"Come to my stall! Come to my stall! The carrots and vegetables at our rabbit stall are the healthiest! And super cheap—one carrot for just ten game coins!"
Cheng Shuili kept quiet. Ten game coins? She didn't have a single one to her name.
But browsing was free. She sidled up to the rabbit stall, where a cloth showcased a tidy spread of veggies: carrots, cabbages, spinach, all glistening with dew, practically glowing with freshness. Her stomach growled, but without cooking skills or coins, these were just eye candy.
She moved on to a fox beastman's stall. He clocked her and dove in with a salesman's zeal: "Yo, human, haven't found the right goods yet? Check out mine! Our fox family sells instant food—way more convenient than that rabbit's stuff."
He flashed a sly grin. "Price, though… gotta be a bit higher than the rabbit's! But you're my first customer, so I'll give you a discount."
Cheng Shuili paused, pointing at a pack of instant noodles. "How much for one of these?"
"Not much!" The fox beastman held up two fingers. "Just this much!"
She mulled it over. "Twenty game coins?"
"My stuff's a hundred times better than the rabbit's! No way it's that cheap. Two hundred!"
Her brow furrowed, and she spun on her heel. Scammer. Twenty was fair—two hundred was robbery.
"Hey, don't go!"
She tuned him out. The trading post was a treasure trove, stocked with everything a survivor could dream of, but her wallet was emptier than a desert. Still, window shopping didn't cost a dime.
Stepping into the gilded Beast Commerce Guild, she was greeted by a dog-headed beastman in a sleek black vest, tail wagging faintly. "Honored guest, what would you like to buy? Our Beast Commerce Guild has everything! Spend 2000 game coins to become a Level 1 VIP! 4000 for Level 2 VIP! Spend 100,000 game coins for Level 3 VIP membership!"
"Level 1 VIP gets a 10% discount on all purchases! Level 2 is 20% off! Level 3 is 40% off!"
Cheng Shuili nodded, filing the info away. Channeling her inner tycoon, she waved him off. "I'll just browse for now, no need to follow me."
"Very well." The dog beastman backed off, and she strolled forward, counters on either side gleaming with goods—clothes, food, shelter, travel gear, all pricier than the stalls outside.
At the center sat a lone card. Curious, she leaned in. It was the store employee badge from the radio broadcast. She'd planned to just look—3999 coins were way out of her league—but the price tag stopped her cold.
Not 3999. A bold, beautiful 0.
A BUG! Her pulse spiked. Maybe a useless glitch, but maybe not. Game coins were virtual, system-managed. Payment should be, too. This could be her shot to score big.
Heart pounding, she flagged the dog beastman. Pointing at the badge, she said, "I want to buy this."
"Right away, I'll wrap it up!"
He lifted the card with reverence, ready to package it.
"No need," she cut in. "I'll pay now."
His eyes gleamed. This badge was 3999 coins—a 10% commission meant 400 coins in his pocket. This wasn't a customer; this was a jackpot. His gaze turned worshipful, like she'd descended from the heavens.
He ushered her to the checkout, where an elephant-headed beastman cashier scanned the badge with a device. The screen lit up.
[About to purchase Store Employee Badge. You need to pay 0 game coins. Proceed with payment?]
Jackpot! System-driven, just as she'd hoped. This BUG was her golden ticket.
She clicked "Yes." The system hummed, then flashed a new screen.
[Transaction successful.]
[You have obtained Beast Commerce Guild Level 1 VIP status! All purchases are 10% off!]
[Store Employee Badge: Upon use, gain Beastman NPC identity, allowing entry to any beastman town! Also unlocks fast-sell channel—unneeded items can be directly converted to game coins!]
Cheng Shuili gripped the card, flashing a calm smile at the elephant and dog beastmen before sauntering out of the guild. The second she cleared the doors, she bolted to her cart like a thief in the night.
The dog beastman frowned, watching her sprint. "Why's this guest running so fast?"
The elephant beastman, equally puzzled, checked the screen—payment successful—and scratched her head. "Yeah, she paid—why's she bolting?"
"She couldn't leave without paying, not with Mao Ning guarding the gate."
The dog beastman shrugged, chalking it up to human weirdness. His first human customer, and what a sale. Humans were good business.
As Cheng Shuili's cart vanished down the highway, a nagging thought hit. "She paid?"
The elephant beastman nodded. "Yeah, she paid."
He slammed the counter. "Then where's the coin sound?!"
Every beastman deal ended with the sweet jingle of coins hitting the account. "Where's my 3999 coins? My 400 commission?!"
The elephant beastman scratched harder. "Calm down, my 40's in there too! Maybe human transactions have a delay."
"Really?"
"Probably."
Cheng Shuili twisted her cart's handle, grinning like she'd won the lottery. Jackpot, baby. A fortune for free.
She activated the card, and the system chimed:
[You have obtained Beastman identity!]
[You have obtained selling permissions!]
Satisfaction surged through her. What a haul.
Oblivious to the beastmen's plight, she'd left them hunched over their ledgers, puzzling till dawn over the missing 3999 coins.
By 3 p.m., she'd smashed her daily mileage. No stopping, though—the grand prize was close, and quitting now was for suckers.
Endless driving dulled the mind. She flicked open the regional channel, curious about the chatter. Topping the feed was a fresh post from [Glory Shines on Blue Star].
[Glory Shines on Blue Star]: Stop and explore any buildings you find on the road. So far, we've identified four types.
Cheng Shuili's eyes narrowed. Time to take notes.