Chapter 58

Benjamin hadn't stopped chowing down since he got a taste of the barbecue, like he hadn't eaten in days. Meanwhile, Catherine was all classy about it, swigging as quietly and gracefully as she could.

Watching Benjamin's antics made me want to laugh. I said, "There's plenty in the kitchen."

Benjamin slowed down, looking a bit embarrassed. "What's in this stuff? It's amazing," he asked.

I glanced at Grace, clueless myself.

Grace grinned and said, "I added some premium 'Elf Tea' and some extracts Jessica came up with, made from animal parts. Just a bit of it makes everything taste incredible." She showed her hand, holding the extract, probably to prove it wasn't poison.

I thought, 'Isn't this just MSG?' In another world, lots of restaurants used this kind of seasoning, usually made from chicken bones.

Benjamin eyed the granules like they were gold. I got it—he wasn't lacking money or resources, but things that made life better were rare. Good food and drink were basic human desires, so I figured he might want this 'MSG' or even the recipe.

"Mr. Steele, what brings you to Wasteland City?" Benjamin asked, his voice raspy.

Everyone stopped eating, waiting for my answer.

"Trade," I said simply. I wiped my mouth and continued, "Besides what I brought today, we have more advanced stuff. I want to trade more with Wasteland City."

"What do you want to sell? Wasteland City might not have anything more advanced to trade," Benjamin said.

"Mr. White, don't worry. We just want to exchange for some supplies, like live animals, plants, and fabrics," I said. I was always looking for animals or plants to domesticate, but the wilderness had little to offer—mostly lizards or small creatures. Even the fierce beasts were only good for food. I figured a big place like Wasteland City must have some unique species.

"Live animals?" Benjamin reached into his clothes, and a snow-white snake slithered out, flicking its crimson tongue. It looked pretty eerie.

I was surprised. "Mr. White, I didn't expect you to have a pet snake."

Benjamin played with the snake, which seemed very tame and quite beautiful. "Mr. Steele, what do you think of this little snake? I've had it for years. It keeps me cool in the summer," he said.

"Mr. White, are you looking to trade this snake?" I asked with a smile.

"No, this snake is special to me," Benjamin said, shaking his head with a smile. The snake obediently slithered back into his sleeve.

Seeing my interest in snakes, Benjamin said, "Mr. Steele, I have more snakes at home. If you like, I can trade those with you."

"Mr. White, you cook those snakes for soup. Trading food doesn't seem right," Catherine said calmly.

Benjamin didn't get mad. He just smiled and said, "Mr. Steele mentioned live animals, and these snakes are rare in the wilderness."

I grinned. Since arriving in this world, I hadn't seen a single snake. "I want fifty of these little snakes," I said.

Honestly, I only needed one snake because my cosmic energy could only support one evolved snake-like beast. But I had other plans for the extra forty-nine. Snake serum was valuable, and maybe Jessica could extract something useful from it. Plus, my plantation needed animals to balance the ecosystem. I didn't want it overrun by pests like rats, which I knew existed in Wasteland City.

"Only fifty?" Benjamin frowned. He had hundreds of snakes at home!

"I'm just adding to my collection. Snakes don't have much meat anyway," I joked.

"Snake soup is good, but not as good as what you served us today. These dishes are amazing. I haven't seen many of these vegetables before," Benjamin said, eyeing me. "So, Mr. Steele, what do you plan to trade?"

"How about this 'seasoning'?" I pointed to the dishes.

"You're offering the recipe?" Benjamin's eyes widened.

I shrugged. "If you have more of what I need, I can give you the recipe. But I'm talking about the seasoning itself, not the recipe. One small packet for fifty little snakes."

"What? That's fifty snakes!" Benjamin got excited.

"Mr. White, you should understand that this seasoning is a goodwill gesture. You won't find another packet like it in this world," I said coolly.

"Three packets, or no deal," Benjamin countered, clearly hooked on the seasoning.

"Deal," I said lightly.

Just then, a servant spoke up, "Mr. Steele, I have a freshly caught antelope. Its meat is very fresh. Can I trade it for some of that magical seasoning?"

"Well, I can give you a small spoonful," I said, glancing at the servant.

"This..." The servant hesitated. "Mr. Steele, the antelope is bigger than the councilor's little snake, with more meat. Why can it only trade for a small spoonful?"

"Sorry, that's the price," I replied calmly. It was just meat, not a live antelope. If there were more, I could give him more seasoning. This seasoning could make top-notch dishes, and people in the post-apocalyptic world probably hadn't tasted anything like it. Trading one antelope for one experience seemed fair to me.

"Deal," the servant reluctantly agreed.

"I also need some fabric. Herbs can also be traded for seasoning, and I'll even throw in some 'Elf Tea' as a gift. You can all come to me for trading," I said, smiling at everyone.

Tortoise City was lacking in many things, especially fabric. I only had two sets of clothes, which wasn't enough. Most fabric in the post-apocalyptic world was woven from animal fur or insect silk. There was no hemp fabric. Taylor's silk could be used to weave fabric, but it would be a waste for ordinary residents. Silk from a Level 5 evolved beast could make clothes as strong as bulletproof vests.

"As for fabric, we have some stored," Benjamin said, thinking it over. "How much 'seasoning' would you trade for a piece of fabric?"

Grace leaned in and whispered, "We only have one packet of 'seasoning'."

I was surprised. "How big is one packet?" I asked.

Grace pointed to a soup bowl, and I got it. One packet wasn't much, so large-scale trades were out of the question. But I could handle this. I whispered back, "Divide that packet into ten smaller packets."

Grace looked shocked.

"Go ahead, don't waste it. Ask Jessica to make more," I said, patting her hand.

Benjamin was still waiting for my answer.

"How about this plant?" I pointed to the cabbages.

"Mr. Steele, these cabbages are nice, but they're just vegetables," Benjamin said, his tone low.

"Exchanging cabbages for fabric is fair," I said calmly.

"That's not possible. Fabric isn't easy to make. It requires the fur of fierce beasts. A beast several feet long can feed a group of people, and the meat can sustain them," Benjamin said firmly.

"I'm talking about a cabbage seedling, not mature cabbages," I smirked.

"A seedling?" Benjamin's eyes widened.

"Yes, a seedling has a much higher survival rate. Once you grow it to maturity and collect seeds, its value increases tenfold. You won't lose out," I explained. The seeds were easy to get. Using 'Elf Tea,' I could mature cabbages and get seeds in a day. The seeds would grow into seedlings in two or three days.

"Alright! I'll offer twenty pieces of fabric," Benjamin said, gritting his teeth.

Margaret's expression changed, and she mouthed, 'profiteer.'

"I'll offer five pieces." 

"Ten pieces!" 

The attendants started making offers, showing their high status in Wasteland City. Trading one seedling for one piece of fabric was a short-term loss but a long-term gain.

I noticed Catherine kept her head down and didn't make an offer. 'Strange. As the most powerful woman in Wasteland City, isn't she interested in these plant seeds?' I thought. But her lack of interest didn't affect the others. After the attendants made their offers, I smiled. They all wanted to grow a large vegetable garden, assuming they could grow the seedlings and harvest the seeds.

"A total of 103 pieces of fabric," Margaret noted, recording the quantities.

"Gentlemen, I have more cabbage seedlings. If you don't have fabric, you can trade with beast crystals," I said, bringing up my real purpose.

"Really? What quality of beast crystal for a seedling?" Benjamin asked, intrigued.

"Ten medium-quality crystals for one seedling," I said calmly.

Benjamin frowned. "Wow. Do you think crystals are just worthless stones on the roadside?"

"Of course not, but cabbage seedlings aren't weeds," I replied, keeping my expression neutral.

"No way, this is more expensive than trading for fabric!" Benjamin's eyes widened.

"So what? It's up to you whether to trade or not," I shrugged.

Margaret, who had been quiet, leaned in and whispered, "Ten crystals! Are you serious? Won't that scare them off?"

I saw the shock in her sky-blue eyes but ignored her warning. "Everyone thinks it's expensive because they don't understand its value yet. Once they miss out, they'll realize whether it's worth it or not," I smiled.

"This price is completely unreasonable!" Benjamin seemed really reluctant. "Mr. Steele, I don't see your sincerity. Trade should be fair! We should respect each other!" he said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"What if I offer three hundred cabbage seedlings? With such a large planting volume, it could elevate everyone's lives by several levels. You might even have vegetables every day," I said, looking around the room. "Of course, I only have three hundred seedlings. Once they're gone, that's it. Just ten crystals. There are many animals in the wilderness, but no green vegetables."

"What if they don't sell out? Will you lower the price?" Benjamin sneered.

"Sorry, I never discount," I shook my head lightly. "But if someone steals, there's nothing I can do," I added suddenly.

"What? Someone dares to steal seedlings?" Benjamin was stunned.

I showed a disinterested look and raised my hands. "Well, there have been quite a few thefts of cabbage seedlings recently," I said, looking at Margaret. "Don't you think so?"

"Mr. Steele, please rest assured, we will keep a close eye on the plantation," Margaret cleared her throat. Then she turned to Benjamin, "Besides cabbages, Tortoise City has many resources, like water and pottery, which can be traded for crystals. Tortoise City will stay for a while, and the market under Tortoise City will be able to trade for these supplies. Mr. White, do you mind?"

"You're going to set up stalls?" Benjamin seemed taken aback. "Is there really someone who would use crystals to exchange for pottery?"

"Pottery can solve many problems. Who doesn't like fresh green vegetables? And our water source, all of it is mineral water soaked with 'Elf Tea', which enhances physical strength," Margaret smiled.

I nodded. To enhance the taste, we soaked the water with tea leaves; otherwise, it would taste like acid rain. The water came from nearby rivers. As for the pottery, that was all thanks to Sophia. She could produce quite a few pottery pieces in a day, and she had perfected the process. Tortoise City wasn't lacking in pottery and water.

"I see," Benjamin's pupils contracted slightly, a sneer flickering across his face for a moment.

With my heightened perception, I caught the subtle change in his expression. I suspected Benjamin might have some sinister intentions, but that was exactly what I needed.