Chapter 0001: Hisoka

Wood and his companions walked approximately 100 meters with ease, and then took the elevator down, which led them to the core area of the village

Moments later, a group of people entered the iconic "building" of the sunken ship village, that enormous ancient spacecraft

The arrival of the caravan made the village particularly lively; however, the real large-scale transactions did not take place here. The leader of the caravan was a robust man with a chiseled face. To lead a caravan all the way to Shipwreck Village, he must be an extraordinary individual

Alas! President Wood, to be frank, the artificially cultivated mycelium this year has been severely damaged by sand rats, and it is feared that we will not be able to meet the demands of your esteemed association. Moreover, the quantity of wild mycelium collected privately is quite limited. As I grow older, my authority has diminished, and some unruly individuals no longer heed my control; life is far from what it used to be

The village chief remained silent for a long time, and after a while suddenly asked: "What about the special-grade mycelium? Although it is scarce in number, our village has indeed collected some."

Ding ding, dang dang... The sound of camel bells came from behind the sand dunes, and the children playing on the sandy ground cheered and hurried over to watch.

Upon entering the village chief's home, one finds an elderly man with white hair and vintage-style glasses seated in the reception room. Dealing with this individual is not an easy task; it was only after Wood's attendant presented ten bottles of rum and five bags of fruit that the other party's appetite was finally satisfied

"Hehe, I wish you all your wishes come true." Geer was very satisfied; he was one of the seven council members in the village, so naturally, no one would come to snatch his job. By merely providing some trivial information, he could gain tangible benefits, so why not take advantage of it?

The leader of the caravan was helping to unload the goods when suddenly someone greeted him: "Hehe, isn't this our dear President Wood? It's been half a year since we last met. Where have you been making your fortune? Your caravan is growing larger and larger, which is both commendable and worthy of celebration."

Look! It is the caravan of the Green Ark. Great, my mother will definitely buy me a lot of candy.

Member Gore smiled broadly as he took the bottle, lowering his voice as he said: "This year's harvest hasn't been very good, but there's a little genius who has done remarkably well. A few days ago, the village chief was scheming to obtain mycelium from him, but has not yet succeeded. So you need to put in more effort to find that little genius as soon as possible; his name is Lin Xisuo, and it is said that he lives at the very bottom of the sunken ship"

The calls of vendors rose and fell: "Come and see, the most famous fruits of the Green Ark. If you pass by, don't miss out."

It is well said! I hope the village chief can make arrangements soon! By the way, I would like to mention that the recent situation is unstable, and the notorious Red Storm has already entered the Ninth Star Region. The capital star is not particularly worried, but some resource stars are spending large sums to hire interstellar mercenaries. It is best to be cautious, as the Red Storm takes whatever it sees, sparing neither women nor children. Personally, I believe the Green Ark is already quite unsafe, so I hope to take the caravan along for refuge during this trip, and I hope the village chief can prepare early.

Indeed! There is a night market! There are sweets to eat! The children joyfully followed the white camel as it passed through the low fence and arrived at the widest street in the village

Of course I remember, it was that landslide that caused me to make a wasted trip, and the collected mycelium was less than half of what it had been in previous years

The village chief was clearly very satisfied, and after gritting his teeth, he said: "Alright, give me three days. We will conduct the transaction again in three days, and I will not let President Wood down."

At this moment, the village chief and Wood were unaware that their words had been relayed verbatim to a third party. In a crooked room at the bottom of the sunken ship, a black-haired youth put down his headphones and muttered, "The price is quite reasonable; it seems that the debt owed to the uncle and aunt is finally going to be settled"

Upon hearing this, the village chief was momentarily taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter and said with a playful tone: "You are too humorous. The Red Storm gang of star pirates? Turan Star is located in a remote area, and our Shipwreck Village is even poorer than a church mouse. Aside from some extravagant women, we are left with only a few mischievous children. The total resources we have wouldn't even cover their travel expenses for a few hundred kilometers! Rest assured, no one would dare to rob us here in Shipwreck Village."

At this moment, Wood slightly leaned forward and said calmly, "The village chief need not take it to heart. We will purchase as much mycelium as the village has; we cannot make the trip in vain. According to the old rules, items valued at 120 credit coins can be exchanged for one kilogram of secondary mycelium, 320 credit coins for one kilogram of intermediate mycelium, and 720 credit coins for high-grade mycelium. It is getting late today; shall we conduct the transaction tomorrow instead?"

Wood Xindao: "Look at the surroundings! No one enjoys living long-term on a dusty planet with swirling yellow sand. Those with any capability have long since departed. What have we been striving for over the past thirty years? Isn't it to settle on a planet with a better environment as soon as possible? Perhaps this batch of premium mycelium is the key to opening the doors of the immigration office!"

Wood smiled to himself, realizing that his worries were indeed somewhat excessive. The Earth-like planet is located in the northwestern corner of the ninth star region of the third galaxy. It is an early immigrant planet, and to this day, its total population is less than three million, with its level of development approaching zero and its environmental index also nearing zero. Even if the Red Storm comes to plunder, it would at most take a tour around the large oases, and the likelihood of visiting the sunken village is similarly close to zero.

Five times? Three thousand six hundred credit coins per kilogram. Well, that is exactly twenty percent higher than the price seven years ago

After nearly a thousand years of transformation, the interior of the sunken ship has long since become unrecognizable. Rather than a sunken ship, it resembles a skyscraper tilted downward or an underground bunker. Almost half of the villagers reside within the hull, and under the dim light, the neighbors are quite close to one another.

Ultimately, Sunken Ship Village is a remote and impoverished area. Even with the presence of mycelium, it cannot escape its dire situation. Many villagers are aware that mycelium can be exchanged for substantial rewards in outer space, yet they are forced to sell it at a low price to traveling merchants, as the chances of anyone leaving the Earthen Ring Star are exceedingly rare. The villagers' greatest hope is to attend markets at a few nearby oases, and they dare not aspire to anything beyond that.

Take a look at the foldable crossbow equipped with an infrared sight, which is known as the terminator of sand rats

Listen to me, if his family were still around, how could they allow a child to live at the bottom of a sunken ship? Do you remember the great landslide in the pit five years ago?" Congressman Gore asked with a blink.

In the center of the village stands a unique structure, an ancient spaceship that is weathered and worn. Only its tail protrudes above the surface, while the rest has long since sunk into the yellow sands with the passage of time. Thus, the village is named Shipwreck Village

As expected of the leader of the merchant caravan, Wood instantly regained his composure and graciously promised, "Thank you very much, dear old friend. Intelligence is crucial for a merchant. Once I locate Lin Xisuo, I will certainly not forget your advice and will reward you handsomely. Now, I cannot keep the village chief waiting. We shall find an opportunity to talk again."

The peddlers unloaded their goods, lit the biogas lamps, and set up their stalls in the evening breeze that was still quite pleasant. Before long, many villagers gathered around.

Wood was taken aback and exclaimed, "The bottom layer of the sunken ship? That is the most dangerous place. What about his family? Are they really just going to watch a child take such a risk?"

Hehe, old friend, you are too kind! Tsk tsk, rum! My favorite

Wood turned around and smiled slightly: "Oh, it is Congressman Gore, I am very pleased to meet you. This is a bottle of Green Ark's special rum, I believe you will certainly enjoy it"

Bidding farewell to Gore, Wood proceeded forward with his entourage. He was the most generous among all the merchants in terms of the price he offered for mycelium, thus establishing a good reputation and credibility in the village. The Green Ark, being the largest oasis on the planet Tuhuan, has relatively abundant resources, making it a worthwhile exchange to trade a few bottles of rum or bags of fruit for commercial information, which proves to be quite beneficial.

Yes, it was that disaster. The child’s parents were one dead and one injured. In order to treat his mother, he spent all the family savings and even incurred a significant amount of debt. Unfortunately, that poor woman still did not survive. Driven by the harsh realities of life, the child from the Lin family had to live in the lowest part of the sunken ship, often venturing deep into the caverns to collect mycelium to repay the debts. To be honest, a few years ago, no one had any hope for him; everyone thought the child would die. Unexpectedly, not only did he survive, but he has also been quite fortunate recently! Some time ago, he brought back a large batch of premium mycelium. As you know, artificially cultivated mycelium is entirely different from wild mycelium, so do not miss this opportunity.

As dusk approaches, a wave of green emerges at the horizon, which is the artificially cultivated cacti. Beyond the "jungle" lies the renowned shipwreck village.

Wood handed over a glass bottle filled with a light green liquid. In the vast desert, where even eating is a challenge, let alone brewing wine, this is indeed a fine luxury

"Are there any premium mycelium?" A glint of interest flashed in Wood's eyes as he scrutinized the village chief. After a moment's thought, he replied, "It has been about seven or eight years since Chengchuan Village last collected any premium mycelium. Other villages with underground caverns are similarly facing the dilemma of over-exploitation. Therefore, premium mycelium has remained valuable yet unavailable. I am willing to pay five times the price of high-grade mycelium, which means I would purchase it at a price of 3,600 credit coins."

Gore accurately bit down on the words "special grade," and Wood displayed an excited expression, feeling that this bottle of rum was worth the gift. It is important to note that special grade mycelium sold in the capital star is undoubtedly a highly sought-after commodity, with ladies and madams taking pride in owning a box of cigarettes made from special grade mycelium. Although the commercial tax rate is relatively high, there remains a significant profit to be made.

The village chief's home is situated at the location of the original restaurant of the spaceship, considered the most luxurious area of the entire sunken ship It inevitably evokes a sense of wonder that the privileged class exists everywhere

The village chief let out a long sigh, secretly cursing in his heart: "Damn that little brat from the Lin family, after repaying the public debt, he refuses to sell the mycelium to the village. The hired hands sent out are suffering at the bottom of the sunken ship, where the environment is complex and it's hard to make a catch. Had I known this, I should have lent him more money five years ago, instead of making a symbolic allocation from the village's relief funds. Who would have thought that even a salted fish could turn over one day? So many agile adults have failed to collect premium mycelium, yet a thirteen-year-old kid managed to do it. Since I took the position of village chief, I have monopolized the mycelium business and profited from it. Are the good days coming to an end? Once someone dares to resist the 'reasonable' acquisition, it will be very troublesome.