Qi Xu took out the [Plant Growth Accelerator Potion] and went up to the top level of the vehicle. Two robots were toiling diligently, and upon seeing Qi Xu, they noticeably straightened their backs even more.
Qi Xu praised them, "Make sure you take breaks. We believe in flexible working hours. Don't overwork yourselves, okay?"
The two robots simultaneously wore expressions that said, "I knew it." When capitalists talk about flexible work, it actually means "flexible off-duty hours—they can be extended indefinitely," which translates to "being on call 24/7."
Hmph, anyone who truly believes that is a fool.
Qi Xu's attention was no longer on the two robots. She was now staring with gleaming eyes at the golden seed. Still not sprouting, huh? Time to teach you a lesson.
Qi Xu carefully crouched beside it. "Hey, Baby, it's been a while since I came up to chat with you. Mainly because I've been so busy lately, all just to earn this accelerator potion for you. I really wanted to meet you sooner."
After casually spouting some nonsense, Qi Xu began pouring the accelerator potion onto the golden seed.
Worried about overwatering, Qi Xu focused intently on controlling the strength in her wrist, pouring bit by bit, but her heart grew colder with each drop.
In the end, the entire vial was emptied, and the remaining growth period was still three years.
200 points! A full 200 points! And it didn't even manage to force a single golden seed to mature.
Qi Xu took several deep breaths before successfully calming herself down.
Fortunately, the golden seed had already sprouted a stem. Although it looked short and weak, there was still hope, right? If she could find a way to get some more nutrient solution, growth hormones, or something similar, she could still shorten the time.
Qi Xu quickly rallied her spirits, talked to the golden seed for a while longer, and then went back down to soothe her injured, fragile little heart.
With only the last 7 days remaining in the month, Qi Xu planned to use a mileage booster pack for two days. In the final few days, resource boxes might be slightly more plentiful, so she would just drive normally.
Over the next few days, the entire Zone 666 was frantically trying to catch monster merchants. Having an open, legitimate connection with the Whirlwind Boss—who wouldn't be tempted by that?
But unfortunately, no matter how much they tried to stall for time, by the time Qi Xu used a Location Card to rush over from the parallel highway, the monster merchants had already left.
Qi Xu thought it might be due to the [Freeloader] title, so she finally specifically removed it, but it still didn't work. However, she wouldn't let everyone's efforts go to waste; in such cases, she basically gave 50 Survival Coins as compensation for their hard work.
There was nothing else to be done. She could only rely on players in the golden group chat to encounter monster merchants and use the group owner authority for instant teleportation.
It was at this moment that the Chinese Master Chef came through.
He set up a shelter and, braving the thunderstorm weather, fiercely stir-fried crayfish. The aroma seemed to waft for kilometers, making the black mist on both sides of the nine-lane road appear even denser.
This directly attracted two monster merchants. Qi Xu quickly used the group owner authority of the golden group chat card to instantly rush over. Of course, she was still wearing the [Freeloader] title on her head, having other considerations in mind.
When Qi Xu arrived, she saw one red-haired monster merchant and one green-haired monster merchant, happily sitting on stools, staring intently at the Master Chef's handsome figure as he stir-fried the crayfish...
They were practically drooling.
Until they sensed a sinister aura, their hearts skipped a beat. They slowly turned their heads and met Qi Xu's gentle smile.
The two monster merchants instantly put on expressions of agony and said in unison, "Why is it you again? Freeloader!" After speaking, they shared a tacit understanding glance, feeling a sense of camaraderie.
Even though they had been trying very hard these past few days to avoid the Freeloader's presence, even going so far as to specifically blacklist this player, they were still beguiled by these crayfish... Blame it on the overly enticing aroma.
"We just came out to find some food, we're not on duty yet. You can't purchase items right now."
"Yes, that's right. Have you eaten? We'll treat you to a meal."
The two monster merchants smiled with excessive politeness. Even though their favorability had each dropped by 5 points, they were still hypocritically offering to treat her to a meal out of courtesy.
Unfortunately, Qi Xu wasn't buying it at all. She said with a grin, "I want to purchase goods."
Great, their favorability dropped another 5 points. But it didn't matter. There were many ways to make it rise again. Achieving her goal was the most practical thing right now.
The two monster merchants still clung to a sliver of hope and tentatively asked, "Who do you want to purchase from?"
Qi Xu said gently but ruthlessly, "From both. Neither of you is getting away. I'm not short on money." If one monster merchant couldn't spawn the Five Elements Spirit Source, then she'd try both.
Although the Chinese Master Chef was busy stir-frying crayfish, he didn't forget to observe the situation behind him. Seeing things were at a stalemate, he immediately dished out a plate and brought it over.
"Come on, come on, don't be upset. Let's talk while we eat."
Qi Xu was also worried that neither of them would trigger the Five Elements Spirit Source. After all, it was rare to encounter them, so she came up with a new idea.
"Where's A-Zi? You two are eating alone, why didn't you call A-Zi? Send it a message, tell it to come over."
The green-haired monster merchant laughed in anger. "Aren't the two of us enough for you to scam?"
The red-haired monster merchant didn't speak, but steam was practically coming out of its nostrils, clearly showing it was also quite furious.
Qi Xu understood their thoughts all too well. "Call it over. Later, after eating, I'll prioritize buying from it. As long as I get what I want, I won't buy from you two."
You're dreaming. The bond between us is not something you can sow discord between.
Qi Xu delivered a finishing blow with one sentence. "Hurry up and contact it. With more people, how can one plate of crayfish be enough? Master Chef, add a few more dishes!" As she spoke, she conveniently took out some good liquor.
"Hey, A-Zi, get over here quickly. We've got good food."
"Come quickly, come quickly. We're together. Stir-fried crayfish, pork rib soup, plus peanuts, smashed cucumber salad, and two bottles of liquor."
After hanging up the call, A-Green and A-Red felt a bit embarrassed. They grinned, "Good friends always believe in sharing fortune and hardship. We really aren't just craving your food."
Qi Xu smiled sarcastically. "I understand. I get it."
The purple-haired monster merchant arrived very quickly, charging out of the black mist with a flurry. Smelling the captivating aroma, it laughed, "Hahaha, you two are really good buddies. Truly worthy of being... Damn it! Why is the Freeloader here! You two are real dogs!"
Xiao Qi barked three times, "Woof woof woof!" expressing his dissatisfaction. Dogs are the most honest and loyal; they would never betray a companion just for some good food.
The purple-haired monster merchant took one last reluctant look at the feast, turned around, and wanted to run. Qi Xu said directly, "I want to purchase goods, Purple-haired Monster Merchant. If you run, I'll report you."
Only then did the purple-haired monster merchant resign itself to its fate, stopped, and returned to the table.
The green-haired monster merchant spoke first, "What exactly do you want to buy? You've been chasing us like crazy these past few days. Just state your purpose directly."
..........
