Song Song didn’t agree, “With me here, how could you possibly lose out? Besides, the pricing isn’t up to them. Even if you make a poor deal, I won’t approve it. We’ll definitely follow the rules for payment.”

“That’s not the point,” Yun Tutu snorted. “I’m here all alone, and you see there are four or five of them. If things really went south, who do you think would come out on top? One mouth against five? What if I encounter even more people next time—do you think I could handle that?”

“You’re just here to make deliveries, not to fight,” Song Song retorted. “Besides, they can’t even touch you. What are you worried about?”

“I’m not worried about messing things up for you,” Yun Tutu countered with a dose of realism. “Even if these people get greedy, you might be able to get me out of here, but the deal would fall through. That wouldn’t be a good outcome for you, would it? You’d be wasting energy bringing me here, and end up with nothing.”

Song Song hesitated. “…You have a point.”

“Right? Plus, if I had some companions with me, their presence would be intimidating. Do you think these people would still dare to haggle with me?”

Song Song replied, “Both sides have things the other needs. It’s not like the deal could fall through completely.”

“Can you guarantee that every deal will be completed?”

“…Anyway, bringing someone along is out of the question. I don’t have enough energy right now.”

“So, you’re saying that when you do have enough energy, it’s possible?” Yun Tutu pressed.

“Possible, yes. But your bike needs an upgrade first. As it stands, your motorcycle can’t carry too many people.”

“Does it have to be a motorcycle?”

“…”

“Enough talking, she’s coming over,” Song Song whispered. “I can tell you this: they’ve got some good stuff here. It’s all up to your negotiation skills.”

Yun Tutu’s eyes lit up. “What if I didn’t bring enough? I want those good things too.”

This time, Xie Yufei approached with a more amiable demeanor. “Can I call you Tutu? You can call me Yufei. Would you mind showing us what you’ve got? Our leader would like to discuss the trade with you directly.”

“Of course, no problem.” Yun Tutu picked out a few items from her saddlebag, then followed Xie Yufei to the entrance. She gathered her courage and stepped inside.

Inside, she saw two people sitting and two lying down. If it weren’t for the faint rise and fall of their chests, Yun Tutu would have turned and fled.

“Sorry about this. We’re not in the best of health, so this is the best we can do,” Ding Zongsheng said with a smile. There was a low stool and a small table positioned diagonally across from him. “Ms. Yun, please have a seat. Let’s talk.”

Yun Tutu didn’t have time to waste here. Who knew when Sòng Sòng might suddenly send her back?

She placed the prepared compressed biscuits and other items on the small table, generously tearing open one packet. “You can check these out first. They’re military-grade, with a long shelf life.”

“This is canned meat,” Yun Tutu said, opening a can. She noticed their eyes light up and felt even more confident. “You can try it first. It’s packed full of real meat.”

This was the apocalypse. With everything around them in ruins, people were struggling to find food, let alone raise animals. Meat was as good as gold.

Xie Yufei quickly turned away to lick her lips. She hadn’t tasted meat since she was a child and still remembered the flavor vividly.

Even He Ning and Ding Zongsheng, though trying to maintain their composure, couldn’t help but swallow as they stared at the can.

Yun Tutu walked over, squatted in front of them, and like a magician, produced a spoon. “Let’s taste it first before we talk.”

Compared to this canned meat, Yun Tutu preferred freshly cooked meals. But she kept that thought to herself, afraid of getting punched.

“This is such a rare treat,” He Ning said, her eyes glued to the can. “It’s been over a decade since I’ve had meat…”

Realizing she had misspoken, He Ning anxiously glanced at Ding Zongsheng, worried that she had jeopardized the negotiation.

Yun Tutu, seeing how emaciated they were, felt a pang of sympathy. “Don’t worry, this can is on me. But there’s a lot of fat in it, so don’t eat too much at once.”

She didn’t know what they usually ate, but judging by their appearance, it couldn’t be anything good.

“Thank you,” Ding Zongsheng saw the sincerity in her eyes. “We’ll just have a taste; we wouldn’t dream of finishing it all at once.”

He carefully picked a piece, examined it for a moment, and then put it in his mouth. The familiar taste made his eyes well up. How long had it been since he’d last tasted meat?

Yun Tutu blinked at him. “How is it? Good?”

“But aren’t you worried that I might have poisoned it?” she asked, genuinely curious. It was the apocalypse after all—people still being this trusting was surprising.

“Even if it were poisoned, at least we’d die with a piece of meat in our stomachs,” Ding Zongsheng savored the taste for a moment before replying. “Besides, in our current state, we’re not worth wasting such valuable meat on.”

Yun Tutu fell silent, then asked, “Can you tell me how your world ended up like this?”

“It started a century ago,” Ding Zongsheng’s eyes filled with hatred. “Those damned island people they dumped nuclear waste water into the sea in batches for nearly 30 year. Their selfishness triggered a series of catastrophic reactions.”

“The sea was the first to suffer. Marine life was either mutated or wiped out.”

“Then came the climate changes. Coastal cities were the first to be affected, poisoned by toxic rain that withered crops and plants to the brink of extinction. Fortunately, some preventive measures were taken, or we would have been wiped out instantly.”

“But the affected areas kept expanding, making life increasingly difficult. Add to that an aging population and a growing reluctance to have children, and society quickly began to destabilize.”

“Some smaller countries couldn’t hold on and were wiped out. But before they fell, they made sure to use all their stockpiled weapons. Our land suffered several attacks as a result.”

As he recounted these events, Ding Zongsheng’s voice was filled with bitterness. “Despite all the preparations we made, our living conditions continued to deteriorate. Many crops couldn’t even produce seeds anymore, let alone allow for animal farming.”