Helen smiled with a touch of bitterness. She forcefully shook off her lingering thoughts and sent another message: "Never mind, I still rely on the great Waldo for daily supplies. I'll just swallow my frustrations and bear with it. Can't afford the cost(Crying emoji) . But lately, I've been running low on essential supplies and was hoping to make a trade with you."
Waldo responded, "Sure thing! I burned quite a few zombies with those firewoods you gave me before."
Helen fell silent for a moment.
"Waldo, can you sell me some weapons? I really need them," she asked.
Upon reading the message, a frown appeared on Waldo's forehead.
Previously, Helen had never asked for anything other than daily supplies like rice, noodles, water, or bread. Except for the crossbow bolts and Molotov cocktails he had voluntarily given her in the past, Helen had never requested any weapons.
Now, she was suddenly asking to purchase weapons, and that raised concerns for Waldo.
He displayed several crossbow bolts, gasoline, Molotov cocktails, and a few grenades on their trade window as he typed, "What's going on? Are you in danger? Zombies or other survivors? Do you need me to come and help? I have a vehicle now, so I can reach your location in half a day."
Helen received the supplies Waldo had sent and a slight smile curved her lips at his caring words. She replied, "There aren't many zombies around me, and the area I'm in is relatively safe."
Waldo was still puzzled. "Then what's the situation?"
Helen sent another message, "It's Russ. He's been acting strange lately, and I'm worried."
She proceeded to recount today's incident of Russ's outburst and all the threats he made. "He's become more aggressive recently, and today, upon learning that I intended to continue trading supplies with you, he threatened me to stay away from you. He even threatened to kill you! Today, he already showed signs of aggression towards me, and I have to stay alert."
Waldo laughed disdainfully upon reading Russ's audacious words. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that at this moment, he could kill Russ without even moving from where he stood, using just one hand.
It seemed like Russ had truly become dangerous.
"Be careful, and if you need any help, don't hesitate to reach out to me. Also, if Russ does anything inappropriate to you, don't hold back," Waldo advised.
Helen appreciated Waldo's concern, even though she knew it came from their friendship.
"I know, I won't hesitate. Let's stop chatting for now. It's getting late, and I have to go back to the shelter," Helen said, bidding farewell to Waldo and ending their conversation.
Little did they both know, another familiar old classmate of theirs was rushing towards Russ and his group.
The night sky was illuminated by the bright moon, casting its light on the forest.
On the rooftop of a dilapidated house, sat a tall, thin man dressed in black. He was hiding from the zombies that roamed the night, finding this place as a safe resting spot and a source of replenishment.
The thin man looked at the location sharing on his system panel, which was getting closer and closer. After taking a bite of bread, he murmured, "Boss, just a little longer, I'm on my way."
At that moment, Waldo received a message.
"10086, I have a blueprint for a katana here. If you're interested, I can sell it to you."
Waldo found it a bit strange. A katana didn't seem like a high-level item, it was just a silver-tier melee weapon. He had obtained a katana before, and although it was sharp, it wasn't particularly remarkable.
Furthermore, the message came from Mia, the person who almost tricked Waldo with false information about a gold-tier supply box last time.
Waldo was skeptical.
Without much thought, he replied, "No, I'm not interested."
Mia grew anxious upon reading his response. She had recommended this katana blueprint to other clients with purchasing power, but they all immediately declined, considering the conditions too demanding.
However, Waldo was different. Mia had interacted with him before and knew he was a generous spender. If even Waldo didn't want this katana blueprint, then it would truly be a burden for her.
Mia's team was in dire need of supplies and had to sell some items in exchange for essential life supplies.
"This is not an ordinary katana blueprint! Do you know that this blueprint can be used twenty times? It's reusable! Moreover, this katana has a passive attribute—Critical Strike. It deals an additional 30% damage against zombies," Mia explained. "It's a fantastic item! 10086, I'm offering it to you because of our old acquaintance."
Waldo chuckled and responded, "What acquaintance? I should have killed you last time. Consider yourself lucky."
Nevertheless, Waldo reconsidered the value of this katana blueprint. If it was truly as Mia described—a katana that could deliver critical strikes against zombies and be crafted twenty times—it could be worth keeping some for himself and even selling a few for a good profit. After all, rarity commanded a higher price.
Waldo continued, intrigued, "If this katana is so powerful, why don't you keep it for yourself and craft it for sale?"
Mia sighed, "The materials required for forging a katana are too costly, and our team can't afford them."
Waldo became more interested.
He asked Mia to send him the blueprint information, and after confirming it, he replied, "Tell me your trading conditions. I'm starting to get interested."