Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Zhao Zhangyan still remembered everything. He counted the milk he had just consumed and realized that, based on the quantity Ying Yuanxing had provided, his comrades could recover very soon.

For a moment, Zhao Zhangyan felt dazed. What he'd been desperate for was now within easy reach, making him worry that he might be dreaming.

No—hell, not even in his wildest dreams would he dare imagine something this wonderful.

Zhao Zhangyan gave his arm a vicious pinch, but he felt no pain.

Startled, a jolt of panic shot through him. Could he really be dreaming? But could a dream feel this real?

His desperate hope was messing with his head. Ying Yuanxing noticed Zhao Zhangyan’s strange behavior and initially thought he hadn't fully recovered. Fortunately, Lin Yue, who knew Zhao Zhangyan well, guessed what was going on just by observing his actions.

Ying Yuanxing watched as Lin Yue suddenly stepped forward and punched Zhao Zhangyan hard. The sound alone made Ying Yuanxing suck in a breath—that was one hell of a punch.

He expected Zhao Zhangyan to react with anger or confusion, but instead, Zhao Zhangyan actually looked happy after getting punched, muttering something under his breath. Ying Yuanxing faintly caught the words "dream."

Putting two and two together with Zhao Zhangyan’s earlier actions, Ying Yuanxing suspected Zhao Zhangyan had mistaken reality for a dream—until Lin Yue’s punch knocked some sense into him.

Lin Yue shot him an exasperated look. "Did you forget what your arm is?"

Zhao Zhangyan had once grafted an arm from one of the Weirds onto his own to enhance his combat abilities. While it increased his attack power, the damn thing couldn't feel pain anymore. No wonder pinching it didn’t hurt.

Zhao Zhangyan clearly remembered this, and he looked downright embarrassed. Catching Ying Yuanxing listening in, he quickly changed gears. "Ying Yuanxing, could you ask Xuan Ying to check on the others? To see if they only need milk to recover or if they also require his help?"

Ying Yuanxing glanced at Xuan Ying, handing him all the milk from his backpack. Xuan Ying and Zhao Zhangyan then headed to the other rooms.

Not long after leaving Ying Yuanxing, Zhao Zhangyan noticed Xuan Ying gave off a chill.

No—it wasn’t that he had turned cold. This was just his usual demeanor, though it had been less noticeable around Ying Yuanxing.

Zhao Zhangyan led Xuan Ying into Room No. 3. Xuan Ying glanced at the barely-human prisoner and immediately spotted impurities inside them—though fewer than in Zhao Zhangyan.

Xuan Ying summoned his gray mist, wrapping it around the prisoner while simultaneously extracting the impurities and shoving milk down their throat.

Zhao Zhangyan wanted to help but didn't want to mess things up, watching anxiously from the side.

Knowing Ying Yuanxing was waiting, Xuan Ying sped up.

Though it was only his second time extracting impurities from a human, Xuan Ying was a quick study. He worked even faster than before.

Soon, the first person was treated. Xuan Ying tossed them aside and marched out without so much as a glance.

Zhao Zhangyan barely had time to glance at his comrade’s restored form before hurrying after Xuan Ying to the next location.

He could tell Xuan Ying was clearly over this shit. More importantly, he remembered Ying Yuanxing could only stay on Earth for one day. Once Ying Yuanxing left, Xuan Ying wouldn’t stay either.

If the others only needed milk, that would be fine. But if they required Xuan Ying’s help, there’d be no way to keep him.

They were racing against the clock.

As he followed Xuan Ying, Zhao Zhangyan also recalled Ying Yuanxing was still in Room No. 1—a prison cell with no entertainment and a real shithole.

Though Lin Yue was there, he wasn't exactly Mr. Considerate. Zhao Zhangyan decided to make arrangements.

Hearing Zhao Zhangyan’s instructions, Xuan Ying finally gave him a glance, and he seemed marginally less pissed.

Ying Yuanxing and Lin Yue returned to the research institute. Before long, Xuan Ying came back.

Ying Yuanxing noticed the gray mist was now speckled with black spots, clearly indicating the others also carried many impurities.

Xuan Ying looked absolutely disgusted as he tried to purge the impurities from the mist. After failing, he scowled and tossed it into the box Zhao Zhangyan was holding.

Lin Yue stepped forward eagerly, and Zhao Zhangyan nodded, which had him grinning like an idiot.

"Old Zhao, I—"

"Go check on them. Explain the situation while you’re at it," Zhao Zhangyan cut in.

Though Xuan Ying had treated everyone, Zhao Zhangyan had been hauling ass and hadn't had time to explain properly. It was better for Lin Yue to handle it.

Lin Yue agreed, bid Ying Yuanxing farewell, and hurried off.

His first stop was Room No. 2. He opened the door to find a slender woman sitting quietly on the bed, examining her hands and feet.

"Sister Jiang!" Lin Yue was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Xiao Yue." The woman looked up, her eyes with that faint purple glow. "What was that Weird earlier?"

Though Xuan Ying had saved her, Jiang Yu wasn't about to let her guard down.

If it hadn't been Zhao Zhangyan vouching for him—someone she trusted would never betray humanity—she would have attacked the moment she regained consciousness.

Seeing the caution and resolve in Jiang Yu’s eyes, Lin Yue took a deep breath. Instead of answering directly, he recounted everything that had happened over the years.

At first, Jiang Yu maintained her composure, but as she listened, her face went blank with confusion.

The world had gone completely sideways.

Yet, she couldn't help but grin. This change was good. Before losing consciousness, she had hoped that if she ever recovered, things wouldn’t have worsened further. Not in a million years had she imagined ordinary people could now fight against Weirds.

Even if it was just small Weirds, compared to the complete massacre they'd endured before, this was already a vast improvement.

"Sister Jiang, aren’t you going to ask about your own condition?" Lin Yue asked, noticing she only inquired about Xia State.

"Me?" Jiang Yu glanced at her limbs. "Couldn't be worse than before. And since you have the leisure to explain all this, things must be going well."

Her smile was light; she looked thin but full of life.

"Sister Jiang, I still need to brief the others. You—"

"I’ll come with you," Jiang Yu interrupted. "Two voices are better than one. It’ll save you effort."

Lin Yue hesitated, then called Zhao Zhangyan for approval.

"Old Zhao’s the director now?" Jiang Yu knew that voice anywhere and teased, "I remember he hated desk work—always lived for throwing punches."

Lin Yue coughed awkwardly and explained Zhao Zhangyan’s situation. Jiang Yu’s smile slipped. She'd figured he got off easy, but now realized there was no such thing.

"Is he accompanying some important guest?" Jiang Yu asked as they walked.

Lin Yue nodded, explaining Ying Yuanxing and Xuan Ying’s identities and the treatment method.

"Humans and Weirds are this close now?" Jiang Yu was blown away by what the milk could do but what really shocked her was Ying Yuanxing and Xuan Ying’s bond.

Before losing consciousness, humans and Weirds had been mortal enemies—just how things were. Now? The rules had changed.

"Sister Jiang, Ying Yuanxing is one hell of an exception. None of the other players have formed such a relationship," Lin Yue clarified, worried about misleading her. As he spoke, he ended up gushing about some of the stuff coming out of Ying Yuanxing's farm.

Jiang Yu listened quietly, unable to resist glancing at Lin Yue. The kid had slipped up without even realizing it.

Lin Yue seemed to want to cheer her up, trying to gloss over the hardships and highlight the better parts of the present. But the second he mentioned Ying Yuanxing, the truth slipped out.

Much of the improvements Lin Yue had described earlier were tied to Ying Yuanxing. And according to him, Ying Yuanxing hadn’t been in the Salvation Game for very long.

That meant life in the Xia State before that couldn’t have been as rosy as he made it sound—it must have been quite tough.

This sugarcoating was all too familiar, but Jiang Yu understood Lin Yue’s intentions. He just wanted her to be happy.

Lin Yue spent the whole journey talking up Ying Yuanxing. Meanwhile, at the research institute, the work was done, the items had been handed over, and with time to spare, Ying Yuanxing decided to show Xuan Ying around.

Ying Yuanxing had initially considered going shopping. Though he wasn’t particularly fond of browsing around, the real reason he’d avoided it in the Weird World was all the gore that ruined his appetite.

But after some thought, he gave up on the idea.

The reason was simple: he wasn’t an ordinary person anymore. As a well-known Salvation Game streamer, at least one in ten people on the street would recognize him.

At the Dawn Bureau, it wasn’t so bad—the staff were professional, and protocol kept them from staring, even if they spotted Ying Yuanxing. But if he went shopping, he’d get mobbed.

Even if Xuan Ying’s presence kept fans from getting too excited, they’d still steal glances. A couple stares here and there were manageable, but if every passerby stopped to stare, was he shopping or being put on display?

There was a big difference between being watched on screen and being stared at in person. Ying Yuanxing didn't think he could handle that.

He could’ve asked the Dawn Bureau to arrange something—either discourage people from looking at him or even book out a whole mall. Given his status, it would’ve been easy, but it felt unnecessary.

After thinking it over, Ying Yuanxing decided to visit natural scenic spots instead. In the past, he’d never had time for such trips.

First, his body couldn’t handle it—supposedly relaxing, hiking actually meant a lot of physical exertion, wearing him out afterward. Second, he’d rather stay home and play farming games than travel. But now, since he was already playing farming games daily, sightseeing became the actual vacation.

Compared to the Weird World, Earth’s natural landscapes were stunning. With most humans living in big cities after the Weird’s arrival, rural areas and scenic spots were practically deserted.

Though the Weird had caused some environmental damage, most preferred populated areas, leaving these natural sites untouched for years. As a result, nature had reclaimed much of its untamed beauty.

When Ying Yuanxing mentioned wanting to visit some scenic spots, Zhao Zhangyan immediately started arranging a ride, but Ying Yuanxing declined.

“Xuan Ying and I can just fly there,” Ying Yuanxing said. Though technically, he’d be the one riding Xuan Ying, it still meant flying.

Besides, flying up a mountain was entirely different from hiking it.

Looking down, Ying Yuanxing spotted a fawn drinking from a stream. The little thing was skittish, constantly looking around—but it never expected someone to be watching from above.

To observe the animals undisturbed, Ying Yuanxing had Xuan Ying hide his presence, even adding a rough invisibility effect.

While this trick was practically useless against some Weirds—like putting your hands over your ears while stealing a bell—it worked perfectly on small animals.

For instance, even when Ying Yuanxing got close, the fawn remained oblivious, drinking a few sips before trotting off.

Unable to resist, Ying Yuanxing reached out and ruffled its fur. The spooked fawn bolted into the woods.

Before Ying Yuanxing could say anything, Xuan Ying flew after it, keeping pace with the fawn’s speed and trajectory, keeping them parallel so Ying Yuanxing could pet it anytime.

Ying Yuanxing glanced at Xuan Ying, who was clearly displeased but putting on a cool front.

Ying Yuanxing withdrew his hand.

“Not petting anymore?” Xuan Ying asked.

Ying Yuanxing shook his head. The fawn’s fur wasn’t that soft—one pet was enough for the novelty. Besides, startling it once was fine, but twice was pushing it.

Before leaving, though, Ying Yuanxing tossed down a handful of fodder. The fawn immediately forgot its fright and dove right in.

“Normal animals are attracted to Weird Plants too?” Ying Yuanxing frowned. Something felt off.

He looked up—not at the sky, but at Blue Star’s world barrier. It was solid, without any cracks, yet the fawn’s reaction to the fodder still bugged him.

Later, as he enjoyed the trip, Ying Yuanxing gradually dropped the matter—though subconsciously, it lingered in his mind.

…

Time on Blue Star flew by. Back in the Weird World, after instructing Mu Ye to collect more milk, Ying Yuanxing got to work.

Drawing on his Salvation Game experience and using professionally designed software, he successfully created the Xitao app.

Gazing at the intricate symbols on the light screen, Ying Yuanxing felt a flash of pride—but mostly, he wanted to test the app’s effectiveness.

He first released it to Weirds who had the farming game bound to their phones. To not freak them out, he included an explanation with the push notification.

Even so, the Weirds freaked out to different extents. On Blue Star, only the Salvation Game could send such notifications, but in the Weird World, while not many Weirds could pull it off, some could.

Some could fake it through scams, so many Weirds were suspicious of such messages.

But since Ying Yuanxing’s notification was tied to the farming game—a trusted source—they hesitated, then trusted the Xitao app.

The main reason, though, was that the app was genuinely useful to them.

For Weirds bound to the farming game, life had been good lately: planting, harvesting, selling crops, expanding their farms, buying higher-quality seeds, or other goods—it gave them something to work toward.

But as their operations grew, they faced the same problem Ying Yuanxing once had: limited sales areas and too few customers.

Their Weird Food was popular, but within a certain range, there were only so many Weirds who could afford it. Expanding further was risky, especially since they had to avoid supermarkets and couldn’t set up shop permanently.

The Xitao app solved this issue.

After confirming the app worked without issues for them, Ying Yuanxing ramped up promotion.

Du Yunhua heard his phone chime but ignored it, focusing instead on watering the corn in his room. Even after maturity, the corn needed water, or the kernels wouldn’t ripen.

He didn’t understand the logic, but he followed the farming manual—it couldn't hurt.

Later, when he checked his phone, he found a new message and a forcibly installed app.

Du Yunhua warily eyed the new app. Forced installations had become rare as the Weird World’s networks grew more regulated—doing this was basically asking for trouble.

He tapped the app and found it could be uninstalled, which gave him pause.

If it couldn’t be deleted, its malicious intent would’ve been obvious, and Du Yunhua would’ve prepared for the worst—maybe even a curse, which was hard to shake off.

But since it could be removed, the sender was at least pretending to be harmless, meaning no immediate danger.

Might as well take a look.

Du Yunhua didn’t act rashly. He took safety measures first, ensuring he wouldn’t be affected just by opening the message, then clicked on it.

Online shopping?

Du Yunhua suddenly let out a sigh of relief. If that’s how it was, then it might be worth a look. He opened the app and found that there were already some shops listed.

And the items sold in these shops...

Du Yunhua's eyes widened when he saw one product—wasn't this the corn he grew?

Wait, no, not the same kind of corn he had. This was first-gen corn, and the price...

Du Yunhua quickly did the math and realized the price was at least ten times cheaper than what he had paid for corn seedlings, and there was no shipping fee.

Shipping costs were a big reason online shopping never caught on in the Weird World. If shipping was free, then no matter what he bought, he’d be getting a steal.

Du Yunhua checked the inventory and saw it was rapidly decreasing. Without a second thought, he hit "Buy."

However, purchasing required entering an address. Du Yunhua hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to proceed. The amount wasn’t enough to tempt the seller’s greed.

Besides, if the seller was one of those growers he suspected, they probably wouldn’t kill him over a few Weird coins.

He entered his address, but when it was time to add more Weird coins, Du Yunhua hesitated again. He went back to check and found that instead of buying a whole corn, he could opt for just ten corn kernels.

The price per kernel was steeper than buying a whole corn, making it less cost-effective, but for a test buy, it wasn’t bad.

After all, it was only ten Weird coins—chump change for him.

While Du Yunhua was buying corn, other Weird beings who had received the app also took action. Some just deleted and uninstalled it without a second glance. Others scrolled through Xitao but were too scared to buy anything. Some even zoomed in on the product pics, trying to deduce the seller’s location to do the deal in person—they didn’t trust online shopping.

Of course, there were also those who, after much hesitation, opted for cheaper stuff, even if it wasn’t the best deal.

Among these Weird beings, some had encountered growers before and trusted the quality of the products. Others simply couldn’t afford anything else, and the prices of Weird Plants on the Xitao app were so low that even if only one-tenth of the product was useful, it would still be a big help.

He Yingqiu was also one of the sellers. After confirming that Xitao was created by the farming game, she immediately listed all her products, including the corn and corn seedlings her daughter had grown.

Without doing so, her shop would look pathetically empty with only the few Weird Plants she had cultivated.

When setting prices, He Yingqiu considered Ying Yuanxing’s advice and listed some items with low total prices but higher per-item costs. She initially thought other Weird beings might not buy them, but after a few hours, she found that the top sellers were the cheapest items.

He Yingqiu packed everything up and placed the goods in the trash can outside her door.

According to Xitao’s instructions, this was her dedicated courier, and she had to take good care of it.

Though it felt a bit odd, considering how low the delivery fee was for Weird Trash Can, He Yingqiu didn’t mind at all. As for "taking care," all she had to do was bathe the Weird Trash Can.

Even with packaging, a grimy trash can wouldn’t make a good impression.

While scrubbing the trash can, He Yingqiu was a little worried it might bite her—after all, Weird Trash Can mouths were some of the deadliest things in the Weird World. To her surprise, the Weird Trash Can remained calm and let her clean it without any fuss, which put her somewhat at ease.

If the Weird Trash Can could treat her this calmly, it would likely do the same for customers, avoiding any tragic incidents where the courier ate the recipient. Customers would just have to get used to grabbing their orders right out of the Weird Trash Can’s mouth.

But He Yingqiu believed that, given the ultra-low shipping fees, customers would quickly grow fond of the Weird Trash Can.