Chapter 158 - 144: Contact, Exploration
’The bird is so close, they must have noticed it. It looks like they aren’t worried.’
After getting closer, Qin Ziwen said, "Has Chairman Zou arrived yet?"
"No."
Qin Ziwen gestured for Qin Ziwu to place the box on the ground.
"Alright, we’re delivering the first batch now."
The students standing nearby crowded around. Seeing the beautiful white porcelain bowls in the box, they began to shout with excitement one after another.
"Finally, we don’t have to eat with our hands anymore!"
"My handmade earthenware bowl can finally be retired."
"You guys had it good. I haven’t used a bowl since we transmigrated. I’ve been using a banana leaf to wrap my food every time."
"I’m a student, I’ll take one first."
"Damn it, who here isn’t a student? Get in line!"
Watching the excited students, a faint smile appeared on Luo Gang’s face. He turned to Qin Ziwen and said, "Chairman Qin, we have beast bones, beast hides, and iron ore here. What would you like as payment?"
Qin Ziwen asked, "Can I see the beast hides?"
"Xiaopan, take a few of the boys to the warehouse and bring down some more beast hides," Luo Gang called out.
A tall girl responded and stepped forward. She had bright eyes and a dazzling smile, with a sturdy physique that showed she clearly worked out often. "Okay, Teacher Luo."
She rolled up her sleeves and shouted, "I need a few strong guys to come with me and carry stuff!"
"Coming, Sister Pan!"
"On my way, on my way."
Several boys from the crowd sprinted over.
Before long, Xiaopan returned, leading three male students downstairs, each carrying large bundles of beast hides.
They dropped them on the ground with a THUD, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Qin Ziwen glanced over them.
The hides varied in size.
There were wild boar hides, crocodile skins, and rabbit pelts. He even saw a leopard skin.
"These will do. Teacher Luo, how do you propose we trade?" Qin Ziwen nodded.
"Just take any two bundles," Luo Gang said.
Qin Ziwen was surprised. That was a lot of hides; one bundle contained about seven or eight of them.
𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
But on second thought, he realized the porcelain bowls and three large iron woks he had brought were also quite valuable.
At this stage, without a unified currency, trades were based not on absolute value but on supply and demand.
"Down!"
Qin Ziwen waved to the Beaked Eagle overhead.
The Beaked Eagle descended rapidly.
It caused the surrounding crowd to back away, leaving a large open space for it.
"Don’t be nervous. It’s mine," Qin Ziwen said, partly to prevent it from being accidentally injured.
There wasn’t much cover in the Gobi Desert, so the Beaked Eagle’s presence was impossible to hide.
If it got accidentally shot by a Crossbow one day for flying too close to the Gated Community, it would be a huge mess.
"You raised this thing!" Cao Biansheng’s eyes widened, filled with envy. It was just what he’d expect from the man ranked number one in the Gated Community.
"Yes," Qin Ziwen nodded.
The students gathered around covered their mouths, staring at the Beaked Eagle in astonishment.
Luo Gang’s eyes lit up as well.
He quickly realized its strategic value.
An aerial unit would allow for much faster reconnaissance of the surrounding environment.
This was especially true here in the Gobi Desert, where there were few trees and the view was wide open.
Being able to fly would be a massive help, whether for tracking the movements of animal herds or searching for water sources. It would save an incredible amount of time.
A single bird was comparable to an entire Hunting Group!
After a moment of hesitation, Luo Gang said, "Chairman Qin, why don’t you take the other two bundles of hides as well."
"I couldn’t possibly," Qin Ziwen said, somewhat taken aback.
Luo Gang smiled. "You’re probably taking these hides to be processed, right? You can always trade with us again after they’re processed. We don’t have any facilities for tanning hides here."
He paused, then continued, "Regarding the information sharing we agreed on earlier, it now seems we’re the ones getting the better end of the deal."
"Judging by its appearance, this must be a Beaked Eagle. Although it’s a bit larger than a typical one, I can tell it has been raised with great care. With a Beaked Eagle, you don’t need to cooperate with us to find water. If there’s a water source nearby, you could easily find it with the bird’s help. These hides are a show of our sincerity," Luo Gang said earnestly.
Qin Ziwen now understood why this man had become the leader of these students.
Despite being the nominal leader of over five hundred students, there wasn’t a trace of arrogance in his words or actions.
Qin Ziwen offered a tip, "Alright. Our entire Gated Community was transported here, so most families should have extra bedding. The temperature in the Gobi Desert fluctuates wildly between day and night. You could try trading with the residents for some quilts."
"Understood. Thank you for the reminder," Luo Gang smiled, but his expression immediately darkened. "Cao Biansheng!"
Cao Biansheng had, at some point, snuck up to the Beaked Eagle. He stared at the giant bird, which was taller than a man, his eyes full of awe.
He knew a tamed bird of prey was completely different from a wild one. If he had encountered a beast this large in the wild, there would have been no way to observe it so closely.
"Hold on, Old Luo," Cao Biansheng said, rubbing his hands together. "Bro, I really want to touch it."
The Beaked Eagle eyed the human who was stealthily approaching it.
"That’s up to the bird," Qin Ziwen said, neither giving nor denying permission.
Cao Biansheng licked his lips, extended his hands, and slowly approached the Beaked Eagle.
The Beaked Eagle made a warning sound in its throat and spread its wings.
Its broad wings blotted out a large patch of sunlight and stirred up a strong gust of wind.
Cao Biansheng quickly stopped in his tracks.
Watching with regret as the Beaked Eagle folded its wings and walked away, he muttered to himself that he needed to get a pet of his own.
Qin Ziwen said to Luo Gang, "Teacher Luo, this hunt has made me consider a few possibilities. For instance, if an animal herd is attacked, it’s very likely to migrate away, leaving us with no herds to hunt nearby. So, if we encounter a large herd, I hope we can cooperate on a collective hunt, surrounding it from multiple directions."
After pondering for a moment, Luo Gang nodded. "I think that’s a good idea. If you find a large herd, you can contact me anytime. I’m usually here."
"Alright, then we won’t disturb you any further."
Having completed the trade, Qin Ziwen returned with the four bundles of beast hides.
It was still morning. He planned to spend the first day conducting a rough survey of the geography around the Gated Community.
Ever since the Beaked Eagle’s second enhancement, it had become difficult to attach a small backpack to its chest.
Therefore, the new backpack he had sewn was placed lower down on its neck.
Just like before, he attached his phone to it.
"Be careful, and try not to get into fights with other birds."
With a flap of its wings, the Beaked Eagle soared into the sky.
The Beaked Eagle circled for over ten minutes at an altitude of a thousand meters before starting its return. But just as it was heading back...
A swarm of small black dots approached it from the west.
The Beaked Eagle accelerated, diving toward the rooftop of the Gated Community.
The small black dots pursued it. As they got closer, their distinctive silhouettes allowed Qin Ziwen to recognize them at a glance—Winged Dragons!
However, these Winged Dragons weren’t very large, with wingspans of only about two meters. But there were many of them, at least ten or twenty.
Although they had already learned from the Hunting Celestial List that this Gobi Desert was home to extinct creatures from the age of dinosaurs...
...when the creatures actually drew near, the people on the rooftop couldn’t help but feel their blood boil with excitement.
This was a clash across tens of millions of years.
Du Yu drew her Bow and nocked an arrow, preparing to aim.
Qin Ziwen took out his Compound Bow, his eyes fixed on the Winged Dragons following behind the Beaked Eagle.
"GAAAA—!"
In the sky, the Winged Dragons spotted the humans on the rooftop.
Facing these strange, unfamiliar creatures, they remained vigilant and did not approach rashly.
Instead, they circled high above, letting out a continuous, grating cry.
"GAAAA—!" "GAAAA—!"
Down in the Gated Community, many residents had spotted the Winged Dragons.
"Mom, look! Dinosaurs!" a child shouted, pointing at the Winged Dragons in the sky.
His mother quickly scooped him up and scurried back inside the building.
The Winged Dragons circled for a while longer before flying off toward the west.
In the distance to the west stood several tall rock pillars and a continuous stretch of cliffs. The flock of Winged Dragons eventually landed on top of these pillars and cliffs.
...
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