Famine 216: Long-cherished Wish

The next second, Xiao Li’s voice suddenly shot up: “4233?!”

“Four thousand coins?! Brother Rong, did you really sell four thousand coins in just one night?!”

The shout rang through the room, instantly throwing the entire audience into an uproar!

The onlooking players were dumbfounded, blurting out, “No way, that can’t be real?!”

Someone beside them promptly knocked on their head. “Of course it’s real. Don’t speak nonsense. That’s someone from the farm! The manager of Sixin has a special supervision system—it’s impossible to falsify things.”

“This is the highest record so far, isn’t it…”

“Four thousand?!” someone exclaimed. “The review standard is only one thousand, and even then, several shops were eliminated… how did he manage to sell four thousand?”

Even Yi Zheng, who had been at the sidelines, was startled. “Boss Rong, did you really sell four thousand?”

Though she knew the pirate ship was popular, she had no idea it was to this extent!

Everyone’s eyes immediately changed.

Holy shit, what kind of divine being was this?

The burly mercenary froze on the spot, his mind going completely blank as he looked at Rong Bei’s calm figure leaning on the bar, his whole body beginning to tremble:

“N-no way…”

“We’re already scared out of our wits, and yet he—he’s a cripple, a useless burden, only here because of connections. He probably can’t even stand up. How could he possibly—”

“Shut the hell up!” Xiao Li couldn’t take it any longer. Fury overtook him completely.

Before Rong Bei could stop him, he had already exploded, darting forward in a flash—a blade was instantly pressed against the mercenary’s neck.

“Eek!!” The mercenary stiffened in terror.

Xiao Li pressed the tip against the mercenary’s throat, enunciating each word coldly: “Those wounds on him—he got those saving Commander Lin Qiu Shui!”

“Brother Rong is a veteran of the first farm defense battle. Do you have any idea what that means?”

“At the time, when he led us to face the Eye of the Main God, you were probably still struggling over a potato somewhere, pissing yourself in terror at a few monsters!”

“People like you, in his prime, wouldn’t even dare to look him in the eye!”

“If not for them, there’d be no us. Every wounded and disabled veteran has a special procurement privilege—it’s an explicit, approved authority from Sixin! Do you understand?”

Xiao Li was so angry he was shaking, the blade trembling on the mercenary’s neck: “If I ever hear disgusting words from your dog mouth again, I’ll make you chew off your own tongue and swallow it. I mean it! I’d rather risk this hide of mine!”

The blade broke skin and pressed into muscle, grinding the flesh to a bloody mess. The mercenary was scared out of his wits:

“I’m sorry!! I’m sorry!!!”
“I understand, I understand—please let go… let go of me! Eek!”

As he kept stammering apologies, a foul stench began to spread.

“Oh, fuck!” Xiao Li quickly withdrew his knife and took three steps back.

The burly man, over two meters tall and built like a tank, curled up amid his companions, shivering, trying to shrink himself even smaller.

Before everyone’s eyes, he—yes, he—had scared a little bit of urine out of himself.

Just like the day before, when he had faced the blood-faced monster, he was rooted to the spot, unable to move a muscle.

The crowd around immediately scattered, all throwing looks of disdain his way.

Some people, after all, just have a knack for making things revolting…

“Go on, get lost, just hurry up and get lost.” The leader of the mercenaries, disgusted to no end, used the opportunity to kick and drag them away…

It was obvious that from now on, this group would never set foot in Candy Town again.
Such a rare opportunity, just like that, slipped away from them forever.

Everyone’s gaze turned back to Rong Bei.

Every pair of eyes brimmed with respect; no one dared to speak too loudly.

A true veteran of the first farm defense battle!

Back then, the farm was only beginning—there was no mine, not even a variety of mid-tier hot spring bonuses. Under Sixin’s leadership, they had somehow held off the Eye of the Main God with just a few makeshift machine guns.

Those who had once doubted Rong Bei now wished they could crawl into a hole and hide.

Yes, how could they have missed it just now?

“He gets the best, the most plentiful supplies because there are compensation policies in place for people like him!”

“What’s more… he actually has the skill—and sold so many, too!”
“Four thousand in sales… just how did he do it? Even the earliest to break the ice didn’t have such a huge edge!”
“You have to admit, he’s truly remarkable—just like a true veteran…”

…

When Xiao Li’s temper had finally run its course, the blood that had rushed to his head began to recede.
Only then did he remember that Brother Rong had never liked being the center of attention. Instantly, regret flooded over him, and he looked back, cautiously: “I’m sorry, Brother Rong…”

…

Rong Bei stood at the center of the crowd, one hand supporting himself on the table, his shoulder—

The morning sun rose beside him, the sunlight spilling forth, bathing his injured leg as well as his relieved smile.

“Thank you.”

He bowed his head, wanting to say many things, but in the end, he said nothing at all.

He scrubbed his face hard. “I always knew Brother Rong was capable!”

…

Soon, the tactical team dragging the mercenaries had disappeared from view.

After a few words of reminiscing, Xiao Li, who still had duties to attend to, gave Rong Bei’s hand a firm shake, promising to catch up over a meal someday, then left as well.

By now, it was already late morning.

Yet the surrounding shopkeepers had not dispersed.

Rong Bei had stood all night; he had kept holding the table only because he was unsteady on his feet. At last, he let himself sway, slowly sinking down into a chair.

“Boss Rong!” Someone nearby quickly helped him up.

By now, the crowd encircling him was thick. Not only shopkeepers, but also those lurking about, hoping to do business with the monsters one day.

They surrounded Rong Bei on all sides. In the end, it was Yi Zheng, whose face Rong Bei had once helped, who finally plucked up the courage to speak.

Under the envious gazes of the crowd, Yi Zheng cautiously posed her question:

“Boss Rong, how did you manage to sell so much?”

Rong Bei smiled. “By reading people.”

“Every monster has its own behavioral patterns, and their lack of rationality only makes them more prone to impulsive spending. Whatever they desire, it’ll show on their faces.”

“For example, you probably saw it—the last group, that pair of headless men and the curly-haired woman’s head.”

“That woman’s head was clearly an emotionally obsessive type: greedy, manic, easily triggered. If she’s sad, she goes mad; if she’s satisfied, she gets overjoyed—she’ll pay any price. And paired with another monster, their economic power is clearly enough…”

“When designing dishes, we have to take all that into account…”

…

Rong Bei gently expounded his thoughts and insights. Around him, the crowd kept growing larger.

People crouched at his stall, looking up at him with utmost conviction.

In that moment, Rong Bei felt utterly at peace.

He had never truly feared the gaze of others.
But ever since his leg was injured, everyone’s look had changed, tinged with indescribable pity and sympathy—as if gazing at someone irredeemably mired in the mud.

That cautious concern felt more like knives, slicing again and again at the insensible flesh of his disabled leg.

Rong Bei had repeatedly forced himself up from the wheelchair, gritting his teeth, sweat pouring down his forehead, refusing to let go—all for the sake of dragging himself out of that quagmire.

He didn’t need pity, for his life had never truly sunk into the mire.

It had been the same when the captain once said, “You have no talent,” and it was the same now, despite his disability.

Finally, here and now, he stood tall before everyone, raising his head to meet their stares.

Their gazes held no regret, nor pity. Instead, there was respect, admiration—even a sort of bewilderment at having their minds blown by his sales record.

Intently, they listened to his every word, pens and notebooks in hand, jotting down every line as if it were gospel.

Rong Bei held nothing back, knowing this was his best chance to build a reputation.
His thoughts and insights were abundant—he could never share it all in a matter of minutes.

The farm would bring more and more opportunities to interact with monsters.

Back in the western gold rush, those who made the most weren’t just the best gold diggers, but also those who did business with the gold diggers.

Rong Bei would be both.

He wanted not only to run his own shop well, but to monetize his knowledge, too.

Rong Bei would become a top-tier “mentor,” earning not only for himself but also helping others to profit.

He already had a preliminary plan—now all he needed was practice and patience, to turn imagination step by step into reality…

…

Rong Bei could no longer return to the battlefield.

He would never again become a chosen one, a favored prodigy. The high-difficulty missions that had always seemed unshakably out of reach remained that way still.

But every day and night he spent observing monsters from amidst heaps of corpses, none of it was wasted. Every drop of blood and sweat streaking down his brow had, somewhere unseen, been forged into body and bone.

He worked relentlessly, day after day, waiting for his opportunity.

And the farm had at last delivered it to him.

Not, “It’s a pity—just an old player, no hope left now…”
But rather—no surprise he’s a veteran; his current achievements are a credit to all his earlier toils!

When all was over, people dispersed, carrying with them his contact information and bright visions of monster commerce.

Rong Bei’s gaze dropped to his account balance—a clear string of digits: 630,000 points.

And in the days to come, this number would keep on rising, climbing relentlessly, never stopping.

His life—has always moved forward, always reached upward.

He could still scale the mountain peaks. He had never once conceded defeat.

……

……

What happened afterward exceeded even Si Zhiyan’s expectations, progressing far more smoothly than he had imagined.

The players went through a process of natural selection, rapidly choosing out a group of shopkeepers truly able to do business with the monsters, taking their first steps toward communicating with them.

Among them, several—like Rong Bei—emerged as deeply knowledgeable about monsters.

Rong Bei was a completely unexpected boon.

A single Rong Bei would be able to teach hundreds of students and more.

Those students, in turn, would go on to influence others…

One trains ten, ten trains a hundred—and gradually, more and more players became intrigued by these deadly monsters.

A perfect virtuous cycle was unfolding.

Bian Xu shook his head. “Cometh the hour, cometh the hero!”

He seemed highly interested in Rong Bei, seeking contact again and again. And those whom Bian Xu wished to befriend never turned him away.

Si Zhiyan was only too pleased to see such developments. He smiled and fondly patted Bian Xu’s head. “Yes.”
“With the farm’s continued growth, more and more buried treasures like this will come to light.”

Bian Xu laughed. “Right. They’re all such interesting people.”

Behind him, vine-like tendrils swayed gently, like a large dog wagging its tail.

It was far too conspicuous. Si Zhiyan couldn’t help but look down and squeeze one of the vines.

He hadn’t tried to hide those things for some time now.

Si Zhiyan knew Bian Xu always cared deeply about his own form.

For a long while, this once radiant young man—bright as the sun—had not dared to meet anyone’s gaze.

His existence straddled human and monster, much like leftover scraps from some devouring force.

As the one who had consumed him, Si Zhiyan had accepted Bian Xu’s sacrifice, and would always hold out his own embrace—his flesh and blood.

But that alone could not solve everything.

Not until Si Zhiyan’s farm had ushered in a breakthrough.

In the amusement park, and in the newly-sprouted world of the seeds of famine, something seemed to be changing.

Nannan tried making purchases at Gu Ying’s café; countless others traced Zhong Yanqing’s footsteps to seek echoes of civilization’s end; Rong Bei was teaching everyone how to do business with monsters who had lost their reason…

After the past seven years of famine, the two camps—so clearly divided—seemed now to be tentatively extending fingers toward each other.

Set free from the Main God’s cycle of hunting and tasking, sheltered beneath the farm’s wings…

Perhaps, after all, we were never meant to be enemies.

Of course, the blood debts between us wouldn’t be so easily washed away, nor would the instinct for slaughter soon fade. That would take long, arduous work, and immense effort.

But without a doubt, everyone had already taken the first step.

In later generations, many would praise the foresight of Manager Si, marveling at his vision and sense of public duty, calling him a unifier before his time…

Yet in truth, at this moment, Si Zhiyan’s motives were quite simple.

He squeezed Bian Xu’s vine in his hand, bowed his head, and planted a gentle kiss on it.

“Manager…” Bian Xu’s ears instantly flushed crimson.

Si Zhiyan lowered his head, holding the vine to his cheek, and let out a muffled laugh.

—In this world, Bian Xu had somehow found a new sense of balance.

Though he still kept up his disguise, he had begun, ever more often, to venture out, to seek the company of those who interested him, to do the things he wished truly to do.

Si Zhiyan dropped his gaze, smiling inwardly: I want to create a future for you.

A future without hunger or pain, where you might, according to your own will, live joyfully and whole.

Just a little selfish wish from a just man.

Under his golden fringe, Bian Xu’s eyes were dewy and bright, his cheeks flushing as he bit his lip and looked up at Si Zhiyan.
The vine nestled obediently in his hand, trembling slightly, snuggling into his cheek—neither wholly timid nor wholly bold, a clever, affectionate touch.

Si Zhiyan smiled, lips and tongue pressing to the supple vine, tracing kisses all the way down…

Until Bian Xu finally, completely, exploded.