Galaxy Domination Guide

Having entered the trade zone at the main peak of Bei Mountain, dozens of caravans from various Shelters had already arrived. This place was once a space base of Tuoluo Shan Country, boasting a vast tract of open land, now repurposed as a parking lot. Naturally, not all Shelters arrived by vehicle; some came by draft animal carts. The creatures pulling the carts were a mild-mannered rodent species called huanwu. They were the size of pigs with rather robust bodies and, despite their short legs, could move quite swiftly. They had heads reminiscent of large rats and fed primarily on grass seeds and insects.

This livestock species existed even before the nuclear war, known for its docility, strong vitality, and adaptability. This is the main reason why they had been able to survive the harsh conditions alongside humans.

Shelter hunters and traders greeted each other in passing, and those who knew each other even hooked shoulders or chatted about this and that. Bai Zhongqi asked with some curiosity, "It seems like everyone gets along pretty well." Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire

Bo shook his head quickly and said, "That's not the case. The people from the Shelters who come here are actually very wary of each other. However, the aliens have set rules that forbid any attacks at the big market of Bei Mountain. Any Shelter that resorts to violence here will be punished by the aliens, so on the surface, everyone pretends to chat amicably, but behind the scenes, they remain guarded against one another."

He added, "The exchange items between the aliens and the Shelters are all public. If a Shelter is lucky enough to get something particularly valuable, several Hunting Group caravans will become like the group we dealt with today, intercepting and pillaging en route, killing and plundering."

Bai Zhongqi already had a full understanding of the lawlessness of the Shelters on Taoran Star, and what Bo said seemed logically consistent.

At this moment, a burly man with a face full of tattoos approached them. This man wore the archetypal jacket and work pants of a Hunting Group, his hands casually tucked into his belt, looking very relaxed.

"Yo, Bo, my old friend, you're here too."

Although he called Bo an old friend, Bai Zhongqi observed their expressions and saw no hint of friendliness on either Bo's or the burly man's face.

"Is this a new face from your Hunting Group?" the burly man asked.

Bo bluntly said, "You don't need to worry about that, buddy."

Behind the buddy named man, several rugged hunters arrived, looking dominant. Each standing with arms crossed behind him added an air of authority to the man.

"Ha-ha, Bo, you're always so unfriendly. Well, I'd love to share our situation with you; this time, we brought several kilos of Eternal Crystal Stone. I highly doubt any other Shelter will offer more than what we have. As the top contributor, we'll receive a significant number of weapons from the aliens, maybe even something powerful enough to penetrate a Shelter's defenses, ha ha ha ha."

After saying this, the man, without saying goodbye to Bo, led his men away, without giving Bo or Bai Zhongqi another glance.

Under normal circumstances, Bo should have felt fearful by now. However, with Bai Zhongqi at his side, the memory of the Autochthonous Warrior disciplining a whole group of bandits earlier that day was still fresh. Even if the man managed to procure an abundance of alien weapons, it was unlikely they would be more powerful than real aliens.

Bo's expression remained unfazed, even looking somewhat mocking as he watched the man leave. He explained to Bai Zhongqi, "That's the enemy of our Shelter No. 101, the people from Shelter No. 147."

Bai Zhongqi had heard about some friction between the two Shelters before. He asked, "How did the feud between your two Shelters start?"

"It's a matter from quite some time ago. Shelter No. 147 isn't a real Shelter at all. Most Shelters were constructed before or during the nuclear war, equipped to cope with radiation and self-sustain. Shelter No. 147 isn't. It was originally a military warehouse, lacking essentials for sustaining human life.

The people from Shelter No. 147, many of whom were expelled from Shelter No. 101, were fortunate to find that warehouse. By then, the radiation on the planet had already become less lethal. They survived there and gradually welcomed similarly expelled individuals, including mutants with special powers. Armed with people and weapons, they began attacking residents of other Shelters on the plains. They have conquered two Shelters, slaughtering the men, abducting the women, and seizing the Shelters. However, their greatest enemy is still our Shelter because the founders of No. 147 were exiles from No. 101."

Bai Zhongqi asked, "Have you had direct conflicts with them?"

Bo answered, "We've clashed a few times on the plains; that guy is a formidable force in their Hunting Group. I've killed some of their people, and he's killed a few of ours, wins and losses on both sides. They once tried to ambush our caravan but were repelled and suffered heavy losses. He must be harboring a grudge and wants revenge."

Bai Zhongqi nodded, then lost interest in these fellows. No matter what advantages they might gain from the aliens, they couldn't hold a candle to what Bai Zhongqi had planned for the big market. He would not allow the aliens to take even a gram of Eternal Crystal Stone from Taoran Star. Such a valuable mineral, he planned to take as much as possible for the Star Alliance Scientific Research Institute to study. Moreover, he needed to figure out what the aliens were up to.

In the market, the various Shelters had already set up their stalls, offering all sorts of goods for sale. Among the more common items were weapons and gear. Naturally, these weren't alien equipment but still fairly in-demand. There were also items related to adventure and survival, like binoculars, vehicles, food, and even production tools.

Bai Zhongqi asked Bo, "Have you brought anything to sell?"

Bo shook his head, "Other than the Eternal Crystal Stone for the aliens, we didn't prepare any goods."

Bai Zhongqi shook his head, "That seems a bit too suspicious. We need to sell some stuff too. I'll procure some goods, and you set up a stall. It doesn't matter how much we sell; the main point is to put on an appearance."

Bo was somewhat nervous, "You're not planning to sell the alien weapons, are you?"

Seeing how Bai Zhongqi consistently used the alien equipment as currency, he was quite concerned that Bai Zhongqi would do so.

Bai Zhongqi chuckled, "No, just some ordinary items."