Natural Disaster: I Started By Hoarding Tens Of Billions Of Supplies

Chapter 351: Base Coins



"Ugh!" Yao Ran groaned, covering her mask with her hand.

Seeing her discomfort, Long Yu said, "Maybe you should go back first. I can check this place alone."

Yao Ran shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

She pulled a more effective respiratory mask from her space and put it on. Then, offering another to Long Yu, she asked, "Do you want to change yours?"

Long Yu declined, so Yao Ran returned the spare mask to her space. Relieved that she no longer needed to hide her spatial ability, she was in a good mood.

Holding Long Yu's hand, she said, "Let's go."

Now that the smell no longer bothered her, Yao Ran focused on observing her surroundings.

The trading market was lively, and the lifting of the fog brought a renewed sense of life to the base.

Some commercial buildings were freshly decorated, while others were bare, with their brickwork exposed. Stores displayed an array of items, with clothes crammed into windows and daily necessities spread on long tables.

As they wandered deeper into the market, Yao Ran noticed a stall selling mutated plants. Her interest was piqued, and she approached the stall.

Squatting down in front of the cloth used to display the goods, she asked the stall owner, "Uncle, do you know what kind of plant this is?"

The stall owner eyed her attire for a moment and decided that she wasn't someone he could offend. Politely, he replied, "I don't know their names. My son found them on his outing yesterday."

Yao Ran picked up a plant, examining its purple stems closely. A second later, her eyes flickered with surprise.

Noticing her reaction, the stall owner quickly added, "Miss, these plants aren't poisonous. My family has eaten them before. They are crunchy and taste like bamboo shoots."

Standing beside her, Long Yu asked, "Uncle, how much are these plants?"

As soon as Long Yu asked his question, the stall owner's eyes lit up, and he replied, "Two base coins for one kilogram."

Hearing this, Yao Ran asked curiously, "Uncle, what are base coins?"

The stall owner looked at her and asked in return, "Miss, have you just arrived here?"

Yao Ran nodded, prompting the stall owner to smile and comment, "No wonder you don't know about base coins."

He then took out a card from his waist bag and showed it to Yao Ran and Long Yu.

"This is the identity card issued by the base. Besides storing our personal information, it also works like a bank card. If you want to earn base coins, you can go to the public office to exchange materials for them. If you don't have the materials, you can find a job. The base pays salaries in base coins."

Listening to his explanation, Yao Ran took out her own identity card and examined it.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Noticing that her card was different from the stall owner's, she asked, "Uncle, how do I check how many base coins I have?"

The stall owner pointed to a nearby stall and said, "Do you see that booth? That is where you can check your base coins balance. If you want to buy something, you can go there to transfer the base coins and then come back to collect the goods."

Yao Ran frowned and asked, "Isn't that risky? What if the seller runs away after I transfer the base coins?"

The stall owner chuckled, then pointed at the patrolling soldiers nearby and replied, "With them around, who would dare cause trouble?"

Following the stall owner's line of sight, Yao Ran spotted a familiar face among the soldiers. Before she could react, the soldier noticed her. As their eyes met, the soldier's faces lit up.

The stall owner, startled by their brisk approach, glanced nervously at Yao Ran and asked in a low voice, "Miss, are you a criminal?"

Yao Ran turned to him and calmly replied, "I'm not."

Before the stall owner could say more, the soldiers arrived. Standing a few steps from Long Yu, they saluted in unison and said, "Captain."

Long Yu returned the salute and greeted, "How have you guys been?"

Li Zhen smiled broadly and replied, "We have been well, Captain."

He then turned to Yao Ran, nodded politely, and looked at the plants on display. "Captain, are you interested in these plants?"

Long Yu glanced at Yao Ran before replying, "Yes."

Hearing this, Li Zhen stepped closer to Long Yu and lowered his voice.

"Captain, these are mutated plants. The Institute of Agriculture says most mutated plants are poisonous. Even the edible ones contain toxins in some parts. If handled carelessly, they could be fatal."

Long Yu patted Li Zhen on the shoulder and said, "Thank you for the reminder."

Li Zhen beamed with pride at his words. Watching the exchange between them, Yao Ran turned back to the stall owner.

She smiled and said, "Uncle, I'd like to buy these plants, but I need to check my balance first. Can you keep them for me?"

The stall owner blinked in surprise before nodding eagerly. "Yes, yes, of course!"

Yao Ran then stood up and said, "A Yu, I will go check my balance. Take your time catching up with your comrades."

Since the counter was close by, Long Yu nodded and said, "Alright."

After nodding to Li Zhen, Yao Ran walked over to the counter. Seeing no one there, she approached the staff seated behind the glass window.

Placing her identity card on the counter, she said, "Comrade, can you check my base coins

balance?"

The staff smiled and replied, "Of course."

Taking the identity card, she swiped it through a machine and typed on the keyboard. A few seconds later, she gasped in shock, startling Yao Ran.

"Comrade, are you alright?" Yao Ran asked with a hint of worry and confusion in her voice.

The staff quickly stood, holding the card with both hands as she gave it to Yao Ran. She smiled and politely said, "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, Miss Yao."