Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Confrontation, Deal, and Holy Spring Day

Lin Feng’s heart tightened instantly, gripping the premium Level 2 revolver in his hand, watchfully surveying his surroundings.

The injury on his right leg, even after upgrading, only allowed him to walk slowly, unable to run away.

If the captain and Ding Yi didn’t want to abandon him, they would have to stay put and pray they wouldn’t be discovered.

But those who come with ill intentions wouldn’t come otherwise.

The other party was obviously following the gunshots and the smell of blood all the way.

Soon, a few thin silhouettes appeared on the horizon not far away.

Lin Feng forced himself to stand, leaning against the rock wall, trying not to reveal his injured state.

Chen Shanshan glanced at the gun in the man’s hand.

The latter nodded to show confirmation.

The 05 Revolver was given to him by Captain Chen, and Lin Feng knew the other party was aware that the revolver only had three bullets left.

And during the hunt for the Scavenger Vulture, he fired six shots.

The Bullet Recovery feature had already been exposed, not to mention the brand new change in the condition of the gun, which was impossible to hide.

Now that a formidable enemy was present, the firearm in Lin Feng’s hand was key to intimidation in the standoff, with no need for concealment.

Receiving a positive response from the man, Chen Shanshan, reassured, raised the two-meter-long steel rod, waiting silently for the other party to approach.

Even if civilization has regressed and order collapsed, the deterrence of firearms remains immense.

Especially in the Deserters’ group, where being hit means an early death sentence, no one would risk raiding a squad armed with guns.

Soon, several Deserters who had surfaced in the distance stopped over a hundred meters away from the trio.

There were four of them in total.

After observing Chen Shanshan’s group, one of them broke away and returned the way they came, while the other members continued to squat and monitor.

“These are just scouts, they’ve gone back to call in reinforcements. Should we strike first…”

Lin Feng slowly spoke, proactively offering the revolver.

The captain, with strong power and extreme speed, could easily ambush the three in the distance with the handgun, and then catch up with Lin Feng and the others.

But Chen Shanshan shook her head:

“A Deserters’ group that can send out a four-person scouting team has at least more than twenty members. Gunshots and deaths would only attract them to keep pursuing us.”

“But correspondingly, a team with such strength doesn’t have a strong need for food. Before hatred is sparked, contact and negotiation are the first choices.”

The captain explained the rules of the wasteland.

The worse the state of the Deserters’ group encountered, the more careful you need to be in dealing with them; they are already on the brink of death, fearless for a bite to eat.

Conversely, the stronger ones are easier to talk to, after all, they have more concerns, cautiousness comes first.

Risk and reward must be proportional to take action.

Lin Feng nodded, quietly taking it to heart.

Soon after, over a dozen Deserters appeared one after another from the direction they came, including a few well-dressed, healthy-looking leaders.

Just from appearances, this Deserters’ team was much stronger than Shanshan’s previous subordinates.

The team possessed an iron cart and a tricycle, both loaded with supplies.

Seeing that the other party wasn’t short on food, Lin Feng felt a bit relieved, but Chen Shanshan, beside him, narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

Soon, from the Deserters’ team that stopped a hundred meters away, three individuals stepped forward, one of whom was tall, about one meter ninety, with muscular arms exposed in a bronze hue, and several scars on his ferocious-looking face.

Clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Lin Feng gulped, feeling like a chick in the eyes of this fierce man.

The trio stopped thirty meters away.

Looking at Chen Shanshan and the group, the big man laughed and spoke, his tone teasing:

“Captain Chen, how come your team is down to these two weaklings?”

“I told you a long time ago, you’re not fit to lead a team, that Qi Mountain guy is duplicitous and cunning, sooner or later he’ll push you out. In this situation, why not join us? With your strength, you won’t worry about food.”

Apparently, they knew each other. Lin Feng read the situation.

Chen Shanshan took a deep breath and put down the steel rod:

“No need for Captain Li’s concern, we’re doing just fine.”

Li Hu glanced around at the group, noticing the revolver in Lin Feng’s hand, then suddenly showed interest in the team’s only man:

“Is this the new survivor you found? Nice build, perky butt, looks tender. Recently, at the Slave Market, some big shots from the Oasis fancy this kind of…”

“Hmph, seems you got lucky.”

“One Enhancing Potion, plus two pounds of jerky, and five liters of fresh water, deal?”

Lin Feng’s pupils contracted, and his heart tightened sharply, looking at the captain’s back.

The turn of events was greatly beyond his expectations.

Chen Shanshan frowned slightly and shook her head.

Li Hu continued:

“With your capabilities, just one injection of Enhancing Potion, and you could rise to a Level 9 Enhanced Person, only a step away from a Tier One Evolver. With such favorable terms, I can’t think of any reason to refuse.”

Chen Shanshan’s gaze was cold as she lifted the steel rod in her hand:

“I don’t sell living people, you know that.”

Li Hu didn’t insist further, but the woman beside him addressed Lin Feng, her tone frivolous:

“Little brother, you’ve experienced how harsh the wasteland is. Instead of struggling among the deserters, starving, and living in constant fear, why not let us take you to a better life?”

“As long as you behave, there will be more food than you can eat, safe housing, soft beds, and air conditioning—the living conditions of the big shots, practically a paradise on earth…”

“So, do you want to come with us?”

“These things, you won’t experience even if you follow Captain Chen your whole life until death.”

The woman then shifted her tone, speaking in a low voice:

“You better think clearly, in a few days, when your skin is sunburnt and cracked, turning yellow and black, you won’t be worthy of such good treatment!”

Lin Feng stared at the woman in front of him, suddenly smiled:

“Sorry, I am confident I can live well and want to live a few more days, rather than become someone else’s plaything.”

“I’d rather die with dignity than grovel in submission…”

After speaking, Lin Feng slowly aimed the gun at himself.

To show his resolve and intimidation.

He knew very well that even though he was only Level 2, he had a Life Value upper limit of fifteen points, whereas the opponent’s strength far surpassed his, with power and speed multiple times stronger.

So the threat of the Level 2 revolver wasn’t much.

But even if Lin Feng couldn’t threaten them, he could kill himself before they tore off their masks.

For a dead man, there’s no need to act.

Seeing this scene, several people not far away looked at Lin Feng in surprise, and Li Hu sighed:

“He is still a man.”

“Chen Shanshan, you’ve finally turned your luck.”

After saying that, he turned and led his people away.

“Wait!”

Lin Feng suddenly spoke, pointing to the dried meat strips on the cart:

“I want to make a trade!”

Li Hu thought the other party had “changed his mind,” but it turned out to be about this, so he frowned slightly:

“These few pounds of meat won’t exchange for anything good.”

Lin Feng didn’t mind:

“I only want fresh water.”

Previously, the other party was willing to offer two pounds of jerky for five liters of water, indicating they’re not short of water.

Li Hu looked at the minced meat dry on the cart and the piled Scavenger Vulture feathers, then held up two fingers:

“Two pieces of vulture breast meat, four liters of fresh water.”

Ding Yi and Chen Shanshan’s faces changed.

The latter questioned in a deep voice:

“Half a pound of jerky can exchange for four liters of water. You’re robbing us!”

Li Hu looked at Lin Feng, speaking matter-of-factly:

“Yes, it’s profiteering, or you can travel another twenty or thirty kilometers to catch up with the main force for a trade. But the vicissitudes along the way justify the price.”

Lin Feng took a deep breath, facing the looks from the two women, firm in his resolve:

“One piece of vulture breast meat dried weighs close to half a pound; two pieces for five liters of fresh water!”

Li Hu nodded, not bargaining further:

“Alright.”

After completing the exchange, Lin Feng looked at the five plastic bottles filled with fresh water in front of him, unable to help but feel saliva gathering in his mouth.

Before leaving, Li Hu reminded Chen Shanshan:

“I saw a pack of Desert Wolves when coming; following the gunshots, they are searching this way. Holy Spring Day is almost here, and we need to keep moving. Good luck to you!”

Chen Shanshan watched them leave with a serious expression.

Lin Feng couldn’t wait to open a bottle of water and drank half in one go, asking about what Li Hu had just mentioned:

“What are Oasis and Holy Spring Day?”

Ding Yi packed up the remaining mince meat dry on the cart:

“It’s related to the place they want to sell you, the big shots on the Oasis.”

“At the forefront of our refugee team is a steel giant beast traveling on the desert, called the Moving Oasis.”

“Every fifteen days, the Upper Class of the Oasis will hold a grand gathering to recruit servants and soldiers from the deserters, and during the praise of the Lord, the Holy Spring Sect will open the Oasis’s drainage valve to shower the Lord’s grace.”

“So this day is also called Holy Spring Day, and all the deserter teams will hasten their pace to catch up with the main force before this day.”

“It’s already September 13th, less than two days from Holy Spring Day…”

Speaking of this, Ding Yi remembered Qi Mountain, who left with people, and said angrily:

“No wonder Qi Mountain stole the supplies yesterday.”

Chen Shanshan, standing by, wasn’t concerned, calmly gazing into the distance.

Lin Feng was about to continue asking about the strength divisions among the wasteland deserters when he followed her gaze.

A few hundred meters away, where they came from, a giant Gray Wolf climbed over a hill, standing at the top.

Its reddish wolf eyes met the gaze of the group.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep