Chapter 31: The Shop Opens

At this moment, he was holding a woman by his side, a smug grin plastered across his face. Standing behind him were several underlings, each with a different demeanor, yet all showing him the utmost respect.

Gu Feng suddenly burst into laughter. "Haha, this Chen Fan is a real idiot. To think he’d actually be willing to sell such top-tier gear."

Beside him, a green-haired underling, his face filled with fawning smiles, leaned forward and said eagerly, "Boss, with gear like that, you’ll be invincible in this area."

Gu Feng curled his lip, his expression one of disdain and arrogance. "Hmph, this is just the beginning. My goal is to rule this entire world."

"The boss is brilliant!" the underlings chimed in unison, their voices thick with awe and sycophancy.

Gu Feng’s face darkened instantly as he snapped, "Have you found out where Chen Fan is yet?"

"Not yet, Boss. We aren't even sure if he’s in our sector."

"Don't worry, keep looking. Once we find him, everything he has will be ours."

Gu Feng thought to himself: with a group of over a dozen people, why should he fear one man? When the time came, he would just have his underlings swarm him; dealing with Chen Fan would be a piece of cake.

...

Elsewhere, Chen Fan stepped out of his wooden cabin and opened the chat channel, continuing to send messages as he usually did to search for Lin Haojie and the others. At the same time, he headed toward the wandering merchant, planning to trade for today’s iron axe.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of several figures emerging from the bushes. Three of them were carrying stone swords. They looked excited, pointing and gesturing as they spoke.

"Look at that building there. Could that be the shelter of the big boss, Chen Fan?"

"It’s highly likely. There are very few people right now with buildings and farmland like that. Let’s go over and ask if it’s him."

"Sigh! We’re struggling just to find food, having to cut down trees just to get apples, and Boss Chen already has his own farm."

"Enough talk, that person is watching us. Let's go over and see."

As they spoke, they walked toward Chen Fan’s cabin. When they were about five or six meters away, they stopped, their faces filled with respect.

"Excuse me, are you Chen Fan?" one youth wearing glasses asked, looking at him with great deference.

Chen Fan looked at the group, said nothing, and simply nodded.

The group’s faces lit up with joy as they exchanged looks. One of them opened his interface and posted Chen Fan’s location to the regional channel.

"Wow, I finally saw the boss in person."

"Brother Fan’s name is legendary; I truly admire you."

...

The group immediately began flattering him, leaving Chen Fan feeling incredibly awkward. If this kept up, the cringe would be enough to build a three-bedroom apartment. He quickly interrupted them. "Stop! Say what you have to say. If you’re here to buy things, you’re welcome."

In the next second, Chen Fan’s expression turned fierce. "But if you’re here to cause trouble... suffer the consequences!"

He emphasized the last four words with a chilling tone.

The group immediately realized they had gone a bit overboard. The bespectacled youth quickly stated their intentions.

"Boss Chen, would it be alright if we built our houses near yours? Also, we’re here to buy gear. Do you happen to have any spares left?"

He had actually considered trying to rob him on the way over, but unfortunately, he was too slow to snatch anything.

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan’s face broke into a broad smile. "Yes, absolutely. I have whatever you need."

"That’s fantastic!" The bespectacled youth grinned and pulled 80 gold coins from his inventory. "I want a leather jacket."

"You got it." Chen Fan beamed as he took the jacket from his inventory and handed it over, then looked at the others. "What do you all need? My prices are very fair."

The remaining few looked at each other. They only knew how to make basic stone tools and furnaces. If they didn't buy anything, what would they do if they encountered danger and the big boss refused to help?

"Boss Chen, I want a stone axe!"

"Brother Fan, my name is Li Mengyao. I want seeds and a stone hoe!"

As soon as these words were out, everyone looked at Li Mengyao in surprise, wondering why they hadn't thought of that request themselves. With seeds, they could grow food and wouldn't have to chew on rotten flesh every day.

"I have them, but seeds aren't cheap. Can you afford them?"

"Brother Fan, just tell us the price so we know if we can afford it."

Hearing her ask, Chen Fan threw out a random price: "Seeds are 200 gold coins each."

The group gasped in unison. Buying a single leather jacket had already emptied their life savings. After some brief pleasantries, and with Chen Fan’s permission, they began building their wooden cabins sixty or seventy meters away.

Watching them build, Chen Fan’s mind was already spinning with his own schemes. He soon stopped paying attention and left the cabin to find the wandering merchant.

...

The group building the cabins sighed as they worked. They looked out at the surrounding wilderness, thinking of how they had to struggle just to cut down trees and pick fruit for a bit of food, while Chen Fan was self-sufficient with his farm.

The bespectacled youth complained while working, "When will this life ever end? Eating rotten flesh every day—I feel like vomiting just looking at it now."

"Exactly. If only we had the skills Boss Chen has, then we wouldn't have to worry about food or clothing."

"I wonder how he does it. If only he could teach us."

"Do you think Boss Chen is looking for help? He’s farming and running a shop. If I could, I’d work for half a loaf of bread a meal."

They began to discuss it fervently. Although they had built houses near Chen Fan’s, the food problem remained unsolved.

Suddenly, the one who had been quiet until now whispered, "What if... we sneak into Boss Chen’s house..."

"Are you trying to get us killed? That’s theft!" The bespectacled youth interrupted him hurriedly. "Don't forget, the boss is a man who has killed a Boss monster. If we get caught, there won't even be bones left."

"Don't get so worked up. We could just help him tend to the farm, pull some weeds. If he sees us helping, he might give us a reward."

"That doesn't sound right. If he misunderstands, we’re finished."

They argued back and forth, with a few of them unwilling to take the risk, feeling it was a gamble with their lives.

Just then, the sound of light footsteps and laughter drifted from the woods. The group looked over curiously and saw two beautiful women emerging from the trees.

They were walking hand-in-hand, their faces full of cheerful smiles, and had not yet noticed Li Mengyao and the others.

Some of the men began to whisper among themselves.

"Wow, those two ladies are stunning!"

"I’d give anything to have a woman like that warming my bed."

The bespectacled youth noticed something off. "Wait, they’re heading toward Boss Chen’s cabin. Could they be thieves?"

Just as Rem reached out to open the wooden door, the bespectacled youth shouted, "Stop! That’s Boss Chen’s house—are you trying to get yourselves killed?"

Rem and Ram turned at the sound, seeing four people running toward them, and immediately drew their iron swords, ready for combat.