“What? Sis, you gave the gasoline to that guy?”

Zhou Xiaoxiao stared at his sister in disbelief, his voice rising in panic. “Sis, have you lost your mind? That’s a whole jerrycan of gasoline!”

“We only have two cans total. What are we going to use if we give one to him? No way! Sis, I’m going to get it back.”

Xiaoxiao was beside himself. Gasoline wasn’t just fuel anymore; in this broken world, it was life itself. Without it, their car was just a metal coffin. The siblings were ordinary people; retrieving those two cans had nearly cost them their lives. To give one away for nothing—literally nothing—was madness.

“Xiaoxiao, don’t go,” Zhou Lan pleaded, grabbing his arm. “He’s a Sequence Beyonder! We can’t afford to provoke him!”

“So what?” Xiaoxiao retorted, shaking her off. “He’s just a Mechanic Sequence, not a combat type like Captain Chu. There’s no need to be afraid of him. Besides, with Captain Chu here, what can he actually do?”

Leaving Zhou Lan standing there in regret, the handsome youth marched straight toward Chen Ye.

The commotion drew attention. The Zhou siblings, formerly famous stars, were always under scrutiny. Xiaoxiao’s raised voice, whether intentional or not, ensured everyone heard his challenge.

Chen Ye lit a cigarette, glancing sideways at the approaching boy with a playful smirk.

Xiaoxiao stopped in front of him, trying hard to keep his gaze steady. “Mr… Mr. Chen… about that can of gasoline my sister gave you…”

Chen Ye exhaled a thick cloud of smoke directly into the boy’s face. Xiaoxiao coughed, waving the fumes away.

Without a word, Chen Ye jerked his chin toward the tricycle’s cargo bed.

Xiaoxiao blinked, then hurriedly grabbed the jerrycan and retreated.

The onlookers whispered among themselves. Some watched Chen Ye with schadenfreude, amused to see the “Sequence Beyonder” yield so easily. Others looked at the Zhou siblings as if they were dead men walking. In the apocalypse, offending a Beyonder was a shortcut to the grave.

Zhou Lan watched from a distance, guilt washing over her when Chen Ye’s gaze flickered briefly in her direction. She turned away.

Chen Ye watched the gasoline go without emotion. He didn’t care. It wasn’t like she was the only source of fuel in the convoy.

He walked over to Chu Che. The barefoot Pathfinder smiled gently.

“One can of gasoline,” Chu Che offered. “I’ll give you a discount. Eighteen catties of rice.”

“Terrible deal. You guys are way too greedy,” Chen Ye scoffed.

“Hehe… Zhou Lan backed out, but I’m still willing to trade. I’m helping you here, and you call me greedy?”

Chen Ye shook his head. “I want to trade for the gasoline with information.”

“Worthless info won’t get you fuel.”

“This is guaranteed valuable. It’s a method to deal with Anomalies.”

Chu Che’s expression instantly turned serious. “Is that true?”

“Of course. Black Dog Blood. It won’t kill them, but it has a definitive effect, repelling or stunning them.”

Chu Che’s pupils dilated in shock. “Right… Black Dog Blood… warding off evil… why didn’t I think of that?” He muttered to himself, realizing the logic. “Even if it doesn’t kill them, having an effect is huge.”

“This information is worth a bucket of gasoline,” Chen Ye pressed. “And I want your solar charging panel too.”

“That depends on how effective the blood actually is,” Chu Che hedged, but the deal was clearly made.

Watching Chen Ye secure gasoline from the captain with just a few words, the Zhou siblings exchanged glances of apprehension and doubt.

Chen Ye then found Nana. The Sword Immortal girl was arguably the strongest fighter in the convoy, having saved the Titan repeatedly.

“What do you plan to do to Sister Zhou Lan?” Nana asked immediately, eyes narrowing.

Chen Ye shrugged. “What can I do? It’s not like they’re the only ones with gasoline.”

“Hmph. I don’t believe you,” Nana spat. “You men are all the same. Who knows what sinister ideas you’re cooking up.”

“Alright, alright. I actually came to trade for a knife…”

Chen Ye repeated the information about the Black Dog Blood. Nana reacted with the same shock as Chu Che.

In exchange for the intel, Chen Ye received a high-quality outdoor Heavy Machete. The blade was over forty centimeters long, pitch black, with a thick spine and a comforting weight. It came with a leather sheath that hung conveniently at the waist. Nana claimed it was a premium imported brand, worth thousands before the collapse. Her face pained as she handed it over.

Chen Ye had no intention of hoarding the Black Dog Blood secret. Humanity was losing the war against the Anomalies badly; over ninety percent of the population was gone. Any advantage helped the collective survival, which in turn helped him.

He skipped the bus; the Titan was still unconscious, and no one else there had the authority to trade the high-capacity power bank he wanted.

The Zhou siblings watched in stunned silence. They didn’t know what Chen Ye had said, but they saw the results: gasoline and a valuable weapon, obtained effortlessly. Zhou Xiaoxiao was especially bitter; he had coveted that machete for a long time, but Nana’s price had always been too high.

Meanwhile, Chen Ye also secured two small bags of actual Black Dog Blood. There were two black dogs in the convoy kept by survivors. Chen Ye couldn’t have taken them, but Chu Che simply traded some chocolate and sausages for the animals, likely slaughtering them immediately for the blood.

Chen Ye returned to his tricycle. A few pieces of women’s clothing had been traded from his stall in his absence.

“Attention! The convoy departs in fifteen minutes!” Chu Che’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

Panic touched the faces of those still trading. Chen Ye remained calm. He pulled a bundle of crude, homemade crossbow bolts from his cargo bed. With his new Heavy Machete, he shaved and adjusted them for better aerodynamics. The knife was indeed excellent.

He tossed the improved bolts into the bag with the Black Dog Blood, soaking them, then tied the bag tight and stowed it away.

Soon, the convoy moved out. Chu Che led, followed by Nana, then the bus. Chen Ye slotted in behind the bus, effectively taking the position of the fourth most important figure in the group. Behind him, trailing in the dust, was Zhou Lan’s car.