Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

The two men, flashlights in hand, groped their way along the almost shapeless slope at the foot of the mountain toward the completely dark forest.

The flashlight beam was kept low, only shining on the path two or three steps ahead, for fear that the light would attract unnecessary attention.

The two walked one after the other on the soft, humus-covered soil, their footsteps swallowed up by the thick layer of fallen leaves.

They had only reached halfway up the mountain when a voice suddenly rang out from the side and front, "Did you drop something? Why are you looking for something with a flashlight?"

The two froze simultaneously, raising their flashlights abruptly to shine on the source of the sound.

On a slightly flat open space halfway up the mountain, a gray-green single tent was pitched.

A man in his early thirties sat on a moisture-proof mat at the entrance of the tent, squinting as he looked this way.

He was wearing a faded work jacket, and his trousers were covered in mud, looking like he had just taken a break after a long day of work.

Xu Xiaoyan and Lan Yue exchanged a glance and quickly gave each other a look.

The man's tone didn't sound like he was interrogating anyone; it sounded more like he was just asking a casual question.

Furthermore, he mistook the two for members of his own squad, asking "What did you drop?" instead of "What are you doing?"

This suggests that he was most likely not from the nearby mountains, did not know them, and was unaware of the "resin frenzy" that had already swept across several other mountains that night.

Lan Yue tilted her head slightly towards Xu Xiaoyan, her lips barely moving, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Someone who hasn't received the message yet."

Xu Xiaoyan understood. The mountain where this person was located was far away, so the news probably hadn't reached them so quickly.

The same thought was running through their minds: if they didn't tell him today, he would find out sooner or later.

When the time comes, the mountains and fields will be full of people. One more competitor won't make a difference, and one less won't make a difference either.

It would be better to do good deeds now and build a good relationship; maybe we can even get some information about this mountain from him.

Xu Xiaoyan took two steps forward, deliberately softening her tone and lowering her voice as she said:

"Brother, we're from those mountains ahead, the ones that go east along this ridge and cross over."

The person nodded, clearly knowing where she was referring to.

Xu Xiaoyan continued, speaking at a moderate pace, with a touch of sincere enthusiasm: "In the evening, some people in our area took a bunch of pine resin to the official sales point to exchange it."

You know pine resin, right? It's that yellowish-brown, sticky resin from pine trees. The price they're offering over there is eight compressed biscuits for one pound of pine resin!

"Eight pieces?!" The man's hand trembled. "One pound for eight compressed biscuits? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely true," Lan Yue chimed in from the side, her tone so sincere it didn't seem like she was lying. "We saw it with our own eyes. That person carried over a hundred pounds down the mountain and exchanged it for eight hundred points."

You didn't see that scene. The staff at the trading point verified it twice, and finally, a special approval was made for a one-to-one weight-based pricing.

Now everyone on those mountains has gone crazy. Nobody's going to sleep. They're all out searching for this thing with their lights on."

The man opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time.

He placed the flashlight on the sleeping mat, freed his hand, and vigorously rubbed his face, as if processing the information.

After a while, he suddenly stood up, his voice trembling, "Such a high percentage? We'd better hurry!"

As he spoke, he bent down to unzip the tent and hastily stuffed his sleeping bag inside.

They then pulled out a large woven bag and a small knife from inside, their movements swift and forceful.

"If more people sell, the official exchange rate will definitely be lowered!" He looked up at the two of them, his eyes filled with a mixture of anxiety and excitement.

"I've been on this hill for two days now. This is the only patch of land with pine trees. Let's hurry up and finish this! Once we're done here—"

He pointed diagonally across the street, his arm tracing a sharp arc in the night:

"I've also explored that mountain diagonally opposite. There's a small part of it covered in pine forest. I'll take you there."

As he tidied up, he kept muttering, "Your hills are still the best; half of them are covered in pine trees."

Our area isn't suitable; it's mostly birch trees, with only a few pine trees. It took me two days to figure it out.

You've come at the right time. There are many of you, and you can move quickly. Otherwise, it would have been too late if others had come looking for us.

As he spoke, he picked up the woven bag, tucked the knife into his waistband, and exuded a sense of urgency that "if we don't hurry, we'll lose everything."

He turned to look at the two women, and seeing they were still standing there motionless, he waved his hands anxiously. "What are you standing there for? Come on! Turn on your flashlights, don't worry about wasting electricity, the resin reflects light, it'll be easy to find!"

Xu Xiaoyan and Lan Yue exchanged a glance, both of them breathing a sigh of relief. Not only did this person not suspect anything, but he also offered to take them to another pine forest, which was a pleasant surprise.

The three immediately separated.

The man buried his head and disappeared into a pine forest on the left. The beam of his flashlight swept quickly through the trees, stopping to examine each tree trunk carefully. His movements were practiced and swift.

Lan Yue made her way to the right side of the hillside. Her steps were light and almost silent. She kept the beam of her flashlight low, only shining it on the middle section of the tree trunk and the base of the tree.

Xu Xiaoyan then moved forward along the ridgeline, specifically choosing places with thick tree trunks and many cracks in the bark to take pictures.

Pine resin is indeed easy to spot in the night under a flashlight beam; it has a warm, reflective sheen.

It is neither as clear as water nor as rough as tree bark, but somewhere in between, with a soft luster unique to oils.

Xu Xiaoyan quickly found the first piece, which was small, about the size of a thumbnail, and sticky, clinging to the edge of a crack in the bark.

She deftly scraped it off with a knife, put it in the side pocket of her backpack, and continued searching.

The "light show" on the distant mountain peaks continued, with beams of light filling the sky.

Meanwhile, three beams of flashlight quietly and attentively moved through the pine forest.

The night wind swept down from the mountain ridge, carrying the distinctive bitter scent of pine needles and the faint sound of voices in the distance.

Xu Xiaoyan bent over, the beam of her flashlight moving inch by inch along the tree trunk, her mind replaying the words he had just spoken.

This person said that the exchange rate of pine resin will likely decrease tomorrow, and this possibility is quite high.

But he wasn't harsh enough; what we should really be worried about isn't official price cuts.

What's the question is, once everyone has climbed all six mountains, will they start eyeing the surrounding mountains?

By then, people on other mountains will surely know the value of pine resin. Why would they let you into their territory to find it? They'll definitely refuse!

Those who are desperate to find it will most likely sneak over; the mountains and forests are so big, it's not hard to slip in.

Getting in is easy, but if you get caught, there will likely be a significant conflict.