The city walls were majestic.
Chen Yu stood outside the city and looked up at the towering high walls, glancing sideways at Hei Dou, who was slumped on his shoulder with all four legs dangling.
Hei Dou's condition had been very poor lately.
There was no other reason!
The candied chestnuts were too potent. Hei Dou didn't even dare to sleep on the camp bed, fearing that he would have diarrhea in his sleep.
"Dou'er~"
Chen Yu raised his hand and patted Hei Dou's little head.
"We're here."
Hei Dou on his shoulder slightly raised its head, its eyes a little blurry. Its pink tongue poked out of its mouth, twitching slightly.
"Ah~"
"Are you really alright?" Chen Yu frowned slightly and said, "You've been having diarrhea for days. I asked you to rest in the camp earlier, but you insisted on coming along."
"I~"
"If you have diarrhea during the auction, we'll be utterly disgraced."
"Don't worry!" Hei Dou forcibly mustered its spirits, its eyes wide. "I definitely won't have diarrhea. I'm not having it anymore, I'm just feeling a bit weak."
Looking at Hei Dou's condition, Chen Yu was truly worried for him.
It was too miserable!
He hadn't expected that just a touch of fur, a bit on his finger, would cause Hei Dou to be like this. This also served as proof of the potion's effectiveness.
'Gourmet Street' productions, always top-notch!
"Look at these city walls. One day, we'll build a city this big too," Chen Yu muttered as he walked into the city. Hei Dou scoffed, "What is this? If we build one, it'll be bigger than this. Didn't we say we were going to attack the city? When is that scheduled?"
"Still talking about it?"
Chen Yu pouted, speechless.
"You've been delayed by diarrhea these past two days. I've been focusing on your recovery, and then we'll go to that Black City again. I had planned to go yesterday."
"We'll go today!" Hei Dou's eyes widened. "Today, we'll have a night raid on Black City!"
"Are you sure?"
"Sure!"
"Alright, then it's settled," Chen Yu whispered, glancing sideways. "After the auction, we'll head back to the city, and then we'll go check out Black City."
Black City must be taken!
Before attacking, Chen Yu had to scout the situation there. If Hei Dou's condition improved, he would plan another reconnaissance of Black City.
At most, it would cost some gold coins.
Chen Yu didn't care.
Hei Dou, lying on Chen Yu's shoulder, looked bewildered.
"Auction?"
His expression was as if he were hearing news he'd never encountered before.
Chen Yu looked helpless.
"What else?" Chen Yu whispered. "We came to this city for the auction. Don't you know? We've been talking about it all morning."
"Then~"
Hei Dou glanced sideways. Kailin was also following beside Chen Yu.
"Kailin is here to recruit people. Hei Dou, have you really had diarrhea so bad that your brain is fried?" Chen Yu worriedly asked. "Have you lost your mind?"
Auction!
Chen Yu had been talking about it since last night. When he left the camp, he had instructed Kuka and the others to guard the home and also mentioned attending the auction.
Hei Dou had been present!
"Uh..."
Hei Dou on his shoulder gave a dry laugh.
He really hadn't paid attention.
All his energy had been focused on his own backside. The recent diarrhea had made him a bit lacking in confidence, and he had been diligently clenching his gluteal muscles.
"Hey, Sir, you've arrived!"
Just as Chen Yu and Hei Dou were whispering, the guards at the city gate hurried to greet them. When he approached, he was briefly surprised to see Kailin.
"Ms. Kailin is here too."
This person was unfamiliar.
Chen Yu frowned slightly at the smiling guard.
"Do we know each other?"
"Sir, you are truly forgetful. You just arrived at the city the day before yesterday, and you even gave us a tip to go for a drink," the guard with a goatee said with a grin. "My captain interacted directly with you then, so you might not have noticed me."
"Ah~ it's you!"
Chen Yu suddenly understood.
Of course—
He didn't actually remember who this guard was.
But since the guard mentioned a tip, it meant he was likely on patrol at the city gate. One doesn't hit a smiling face. Chen Yu saw no need to be overly concerned about such a matter.
"It's me, you remember!"
The goatee was full of smiles. "Ms. Kailin is traveling with you, are you two..."
"This is my superior," Kailin introduced with a serious expression, and Chen Yu slightly raised his eyebrows. "You two know each other?"
"Not really!"
The goatee replied with a smile.
"Ms. Kailin was recruiting in the city yesterday, and I escorted her to the recruitment hall. Ms. Kailin was very generous, offering salaries significantly higher than our city's. Many residents in the city are now waiting for Ms. Kailin at the recruitment hall."
Chen Yu nodded.
Hiring at high salaries was approved by Chen Yu.
The group urgently needed to replenish and expand its personnel. To get the city's residents willing to invest in Chen Yu's enterprises, they had to offer high salaries to poach them.
Otherwise—
Why would the people who had lived in the city for so long be willing to work for Chen Yu?
Furthermore, Chen Yu wasn't short of money.
Using money to pave the way.
This was Chen Yu's core strategy for transitioning from an outsider survivor to integrating into the core living circle of the city's natives.
"Kailin, since there are people waiting for you at the recruitment hall, you should hurry over," Chen Yu whispered, glancing sideways. "Remember, be very careful with your selection."
"Please rest assured, Camp Master."
"Also, remember that gourmet street I told you about. Go there and buy all their candied chestnuts. Also, purchase the Obsidian, Blood Pills, and Water Condensation schematics."
"Understood."
Kailin, wearing a storage bracelet, surged into the city gate. The goatee specifically dispatched two guards to escort her, while he stayed with Chen Yu.
Kailin was generous.
But she was merely Chen Yu's employee.
At the time, Kailin had directly deposited 1000 gold coins as a deposit in the recruitment hall to expand publicity. Chen Yu, as her superior, could be imagined in terms of his strength.
The goatee now saw Chen Yu as a major wealthy patron.
Serving him well would be beneficial.
"May I know how to address you, Sir?" the goatee who stayed behind asked with a smile. Chen Yu glanced at him. "My surname is Chen, Chen Bantian."
"Chen?"
The goatee was momentarily stunned.
"That's an unusual surname," the goatee said with a slight smile. "You're probably not from our kingdom, are you?"
"Oh?"
Chen Yu raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"What makes you say that?"
"Looking at you, Sir, you appear to be human. Humans in our area don't have single-character surnames," the goatee said softly. "Your appearance is also typically that of an Eastern human. If I'm not mistaken, you must be from a distant Eastern land."
"Ha..."
"I heard you say you want to purchase Blood Pills, Obsidian, and Water Condensation schematics. You're planning to develop within our kingdom, right?"
The goatee's expression became more smug, as if he were congratulating himself.
Unexpectedly,
Chen Yu suddenly raised his hand and patted his shoulder, smiling thinly.
"You are very intelligent."