"There's no need to give me the formula for the secret medicine. Just sell it to me at cost price in the future."

The bus started moving.

Cheng Ye waved his hand. Right now, he couldn't be bothered to look for Mutated Crystals to prepare these secret medicines.

As for whether these secret medicines could form a product line to make money, if it was feasible, Master Tian would have tried it long ago.

"Uh, Inspector Cheng, the price I reported to you for the Trauma Medicine is actually the cost price. If the market price of the raw materials goes up, I still have to sell it at around 85 coins."

"These materials are easy to find. However much you want, I can prepare that much."

"But those two bottles of medicine... I only have two and a half bottles in total. I'll give you two bottles, and keep the remaining half for emergencies."

Master Tian finished speaking and, before Cheng Ye could ask, he explained:

"The main ingredient for the Energy Secret Medicine and Life Secret Medicine isn't the Mutated Crystal, but the heart of a Pond Frog. This stuff only appears on the dried-up riverbeds every winter, so you have to find it on the spot and make it on the spot."

"And I haven't left Shelter City in winter for many years, so the medicine is being used up more and more."

Pond Frog?

Cheng Ye silently noted the name in his heart and glanced at the prescription list Master Tian handed over.

Hmm, it's indeed very complex.

A dense array of dozens of materials, and I don't even know how he managed to mix it all up.

"I didn't develop it. It's from a..."

Master Tian paused, "a task I did in the past, a reward from the employer."

"Was it given willingly, or did you ask for it?"

"Sort of willingly."

Hearing the mocking tone in Cheng Ye's words, Master Tian sounded a bit embarrassed, "My name is Tian Wuying. Inspector Cheng, if you don't mind, you can call me Shadow."

"Better not, sounds like I'm meeting with a hitman, let's just stick with Master Tian."

Cheng Ye smiled and tactfully refused.

Back then, Liu Bi had repeatedly insisted for days to help him at the checkpoint so he wouldn't be overshadowed by people like Cheng Long. He insisted on addressing each by their own rank, and not to call him Uncle B, but Brother B, to raise his status. Otherwise, even though everyone at the checkpoint was an Inspector, they'd have to greet each other as uncles and elders.

But Master Tian was already over fifty. It would be awkward to call him like a peer.

"As you wish."

Master Tian smacked his lips, "Inspector Cheng, you're a good man."

"A good man?"

Cheng Ye shook his head and looked out the window. It seemed like there was a hint of dark clouds gathering on the horizon.

Though not prominent, they weighed heavily in his field of vision, giving him a vague sense of heaviness that made it hard to conjure other thoughts.

"Did you listen to the weather report this morning?"

"I did. Today happened to be broadcasted by Little Sun. 99% of people wouldn't miss it."

"When's it going to rain?"

"It seemed to say it will be two days later, or maybe three days later. Anyway, the rain front is still near our Chuan City."

"Three days later..."

Eighty years ago, the hallmark of Stone Province was frequent rain, and though there was no record of floods, continuous rainy seasons lasting one or two months was common.

This year's rainfall in Chuan City, where Happiness City is located, isn't actually much compared to previous years.

But the problem is with the unusual weather pattern, where each rainfall is either a torrential downpour or a sudden burst, making accurate forecasting difficult.

Cheng Ye responded with a sound and then stopped talking, leaning against the window to take a short nap.

When the bus slowly came to a halt at the terminal, he stood up and fished out some coins from his pocket.

"Five hundred coins, bring me three more bottles tomorrow, keep the rest as payment."

One bottle is 80 coins, six bottles are 480 coins, 20 coins as a labor fee.

"Okay."

Master Tian didn't stand on ceremony and cheerfully accepted the five 100-value Happiness Coins, blowing on them in his palm.

"Are you in need of money?"

"Not in great need right now, but need to prepare in advance for winter."

"Are you going to hide out somewhere this year?"

"Yes, this year's a bit unusual. I have a hideout outside, staying hidden for ten days to half a month is no problem."

Master Tian spoke frankly. This isn't considered a secret in the Buffer Zone.

To completely block a large-scale infection, it's easier said than done. Even if the majority is intercepted, just one or two escaping can drive people to desperation.

Therefore, many savvy individuals hide outside the city before winter comes and return when spring arrives.

It's a kind of reverse migration, coincidentally opposite Happiness City's bird migration plan.

After getting off the bus.

Unexpectedly, Matthew Lee also got off another bus, and they ran into each other.

"Don't you usually arrive just on time every day?"

Cheng Ye took out his Defense Communication and looked. It was only 7:42, unlike Matthew Lee's usual style.

"Don't mention it, the Buffer Zone is almost filled with Starfish Infected Bodies, it's so overwhelming!" Matthew Lee sighed, quickening his steps to walk alongside Cheng Ye, lowered his voice, and asked,

"So, how was it? Did the two moves I taught you yesterday work?"

Ah, here he is, seeking credit.

Cheng Ye smiled, pulled out a bottle of Trauma Medicine from his backpack, "Trauma Medicine enhanced with Mutated Crystals, it works well, thanks!"

"Oh, I really can't accept this."

Matthew Lee took it, smiling so broadly that the wrinkles on his face spread like flowers.

Although he wasn't in need of such trinkets, Cheng Ye's attitude made him feel distinctly cheerful inside.

"I guess, with your inquisitive nature, you'd surely ask why doesn't this method work, and why none of the other Inspectors use it?"

Anticipating Cheng Ye's question, Matthew Lee carried on, "There's always a chance for error in everything. Maybe the method I taught you has a failure rate of just one in ten thousand, but if luck isn't on your side and you happen to hit that one, and encounter an untraceable Starfish, the price you'll have to pay..."

He paused, tapping his chest where his badge was pinned: "The less you do, the fewer mistakes you make, and if you do nothing, there's no mistake. Our Inspectors' equipment hasn't been updated for over ten years, it's still the old useless three-piece set, long since caught up by other Shelter Cities. I know you want to mention those gadgets in the box, they're just toys the Technology Faction gave us for comfort. With the infected bodies it can detect, I can recognize them at a glance."

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