Mobile Shelter

Now that the main collection objective has been achieved, Dong Qi no longer feels the pressure of time.

Just as Dong Qi had initially guessed, all the warehouses in the suburbs had been emptied of their contents, except for those that stored building materials or furniture.

However, Dong Qi, whom others looked down upon, was actually more useful to him than those ingredients.

Whether it's building materials or everyday household items, the farm has recycling stations and power plants, so those things can ultimately fulfill their corresponding value.

After looting the surrounding warehouse areas, Dong Qi didn't linger and drove directly back to the convoy's temporary camp.

On his return trip, Dong Qi did not choose to cross the entire city via the same route. Instead, he preferred to expend energy and detour along the city's edge. After all, apart from consuming some energy, this approach was much safer than crossing the city.

Although the vehicle's defenses were already strong enough to ignore attacks from ordinary mutants, Dong Qi had previously encountered a mutant with rule-based abilities, like Nurarihyon, in the city.

Even if Dong Qi were to ultimately win, the process would be somewhat perilous. Therefore, Dong Qi preferred to waste a little more time rather than take that uncertain risk.

After all, the energy consumed by taking a detour is negligible for Dong Qi.

When Dong Qi returned to the temporary camp where the convoy was located, he found that not only his own convoy was there, but also several other convoys had arrived.

For Dong Qi and others, this situation was already commonplace.

Previously, they were latecomers, but now they are the first convoy to set up camp.

The main reason for this situation is that the location of the safe zone is fixed, and anyone who is awakened can vaguely sense the direction of the safe zone.

Therefore, whenever a migrating caravan stops in one place for a period of time because of a certain secret place or something, another caravan will arrive at the area where they are staying.

Some teams will stop here to trade with other teams, while others will ignore these temporary camps and drive around them.

Therefore, such temporary camps generally do not exist for long. Whether it is to resolve an accident that occurred earlier or to destroy a nearby secret realm, these temporary camps will be disbanded quickly after the event ends.

When Dong Qi returned to the convoy, he found that many people had already returned. Judging from the unconscious joy on their faces, he could tell that they must have had a fruitful trip.

Because they had obtained a lot of weapons and ammunition from the official convoy last time, although only the official members of the convoy made the exchange, the weapons were eventually distributed to the ordinary people in the convoy.

Of the entire Wind Chaser team, it's estimated that only Dong Qi or one or two other Awakened Ones consistently maintained a solitary behavior.

Other official team members generally have a group of ordinary people as their followers.

The reason this situation occurred is because those people had entered Dong Qi's car before and learned that he was the only person inside.

Previously, in addition to themselves, there were various relatives and friends in their vehicle. Although the interior of the heavy truck RV is very spacious, all sorts of unpleasant things can happen when there are many people.

Previously, it was because there were also quite a few passengers in the other heavy RVs. However, after some people voluntarily left the convoy, making the vehicles for ordinary people more spacious, the official members of the convoy immediately asked their relatives and friends who were originally sitting in their vehicles to leave their vehicles.

While they wouldn't be given a dedicated heavy-duty truck campervan, they would still be allowed to share a heavy-duty truck campervan with the remaining ordinary people.

Ultimately, while these official members didn't end up like Dong Qi, with only one person in their car, they usually only had a driver and a partner, or at most two partners who could drive.

In contrast to the open atmosphere among ordinary people, despite their extraordinary treatment or abilities, awakened individuals only have one or two long-term partners and have no intention of sharing with others.

"You're back, brother!"

Seeing Ji Yunting greet him with a lewd smile, Dong Qi immediately guessed that the other party must have something to ask him.

Seeing that Dong Qi simply nodded without saying anything more, Ji Yunting approached and immediately said, "Brother, do me a favor."

"explain."

Ji Yunting ignored Dong Qi's cold attitude and still smiled as he said to Dong Qi, "As you can see, three more temporary caravans have arrived in the territory, one of which is called Mingshuge."

Seeing that Dong Qi remained expressionless and unmoved upon hearing the name, Ji Yunting spoke up again: "Brother, judging from your reaction, you probably haven't heard of this team's name. Fine, I'll tell you a name you definitely know, and you'll know what this team does."

Heaven on earth.

You probably know that the team leader of this convoy was originally the owner of the Heaven on Earth nightclub.

"Then what."

Seeing that Dong Qi still didn't react much, Ji Yunting got a little angry and grabbed Dong Qi, heading straight for the area where the other party's convoy was located.

As they walked, he said to Dong Qi, "Hearing the name 'Heaven on Earth,' you should know what this convoy does. Let me put it this way: they are different from the prostitutes we encountered in other temporary camps."

The team includes two types: Red Sleeve and Fragrant. Red Sleeve women have a virginity mark on their arms, and they can guarantee that if it's fake, they'll be compensated tenfold. Fragrant women, on the other hand, don't have a virginity mark on their arms, but each one is either an absolute beauty or a former famous woman. They include not only celebrities, but also some corporate executives or well-known figures.

Regarding the price, I just asked and it's not too high. Little brother, I noticed you were always alone in the car, even though you showed me that photo last time.

First of all, I'm not questioning the truthfulness of what you said before, but among the courtesans they promoted, I saw several who were just as beautiful as the women in your photos.

Before, when you didn't seek out people, I guessed those people might not have met your standards. But this time, the courtesans that Ming Shu Ge has brought out, whether they are Hong Xiu or Tian Xiang, each has their own unique charm.

Go over and take a look; it won't hurt. And if you find something you like, it'll be a funny story.

After hearing Ji Yunting say so much about this, Dong Qi finally spoke up and asked in return, "Your purpose in dragging me over here must be more than just this, right? You'd better tell me the specifics beforehand. If I can do it, I will; if I can't, let's not waste time."

Hearing that Dong Qi had already said this much, Ji Yunting slowed down and said, "According to the rules of Mingshu Pavilion, each time the courtesan makes her debut, at least twenty people must participate."

Of course, this participation is not about going there as a spectator, but about participating in the subsequent "receiving the courtesan" activity.

Actually, the name "receiving the courtesan" sounds nice, but it's nothing more than an auction. To participate, you need to pay 100 catties of type B ingredients as an entrance fee.

If you successfully bid for the top courtesan, your ticket price can be deducted from the bidding fee. However, if you do not win the bid, the ticket price will not be refunded.

Even if you don't win the bid, you'll still receive a scroll, which is your ticket to participate in the next courtesan contest. Of course, it can only be used once, meaning one ticket can be used to participate in a maximum of two auctions.

The more people participate in the "Flower Queen Recruitment" event, the more Flower Queens Ming Shu Ge will present, and the higher their quality will be.

Brother, I'm not saying this because I see you're all alone, and you don't seem interested in the ordinary women in the caravan. I'm just taking this opportunity to hope you can find a suitable partner.

After listening to Ji Yunting's long and rambling ramblings, Dong Qi summarized it in one sentence: an auction of high-quality women.

The entry threshold is high, but the quality of the auctions is also high.

Thinking of this, Dong Qi was somewhat tempted, so he reluctantly followed Ji Yunting to the Ming Shu Ge's encampment area.

Compared to the most attractive heavy truck fleet of the Chengfeng fleet, the Mingshuge fleet has a large number of vehicles, but the models are very diverse, ranging from small electric vehicles for the elderly to large container trucks, with all kinds of models available.

The Mingshuge motorcade even includes several performance vehicles and mobile food trucks that are only found in rural areas.

The reason why this type of vehicle is only found in rural areas is not out of discrimination, but because this type of vehicle simply cannot enter urban areas.

These two types of vehicles look like 9.6-meter-long trucks, but the rear compartments can be unfolded to become temporary stages or huge private dining rooms.

For this event to welcome the courtesan, a performance vehicle will serve as a stage to showcase her talents, and there will also be two mobile restaurants that have already been set up.

Ji Yunting led Dong Qi to a makeshift restaurant, where about ten people were already sitting.

Upon seeing Ji Yunting arrive with his entourage, some acquaintances even raised their glasses to greet him.

Watching Ji Yunting skillfully return the greeting, Dong Qi was surprised to find that Ji Yunting had run into an acquaintance here.

As time went by, the restaurant was almost completely full.

To Dong Qi's surprise, there were not enough seats available, and Ming Shu Ge subsequently added two more private rooms.

Dong Qi glanced around briefly and noticed that there were more than ten tables in the private room.

Each table can seat a maximum of six people and a minimum of two people.

This means that at least forty or fifty people were involved in the act of welcoming the courtesan in a single hall.

Tickets are sold per person, which means that the other party can obtain at least two tons of Grade B ingredients just by collecting the entrance fee and making four inquiries.

Dong Qi also took the time to inquire about the evaluation criteria for Grade B ingredients. Simply put, it means at least pure whole grains.

In more familiar terms, it is pure cornmeal without any impurities.

You've probably heard of cornmeal and cornbread. Perhaps because corn is also called "bangzi" in some places, many people think that cornmeal and cornbread are the same thing.

However, cornmeal and corn flour are actually two different types of grains.

The ingredients for cornmeal are corn kernels that are not mixed with anything.

The main ingredient for cornmeal is whole corn cobs that have not been separated from the cob; to put it simply, it is flour made from corn and corncob ground together.

At this time of year, many motorcades are finding it difficult to even get cornmeal, even if they want to eat it.

After all, before the natural disaster, most stores and supermarkets did not have corn noodles at all.

If you want cornmeal, you have to grind it yourself using a whole ear of corn.

Ji Yunting had already paid for Dong Qi's tickets; Dong Qi only needed to pay him back when he returned.

Upon hearing that he would need to pay Ji Yunting for the tickets after returning, Dong Qi said somewhat discontentedly, "I haven't agreed to this yet. You're forcing me to buy something."

To be honest, neither Dong Qi nor Ji Yunting cared too much about 100 pounds of food. Although taking it out might be a little painful, it wouldn't cause serious injury. It wasn't a drop in the ocean, but it would just take a little more effort.

The reason why Mingshuge set this ticket price is actually to screen potential customers.

After all, at this time, someone who can produce 100 jin of pure grain must either have a very high social status or possess strong personal abilities.

Upon hearing Dong Qi's words, Ji Yunting was not angry. Instead, he smiled and said to Dong Qi, "How about this, if you don't place a single bid during the auction, then this trip is on my behalf."

But if you find someone you like during the auction, then you must reimburse me for those 100 jin of ingredients when we get back.”

For Dong Qi, 100 jin of ingredients is nothing. Not to mention coarse grains, even refined grains (rice and wheat flour) are not a big problem for him.

To be honest, Dong Qi has always been very curious about auctions, which are an indispensable part of movies and TV dramas.

I wonder if, like in many novels, unexpected accidents will occur during the upcoming auction.

If such an accident were to occur, Dong Qi could also use it to investigate who has the destiny of a protagonist.

The method of investigation is very simple: if anything unexpected happens, just see who gets the most benefits after the auction ends.

Don't worry about mistaking someone for someone else. Even if the person doesn't have the main character's name, they are very likely to be an important supporting character. After all, there are several treasure-delivering boys in that novel.

As the time for the courtesan's wedding was about to begin, waiters placed melon seeds, peanuts, and a pot of tea on all the tables.

Dong Qi looked at the teacup on the table, which he estimated to have a capacity of less than 50 milliliters, and the teapot, which was about the size of a fist and estimated to have a capacity of less than 500 milliliters.

It's alright that there are only two people at their table; at tables with six people, a pot of tea would probably only be enough to moisten their lips.

The teacup, brimming with the aroma of tea, speaks for itself; it must contain a lot of advanced technology and high-efficiency ingredients to give it such a rich fragrance.

However, at this time, due to the continuous improvement of everyone's physical fitness, the technology that was originally somewhat harmful to the human body and very popular was actually just a spice with a better taste to everyone present.

Just like a scene from a science fiction movie, what is deadly to ordinary people is just a stimulant like coffee to those enhanced individuals.

Although this is an auction, it wasn't presented so directly at the beginning. Instead, all the courtesans waiting to be married were allowed to showcase their individual talents first.

Contrary to Dong Qi's initial expectation of a song and dance party, after the courtesan with her personal talent finished showcasing her dance or singing skills, the next courtesan would demonstrate her organizational or calculation abilities.

As for management skills, that's a joke. Any team leader of a migrating caravan would not entrust the management of their caravan to others.

There are a total of thirty courtesans waiting to be married this time, of whom only ten are Red Sleeves and the remaining twenty are Incense Adders.

After all the courtesans had finished showcasing their talents, Dong Qi was somewhat surprised to find that the courtesans with the strongest individual abilities were all Tianxiang.

Before the natural disaster, these courtesans were, among them, financial talents, corporate executives, and well-known leaders in various industries.

Regardless of whether they achieved their status through their own abilities or because of the support of their families, the position they held was one that ordinary people could only dream of.

The remaining ten women with red sleeves are not without personal abilities, but apart from singing and dancing, they are basically only good at things like making soup and baking, which are time-consuming and expensive but not physically demanding.

These ten people were all very good-looking, but apart from one of them who was somewhat famous in the live streaming world before the disaster, the others were all unknown.

Judging from the performance of these courtesans, it would be difficult to cultivate such temperament and ability even in three to five years, let alone in just a few months after the natural disaster.

Add to that the chaotic environment following the natural disaster, and any normal person could guess that the courtesans promoted by Mingshu Pavilion were all canaries they had been cultivating since childhood.

If it weren't for natural disasters, these canaries would never have appeared before an ordinary person like Dong Qi.

Just like that saying from the internet age, if you want to acquire Western luxury goods, the only barrier is whether you are a rich person.

The biggest hurdle to acquiring luxury goods from the East is whether you are aware of them.

Take the most famous example, Sun Wukong. He obtained the Lotus Silk Cloud-Walking Shoes from the Dragon Palace. When we were young, we all thought that this thing was just a fictional thing.

But in reality, this thing not only existed, but it was also the kind of sandals that children from noble families wore to cool off.

Compared to Western mass-produced luxury goods, the production time of Eastern luxury goods is basically measured in years.

The women on stage are simply a luxury that ordinary people cannot afford.

As Ji Yunting said, Dong Qi's previous disdain for those prostitutes was indeed due to Suzuki Masako raising Dong Qi's standards.

Now, facing these courtesans on stage, Dong Qi was indeed somewhat tempted by a few of them.