Chapter 64

Benjamin crossed his arms, staring at the tomatoes in the wooden box. Ever since he had that tomato soup yesterday, he couldn't get the taste out of his mind.

"I'll wait a bit longer. No way they're gonna sell out," Benjamin muttered to himself. He was tempted, but the price was just too high. He figured if he waited, he might be able to haggle for a better deal.

"Yeah, if they don't sell, we can snag 'em for cheap," chimed in a high-level exec from Wasteland City who overheard Benjamin. He decided to hold off too.

"I'm waiting too."

"Same here. We're loaded. How much cash do those refugees have anyway? Bet no one's buying them anytime soon."

The big shots from Wasteland City all seemed to agree. They watched and waited. Benjamin smirked. He hadn't planned on teaming up with these guys, but they were all on the same page.

Just then, a lady with a smile walked up to the stall.

"Catherine, no one's buying. You thinking about it?" Benjamin asked, a bit annoyed.

"If you want to wait, that's your choice. But I have my own choices too, Mr. White. Aren't you being a bit nosy?" Catherine shot back, giving everyone a once-over before heading towards Ryan and Margaret.

"What's that bitch up to?" one of the council execs grumbled.

"Ignore her. She still thinks her dad's alive. The Jones family’s days are numbered. I wouldn't mind buying her as a sex slave and tossing her some scraps," Benjamin sneered. The Wasteland City bigwigs had been eyeing the Jones family's wealth for a while, especially since they didn't have a strong Esper backing them.

Catherine walked up to me.

Seeing her made me a bit uneasy. "Ms. Jones, need something?" I asked.

"I'd like a private deal," Catherine said, glancing around and lowering her voice.

I kept a calm smile and said, "If you want to make a deal, get in line."

"No, I don't want to buy anything," she shook her head.

Suddenly, she leaned in close, and I caught a whiff of lilies. I turned slightly and saw her wide neckline, her cleavage on display.

Catherine noticed me looking and frowned slightly but pretended not to. She leaned in and whispered, "I want to use all the Beast Crystals to ask for your help. It's just a small favor."

I laughed and said, "If you want me to go after the folks in Wasteland City, you've got the wrong guy." I wasn't interested in their political games. I just wanted to earn more Beast Crystals, and I doubted Catherine had enough to make it worth my while.

Catherine waved her hands frantically, "No, you misunderstood. I'm not asking you to go after them."

"Then what do you want?" I asked, staying calm.

She looked tense, swallowed nervously, and said, "I want you to help us escape from here."

"What?" I was a bit taken aback. "Escape from Wasteland City? Why?" I knew Catherine had beef with Benjamin, but I didn't think she'd go this far. Things were getting interesting.

Catherine hesitated, then sighed, "If I don't leave now, I'll be sold as a prostitute. I want to get out of here and settle in Bright City. It's a nice place."

I gave her a strange look. 'Should I step in if Catherine's forced into prostitution?' Honestly, I'd never been with a woman like her before.

Selena and Ellie’s faces turned cold at the mention of 'Bright City,' clearly wary of Catherine.

"Mr. Steele?" Catherine called softly, seeing me lost in thought.

"Sounds like you're in a tough spot. You want me to escort you all the way to Bright City?" I shook my head.

"No! Just help us escape from Wasteland City," Catherine insisted, shaking her head. Seeing me silent, she continued, "Once we're out, I'll contact other Jones family members, and we'll head to Bright City together. It won't be too much trouble for you, Mr. Steele. Just get us out of the city or wait at the gate."

I rubbed my chin, thinking, 'Catherine's got guts, but I really don't want to play escort. We're not that close yet. Sure, she's my type, but that doesn't mean I should risk it for her.'

I cleared my throat and said, "Ms. Jones, I get your situation, but getting you out of the city isn't a small favor. You know how things are in Wasteland City. If you want my help, you'll need to offer something more tempting."

Catherine frowned, "What do you need?"

I shrugged, giving a sly smile, "Depends on what you can offer."

Catherine narrowed her eyes, weighing her options. I wasn't in a rush anyway.

"Are you agreeing?" Catherine asked softly.

"Ms. Jones, how many Beast Crystals can you give me to get you out of Wasteland City?" I glanced at Benjamin and the others, already forming a plan.

"3 intermediate crystals, 20 primary high-level crystals, 300 primary general crystals, and 500 common crystals..." Catherine rattled off the numbers, clearly prepared.

I was a bit surprised. If converted to cosmic energy, that'd be about 700,000 points. Still short of the 200,000 points needed to upgrade the evolved beast to level 7, but it was a hefty sum. I didn't expect Catherine to be so loaded.

"Is that not enough?" Catherine asked nervously.

"Well, I agree," I said, pretending to be reluctant.

Just as Catherine was about to smile, I added, "But besides these Beast Crystals, you need to agree to one more thing before I help you escape."

"Okay, I'll do anything!" Catherine seemed excited, eager to hear my condition.

I shrugged, pointing to the pile of goods stacked like a small mountain beside me. Leaning close to her ear, I whispered, "My request is simple. Just help us sell these goods."

I blew on the hair near Catherine's ear, making her feel a bit ticklish. Her body moved involuntarily, and then I saw Catherine's face instantly blush. She shyly chuckled and said, "No problem."

I smiled, taking a step back. Although my actions seemed natural, I was actually intoxicated by Catherine's body scent. The scent of lilies was truly charming, and she also had full breasts. I wondered what Catherine had been eating to have such a charming figure.

"My dear Ms. Jones, remember to prepare the items and wait for my notification," I said calmly.

Catherine smiled gently, nodded, and our deal was considered complete. When Catherine turned to face Benjamin and the others, I noticed that she had returned to her cold and ruthless demeanor.

On the other side, Benjamin frowned, looking very suspicious. He asked, "Ms. Jones, what were you talking about?"

"Mr. White, I don't need to report to you," Catherine replied coldly.

"Ms. Jones, please mind your manners. But I do like your attitude. If one day you become a prostitute, I hope you can maintain your attitude," Benjamin smiled, his gaze slightly challenging.

Catherine clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her anger. After a while, she took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for your concern."

Benjamin furrowed his brow slightly, apparently not expecting Catherine's response to be so concise and firm. But then, he showed a hint of a smile, as if everything was within his expectations. "Ms. Jones, don't misunderstand. I misspoke. Now, can you tell me what deal you made with the mayor of Tortoise City?" Benjamin asked again.

"It's just some plant seedlings and the leaves of the luminous tree," Catherine replied calmly.

"You told him about the luminous tree?" Someone asked, seeming very interested.

"Yes, in fact, the luminous tree you see is called the 'Elf Tea Tree.' It is also the sacred tree of Tortoise City. The tea leaves from this tree can increase lifespan. Of course, no one has verified it, but the tea leaves have another effect—they can increase stamina during lovemaking," Catherine said. She had asked a cute maid about this tree during dinner yesterday.

"Increase lifespan? That's impossible!" Someone doubted.

"If it can increase stamina during lovemaking, can we just have a tea leaf every time we have sex? But how much does it actually increase? I'm looking forward to trying this tea," another person interjected.

"In fact, the 'Elf Tea' is free. It doesn't hurt to give it a try, I bet. At least it tastes good," Catherine glanced at the others and added, "You'll know when you taste it."

"I've had that tea leaf and even eaten related dishes. It does have some effect," Benjamin nodded, recalling the delicious food he had yesterday. After the meal, his cock inexplicably became erect at night. At that time, Benjamin didn't think about the 'Elf Tea.' Now, it seemed that the top-grade 'Elf Tea' was more valuable than other vegetables.

"We'll see if it's real later. How many Beast Crystals did you trade for a seedling?" Benjamin continued to ask.

"11 primary Beast Crystals," Catherine stated a price, and no one knew that this price was actually agreed upon privately between her and the mayor of Tortoise City.

"What? So cheap?" Some high-level executives from Wasteland City lit up.

"If the trading volume is low, they won't reduce the Beast Crystals," Catherine reminded calmly.

"How many seedlings did you trade?" someone couldn't help but ask.

"Jabout a hundred," Catherine replied with a smile.

"God, are you crazy?" someone exclaimed.

Everyone looked at Catherine in confusion, wondering if she had lost her mind. 'Could she finish eating so many vegetables? Even if she eats every day, where would she find a water source to sustain these vegetables?' They all looked at Catherine like she was a spendthrift.

"A hundred seedlings? The Beast Crystals of the entire Jones family probably only have half the value. How is that possible?" someone muttered under their breath.

Catherine shrugged, saying to everyone, "Anyway, that's the price. You can keep waiting. I'll go gather some Beast Crystals. Tortoise City seems to have only over two hundred seedlings left. If you don't trade quickly, they'll be gone."

After hearing this, several high-level executives began to act, indicating that they intended to buy together.

Benjamin frowned again, saying to those people, "We can wait a little longer. Maybe it will drop to ten Beast Crystals per seedling."

"Mr. White, I think it's better to trade early. After all, there aren't many seedlings left," one high-level executive seemed a bit anxious.

Those were plant seedlings. Once successfully cultivated, they would become valuable plants that could bear seeds. With seeds, they could continue planting, and soon they would have their own vegetable garden.

The high-level executive who had just acted like he had lost something important had apparently seen the future—a year later, a green vegetable garden would fill the entire field of vision, his own planting garden full of vitality and hope! By then, selling those vegetables, the Beast Crystals spent would quickly be recouped.

"I have to go buy." As soon as he finished speaking, the man quickly ran towards the vegetable stall. His movements were swift, as if he would miss a lifetime opportunity if he didn't hurry.

"Wait for me, I'm going too!" someone said.

"I think you're right, I'm going to buy too!" another high-level executive eagerly joined the line, his eyes gleaming with greed.

Benjamin gritted his teeth, watching his indecisive colleagues, feeling a mix of anger and frustration. These people were extremely foolish, incredibly impatient and unbelievably short-sighted.

On the other side, I was suddenly surrounded by several well-dressed wealthy people, all asking how many seedlings could be traded for one less Beast Crystal.

"Trading thirty seedlings or more will reduce one Beast Crystal per seedling," I replied calmly.

Originally, my plan was to trade ten Beast Crystals for one seedling, but Catherine's cooperation had allowed my plan to start early, and the trading was already more than halfway done.

"Can we get 'Elf Tea' as a gift?" someone asked eagerly.

I sneered. 'What was he thinking? I planned to sell those tea leaves at a good price. How could I give them away for free?' I couldn't help but think.

"No, only trading a hundred seedlings or more will come with a gift of tea leaves, and they are top-grade tea leaves," I shook my head indifferently.