"What... are you selling here?"
A man reeking of the foul stench of zombies sat down in front of Nina Jacobs.
They had just finished killing zombies.
"I have everything. It just depends on what you need."
Nina Jacobs was very serious about her business.
âAfter all, my system is about to level up.â
âSelling things here is also a way to gain Experience Points and upgrade the system.â
"Bread? Instant noodles? Do you have things like compressed biscuits?" the man asked tentatively.
He hadnât held out much hope, but to his surprise, the woman in front of him placed several five-packs of instant noodles and some bread directly on the table.
Then, she pulled out an entire case of compressed biscuits.
"You really have them?"
Everyone else in the room looked at each other, their faces suddenly breaking into ecstatic grins.
"Weâll take this whole case of compressed biscuits. Stone, get the Crystal Cores!" the man decided instantly.
The people inside the sheet-metal shack all seemed to be from the same squad.
Seeing someone outside trying to peek in curiously, a burly man standing by the entrance slammed the door shut with a BANG.
"One customer at a time. Wait until weâre done, then you can come in," the big man shouted.
âOne customer at a time?â
Nina Jacobs thought it was an excellent idea.
âMy previous guess was right, too.â
The people passing through this road now all had some degree of strength.
From this sale alone, she sold a full five cases of compressed biscuits, over ten cases of instant noodles, and more than a hundred pounds of rice.
"Miss, is this little shop always open?"
The squadâs leader was named Ethan Coleman.
He was starting to regret trading for those supplies at exorbitant prices back at the shelter.
The prices at this little shop were actually reasonable.
Plus, the goods were brand new and clean.
Nina Jacobs thought for a moment before replying, "I wonât be here tomorrow, but Iâll probably be back the day after."
"Thatâs great! You have to come back."
Hearing this, the group was overjoyed.
After Ethan Coleman had traded all the Crystal Cores he had, he finally opened the door to the shack.
Nina Jacobs realized that trading supplies this way was indeed very safe.
âMost importantly, no one else knows exactly how many supplies Iâve sold.â
So, the little shop soon put up a new sign: "One Customer at a Time."
The justification was to protect customer privacy.
And from that first transaction, Nina Jacobs had also earned over 400 Experience Points.
That was equivalent to killing over 400 zombies.
"Did you guys really manage to buy something?" a woman outside with her hair in a high topknot asked Ethan Coleman.
"Oh, itâs you guys. Youâre usually afraid of nothing, so whatâs there to be scared of now? Just go in and see for yourselves."
It wasnât that Ethan Coleman looked down on the people before him.
The Fern Squad was a Superpower Squad that only accepted women, and they had previously poached two female Superpower Users from his team.
Thatâs why every time he saw their leader, Fern Spencer, he couldnât resist making a few sarcastic remarks.
"Letâs go, Fern. Weâll go take a look."
Seeing that Ethan Colemanâs group had emerged safe and sound, Fern Spencer finally nodded and walked into the sheet-metal shack.
"Welcome."
Nina Jacobs became a bit more enthusiastic when she saw who had come in.
âI recognize Fern Spencer. In my past life, the Fern Squad was quite famous in the City D Base.â
âThatâs because the squad helped many exploited female Superpower Users.â
âBut later, I heard the squad was forced to disband after its leader, Fern Spencer, died.â
As for how Fern Spencer died, the rumors at the time were varied and conflicting.
Some said she had offended a big shot at the base, while others claimed she was killed by a jealous teammate...
"Hello, weâd like to buy some food, and also some feminine hygiene products."
Fern Spencerâs words broke Nina Jacobs out of her reverie.
Nina Jacobs nodded and gestured for them to close the door.
"I have all of that."
Nina Jacobs knew what women needed most, so she directly brought out several cases of monthly feminine essentials.
"How much are these?" Fern Spencer asked eagerly.
Although she had her female squad members stay put during their "special time," it was still inconvenient for them to be anywhere without these supplies.
"Since itâs your first time buying from me, Iâll give you a discount. Ten Crystal Cores per pack."
Nina Jacobsâs price wasnât high; it was much cheaper than a pack of instant noodles.
This was because these items could only be sold to women, and there were few women to begin with in the apocalypse.
Meanwhile, she had tons of them in her storage space.
"Weâll take all of them," Fern Spencer decided on the spot.
"Boss Warner, do we have time to go back and get more Crystal Cores?" The Space Superpower User behind Fern Spencer, Sharon Thorne, asked.
"No need to rush. Iâll be back to open shop again."
Nina Jacobs noticed that the Fern Squadâs strength was nothing to scoff at.
They were even stronger than Ethan Colemanâs group from before.
After a round of trading, all the empty space in the sheet-metal shack was piled high with supplies.
"Thatâs right. Store them away, Sharon."
Fern Spencer was very satisfied after taking stock of the supplies.
They had never met such a generous trader.
Claire Warner had even given them some hygiene products for free.
Fern Spencer had wanted to chat a bit more with Claire Warner.
But it seemed someone outside was getting impatient.
Fern Spencer pushed open the door, and her brow furrowed when she saw who was coming in.
She glanced worriedly at Claire Warner.
But Claire Warner was still sitting there calmly with a smile, as if she didnât have a care in the world.
"Heard you were out here selling supplies all by yourself, little lady?"
The man who entered was carrying a long blade stained with black blood.
And the men behind him didnât look like people youâd want to mess with.
"Are you here to buy supplies?" Nina Jacobs asked.
"Buy? Of course weâre here to buy. But weâd also like to âbuyâ you. A clean, slim little thing like you is a rare commodity."
The man reached out, trying to touch Nina Jacobs.
But he was met with Nina Jacobsâs cold smile; she didnât seem to take them seriously at all.
Soon, the sounds of a fight and heavy impacts echoed from within the sheet-metal shack.
"Captain, those guys are bad news," Sharon Thorne said, looking at the furious Fern Spencer.
"Then Iâd like to see whoâs really the one you shouldnât mess with."
"Wallace! Iâm telling you, this place is under my, Fern Spencerâs, protection! If you dare mess around..."
When Fern Spencer burst in, she was greeted by a scene of utter chaos.
Sophia Wallace and his men were on the floor, howling in pain.
Claire Warner was sitting off to the side, completely unharmed, and even seemed a little surprised by her arrival.
"You... They..."
Fern Spencer was completely dumbfounded.
"You donât take on a job like this without the skills to back it up. But thank you for your kind intentions, anyway. This is for you."
Nina Jacobs took out a small plastic bottle and tossed it to Fern Spencer.
"Whatâs this?" Fern Spencer asked casually.
âIt looks like setting spray?â
"You can spray it on scrapes and bruises. It stops bleeding."
It was a Healing Potion that Nina Jacobs had repackaged into a spray bottleâa diluted version, of course.
âIâve accumulated a lot of Healing Potions from the system. I plan to dilute some of it to sell.â
"Thanks. Well then, I guess Iâll help you take out the trash."
Fern Spencer called over two Strength Element Superpower Users from her squad, and they quickly threw the men on the ground outside.
ăThat evening.ă
Nina Jacobs made it back smoothly.
She began to prepare for the next dayâs departure to Beldane Island.
"I used to have barbecues with my friends on Beldane Island."
After Leo Haleâs persistent begging, Nina Jacobs finally agreed to take him along.
That included Sherry Renner as well.
"You two, remember to stick close to me and Wayne Warner. Once we get there, youâre not to go anywhere," Nina Jacobs said.