Ji He walked quietly among the crowd, trying not to attract attention.

Although everyone still seemed to be in decent spirits, they all looked a bit miserable.

The heat made hair greasy faster, and many people’s hair stuck to their scalps in clumps.

It wasn’t so bad for men with short hair, but most women had their hair tied up, occasionally reaching up to scratch their heads.

Even though the water supply had only been cut off for a short time, the inconvenience was already becoming apparent.

Not far ahead of Ji He, a middle-aged man was walking shirtless, excitedly chatting with someone next to him about his child.

His voice was so loud that Ji He couldn’t avoid hearing him even if she wanted to.

“Let me tell you, yesterday my brat nearly got himself beaten to death! Turns out he’s a Gifted One, and he didn’t even tell me! If the government hadn’t made an announcement yesterday, I would’ve never known! Usually, the tiniest thing gets spread everywhere, but this? He kept it a dead secret!”

“Why hit him? Your kid has talent, isn’t that a good thing? If my brat were Gifted, I’d be over the moon!”

“Eh, nothing to be happy about. I heard their missions are dangerous. I don’t care about that stuff—I just want my kid to be safe.”

“Big bro, tell us more?”

“Yeah, what’s your kid’s ability?”

“Yeah, I heard Gifted Ones have a personal store where they can buy whatever they want.”

“It’s true! My son even showed me—he can buy things from there.”

“Wow!”

“Wow!”

Even though the man kept saying he wasn’t that happy, the grin on his face never faded, almost reaching his ears.

“So, big bro, are you letting your kid register?”

“Of course! This brings honor to the family! Since the government is calling for it, we should respond. Didn’t you see me bring out the household registration book? I’m taking my eldest to register right now!”

“This is great news! I heard there’s a chance to become a government employee. They’ll even provide meals and a good salary!”

“Haha, I’m not in it for that, not in it for that.”

The man clasped his hands behind his back, sweating from the heat, but his expression was as radiant as a blooming flower.

His eyes were practically squinting from how hard he was smiling.

A small crowd had gathered around him, asking questions and even strangers coming up to congratulate him.

At the street corner, they went their separate ways—Ji He’s group headed to Meihua Supermarket, while the man and his group went to register at the neighborhood office.

By now, the crowd had thinned out a bit, making it easier to breathe. Ji He felt a slight relief.

She occasionally lowered her head, bringing her mouth close to her chest to secretly sip water through a straw.

Even with the Pralan patch on, this kind of environment drained her energy fast, making her extremely thirsty.

As she drank a mouthful of warm mineral water, she silently reminded herself to make some ice when she got home.

She was dying for a cold drink. Desperately!

When Ji He finally arrived at Meihua Supermarket and stepped out of the vehicle, she looked down at her shoes—her soles seemed slightly melted from the heat.

One trip out, and she might have to sacrifice a pair of shoes.

She hadn’t expected the heat to wear them down so quickly.

By now, the sky was completely dark, but streetlights illuminated the surroundings, making it nearly as bright as daytime.

Ji He noticed several armed police officers patrolling the area.

Inside Meihua Supermarket, the lights were dazzling, and a long line of people stood at the entrance, waiting to buy supplies. Some had brought water and small stools, clearly preparing for a long wait.

Ji He took one glance and then looked away.

No matter how long the line was, it had nothing to do with her.

She had no money.

Not even enough for the bare minimum.

Ji He strolled through the crowd at a slow pace, soon spotting the man selling gasoline.

In just a few short days, he had gained quite a few white hairs, but he still greeted Ji He with a bright smile.

She asked him to help transport the gas tank to the next street, and he readily agreed.

They exchanged goods and payment, and the man set the gas tank down without a second thought before riding off on his bike.

Ji He wasn’t his only customer today—she was just the first to arrive. After selling to her, he had more deliveries to make.

Standing in the darkness, Ji He quickly stored the gas tank into her space when no one was looking.

Only then did she slowly make her way toward the free trade market.

The market was originally a large plaza. There used to be a fountain in the center, but with the current heat and the preciousness of water, it was, of course, dry.

As she approached the entrance, she saw a crowd gathered around something.

Standing on tiptoe, she realized they were reading a sign.

It listed the rules of the free trade market:

1. Vendors must pay a daily fee of half a jin (250g) of rice.
2. Theft, robbery, and other crimes are strictly prohibited. Offenders will be severely punished.
3. Transactions are voluntary. The government only ensures security, so buyers must be cautious.
4. …

It was an announcement.

Basically, the government was only providing the space and ensuring safety—everything else was up to the people.

If anyone was worried about product quality, they could go to Meihua Supermarket, which was government-run and guaranteed quality.

Since Ji He had no money, she was only here to look around.

Unlike Meihua Supermarket, the free trade market didn’t require waiting in line.

Ji He followed the crowd inside.

Streetlights were present, though dim, providing just enough illumination to see the goods on the ground.

People were selling all sorts of things.

Just not food.

There were both new and secondhand items.

The secondhand items were household goods people had brought from home, hoping to trade for something useful.

Their stalls had a mix of everything, and most transactions didn’t even involve money—just bartering.

The new goods came from vendors who had previously sold in shopping malls. Since the malls had shut down due to the heat, and no one knew when they would reopen, they had moved their inventory here.

Better to clear stock than let it pile up.

After all, without selling their goods, they wouldn’t have money to buy food.

Ji He saw many people pushing tricycles loaded with merchandise—clothes, shoes, socks, underwear, pots, bowls, and portable stoves.

Everything imaginable.

People seemed to be holding up okay. Though vegetables and meat were scarce, most households still had instant noodles and biscuits stored away, so there wasn’t too much panic yet.

Ji He spotted a few pairs of sports shoes she liked. Her own shoes were likely done for by the time she got home.

“How much for these?”

“Miss, these are name-brand! They used to sell for 1,000 yuan in malls! But I’ll let you have them for just 500!”

Without a word, Ji He stood up and walked away.