'The last trade didn't go so well. I have to make a good impression this time.'
Qin Haonan even opened his phone's camera, preparing to record the entire process. That way, he'd have evidence if anyone tried to sling mud at him.
If Ren Yuanyang knew what he was thinking, he would surely tell him it wasn't necessary. Even with a video, haters would just claim it was staged.
Soon, a small boat rowed over. The other party obediently placed the half-bag of seasoning for the trade into the inflatable boat's basket, taking the 20 Cherry Tomatoes that were inside.
"Boss, I've placed it. You can pull it back and take a look!" the survivor messaged Qin Haonan.
"Alright, one moment!" Qin Haonan quickly pulled the inflatable boat back and retrieved the half-bag of seasoning.
The seasoning was clearly a custom blend; even the packaging was a ziplock bag. As he pulled it open, a spicy aroma laced with cumin wafted out. Qin Haonan's mouth watered. He fought the urge to lick it just to taste the saltiness.
But he knew how precious it was—every pinch used was a pinch gone. He set the seasoning aside with great care.
"The seasoning is good. As per our leader's instructions, you're getting a pound of Cherry Tomatoes as a reward. Get ready to receive it!"
Qin Haonan immediately placed a pound of Cherry Tomatoes in the inflatable boat and pushed it toward the other person.
The survivor's voice trembled with excitement. "Yes! Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Peach Blossom Base!"
After the survivor received his reward, Qin Haonan immediately left, moved to a new location, and contacted the second survivor.
He completed the next trade in the same manner. Qin Haonan exchanged ten Cherry Tomatoes for a plant. He had no idea what it was, only that no plant at the base had leaves shaped like these.
Qin Haonan gave the second survivor over half a pound of Cherry Tomatoes as a reward. The man was so thrilled he jumped for joy on his bamboo raft, nearly falling into the water.
This was because Ren Yuanyang had only mentioned rewarding the *first* survivor to trade with Peach Blossom Base, and this man wasn't the first.
The sudden news that he was also getting a reward was such an unexpected windfall that his celebration nearly ended in disaster.
Qin Haonan moved again and completed the third trade. This time, it was for the alluringly red, poisonous mushroom mentioned earlier.
He gave the other party ten Cherry Tomatoes in exchange for the poisonous mushroom, which was growing on a piece of rotted wood.
After completing the trade, he gave the person a few ounces of Cherry Tomatoes as an additional reward.
The survivor, of course, was deeply grateful and thanked Qin Haonan profusely.
Qin Haonan gave a dismissive wave, packed up his things, re-secured the duck boat to his stern, and sped off into the distance.
The survivors who received rewards immediately became staunch supporters of Peach Blossom Base.
"I just finished a trade with Peach Blossom Base! It went super smoothly. They have guns, but they didn't try to strong-arm me at all. They even gave me a pound of Cherry Tomatoes as a reward!"
"Holy shit, that's awesome! I'm so jealous I'm practically drooling!"
"You're probably a shill for Peach Blossom Base!"
"Absolutely not! Peach Blossom Base made three trades in this area. I was the second, and they gave me a reward too—over half a pound!"
"I was the third! I got a few ounces!"
The other two survivors chimed in to corroborate.
"So Peach Blossom Base hired a bunch of shills!"
"Everyone, just ignore the trolls. No matter what you say, they'll find a way to spin it negatively. The more you argue, the more they love it!"
"Exactly, ignore them and they'll run out of steam! From the sound of it, Peach Blossom Base must be really powerful!"
"They must be. They originally said only the first person to trade would get a reward, but now the first three have. It looks like their base has a ton of Cherry Tomatoes!"
"I'm so jealous of the members of Peach Blossom Base. They can probably eat all the Cherry Tomatoes they want!"
"Eating all they want is probably an exaggeration."
"It might be, but my point is that they're not lacking for them!"
Seeing their discussion, Qin Haonan pursed his lips. 'All we want? I've eaten so many I'm sick of them!'
Of course, that was just a passing thought. There was no need to tell them that.
Just as Qin Haonan was heading toward the next Second-level Wind Sea Region, the survivor who had been lurking underwater approached the small boat that belonged to the person who sold the seasoning.
He cautiously surfaced and clambered effortlessly onto the small boat.
The survivor on the boat was still basking in the joy of his reward, completely oblivious to the person climbing aboard.
Suddenly, a hand clamped around his neck and hoisted him into the air.
His attacker's strength was immense; he was powerless to resist, lifted up like a helpless chick.
The survivor was about to scream when another large hand clamped over his mouth.
"Submit and live, or resist and die. Your choice."
Under the circumstances, there was no choice. The survivor immediately chose to submit.
"My name is Yu Ren. From now on, I'm your master. As long as you obey me, your life will get better and better."
"Yes, Master. Please rest assured, I will obey you!" the survivor replied, completely submissive.
Yu Ren nodded in satisfaction. Whether the man's submission was sincere or not, his performance was at least acceptable.
"I'm an Evolver. I've evolved the ability to live underwater."
As he spoke, he deliberately made the gill covers on the sides of his neck flare open slightly.
The bizarre sight terrified the survivor, who stumbled back two steps.
Seeing that his intimidation tactic had worked, Yu Ren pulled up his collar to hide the gills on his neck.
"Hand over the Cherry Tomatoes," Yu Ren commanded.
Though reluctant, the survivor obediently did as he was told.
Yu Ren picked one up, tossed it in his mouth, and chewed a few times. A sweet flavor filled his mouth.
"These Cherry Tomatoes from Peach Blossom Base really are delicious. Here, these five are for you," Yu Ren said, holding out five of them.
"Thank you, Master!" The survivor bowed as he took them.
'They were mine to begin with. He took almost all of them, left me with just five, and I'm supposed to be grateful? What kind of world is this?'
The survivor could only curse inwardly; he would never dare to speak his thoughts aloud.
"From now on, you'll sleep outside. You are not to enter the cabin without my permission," Yu Ren continued, laying down his terms.
"Yes, Master!"
"Keep searching for plants and continue trading with Peach Blossom Base. I'll guarantee your safety," Yu Ren said finally.
"Thank you, Master!"
"Alright, you're dismissed." Yu Ren waved his hand, ordering the survivor out of the cabin.
He popped another Cherry Tomato into his mouth, contemplating his next move.
'Just relying on these trades won't get me enough Cherry Tomatoes. I need to find Peach Blossom Base itself.'
'Next time that speedboat from Peach Blossom Base shows up, I'll have to follow it. But I'll need to detach from the hull before it gets there.'
'First, I'll go get the Cherry Tomatoes from the other two survivors.' With that thought, Yu Ren slipped off the boat and into the water, making barely a sound.
Under the cover of the heavy rain, Yu Ren easily approached the other two survivors who had just finished their trades.
These two were ordinary people, and he subjugated them with the same method, taking their Cherry Tomatoes and, of course, leaving each of them with five.
Yu Ren summoned the other two survivors, and the three of them gathered together.
"Get acquainted. From now on, you'll work together to find plants."
"Yes!" the three responded in unison.
Meanwhile, as Qin Haonan sped along, he found himself with a moment of downtime. He took a photo of the unfamiliar plant he had just acquired and sent it to Ren Yuanyang.
"Boss, what is this?"

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