Free Web NovelChapter 147: Chapter 111: New Trade Route (3)
That was exactly how Zhang Peng felt. He wanted to survive, to live well. And since he had chosen the path of a merchant, he cast aside all restraints. As long as the price was right, almost anything could be bought or sold.
He waited patiently in the fortress. The wait was a bit long this time—about two hours passed before the Gopher returned with good news. The other party was extremely interested in the food but didn’t have enough resources to trade for it.
"Heh, the fish has taken the bait. Let’s go. We’ll go take a look."
As he spoke, Zhang Peng straightened his clothes, stood up, and walked toward the fortress gate. Fifty Gophers armed with Weapons followed behind him, serving as his protective escort.
Five Gophers led the way, guiding Zhang Peng to the Catman Tribe. From a distance, he saw a group of Catmen waiting for him. After sizing them up, Zhang Peng was fairly certain that this was the Tribe the Catwoman Sisters belonged to.
It wasn’t too far, they were pure-blooded Catmen, and the Tribe wasn’t large—everything matched his assessment of the Catwoman Sisters’ home.
Standing at the very front was a Catman who looked to be around fifty. He wore filthy, tattered clothes riddled with holes. His hair was greasy and caked with dust, looking as if it hadn’t been washed in ages. In his hand, he gripped a Stone Spear.
Zhang Peng stopped about five meters away from the Catman. With a smile on his face, he gave a slight bow. "Good day, Sir Catman."
The Catman Race Leader was taken aback by Zhang Peng’s courtesy. He quickly collected himself and returned the gesture. "Ah, a Human Merchant. Greetings."
After the exchange of pleasantries, Zhang Peng feigned a casual glance behind the Catman Race Leader. The smile on his face instantly widened; he had spotted the Catwoman Sisters trying to hide.
"I have seen the food your man brought. We like it very much and wish to trade with you. What is it that you require?" the Catman Race Leader asked, not noticing Zhang Peng’s look as he spoke.
He was actually quite surprised. He had assumed the leader would be another Gopher, not a Human. The revelation caught him off guard; had he known he was dealing with a Human, he might not have agreed to the trade.
Gophers were honest, simple-minded, and easy to fool. Humans, however, were a different story—cunning and slippery. You were lucky if they didn’t try to cheat you.
Zhang Peng retracted his gaze, his smile unwavering. "The question isn’t what I need, but what you can offer. I believe everything has its value. As long as you’re willing to part with it, I believe we can negotiate."
This statement immediately put the Catman Race Leader in a difficult position. What did they have? Nothing. They didn’t even have houses; to this day, his people still slept in burrows in the ground.
’To be honest,’ the Catman Race Leader sometimes wondered, ’what is the point of our existence? We starve every day, struggling to survive, seemingly only to suffer. We’re like a pack of walking dead.’
He turned to look at his people. Their faces were numb, their eyes vacant. They were starving and desperate for meat, but they were destitute. What could they possibly trade? Since they couldn’t get any food, meeting a Merchant was pointless. If not for their Clan Leader’s orders, they would have stayed hidden in their burrows, not moving a muscle. It was a better way to conserve energy; at least it would stave off the hunger for a little while longer.
"Well..." The Catman Race Leader averted his gaze and gave a bitter laugh. "As you can see, we’re just a small Race. We truly have nothing to offer in exchange."
"No, no, no, please don’t say that. As you can see, I’m a Merchant, and I believe everything in this world has a price. For example... information." Zhang Peng softly uttered the last word.
Upon hearing the word "information," the faces of the Catwoman Sisters at the back immediately filled with panic.
’Why? Why did he come to the Tribe!’
Meng Ni and Mengmeng couldn’t understand it. ’Last time, the Undead didn’t even send anyone.’
