Chapter 18 - 14: Trade

"The property management is organizing it."

An old man sitting on a ladder chuckled. "What property management? It’s just those security guards and that Huang Tao from Building 7. They’re trying to get something going, have everyone discuss how to find food."

Qin Ziwu didn’t quite understand. "If you’re hungry, you go find food. Isn’t that basic instinct? There’s a huge forest out there. How could anyone starve to death? It just means they’re not hungry enough yet."

A voice came from behind. "Heh, you’re right. The forest outside is huge. As long as you’re willing to work for it, you definitely won’t starve."

Qin Ziwen turned to look and saw a dusty, travel-worn group walk into the lobby from outside.

The group’s backpacks were all stuffed to the brim. They carried various modified weapons, wore hats, and were bundled up tightly.

Everyone in the team was carrying a large backpack.

They looked "fully armed."

The one who had spoken was a man in the group wearing glasses, who looked to be in his early thirties.

He glanced at the fish in Qin Ziwen’s bucket and gave a friendly smile. The two of them walked over to a quieter spot.

"Young man, are you trading that fish?"

It was Qin Ziwen’s first time bartering, and he found it a little novel.

"What do you have to trade for it?"

The man took off his backpack, unzipped it, and Qin Ziwen saw two furry creatures huddled together inside.

They looked like rabbits.

"Are these... wild rabbits?"

The man smiled and nodded. "That’s right. I don’t need to tell you how fast rabbits breed. This is a male and a female. Plus, you can raise them on grass. If you’re willing to trade, I’ll give them to you. Take them home, raise them for a while, and you’ll have a steady supply of rabbit meat."

Qin Ziwen shook his head. "It’s not a bad deal in the long run, but from what I know, it takes at least two or three months for a rabbit to get pregnant and give birth. If I wait that long, I’ll have starved to death myself."

The man with glasses explained, "It’s not that long. A rabbit’s gestation period is usually about six weeks."

"That’s still a month and a half, and I’d have to go out and pick grass to feed them every day."

The man with glasses looked a little disappointed. "Alright. It’s just that I really like fish, and it’s been a while since I’ve had any."

After speaking, the man gave a polite nod and prepared to leave.

Qin Ziwen stopped him. "How much do your rabbits weigh?"

The man thought for a moment, then shook his head honestly. "I haven’t weighed them, but when I picked them up, one felt like it was about three or four pounds. The two together should be around seven pounds."

Qin Ziwen considered it. Although the carp weighed more, rabbit was red meat, while fish was white meat.

In terms of calories, rabbit meat provided more than carp.

Besides, he had the Beast Cage. To him, these two rabbits were actually more valuable than one fish.

After all, it seemed like fish weren’t that hard to catch.

"Alright, I’ll trade. But can I ask you some questions first?"

The man’s eyes crinkled into a smile as he readily agreed. "Of course."

"Where did you catch these rabbits?"

"Over there. Go out the south gate, head west, and walk for about thirty minutes. You’ll see a foothill grassland with a lot of rabbits."

The man with the glasses pondered for a moment, then said, "Wild rabbits are creatures of habit. They usually wear down fixed paths in the grass. These are called ’rabbit runs.’ If you can find a rabbit run, it’s pretty easy to catch them by setting a trap along it."

"Rabbits like to move along natural ’boundaries,’ like stone walls, hedgerows, and the edges of forests. You should pay close attention to those areas when you’re looking for their runs."

"Also, wild rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, which is when they primarily go out to forage. But they have a very keen sense of smell, so if you’re setting traps, it’s best to wear gloves to avoid leaving your scent."

Qin Ziwen silently committed what the man said to memory.

These were all details not mentioned on the trap blueprints.

He couldn’t help but ask, "What... what do you do for a living?"

The man with glasses smiled. "I’m a veterinarian."

’A vet knowing how to catch animals... that seems pretty normal.’

The man said, "My name is Wang Yun. I live in Building 1. Is this your younger brother?"

"Yes, this is my brother, Qin Ziwu. My name is Qin Ziwen."

Wang Yun said, "I used to lead an outdoor hiking group, so I have some survival experience. We’ve been exploring the outside for the past two days, mainly focusing on the area to the west.

I can see you two are resourceful. If you’re interested, you and your brother can come find me. I live in Unit 1, on the eighth floor."

Qin Ziwen didn’t completely refuse. "Okay. By the way, if you catch any more animals next time, like rabbits, you can come find me to trade. I’m in Building 8, Unit 2, on the fifth floor."

Wang Yun readily agreed. "Sounds good."

After Wang Yun left, Qin Ziwu scratched his head. "Bro, seems like everyone likes inviting us to join them."

Qin Ziwen shot him a sidelong glance. "It’s because you have that look about you—simple limbs but a brilliant mind. People like your type."

Qin Ziwu was suspicious, having a feeling his brother was making fun of him. "Bro, you’re dissing me, aren’t you?"

"No, why would I do that? You’re so smart."

"Damn it, you totally are! I saw you smile!"

The two brothers headed home, bickering playfully.

One of the wild rabbits was white, the other was gray.

The gray one was the male, the white one the female.

That Beast Cage was a strange thing. The two rabbits, which had been trembling, were tossed inside. They sat there quietly for a moment, and then after a while, they started hopping around leisurely.

It was just like the cellar, which was sealed tight but somehow still had ventilation.

’These buildings seem to have some kind of strange Magic Power.’

Qin Ziwu crouched in front of the Beast Cage. "Bro, what do you think we should feed the rabbits?"

Qin Ziwen looked at his brother. "What do you think rabbits eat?"

"Carrots."

Qin Ziwen was speechless. "Where are we going to get carrots?"

"Cabbage."

Qin Ziwen retorted, "I think *you’re* the cabbage. We still have to eat the wild greens we have at home. Don’t you go feeding them to the rabbits."

"Got it."

Qin Ziwen said, "I’ll go ask Dr. Wang later. He’s a vet, so he’s bound to know about this stuff."

Although he knew he could just feed them random grass from outside, it was his first time raising rabbits, and he was a bit worried.

He’d heard people online say that they were very delicate creatures that could easily get stressed out and die of fright.

’I just hope this Level 1 Beast Cage can work a little of its Divine Power.’

That evening, after dinner, the two of them went to the middle of the Gated Community’s courtyard.

This area had originally been a play area for the community’s children, with a small fountain connected to a water pump next to it.

Now, the fountain was off, and there were no children to be seen in the play area.

Someone had moved a table into the middle, and next to it stood those few security guards in their white uniforms.

The periphery was packed with people, to the point of being crowded.

Qin Ziwen and his brother arrived a bit late and couldn’t squeeze through the crowd, so they simply climbed a nearby tree.

The balconies of the surrounding buildings were also full of people. This was probably the largest gathering of the Gated Community’s residents since they were transported here.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Where is he? What’s the announcement?"

"Hurry up! If you have something to say, just say it!"

Amidst the sea of people, Huang Tao climbed onto the table, stood up, and raised his hands so more people could see him.

Then he put the megaphone in his hand to his mouth. "Testing, testing, one, two. Can you hear me?"

...

...