CHAPTER 149: CHAPTER 150: FOOLPROOF? HOARDING BY THE PROFITEER!

Lin Yue closed the last stone door, plunging his vision into darkness.

But soon, he opened the stone door again.

Outside, the rain had started to get heavier. Lin Yue also saw that the acid rain in the drainage ditch had risen again.

He wasn’t opening the door to see how heavy the rain was; he had forgotten something very important.

The sandbags hadn’t been used, damn.

Lin Yue felt he’d really lost track, actually forgetting about the sandbags he had spent a total of 7000 points on.

Sandbags could maximize the protection of his shelter from being directly flooded, and could even block some of the acid rain.

He had been focused on reinforcing and fixing the rooftop, and ended up forgetting about them.

Currently, he had a total of 400 sandbags in hand, but they were still empty.

Sandbags needed sand to be useful, but he didn’t have any.

Checked the trading panel?

He remembered that there were unfortunate souls who had set up shelters in the desert region. He wondered how many of them were still alive.

Opening up the system panel, Lin Yue went straight to the trading marketplace.

Turns out, there were people selling sand.

[Seller: Lababa Wenna]

[Trade Item: Sand]

[Requirements: Survival Points]

[Seller’s Remark: Can we trade? I’m in a hurry! The acid rain has already flooded into my shelter!]

Lin Yue indicated that he could trade.

He had plenty of survival points, but didn’t know how many this seller wanted. After all, the amount of sand he needed wasn’t small.

"Lin, Lin Yue, are you Lin Yue? You want sand? I have 5 units. I lack— no, I want to trade 100 survival points, is that okay?"

The other person seemed overly excited as soon as Lin Yue messaged them privately, and proposed a price that Lin Yue found quite cheap.

However, what did 5 units amount to?

Spending 100 survival points to exchange for five units of sand, Lin Yue returned to the shelter and took one unit out.

Soon, a small half-meter high sandpile spread inside Lin Yue’s shelter.

"Is it just this little?" Lin Yue wanted his 100 points back. Even with 5 units, it wasn’t much, after putting them all into sandbags, he found it could only fill two and a half bags.

Damn, Lin Yue cried out damn.

units could only fill 12 bags total? What a joke.

He piled the heavy sandbags next to the drainage ditch, and put away the remaining sand. Lin Yue felt it really wasn’t enough.

However, nothing showed up on the trading panel when searching for sellers, that avenue seemed no longer feasible.

Was that it?

Lin Yue always thought that merely having walls and drainage ditches wasn’t reliable; he needed a line of sandbags around the walls to feel safe.

But at present, someone might have thought ahead of using sandbags for flood control, cleaning out all the sand on the market, or perhaps someone was hoarding for this very moment.

But what price could they demand?

Let’s see about trying, what would price gouging look like?

[Seller: Lin Yue]

[Trade Items: Water, Survival Points, Vegetables]

[Requirements: Sand]

[Seller’s Remark: Negotiable]

The items had only been listed for 5 minutes before the group exploded, but Lin Yue didn’t have time to deal with them, instead looking at the sudden messages from 12 strangers.

"Oh, isn’t this Lin Yue? Quite the arrogant one, aren’t you? Pretty dragged down now, huh? I’ll take 30L of water; you get 10 units of sand, not much, right."

"1000 survival points, isn’t that a little for you? I’m saying 1000 points for 1 unit."

"I have 200 units of sand, want it? You need to show sincerity, give me the exoskeleton, Lin!"

"To be honest, I want your tactical crossbow, and by the way, give me that pet dinosaur too. 12 units of sand will do!"

...

people, all saying the same thing - selling sand at high prices, exploiting the situation.

Lin Yue recalled when he was selling things, although he indeed used hard currency to trade, it wasn’t as black-hearted as these people.

Because he mostly used auction-style trades, exchanging hard currency for things others couldn’t use or had too much of.

He never went as far as these people, playing the game of hoarding.

Marked the 12 people on the blacklist and delisted the items.

It seemed there was nothing to gain from these people then, and judging by it, any sand others listed would soon be snatched by these people.

Lababa Wenna traded sand for survival points; it was just posted, probably why it hadn’t been grabbed yet.

This incident also made Lin Yue realize, compared to those specialized in trading, he was still too immature.

If there are those hoarding sand, there might be others hoarding all sorts of things next time.

There’ll always be something he wants and can’t get, or has to pay a steep price for.

And the only way to break the stalemate, either find these things himself or unlock them from treasure chests.

"If this road doesn’t work, then it’s time to think of another way."

Though speaking of sand, there is indeed a place abundant in sand.

"Bai, do you know where the Ancient Secret Realm Gate is?"

"Chirp!" Bai, who had been watching Lin Yue busy around, wanted to help but couldn’t assist in what the owner was doing.

But when it came to the Ancient Secret Realm Gate...

Bai "growled" and walked towards the bathroom.

"Bai, not that way, the Ancient Secret Realm Gate, not the bathtub!" Lin Yue wondered if Bai had misheard something?

"Growl!" Bai led Lin Yue into the bathroom and looked towards the wall.

Lin Yue raised the torch, and then he felt his mouth twitch.

One wall of the bathroom was entwined with ancient vines, surrounded by green bricks, and the Ancient Secret Realm Gate was standing there as if it had always belonged there.

"Damn, didn’t think the Secret Realm Gate would open directly into the shelter this time!"

Lin Yue exclaimed damn, the Ancient Secret Realm Gate opening inside the house really wasn’t expected.

He had wondered where it opened previously, turns out it was right inside the shelter.

Lin Yue checked the time, surprisingly finding it was only late afternoon, near dusk, turning out they weren’t as late as night yet.

So, could he go once?

"Bai, is it safe inside?"

Lin Yue realized there wasn’t anything pressing to do at the shelter anymore. If he really could go once to the Secret Realm and find sand, it wouldn’t be a wasted trip.

"Bai, have the Little Ice Lizards guard the house well; we go and come back quickly."

"Growl!" Bai was quite excited; it hadn’t been able to properly exercise all day in the shelter, unable to even stretch its wings.

Now that Lin Yue suggested so, Bai was naturally very willing.

After informing the Little Ice Lizards, Bai’s wings fluttered excitedly a few times.

Lin Yue noticed that although the swelling on Bai hadn’t disappeared yet, it seemed much less severe than initially.

With that, he felt relieved and began unloading all the unnecessary items from the storage space.

"Chirp chirp?" The Little Ice Lizards, seeing Lin Yue and Bai looking as if they were heading out, all clung to the Ancient Gate, wanting to follow; they’ve been guard-watching all along and were a bit tired of it.

"Growl!" Bai gave a low growl, and the Little Ice Lizards hastily left, leaving Lin Yue one less hassle.

With so many Little Ice Lizards, he wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything in the Secret Realm if he had to constantly watch over them.

Compared to Bai’s initial combat power and execution, they still had a ways to go.

Ultimately, he decided to take one along, placing it on his shoulder.

They had to improve a bit, didn’t they?

This time, he’d bring one along, train it first, who knows, maybe it could evolve like Bai?

No one could say, right?

After closing the stone door again, double-checking to ensure he had brought everything needed and left what was unnecessary, Lin Yue pushed open the Ancient Secret Realm Gate.

The sound of waves simultaneously rang in the ear.

"Did we get lucky? Arrived right at the seashore? Hmm? This place is..."