Chapter 34: Human Trafficking, Cat-Eared Girls

Suddenly, the bespectacled boy’s eyes lit up as a thought struck him. "I know why Chen Fan said that."

"Quick, tell us why!"

The boy explained his reasoning, placing particular emphasis on the falling apple. The crowd finally realized the truth and began replanting their saplings. However, some remained indifferent, thinking Chen Fan was being a busybody. Little did they know that without his warning, they would have struggled to survive the coming winter.

Chen Fan did not head to the Sheep Village immediately. New people would be arriving today to buy supplies, especially food, so he needed to inform Rem of the new prices. Returning to the wooden cabin, he found Rem working in the fields, using bone meal to accelerate the crops' growth. He called her over and gave her the updated price list for food; with the exception of bread, all other food items were to be exchanged only for gold coins. He then left her two iron axes and an iron sword, instructed her on their prices, and told her to list the rest on the trading platform.

With everything arranged, Chen Fan gathered sufficient food, emeralds, diamonds, and five stacks each of logs and stone. According to An Haoran, the Sheep Village was located about two kilometers to the northwest—a distance not too far, but not easy to find. On the way, he encountered three supply crates, from which he obtained basic food, water, and two thick down quilts.

Half an hour later, Chen Fan checked his map again to verify his location. After circling the area and finding no signs of a village, he grew puzzled; he should have been heading in the right direction based on An Haoran’s instructions. He continued a bit further until he finally spotted the mark of a village in the top-right corner of his map. A smile appeared on his face as he quickened his pace.

Soon, he saw a cluster of uneven little houses. They were small—some even smaller than An Haoran’s. A few didn't even have houses, just wool carpets spread out on the grass serving as stalls. Each stall was accompanied by two llamas. The market was bustling with people coming and going, and he even spotted some people from the Blue Star among them.

Chen Fan wandered around, occasionally stopping at a stall to see what was for sale. A moment later, he noticed a shop twice the size of the others, with a small cabin behind it and a cat-eared girl as the proprietor. Seeing Chen Fan approach, the owner set down her bowl and chopsticks and stood up with great enthusiasm. "Sir, what can I help you with?"

"Let me see your inventory list."

"Certainly." The owner handed him the list with a smile. As he looked it over, he was surprised to find cherry blossom saplings, various pieces of jewelry, and women’s clothing, such as cat-ear headbands, handmade bracelets, and traditional folding fans. Chen Fan looked up at the owner and noticed her cat ears twitching slightly. She exuded a unique sweetness and charm, a sense of cuteness that made him feel a sudden, impulsive urge to touch her ears.

Chen Fan quickly steadied his mind, handed the list back, and said, "Six cherry blossom saplings, three cat-ear headbands, and three fleece-lined wool sweaters."

"Very well, sir. That will be 60 logs and 660 gold coins in total."

After completing the transaction, Chen Fan left the stall. The wool sweaters were a bit pricey at 200 gold coins each; if they weren't women’s clothing, he would have liked one for himself.

As he continued browsing, a commotion drew his attention. A crowd had gathered nearby, and curiosity drove him to push through the throng. Before his eyes stood a greasy man with a large beer belly, busy tying ropes tightly to a fence. Several young girls stood nearby, their expressions filled with terror and helplessness.

"Step right up, don't miss out! You can't lose, you can't be cheated!" the greasy man shouted at the top of his lungs.

"This wouldn't be..." Chen Fan stared at the scene, his mind racing. It was his first time witnessing a human slave trade so vividly. A bystander, noticing Chen Fan’s naive expression, couldn't help but tease him. "Haha, brother, find this unbelievable? It’s perfectly normal. Here, people can be sold in the market. If you take a liking to anyone, you can buy them and take them home as servants."

Chen Fan frowned in disbelief. It seemed there were no laws in this world; this was simply a way of life. It was truly nothing like Minecraft, yet the more he saw, the more interested he became. This was a real world—a place to fight against people and monsters alike. As the crowd grew, the man began the auction, starting the bidding at five thousand gold coins. Hearing that figure, Chen Fan shook his head. He only had a little over a thousand coins; he couldn't afford a single slave. After watching for a while longer, he turned and headed home.

On his way back, while passing through the forest, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind:

[Congratulations to "Chen Fan" for reaching level 40. Health, hunger, and thirst attributes have each increased by one point.]

"?"

Chen Fan was stunned for a moment before snapping back to reality. It seemed the experience gained from the kills made by Rem and the others was being funneled to him. He hadn't expected this world to have a survival mode, though it was slightly different; the "Bear Grylls" mode usually granted an extra bar of health and hunger every five levels. To require level 40 was truly "extreme survival."

Humming a tune, Chen Fan walked home. Upon arriving, he saw his shop was packed with people—even more than the day before. Rem was busy inside, juggling bread and weapons. Seeing the booming business, the corners of Chen Fan's mouth curled upward.

He hadn't taken more than a few steps before an impatient person in line called out to him. "Hey you, don't you know the rules? Can't you see we're all waiting in line?"

"Exactly! Everyone is waiting patiently. Why are you cutting in? Get to the back!"

Most of them were desperate to buy food and weren't in the mood to be polite. Chen Fan was a bit baffled. He smiled and said, "This is my house. Is there a problem?"

As he started to step forward, a burly man with a short temper blocked his path, sneering, "Just because you say it's your house doesn't mean it is. I'm Chen Fan, the great player!" He raised a fist the size of a sand pot and shouted, "Get to the back of the line, or I'll beat you until you don't know which way is up!"

Chen Fan looked at the burly man with a smile, not the least bit angry. He asked back, "If you are Chen Fan, then who am I?"

Just as the man was about to explode, Rem finished handing a loaf of bread to the first person in line. She looked up, saw Chen Fan, and her eyes lit up as she called out, "Master! You're back!"