Chapter 108: The Grand Supply Run
As Ren Wen Wen lowered the window of her Celestial Car, the first thought that flashed through Yu Sheng’s mind was, [The male lead and his motorcycle really make a good couple]. His body visibly tensed at the thought. Only then did he give Ren Wen Wen a proper once-over.
“…Did the Special Affairs Bureau send you? Have they just set up camp near my home now?”
To his surprise, Ren Wen Wen looked momentarily stunned, taking two seconds before replying, “Ah, no. I just happened to have business nearby and was passing through your neighborhood.”
Yu Sheng eyed the Young Lady suspiciously, trying to catch any trace of deception on her face, but she seemed genuinely sincere.
“I’m just a logistics clerk,” Ren Wen Wen explained earnestly, “I usually don’t go out in the field unless it’s for deliveries or errands. If there really is a unit stationed nearby, it must be our Action Division colleagues from Door.”
Yu Sheng chuckled at that. “So you didn’t deny the ‘stationed’ part.”
“Come on, you can probably guess. After all, ‘Wutong Road No. 66’ is a new Otherworld.” Ren Wen Wen smiled. “Of course, if you mind, I can report it…”
“No need. It’s not like you’d actually pull out. No point in the bureaucracy,” Yu Sheng waved her off, his tone dismissive. “Not like you folks can keep me in check or even find Wutong Road No. 66.”
Ren Wen Wen’s smile turned slightly awkward, and she quickly switched topics. “So… heading out through a Door, right? Need a lift? I’m done with errands and heading back to HQ anyway. Nothing urgent.”
Truth be told, Yu Sheng hesitated.
This “scholar of shipping culture” was a bit much for him to handle. If she started talking about tragic romances between Humans and motorcycles once they were on the road, he’d be in real trouble. But after only a brief pause, he nodded. “Thanks. North entrance of Huaiyang Street, near the farmer’s market.”
He canceled his ride-hailing order and got into Ren Wen Wen’s Celestial Car, Foxy and Irene in tow.
Out of respect for the so-called “shipping scholar,” Yu Sheng didn’t dare sit in the front passenger seat, even though it was empty. Instead, he resolutely squeezed into the back with Foxy.
Irene sat between them—even the Doll thought HumanXMotorcycle was a bit too avant-garde.
Ren Wen Wen didn’t seem to mind. She simply drove, occasionally glancing at Yu Sheng in the rearview mirror. After nearly ten minutes, she couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher Yu, when are you starting your new book?”
She even used the respectful address “Teacher” – which only made Yu Sheng feel a bit uncomfortable.
“I’m writing it, I’m writing it,” Yu Sheng quickly adjusted his expression, though his tone was clearly a bit forced. “Been rushing the draft these past few days…”
“Is it another horror-suspense novel?” Ren Wen Wen immediately lit up. “Will old characters make an appearance? Cameos like in your previous works? Still set in Stillwater City?”
Yu Sheng was at a loss. He hadn’t even created a new document for the book—hadn’t even named a new folder yet. And with this cursed Door-CP block, his inspiration was dead. So he deflected as best as he could, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. “…No spoilers before I start. I hate leaking plot details. It’ll be a good story, though. Anyway, what were you doing out here today?”
“Running errands, of course. Our Captain sent me out early to deliver documents to a local ‘Outlander’. I circled the area several times—his place is hard to find… though still easier than Wutong Road No. 66.”
“Outlander?” Yu Sheng asked, curious.
“An Alglade Star System Noble. You know Alglade, right? They call themselves ‘Children Favored by the Stars.’ Sharp perception and calculation regarding the cosmos and the universe. Quite a few of them are fascinated by the Borderland and live long-term in Boundary City to study it. They get along well with the Special Affairs Bureau,” Ren Wen Wen explained casually. “They look a lot like Humans. You might have met one before and never known.”
Yu Sheng pondered these secrets buried beneath the daily life of Boundary City—realities that ordinary people never encountered. Suddenly, the car gave a slight jolt.
“We’re here,” Ren Wen Wen said, glancing back.
“That fast?”
“It was close, after all.” She smiled. “Want me to wait for you? Or tag along? I’m pretty familiar with this place~”
“No, no need,” Yu Sheng quickly waved his hands, terrified she’d use the chance to dig into details about his new book. “We’ll be here at least half a day. Don’t want to hold you up. Thanks again.”
He all but dragged Foxy and Irene out of the car.
The “shipping scholar” finally drove off and disappeared into the distance.
Yu Sheng exhaled deeply and immediately took Miss Foxy to a secluded corner. He pulled out his communicator and activated the Border Communication Platform, searching for any “Node Devices” established nearby by the Special Affairs Bureau.
To his satisfaction, he found one near the entrance of the farmers’ market.
Guided by the device’s navigation, he led Miss Foxy through the bustling crowd to an oddly desolate spot. It was an empty storefront marked with a faded “For Rent” sign. Though surrounded by urban noise, the area around the doorway was conspicuously devoid of people.
Standing alone on the adjacent open ground was a singular Node Device, humming faintly with intermittent pulses.
Looking around cautiously, Yu Sheng placed his hand against the storefront’s entrance and, with a solemn expression, recorded the exact coordinates.
Miss Foxy tilted her head, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. “Benefactor, what are you doing?”
“Just leaving a Door Mark,” Yu Sheng replied offhandedly. “Makes it easier next time. There’s a Node Device here, too, so I can borrow their dispersal field—er, I mean their signal—so I don’t scare anyone when I open a Door in the future.”
With no one nearby, Irene shifted slightly, peeking out from Miss Foxy’s arms to survey the surroundings with interest. “Even here, there’s an Otherworld?”
“Just this shop,” Yu Sheng gestured. “The Border Communication Platform lists it as an L 1-level Otherworld: ‘The Shop.’ Supposedly it opens at midnight, and if someone enters, they find themselves in a massive grocery store. It’s not very dangerous, but everything sold there is absurdly expensive. And you can’t leave until you spend every coin you have… Oh, and anything you buy turns to sand once you exit.”
“…That’s such a malicious Otherworld!” the little doll exclaimed in horror, then added with amazement, “I can’t believe something like that exists.”
“That’s just how things are in the Borderland,” Yu Sheng sighed. “There are a lot of confusing, inexplicable Otherworlds like this. Not really our concern, though. I just want to mark this spot for Door use.”
With the coordinates logged, Yu Sheng shifted to the next phase of his mission: major provisioning.
He began bulk purchasing food for Miss Foxy. Frozen drumsticks, rice, grains, and oil were far cheaper in the farmers’ market than in any supermarket.
Some curious vendors, seeing Yu Sheng as a new face, asked if he was opening a restaurant. They enthusiastically offered discounts for future bulk purchases. Yu Sheng politely took their contacts but didn’t bother explaining he wasn’t starting a restaurant—he was stocking up on weaponry.
The kind of weaponry where one cruise missile costs twenty drumsticks.
After every few crates, he and Miss Foxy would sneak to a hidden corner, stuffing all the goods into her Storage Tail.
Once food supplies were secured, Yu Sheng began buying vegetable seeds and various tools.
Irene couldn’t hold back her thoughts. “I meant to ask when we left the Door—why are you buying seeds?”
“To farm, obviously,” Yu Sheng answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Don’t you remember my plan? I want to cultivate a little land in the Valley. Grow some fruits and veggies.”
“…You were serious about that?!” the little doll yelped. “I thought you were joking!”
“Of course I’m serious about farming,” Yu Sheng replied, entirely earnest. “It’d be a waste not to use such fertile land. Plus, now that the Hunger Entity is gone, we don’t have a meat source. Gotta compensate somehow… Oh, that reminds me, I should get some chicks. Raise them for eggs and stew. Miss Foxy, can your tail store living things?”
Miss Foxy beamed with pride and nodded. “Yes! As long as I use Celestial Arts to preserve their life force, I can keep them inside for a month or two!”
Irene, stunned for a few seconds, finally burst out, “So you were planning to ‘restock’ from the Valley! You actually regret devouring the Hunger Entity, don’t you?!”
Yu Sheng maintained a perfectly serious expression.
But inwardly, he did feel regretful—had he known the entity wouldn’t regenerate, he would’ve saved some at the end of that “feast.” That way, he’d never need to buy meat again…