Our neighborhood has been transported again.

Chapter 159 Cooperation (Third Update)
Zou Jianghe's eyes brightened slightly, and he leaned forward, "Then what kind of goods can they accept as part of a trade?"

After thinking for a moment, Luo Gang said, "We also buy rare minerals, animal hides, ivory, deer antlers, bear paws and other mountain products, as well as medicinal herbs that are of good quality and have been stored for a long time."

Currently, the two merchant groups we've encountered both originate from a dynasty called Dayong, which is an ancient historical period.

"What about weapons?" Zou Jianghe pressed. "Can we buy weapons from them?"

Luo Gang shook his head with a wry smile: "It might be a bit difficult. I've inquired and found out that in Dayong, it is strictly forbidden to privately possess weapons such as bows, crossbows, guns, and knives. Anyone who privately possesses one weapon will be punished with ten strokes of the cane, and anyone who privately possesses five or more will be sentenced to death. Furthermore, iron goods from Jiangnan cannot be transported north, and there are basically no weapons for sale among the people there. So we can only trade some daily necessities."

"They're so strict about it." Zou Jianghe leaned back in his chair in disappointment. "I feel that ranged weapons are more effective at dealing with these wild beasts."

Zou Jianghe then asked, "Will there be any caravans today?"

"It's hard to say," Luo Gang shook his head. "The arrival time of these merchants is random, but once they arrive, we can talk to them and ask them to stay a little longer. I can let you know when they arrive."

Zou Jianghe nodded, "That's fine."

Luo Gang picked up his water glass and took a sip. "Besides the merchants, there's something else. These past two days, our students conducted a search of the surrounding area and discovered an altar in the canyon to the east. Near the altar, there's also a group of Gobi Desert monitor lizards."

Upon hearing this, Zou Jianghe paused, his eyes flickering slightly. "You mean..."

"I hope everyone can cooperate sincerely. There are more than ten Gobi Desert monitor lizards. As long as we work together, we may be able to complete the mission," Luo Gang said.

"How can we cooperate? The mission to hunt Gobi Desert monitor lizards requires killing ten. Can you ensure that all ten are finished off by the same person?" Zou Jianghe frowned slightly. "I think it's very difficult."

"Perhaps... it doesn't have to be that complicated," Qin Ziwen said, sitting in the chair.

Seeing that the two of them were looking at him, Qin Ziwen calmly said, "After I got first place, the Homestead rewarded me with a guild card."

He explained the advantages of guild cards in hunting, and how guild members share progress.

Zou Jianghe was envious. "Guilds actually offer these kinds of benefits."

Luo Gang said in a deep voice, "We should have said it sooner."

At this point, Luo Gang suddenly realized his mistake and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I was presumptuous."

If Qin Ziwen had said this before last night, he would have only suspected that Qin Ziwen had ulterior motives.

But after fighting the giant hyena last night, they truly realized the difficulty of this mission.

“If what you’re saying is true, then your guild’s twenty spots are very important!” Luo Gang said solemnly. “They can greatly increase our chances of completing the mission.”

After hesitating for a moment, Luo Gang said, "It would be best to select an elite team from the community to form a core team of twenty people. Of course, the guild is yours after all, so you can choose the members yourself, but I still hope to get one spot. I recommend someone, Cao Biansheng, he is very suitable."

Zou Jianghe's hand holding the water glass trembled slightly. He looked at Luo Gang suspiciously, "Are you serious?"

He wasn't familiar with Cao Biansheng, but based on the information he'd gathered in the past two days, Cao Biansheng was probably one of the top five students, and he had a high reputation among the boys, especially in the hunting team.

Alright, alright, so you're playing this game, huh?

Using the guise of recommendation, you're actually eliminating dissidents! I never expected you to be like this, Teacher Luo.

Zou Jianghe gently blew a breath, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Cao Biansheng?" Qin Ziwen was surprised. He said that he only wanted to gain the initiative during the hunt, and he never thought that he could poach Cao Biansheng!

This was a highly respected figure among the students. Luo Gang looked at him with a calm expression.

Qin Ziwen asked, "Does Cao Biansheng himself agree?"

Luo Gang said softly, "He will agree."

Seeing the two seemingly exchanging glances, Zou Jianghe coughed twice, "Ahem, President Qin, since you've already given Teacher Luo a spot, my Alliance also wants one."

Qin Ziwen laughed and said, "Okay, but this time we're forming an elite hunting team, so Chairman Zou would be best off recommending someone who can fight."

Need someone who can fight?

Zou Jianghe sensed something was amiss upon hearing this, and immediately mumbled, "Okay, I'll go back and think about the candidates more."

Luo Gang then sent someone to summon Cao Biansheng and proposed that he join Qin Ziwen's guild.

Cao Biansheng was taken aback. "Old Luo, are you kicking me out?"

Luo Gang said, "It's not that I'm kicking you out, it's that this mission requires everyone's cooperation. I even got this spot from Chairman Qin! You have the ability, so you should contribute to the community."

Cao Biansheng lowered his head, remained silent for a long time, and finally nodded: "Okay."

"It's not enough to just say it's good. Now that you've joined, you have to consider yourself part of the team. Otherwise, you should stay," Luo Gang said calmly.

Cao Biansheng turned around and said earnestly, "Captain Qin, I look forward to your guidance in the future."

Luo Gang then said to Qin Ziwen, "Captain Qin, Xiao Cao is a student in my class. I taught him for three years and went through hardships with him for a month, so I know him quite well. He is usually a bit simple-minded, but he becomes smarter when hunting."

Cao Biansheng's lips twitched; for a moment, he couldn't tell whether Lao Luo was praising him or insulting him.

"I know, let's all work together sincerely!" Qin Ziwen laughed heartily.

He then sent a guild invitation to Cao Biansheng, who accepted and joined the guild.

"Yes, we will try our best to cooperate with you on the hunt tomorrow. Let's come up with a plan tonight."

"Now that the candidates have been decided, I wish everyone good luck in tomorrow's hunt," Luo Gang said.

“Alright, I’ll have the hunting teams below cooperate with you tomorrow.” Zou Jianghe stood up. “Okay, it’s getting late, Teacher Luo. If any more merchant teams arrive, remember to contact me.”

After Zou Jianghe left, Qin Ziwen asked, "Teacher Luo, do you have any professional carpenters here?"

Luo Gang pondered for a moment, then nodded: "There is one."

Qin Ziwen said, "I would like to ask this carpenter for a favor and to make some things."

"what?"

"Vehicle-mounted crossbow," Qin Ziwen uttered.

“You guys can even make this? That’s great! I’ll have Master Wei come over and help you right now.” Luo Gang readily agreed, then paused and continued, “If you can make a vehicle-mounted crossbow, then we don’t need to rush to hunt tomorrow. We can deal with the Gobi Desert Giant Lizards after the crossbows are made. Do you have enough manpower? If not, I can send some more clever students over and try to make several at once.”

(End of this chapter)