Published: February 10, 2025
Ye Zhongming unhesitatingly handed the dagger to the man.
This left the three of them momentarily stunned, surprised at his action. After they took the dagger with some uncertainty, their faces revealed uncontrollable joy.
They had no idea how this man had brought such a good item in, but that was not important. What mattered was that this fine weapon now belonged to them.
From now on, their hunting would be safer and more efficient, and food would gradually become more abundant, bringing them numerous benefits in a chain reaction.
The man carrying two large pieces of meat glanced at the captain, only to see him subtly shake his head.
Ye Zhongming quietly caught their silent exchange in his eyes, but he didn’t pay it any mind.
Handing over the weapon would undoubtedly weaken his strength. In their current three-on-one situation, with a weapon in hand, the man was asking whether they should kill Ye Zhongming.
In the apocalypse, wise people valued benefits even more than in peaceful times.
The captain did not agree to his companion's suggestion to kill Ye Zhongming, not because he was a good person. Although the Lone Gatherers were well-known for being trustworthy and principled, it didn’t mean they lacked greed.
The captain did not agree to take action against Ye Zhongming because he saw that Ye Zhongming currently had nothing worth taking, aside from a stone bead.
For them, it was not worth offending such a powerful four-star evolver for a stone bead that wasn't too difficult to obtain.
Moreover, Ye Zhongming had just helped them, so the captain had a favorable impression of him.
“Speak.”
Ye Zhongming understood their thoughts and didn’t mind much. The three men before him were like rabbits in front of a lion. Even if they struck at will, they wouldn’t be able to harm him.
“There are two methods.”
The captain had already recovered a lot in this short time, which slightly surprised Ye Zhongming. He guessed that the captain must be some kind of martial artist or a related professional with outstanding self-healing abilities.
“The first method is to mine for it ourselves. We know a location where the yield of stone beads is very rich. As long as we can mine there, it basically guarantees enough food and water, and we might even exchange for other good items.”
“However, that place is occupied by many high-level monsters, and until now, no one has been able to complete mining operations there.”
As the captain navigated the path, he continued speaking, glancing at the torch in Ye Zhongming's hand, his eyes deep in thought. He said, “This method, you can probably guess, indirectly proves that stone beads are secretions from the monsters here. After all, that location is a monster's lair, so naturally, the secretions would be plentiful. Many people know about it, but no one dares to go mine there. Those who survive in the mines feel worse than pigs or dogs and all want to escape. Yet, they still have their own calculations and won’t clear that place. There are only two narrow passages to get through, and the only way to clear it is by sending in people, but who would be willing to die first?”
With a sarcastic smile, the captain didn’t know whether he was mocking himself or others.
Seeing that Ye Zhongming didn’t voice any opinion, the captain continued: “The second method, as I mentioned, is the secret. You were thrown down from the fourth mine, right?”
Ye Zhongming nodded; that was the truth.
“But we all came from the third mine.”
“Hmm?” Ye Zhongming was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized: “You mean these mines are connected?”
“Smart!” The captain did not expect Ye Zhongming to catch on so quickly and praised him: “The first to fourth mines have been interconnected for months, but currently, only we Lone Gatherers know about it.”
“And how does this relate to my need for stone beads?”
Ye Zhongming had a vague guess in his heart, but since he didn’t really understand the situation here, he didn’t say it out loud.