Chapter 139: Countdown (IV)

Without much effort, Viren and his companions met the de facto ruler of Hope Town within the manor—a chubby fellow who looked remarkably like a humanoid wild boar. Just like everyone else, the moment he laid eyes on Viren, a flash of intense hostility erupted in his eyes. However, the instant he caught sight of the three breathtakingly beautiful women standing behind Viren, he immediately lapsed into a dazed, idiotic trance. It took quite a while before a guard, unable to bear the sight any longer, shook and pulled him back to reality.

"Ahem, you people... Oh, my good sir, and these three young ladies, I heard that you wish to make a deal with me?"

While speaking, the fat man put on a pretentious show of straightening his clothes to make himself appear more imposing. Unfortunately, he clearly had no understanding of the idiom about an ugly woman trying to mimic a beauty.

"That's right, we hope to make a transaction with you."

Hearing the fat man's inquiry, Viren smiled slightly, nodded at the group before him, and then spoke.

"If possible, I would like to purchase a batch of food supplies—preferably fresh, wholesome, and naturally, delicious would be even better..."

"Then, my good sir, what do you intend to use as payment?"

As he spoke, the fat man couldn't help repeatedly glancing at the three young maidens standing quietly behind Viren. Although he thought it unlikely, deep down in his heart, the fat man secretly hoped that Viren intended to trade these young women for food. Such occurrences were far from uncommon in the wasteland. If the man was truly willing to do so, he certainly wouldn't mind parting with some food... Hmph, even getting just one of them would be an absolute jackpot!

In the eyes of the boar-like mayor, managing to speak without losing his composure or drooling was already a remarkable display of self-restraint.

"Naturally, I will offer compensation commensurate with the quality of the food."

Viren showed no outward reaction to the boar mayor's gaze. He merely smiled, reached out, and placed a single energy wafer on the table. Upon seeing the energy wafer, the boar mayor first froze, then widened his eyes in utter astonishment. The three-hundred-pound fat man actually bounced up with a startled "whoosh," slammed himself against the front of the table, and stared wide-eyed, fixing an unbelieving, deadlocked gaze upon the wafer before him.

No ruler of any settlement could possibly be ignorant of the existence of energy wafers. The boar before them was no exception. If he had merely been greedy a moment ago, the boar mayor's eyes were now blazing with outright brilliance!

"Th-This..."

"What I require is top-quality food—all-natural, organic, and pollution-free. Naturally, meat products would be even better. Consider this energy wafer as a down payment. As for the quantity... naturally, the more, the better."

The Harmony came equipped with its own freezer, so storing meat wasn't much of a problem either.

"Th-This..."

The boar mayor was utterly unresponsive to Viren's words, stuttering a repetitive "Th-this" over and over, sounding precisely like a broken, looping tape recorder. It wasn't until Viren finished his last sentence that the mayor abruptly snatched up the energy wafer and shoved it into his pocket. He then cast a wary, sweeping glance to both sides, acting remarkably like a mobster conducting a shady underground deal in broad daylight.

With that, the mayor finally raised his head, looking toward Viren with a warm, ingratiating smile.

"No problem at all, respected sir! Please, follow me. I assure you, you will not be disappointed!"

Speaking thus, the boar mayor rose to his feet and respectfully gestured toward the group.

"Please, follow me."

History proved that there was indeed a reason why the boar mayor had managed to eat his way to such proportions in the apocalypse.

The manor wasn't particularly large, but its output was quite bountiful. Not only did it cultivate wheat, but it even possessed a mill capable of grinding the wheat into flour. That perk alone was a luxury. Beyond that, its poultry industry was also thriving. Although it lacked the beef and mutton Viren desired, the hundreds of chickens raised within the estate were more than enough to sustain the boar mayor's household expenses, with a surplus left over for the manor's guards and servants. This was precisely the reason why this swine had lorded over Hope Town for so long without being overthrown—those he bribed worked heart and soul for the sake of those meals. As for the wretches outside who had to beg for scraps and couldn't even fill their bellies, where would they find the strength to revolt?

"Hmm... The quality is quite good..."

Rubbing the flour between his fingers, Viren nodded in satisfaction. He had already negotiated with the boar mayor to trade two energy wafers for flour, chicken meat, tomatoes, potatoes, and other staple crops. In any case, the only ones in Viren's group who truly needed to eat regular meals were a select few; both Delrine and Franca survived entirely on energy wafers, so they didn't mind. Of course, the volume of these supplies was not insignificant, but the cargo bay of the Harmony—spacious enough to swallow a supercar—stored these provisions without the slightest difficulty.

"Then, a pleasant cooperation."

Watching the servants load the supplies onto the truck, Viren smiled and spoke to the boar mayor. Hearing his words, the mayor managed a strained, reluctant smile. Although he had readily agreed to Viren's demands, Viren's lion's share of an order had wiped out nearly half of his inventory, causing the mayor a considerable pang of heartache. Staring at the supplies being loaded onto the truck, the mayor hesitated briefly before speaking up.

"Um... May I ask where you intend to transport these supplies?"

"As long as they are moved out of the settlement, I have my own arrangements."

"Is that so..."

Hearing Viren's reply, the mayor nodded, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead, glanced cautiously at Viren, and asked once more.

"Um... You aren't residents from around here, are you?"

"I am merely a passerby, currently wandering the wasteland at my leisure."

"I see..."

The mayor nodded once again, though this time he didn't bother wiping the sweat from his brow. Instead, he twisted the handkerchief in his hands, hesitated for a moment, and then plastered his face with smiles as he looked back at Viren.

"Well then, my good sir, you see, it's rare for someone of your stature to visit Hope Town, and you've been so remarkably generous. In that case, I cannot afford to be stingy either. In fact, we happen to have a batch of fine vintage wine stored here. I wonder if you might be interested?"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Viren paused slightly before nodding.

"Of course... You are willing to sell?"

"What a thing to say! Since you've offered such generous compensation, of course we are willing to sell. It's right down in the wine cellar next door. You are welcome to go down and inspect it yourself..."

"Very well, let's take a look."

Hearing the mayor's proposition, Viren shrugged. Accompanied by Delrine, Eluka, and Franca, and led by the boar mayor, they walked toward the entrance of a cellar located within the warehouse.

"Right down here..."

Standing before the cellar door, the mayor seemed utterly exhausted. He pulled out his handkerchief, vigorously wiping the greasy, glistening sweat from his forehead, and offered Viren a ingratiating smile.

"Just look at me—I rarely walk these days, and after marching this far, my legs simply won't hold me... My good sir, please go down and inspect it yourself. I shall follow shortly."

At these words, the corners of Viren's lips curled upward, forming a faint, amused smile. He gazed at the boar mayor for a moment before finally nodding.

"Very well, no problem at all."

As he spoke, he gestured to Eluka and then strode into the cellar without looking back.

The moment the four of them stepped inside, that heavy iron door slammed shut behind them with a resounding bang.