upward.
"Not bad. Looks like you found yourself some quality goods... hm, let me think. Third shelf over there, fourth item. See if that one catches your eye."
As he spoke, the old man pointed toward a nearby rack.
Only then did Jiang Qi notice that the hand he had used was not flesh and blood at all, but a full mechanical prosthetic arm.
It reminded him of the bald man at the recycling station, who also had a mechanical arm. But compared to that thing, the old man's prosthetic was obviously of a much higher grade.
"Ah, this one..." Following the old man's directions, Jiang Qi picked up a tablet in fairly good condition from the shelf.
As his Appraisal ability activated, the corresponding information appeared before his eyes.
[Lingsound TS18 Max 8T Multimedia Tablet]
[Status: Basically Intact]
[Integrity: 94%]
[Playback Function: Normal]
[Audio Function: Normal]
[Storage Function: Normal]
[…]
After reading through the long list of data, Jiang Qi could not help nodding inwardly.
The old man had not lied to him. The tablet really was in excellent condition. Even in his previous life, most of the "like-new, personally used by a female college student" secondhand electronics sold online probably would not have been in better shape than this.
Aside from significant wear on the outer casing, the interior had almost no damage at all.
It was practically a miracle.
"The condition is way too good, isn't it?!" Jiang Qi said, startled. "You can actually find one like this?"
"It wasn't this good when it was first picked up. I repaired it," the old man said with a grin, with more than a trace of pride in his voice. "Just happened to have a lot of spare parts for similar models. Guess this line sells well in Tiangong too. You've got a decent eye, kid. Since you know quality when you see it, I'll make the call myself—when you pick out your movies later, I'll throw in two real good ones for free."
"Haha, then thank you, shopkeeper," Jiang Qi replied with a smile.
"Don't call me that all polite-like. Gives me the creeps. Just call me Homa," the old man said, waving a hand. "That's what the gang calls me."
"Ah! Got it, Uncle Homa." Jiang Qi quickly followed suit and introduced himself in return. "My name's Jiang Qi. You can call me whatever you like."
"Jiang Qi... interesting pronunciation," Old Homa said, stroking his beard. "Right. That alloy block is only enough to buy the tablet. If you want anything else, you'll have to add more."
"I understand." Jiang Qi pulled out a second alloy block as he spoke. "I still need a few small odds and ends. And I'm looking for some information too. Might be a bit of a hassle..."
"Oh? You've got another one? Lucky boy." Seeing the second alloy block, Old Homa finally sat up straight. "Go on, then. Tell me what you're after. Don't be shy. This old man's seen all kinds of people, all kinds of tastes. Whatever you think might embarrass me, kid—you're still too green for that."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 120)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 100)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 100)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter89)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter86)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter63)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter75)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 53
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 57
From Junkman to Wasteland 35
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