Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ying Yuanxing hadn't anticipated that the very first step of his grand farming plan would be thwarted—and by seeds, of all things.

Though the village chief had suggested buying seeds from Hongxing Supermarket, a quick mental review of the supermarket's practices, coupled with a glance at his meager funds, told Ying Yuanxing this approach was a non-starter.

Hongxing Supermarket's products were incredibly sought after, with seeds being the most coveted item. High prices were a given, but purchasing them also demanded reservations, imposed strict limits, and even mandated bundled purchases. For instance, buying a single seed required purchasing a certain value of the supermarket's regular products. With only five hundred yuan, Ying Yuanxing couldn't even afford the bundled items, let alone the seeds themselves.

As for buying seeds from stores outside the area, Ying Yuanxing's online search revealed this path was equally unfeasible. Firstly, seeds from other stores were neither cheap nor easy to acquire. Secondly, even the closest of these stores was quite a distance from Taoxi Village, making delivery fees exorbitantly high.

Due to the prevailing unsafe environment, the logistics industry was struggling. Delivering inexpensive items resulted in losses, while for valuable goods, the delivery person themselves could be the greatest risk. Consequently, secure delivery channels commanded very high fees.

Would he have to start with animal husbandry, earn money that way, and then buy seeds?

During his gaming days, Ying Yuanxing had explored all sorts of money-making avenues, including livestock farming. But those choices were driven by interest, not necessity.

Having transmigrated into a farming game, must he still be constrained by such limitations?

Wait a minute…

Ying Yuanxing suddenly recalled something. Seeds didn't necessarily have to be bought; there was another way to acquire them.

Harvesting weeds offered a certain probability of yielding mixed seeds. While typically not the primary method of seed acquisition in the game, it was still a viable channel, albeit slow-going and arduous in the early stages.

But Ying Yuanxing feared no hardship—only wasted effort. For the sake of the future, a little suffering now was a small price to pay!

Returning from the back hills, Yuan Xiu spotted Ying Yuanxing standing outside the village chief’s house from afar. Curious, he paused to observe, watching Ying Yuanxing’s expression shift rapidly—from anger to sorrow, then suddenly to fierce determination—a truly captivating sight.

Yesterday, Yuan Xiu had been furious, even heading into the back hills late at night for a fight. But now, with his anger temporarily subsided, his curiosity about Ying Yuanxing took precedence.

Still, Yuan Xiu wasn't eager to get too close to Ying Yuanxing just yet. If he were to be picked up again or subjected to even stranger antics, he feared he couldn't maintain his composure. Watching from a distance was the safer bet.

……

Yuan Xiu wasn't the only one watching Ying Yuanxing.

After a night of anxious waiting, when the livestream flickered back to life, many viewers held their breath, dreading a gruesome scene. Instead, they were greeted by Ying Yuanxing's serene sleeping face.

The room wasn't the horror show they'd imagined either. Though sparsely furnished, it was clean and tidy, especially with sunlight streaming in, creating a tranquil atmosphere that reminded many viewers of mornings four years ago—before the anomalies appeared—when the world had been just as bright.

But the harsh reality quickly cast a shadow over that fleeting memory of light.

The chat was nearly silent, with most viewers simply watching Ying Yuanxing without comment. Staff from the Dawn Bureau noticed the situation and tried to inject some life into the chat, but the scene's emotional impact was too profound, and few viewers responded.

The staff had no choice but to make a note of it and continue monitoring. If the viewers’ mood remained low, they would have to intervene.

One staff member suddenly recalled an online debate: since negative emotions attracted anomalies, why not develop a drug to control human emotions, eliminating negative feelings and ensuring perpetual positivity?

When this idea was first proposed, some countries, including Xia State, had indeed attempted it. However, the project was quickly halted for undisclosed reasons. Rumors suggested severe side effects.

Yet, while Xia State abandoned the idea, some foreign nations reportedly continued their research. If only a side-effect-free solution to combat negative emotions could be found.

Remembering recent reports of casualties caused by negative emotions attracting anomalies, the staff member sighed, realizing their own mood was dipping. They quickly followed the bureau’s training protocol, using self-suggestion to suppress the negative emotions.

Though the Dawn Bureau possessed ample force, attracting anomalies was always a hassle.

Moreover, negative emotions could accumulate within buildings. With so many staff constantly processing grim reports from across the nation, and few involving anomalies being good news, minimizing the release of negative emotions was crucial.

After work, they’d need to visit the therapy room. Rubbing their temples, the staff member resumed work.

They first checked other livestreams—far more grim and violent than Ying Yuanxing’s—but watched them with detached calm. This was business as usual.

Even as they monitored the other streams, they kept an eye on Ying Yuanxing’s. Ying Yuanxing had been walking until he reached the village chief’s house, at which point the staff’s attention fully shifted back.

Seeing Ying Yuanxing’s desire to farm thwarted by the closure of the village’s general store—driven out of business by his former employer, Hongxing Supermarket—the staff member couldn’t help but crack a faint smile at his expression.

The chat erupted with laughter.

"Yesterday, I was bummed watching the streamer quit his job. Now it's his turn to be bummed!"

"Was feeling down, but suddenly I'm in a much better mood."

"No offense, but LOL."

"If only he’d stayed a bit longer… A coworker could’ve helped him get seeds."

"Even if another contestant had joined, would they really sell their hard-won anomalous seeds instead of using them?"

"Exactly. Selling them wouldn’t bring much profit, but using them could yield huge returns."

"No seeds means no farming. Guess he’ll have to find another job?"

"Quit one job, then look for another… Hmm, not sure what to make of that."

"You all are having so much fun, I almost don't dare speak. But considering his past actions, I have a feeling he'll find a way out of this."

Scanning the comments, the staff member paused for a second, silently agreeing with the last comment. Even without evidence, they shared the sentiment.

……

Having made up his mind, Ying Yuanxing prepared to return to his farm to harvest weeds. With time still on his side, he could start planting immediately after.

He turned to leave but stopped after a few steps, looking back at the village chief’s house.

He was hungry.

Excitedly returning to Taoxi Village yesterday, he hadn’t eaten on the way. After collapsing at the farm and waking up this morning, he’d gone straight to the chief’s house. By now, he’d gone nearly a full day without food.

Before he left earlier, the chief had invited him to stay for a meal, but he hadn’t felt hungry then, nor had he been in the mood. Mostly, he wasn’t used to eating at others’ homes, so he’d declined.

Could he take it back now?

After some thought, Ying Yuanxing abandoned the idea. He couldn’t bring himself to shamelessly knock on the door again.

Fine. He’d just have to find a food vendor in the village. But searching blindly would waste time. Just as he considered asking someone, he spotted Yuan Xiu standing in the distance.

"Yuan Xiu!" Ying Yuanxing’s eyes lit up as he called out loudly.

Yuan Xiu desperately wanted to turn and flee, but for the sake of his disguise, he forced a smile and approached, stopping a safe distance from Ying Yuanxing.

"Do you know where I can buy food in the village?"

"There’s a small restaurant," Yuan Xiu said, then added under Ying Yuanxing’s hopeful gaze, "but it’s closed."

Ying Yuanxing’s excitement lasted less than half a second before his heart sank.

But this closure…

"Is it Hongxing Supermarket?" Ying Yuanxing asked, clenching his fists.

"No." Noticing the unusual tone in Ying Yuanxing's voice, Yuan Xiu realized there might be something he wasn't aware of. He glanced at the village chief's house and shook his head. "It's because ingredient prices went up, and the owner couldn't keep the business running."

So…

Hongxing Corporation, you…

Ying Yuanxing was seething internally. If Hongxing Corporation hadn't driven the general store out of business, would ingredient prices have soared? Ultimately, this was all Hongxing Corporation's fault.

"What's wrong?" Yuan Xiu asked, feigning ignorance of Ying Yuanxing's mood.

"Nothing." Ying Yuanxing waved his hand weakly. Without a restaurant, how would he eat these next few days? Was he really going to starve until his crops grew? Or perhaps he could borrow some rice or flour from the village chief's house—after all, his grandfather and the village chief seemed to be on good terms.

Ying Yuanxing sighed deeply. When a game became reality, the troubles multiplied. In the game, eating merely replenished stamina and health. To even have a hunger meter, he’d need additional mods.

But, without food or a restaurant, was there truly no way to eat?

Seeing Ying Yuanxing lost in thought, Yuan Xiu frowned slightly. Even though Ying Yuanxing was standing right in front of him, it felt as if he were in another world.

But that was precisely what made it interesting. He truly wanted to know what Ying Yuanxing was thinking!

Little did Yuan Xiu know, he would soon regret his curiosity.

Ying Yuanxing seemed to have hit upon a brilliant idea, looking excited as he announced his departure and bid Yuan Xiu farewell.

Yuan Xiu could tell Ying Yuanxing wanted to be alone, so he obediently walked away—only to hide somewhere out of sight. Then, he watched as Ying Yuanxing stared at the trash can outside the village chief's house… and made his move.

Ying Yuanxing had just recalled a game mechanic: rummaging through trash cans could yield various items, including food.

When he first started playing, he used to scavenge trash cans daily for resources. While doing it in real life felt a bit undignified, resources were resources, regardless of cleanliness. As for the food, he’d check what he found first. Even if he didn't eat it himself, he could always sell it to others.

As for not letting Yuan Xiu follow, that was to avoid losing favorability points. Though Yuan Xiu’s favorability wasn't high to begin with, every little bit counted.

Yuan Xiu was stunned. The audience was stunned too. They were used to watching other players' livestreams, where they fought for their lives in desperate, life-or-death situations. But Ying Yuanxing… this…

"I thought this was an anomaly game, not a scavenging game!!!"

"Wait, can you actually find food like that?"

"Of course not! Think about it—anomalies eat everything. If even anomalies won't touch it, how could humans eat it?"

"Poor guy. Other players at least managed to find food while trying to survive, but this dude… sigh."

The chat exploded with comments, clearly having no expectations for Ying Yuanxing's dumpster diving food hunt.