Lou Fan turned around and looked up at Qin Tan with a brilliant smile. His whole body seemed to be shining in the sun. He said, “Good morning.”
Qin Tan is stunned for a moment, his gaze turned dazed. Then looking to Lou Fan, he smiled, and asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
Lou Fan rubbed his still sore neck and curled his lips. “It’s okay.” Then, thinking of something, Lou Fan pointed to his clothes, “Does it look good? I redeemed it on the exchange machine.”
The light gray casual suit looks great on the young man. The smile at the corner of Qin Tan’s mouth deepened, and he nodded affirmatively, “It looks good.”
Lou Fan: “Do you want to exchange one…” Before he finished speaking, there is an excited voice next to him.
“I want, I want,” Chen Shuyang ran out from next door, and said to Lou Fan with excitement across the guardrail, “Brother Lou, your clothes are really good-looking. I want to exchange one too.”
Qin Tan squinted slightly and stared at Chen Shuyang. All of a sudden, Chen Shuyang touched his arm silently. He looked up at the sun above his head and muttered, “Hmm, has the temperature dropped? Why did I feel a chill just now? It seems that I have to choose a thicker coat.”
Lou Fan clapped his hands, “Alright then, let’s get 2 sets each so we could change to it alternatively. Qin Tan, come down.”
Going back to his house and exiting from the door, Chen Shuyang walked around the fence and entered the other house. He saw that Qin Tan and Lou Fan had been standing by the exchange machine, selecting clothing. He touched his own head and said, “Brother Qin, you sure move fast.”
In the end, Qin Tan chose 2 black suits and a pair of combat boots. Lou Fan also chose black clothes, while Chen Shuyang chose a set of clothing in camouflage color and another in dark green. In his words, green is easier to hide himself. Lou Fan doesn’t think those clothing has any potential to hide anyone though. After the exchange, the three of them put on new clothes. After they exchanged everything they wanted, Lou Fan put the dirty clothes to soak and planned to wash them before putting them away. This is the only thing he brought from reality, so it’s good to keep it as a memento.
After filling their stomach, Qin Tan took the two out, planning to take a stroll first. The first stop is Lazuli’s port. Although they called it a port, it is actually a low shoal. Qin Tan took out a simple map that he drew after traveling throughout Lazuli upon returning to Lazuli as a newcomer. This is a large oval island. From the outermost to the inner ring, there are 3 levels/rings for ‘passengers’ to live in. All houses on the rings can accommodate tens of thousands of people at the same time. The train track divides the entire island into two. In the middle area (inner ring), one side is Lazuli’s trading hall, while on the other side is the trading site formed by the passengers themselves. It is called a bazaar.
The entire island is surrounded by water. Lou Fan looked at the green mountains, clear waters, and the arch bridge made of bluestone in the distance. The mist shrouded the island, making them look a little unreal as if they had strayed into a fairyland. Lou Fan doubtfully asked, “Can’t we leave by boat?”
Qin Tan smiled wryly, “Try reaching out.”
Lou Fan reached out his hand, and when he is about to pass the shallows’ range, he seemed to touch a transparent wall. Chen Shuyang also reached out and knocked on it. It is a transparent and very solid wall. He couldn’t help yelling out, “Frick, isn’t this same as the American TV series ‘Under The Dome’? Are we trapped by a transparent cover?”
Qin Tan looked into the distance and nodded in agreement with Chen Shuyang’s statement.
Lou Fan couldn’t help but look over his head. The sun is hanging in the sky, and the dazzling sunlight made him squint. Lou Fan then turned to look at the map. He pointed at Lazuli’s trading hall and asked, “What’s in here?”
Qin Tan come back to his senses and replied, “Lazuli’s trading hall, it’s the place we went to register our arrival yesterday. The things that can be done in the trading hall include newcomers’ registration and selection of residences, as well as large exchange machines. Large items that cannot be exchanged in your own house will need to go there to exchange. There is also team registration and cancellation service, plus a very large training room, but I have never gone in.” The main reason is he has no money (points).
Lou Fan nodded and looked to the other side.
Qin Tan continued, “The other side is a trading place set up by the passengers themselves, called the bazaar. It includes the exchange of goods, information exchange, the release of team information, and a market.”
Lou Fan’s eyes lit up and he pulled Qin Tan to go, “What are we waiting for? Hurry up and go. We need to get intel, understanding the market needs, and also have to ask about Chen Shuyang’s book.”
Hearing that, Chen Shuyang looked at Lou Fan gratefully and followed behind him.
Lou Fan’s footsteps stopped and his arm is pulled back. Lou Fan found that he couldn’t walk forward anymore. Qin Tan helplessly explained, “It takes an hour to walk from the south port to the market.”
Lou Fan’s eyes widened, “So far? What should we do then?”
At the next moment, Lou Fan saw Qin Tan walking back. Following him and turning a corner, Lou Fan saw a row of shared bicycles parked by the wall.
Lou Fan: “…” This place is really keeping pace with the times.
The three lazily pedaled their bicycles, like a spring outing, slowly advancing on the greenway. Along the way across the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st ring, they saw all kinds of people. Some looked relaxed, some looked sad, and others looked hostile. Lou Fan sighed in his heart. He is neither a holy mother nor a silly naive person. In this place, strength is probably the only thing used to measure them. Thinking of this, Lou Fan turned his head to Chen Shuyang, who is happily cycling in the wind, and said, “Shuyang, starting tomorrow, both of us will learn how to fight with Qin Tan.”
Lou Fan has seen Qin Tan’s skills in Luoyang Ancient Village. His actions are neat, without any sloppiness, and are very accurate to the extreme. In contrast, although he(LF) has basic training from doing archery, at most he is just more flexible and has more strength than ordinary people. However, his combat strength is far from enough.
Hearing that, Chen Shuyang trembled and he looked at Qin Tan. Gritting his teeth, Chen Shuyang nodded, “Then, I have to trouble Brother Qin, I will definitely work hard.”
Regarding Lou Fan making the decision without consulting him first, Qin Tan did not say anything about it. He only said, “Since you want me to teach you guys, you have to listen to me and can’t slack off in the slightest.”
The two nodded like a rattle.
Their house is located in the south 2nd ring, while the market is in the north inner ring. They need to cross the train tracks to get there. Therefore, the Lazuli trading hall is also called the South Square, and the bazaar is called the North Square, both in the inner ring. When they reached South Square, they put their bicycles away. The railroad tracks are under the overbridge. The arrival platform is in the South Square, and the departure platform is in the North Square.
There is a very conspicuous huge electronic screen on the South Square, which shows:
The number of survivors: 4,893.
The current highest level: Level 16 – He Zilun.
Lou Fan’s pupils shrink slightly, the highest level is really at 16th. What happens after that? Did He Zilun survive? Or did he leave Lazuli? Standing beside Lou Fan, Qin Tan also stared at the line of words. His expression looked deep, and no one knows what he is thinking.
Standing on the overbridge, the view of the squares on both sides is unobstructed. The overbridge is very wide and the walkway is made of glass, so it is inevitable to see the situation of the platform below. The situation on both sides is obviously very different. On the departure platform, most of them have a nervous expression; on the arrival platform, some people looked relaxed and some looked sorrowful. Lou Fan sighed. Soon, it will be his turn, setting foot on the unknown world again.
Upon crossing the overbridge, compared to the sparse people in the South Square, the North Square is a lot more lively. Before they even reach the ground (from the overbridge), Lou Fan can hear the sound from the crowd. The North Square is very large. There are 3 huge electronic screens in the middle area, and there are some stalls scattered around it. Lou Fan observed curiously as he walked, Qin Tan took them directly under the electronic screen.
Next to the electronic screen is a solar generator, which supports the electronic screen to work. The 3 electronic screens are split into information exchange, item exchange, and team request. Lou Fan looked at the electronic screen. There was not much content on it. Perhaps because of the need for remuneration, there is not much information on it.
Under the screen for information exchange, there are:
- Purchase information about spiritual world. The remuneration is negotiable.
- Seeking information regarding the use of Stargrass. The remuneration is negotiable…
The ones under item exchanges are similar. Lou Fan doesn’t know what is displayed. Of course, he doesn’t have the capital to exchange, so he doesn’t care.
Team request is like a job advertisement:
- Urgently seeking a Level 7 team member. Requirements: long-range attack, good physical fitness, and best at close combat. Note: The team will provide equipment.
The following 4 lines of information are also similar. 10 minutes later, the screen refreshed, and there are 5 new messages. Compared with the first 2 screens, obviously this recruitment notice gets more attention from the people. Many people are standing there and copying and reading, and from time to time they discuss with people around them, “This requirement is too high”, “No one will go”, “The treatment is too good” and so on.
As a rookie who has just risen to the next level (from newcomer), Lou Fan can only fantasize about when it will be his turn to recruit team members. Of course, in fact, it is best not to recruit through this kind of channel. The team is best made of talents that you trust. After a few glances, the three of them went to the market again. It’s like its name, it is a small market, with weird things being sold on the stalls. The sellers are quite lax; some are dozing off, some are bragging with friends, and some are playing cards…
Lou Fan wondered, what is the difference between this and item exchange?
Qin Tan seemed to understand what Lou Fan is thinking, so he leaned into his ear and said, “The things listed on the electronic screen are different with this kind of item exchange.”
Lou Fan understood what it meant. It’s probably the difference between low-quality products and high-quality products.
There are not many people at the market at this moment. The three just walked and looked around with interest, but no one came to sell things to them at all, so they just browse at will.
“Say, do you think anyone wants radish flowers? Let’s set up a stall too.” Lou Fan said on a whim.
Chen Shuyang replied solemnly, “Brother Lou, I don’t recommend you to do this. First of all, we don’t know the value of the radish flower. Whether someone wanted it or not, setting up a stall just for this is a waste of time. Secondly, we also don’t know what other people’s things are and what’s the effect so it is not conducive to equivalent exchange. Thirdly, we are short on time, so we should train first.”
Chen Shuyang’s points are well-organized, and Lou Fan could not refute them.
When he walked to a booth, Lou Fan saw a very beautiful dagger and couldn’t help but look closer. The stall owner who was sleeping with a hood on his head suddenly jumped up, shocking Lou Fan.
“Come, step right up. If you see what you like, I can explain more for you!” The young man in his early twenties smiled. He looked handsome and has a very conspicuous blue stud earring on his ear. The young man is quite enthusiastic. Taking off the hood of his red sweater, he whispered with his hands blocking sideways, “There are also gossips, introductions to players and other types of businesses; everything is available. Whatever you can think of, I have it.”
Lou Fan: “…”
Why does he feel like this moment is very OOC (out of character)? It is as if he is walking in a lively street where street food and skewers are sold. Lou Fan rolled his eyes and laughed, “Then, if there is any business that deciphers the function of the weapon we brought with us (from reality)? We need it urgently.”
Raw word count: 3175
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