After Lin Yue finished speaking, Xu Xing, fueled by alcohol, jumped directly from the fifth floor to the street. People were still out and about on the street. The curfew started at midnight, and everyone was taking advantage of the time to move around before the silence of the night.
The leaders were all stunned. They had never said that ability users were useless. How did Lin Yue conclude that they looked down on ability users?
After landing on the street, Xu Xing, emboldened by the alcohol, no longer cared about losing face. Under the gaze of the crowd, she cupped her fists and said grandly, "Fellow villagers, I am Xu Xing from Yuzhou. I have just arrived in your esteemed land and have nothing else to offer. Let me show you my abilities."
With that, Xu Xing leaped high into the air and then landed heavily on the ground. Logically, even for the petite Xu Xing, landing on the ground shouldn't cause any significant effect. However, at this moment, as Xu Xing landed, the ground began to shake violently, and the tremors were palpable. The surrounding people could barely stand.
"Dong," a shockwave spread outwards. However, the force was within Xu Xing's control. The surrounding ground trembled, and the houses shook, especially the hotel nearby. The multi-story hotel swayed, causing people around to flee.
"Earthquake, earthquake, run!" The crowd on the street instantly became chaotic.
At this moment, at the banquet, the leaders' faces were grim. They could see that Lin Yue and Xu Xing had clearly planned this. Talking about showcasing the strength of ability users was essentially using physical force to make them yield. How could this be allowed? Would this mean they were surrendering to the power of ability users?
"We need to consider this carefully. Moreover, we truly cannot produce eight hundred tons of grain here. I implore Mr. Lin Yue and Miss Xu Xing not to do anything excessive. Remember how the demon Yue Hengyi wreaked havoc in Yanjing and was ultimately despised by everyone?" Hu Chengfeng said in a deep voice, showing no fear of Lin Yue's threat.
Lin Yue thought to himself, "I shouldn't push too hard. It's better to leave them some room to maneuver."
Then, Lin Yue took a step back and said, "I know that exchanging ability potions for grain in such a short notice is too sudden. However, at this moment, eradicating the two demons in Jiucheng is an urgent matter. Therefore, I will also compromise and accept five hundred tons of grain."
However, the leaders still refused to budge. Seeing Lin Yue's concession, they felt there was still room for negotiation and continued, "Five hundred tons is still too much. We genuinely cannot produce that much. Moreover, such a large-scale grain transaction cannot be kept from headquarters; it must be reported. It will take at least two days for the process. Please, Miss Xu Xing, rest for now and let's discuss this after you've sobered up, how about it?"
Although Lin Yue was young, he understood the various tactics employed within the system. The fact that they mentioned waiting two days would trap ordinary people. After all, they hadn't refused the transaction, only cited conflicts in timing. At this moment, it was necessary to continue demonstrating power.
Subsequently, Lin Yue stood by the window and shouted, "Xu Xing, the performance just now was only witnessed by a few hundred people. How can that showcase your true strength? Go to the city wall and perform. But remember one thing, performance is performance, just don't damage the city wall."
Xu Xing was feeling the effects of the wine. Wine, especially, has a strong after-effect. She didn't feel much when she started drinking, but after a while, she would lose her balance. Normally, it was meant to be savored slowly, but Xu Xing didn't understand this. She drank it like a common beverage, treating the wine as if it were just a drink. Now, her mind was a bit hazy.
She vaguely heard Lin Yue's voice and mumbled, "What? Go to the city wall, damage the city wall? I understand."
Saying that, Xu Xing swayed unsteadily towards the distant city wall. No one dared to stop her along the way. Even the soldiers guarding the area dared not approach, only watching her from afar. As Xu Xing walked, the ground trembled, causing chaos in the city. Almost everyone believed it was an earthquake and were running towards open spaces.
As Xu Xing moved towards the city wall, Lin Yue calmly sat down and began to savor the fried silkworm pupae. They tasted quite good, crispy and delicious. After eating one, he wanted another.
When people talk about the specialty cuisine of Yunnan Province, they usually think of the "all-insect banquet" and "seven-colored hand-grabbed rice" as the most representative. However, it was winter, and most insects were unavailable. But silkworm pupae could still be found. Deep-fried and served on the table, they perfectly satisfied Lin Yue's craving.
At this moment, inside the hotel, the leaders, seeing the drunken Xu Xing moving towards the city wall, couldn't help but want to have soldiers stop her. City walls were being built all over the world because they provided the most basic sense of security. If Xu Xing were to push down the surrounding wall, panic would undoubtedly spread.
But at this moment, Lin Yue said indifferently, "If your people make the first move, Xu Xing will not hold back. Let me remind you of something: Xu Xing is currently drunk. If you anger her, even I won't be able to control her. So, please consider carefully."
Lin Yue was too lazy to say more. Five hundred tons of grain for a rare ability potion was already a bargain. Under these circumstances, if these people still wanted to haggle, they were simply too greedy. Even if the transaction volume was large, the headquarters would not blame these people for acquiring ability potions. However, if they still wanted to lower the price, then Xu Xing would have to put on a show.
Just then, Xu Xing swayed and bumped into a lamppost, her forehead immediately swelling and turning red. At this moment, Xu Xing became furious, pointing at the lamppost and saying, "You're blind, blocking my way. Die!"
Drunk people are difficult to reason with, and it was exactly like this at this moment. It was Xu Xing who had actively collided with the lamppost, yet she was now blaming it. The angry Xu Xing then acted, throwing a punch that landed squarely on the lamppost.
Even Xu Xing's punch couldn't damage the lamppost. After all, it was a steel lamp post, which couldn't be easily broken. However, Xu Xing immediately used her ability. A powerful shockwave spread out. In an instant, the lamp bulb overhead exploded, and the lamp post itself was twisted into an unrecognizable state.
This scene shocked everyone into silence. Such immense power made it obvious that destroying the city wall would be easy. Moreover, reasoning with such a drunken person was useless. Drunk people are not in their right minds; they don't care if what you say makes sense. If they are unhappy, they will lash out.
At this moment, Lin Yue said calmly, "Please do not underestimate Xu Xing. Xu Xing was not well-known before because she was not an ability user then. After becoming an ability user, Xu Xing once caused an earthquake, capable of tearing the ground for tens of kilometers. In her fury, even our City Lord has to be cautious. Therefore, it is best for everyone not to approach her now and let her vent. I guarantee that as long as you don't provoke Xu Xing, she won't harm anyone."
After hearing Lin Yue's words, the crowd could only force a bitter smile. They had seen through this; it was a blatant threat. If they didn't agree to the transaction, Xu Xing would tear down the city wall of Zhaotong. This would not directly harm anyone, but the cost of rebuilding the city wall would be far more than five hundred tons of grain. Moreover, if mutated beasts from the mountains descended, the city's residents would also be threatened.
Thus, Hu Chengfeng had no choice but to say helplessly, "Alright, alright, we agree to this transaction, but you must keep your promise. If you don't give us the ability potions in the end, we will publicize tonight's events and let the whole country know that Yuzhou people are untrustworthy."
Lin Yue nodded and said, "Why didn't you agree sooner? Don't worry, it's just the head of a scumbag. We will definitely hand it over to you."
Since the other party had agreed, Lin Yue walked to the window and said indifferently, "Xu Xing, come back. You don't need to perform anymore."
Xu Xing had already walked a considerable distance, but Lin Yue's voice could be concentrated and eventually reached Xu Xing's ears. This ability could only be achieved by someone like Lin Yue who controlled sound waves. After hearing Lin Yue's voice, Xu Xing calmed down and then staggered back.
"Alright, we've eaten, we've drunk, and the matter is clear. Now, let's prepare the grain for loading. We need to depart immediately. However, please let the drivers accompany us; we will protect their safety," Lin Yue said afterwards.
Hu Chengfeng said with difficulty, "It's already late. Why don't we stay here for the night and leave at dawn? Moreover, Miss Xu Xing is still drunk at the moment. It doesn't seem appropriate to travel in this state, does it?"
"You don't need to worry about that. Time is of the essence now. We must return quickly. Once we have the grain, we will leave. The next time we return, it will be when we hand over the ability potions to you," Lin Yue said with a smile.
In their helplessness, the crowd could only choose to compromise and have people load the grain. As for whether they would eventually receive the ability potions, they could only hope that the other party was an honest person.
Loading was the most troublesome task, as it involved five hundred tons of grain. It wasn't until midnight that the loading was completed. Xu Xing was completely drunk, wrapped in a quilt, and lying by the roadside, completely devoid of any ladylike demeanor. This unkempt behavior of Xu Xing was photographed by onlookers, who prepared to post it online with a simple title: "I met a slovenly female ability user today."
Lin Yue looked at Xu Xing helplessly and said, "You're still too honest. I told you to act drunk, just drink a little, as long as your acting is passable. But you went and drank a whole bottle, and now you can't even be woken up. It's a good thing I'm here with you, otherwise, your reputation would be ruined."
Then, Lin Yue made a note in his notebook: "Xu Xing is easily deceived by her teammates because she trusts her teammates unconditionally. This is something that needs to be corrected in the future."
Normally, trusting teammates is a given. However, this was the apocalypse, and one never knew if they would be stabbed in the back. Especially if Xu Xing were to complete missions independently in the future, trusting others casually would easily lead to betrayal. Therefore, at this time, Lin Yue gave an evaluation that needed correction.
Next, Lin Yue threw Xu Xing into the passenger seat, fastened her seatbelt, and drove himself, leading the convoy of over seventy vehicles. The vehicles were packed with grain. Although most of it was corn, as long as it could fill their stomachs, it was fine. 138 Reading Network
The convoy couldn't travel fast. It wasn't until noon the next day that they reached the outskirts of Jiucheng. After crossing the Yangtze River, they soon saw a dense crowd on the banks of the Yangtze River. These people were endless, numbering in the tens of thousands for sure. Upon seeing the convoy appear, they immediately cheered, "Xian Xian! Xian Xian!"
Xu Xing slowly opened her eyes. She had woken up and saw that it was bright daylight, seemingly noon. However, there was a commotion outside. She couldn't help but ask, "What's going on outside? What are they shouting?"