Ground Stars / 地上星 · Ch.120 第120章 大甲方！ 清神香丸！ -3
第120章 大甲方！ 清神香丸！ –3
Chapter 120: The Big Client! The Mind-Clearing Incense Pills! –3
山区西南六七十里处，箜山大棚区的副棚主正从紧急召开的会场中，思索著迈门而出。
About sixty to seventy miles southwest of the mountain region, the Deputy Penglord of the Kongshan Peng Zone emerged from an urgent meeting, deep in thought as he stepped through the door.
一名面色深沉的年轻人快步跟上，在他耳边低语：
A young man with a somber expression hurried over and whispered in his ear:
「大甲方货队，似乎就是前阵子端掉荒车大货队的那伙人建的。」
“The Big Client’s Cargo Crew seems to have been founded by the same people who took down the Desert Truck Cargo Crew a while ago.”
「什么！」
“What!”
副棚主一声低呼，看了眼附近走过的棚区主管，低声对著沉稳的年轻人道：
The Deputy Penglord let out a low exclamation. Glancing at a Peng Zone supervisor passing nearby, he lowered his voice and said to the composed young man:
「刚才会上棚主问的时候，你怎么不说。」
“When the Penglord asked just now during the meeting, why didn’t you speak up?”
此人笑了笑，道：「袁昆队长最近越来越得到棚主信任了。 副棚，原本你管理的货队建设，你看现在哪里还有你插手的份儿？ 在这里太清闲，可不是件好事啊。」
The man chuckled and replied, “Captain Yuan Kun has been gaining the Penglord’s trust more and more lately. Deputy Peng, back when you were managing the Cargo Crew construction, do you think you have any say in it now? It’s hardly a good thing to be too idle here.”
副棚主脸上微变。
A flicker of unease crossed the Deputy Penglord’s face.
他扯著年轻人往前走去，「张傲，不利于兄弟和睦的话还是少说。 不过，你对袁昆的批评也是很正确的，这个人太自大了，独揽货队大权可不好。 你说，我们该怎么让他认识到自己的错误呢？」
He pulled the young man aside as they walked on. “Chang Ao, it’s best to refrain from words that might harm brotherly harmony. Still, your criticism of Yuan Kun is quite correct—that man is too arrogant. Monopolizing the Cargo Crew’s authority is hardly appropriate. Tell me, how do we make him aware of his mistake?”
张傲左右看了看，周围路过的人并没注意自己两人的交谈，于是简言道：
Chang Ao glanced around, confirming that nearby passersby weren’t paying attention to their conversation, and then said briefly:
「甲子间提前放出售卖风声，却定在下周二才开卖，中间这几天，分明是留给咱们这些大棚区斡旋的时间。」
“Jiazi Term leaked news of the sale ahead of time, yet they’ve set the official launch for next Tuesday. In the days between, they’ve clearly left us Big Peng Zone types room to negotiate.”
「没错，是这个道理。」
“Exactly, that’s how it works.”
「以袁昆的性子，肯定会借势压人，而以我了解的大甲方的当家来看，这伙计不光实力强，性格上还挺包容人。 我看，咱自家孩子自己下不去手，让别人出手敲打敲打，长长记性也挺好。」
“Given Yuan Kun’s nature, he’ll definitely leverage the situation to apply pressure. But from what I know of Major Jia’s leader, this guy isn’t just strong in capability—he’s pretty tolerant by nature. I figure, if we can’t bring ourselves to discipline our own kid, letting someone else give him a wake-up slap to teach him a lesson wouldn’t be so bad.”
副棚主闻言，脸上一愣后，端详著张傲平静的神色，嘴角慢慢扯出一丝笑意。
Upon hearing this, the Vice Penglord was momentarily stunned, then studied Chang Ao’s calm expression, a hint of a grin slowly spreading across his lips.
「张师说得有道理，那小子的确该吃点教训。」
“Master Zhang has a point. That punk really could use a lesson.”
……
天色渐变。
The sky was gradually shifting.
此刻阿雅人整个人都有点眩晕，无数心灵连结在与她联系，看的宁洋在一旁冷汗直冒。
Right now, Aya was completely dizzy, with countless mental links reaching out to her, while Ning Yang watched from the side, cold sweat pouring down his face.
「杨，杨哥，这个人出价四百年，说要全部收购，他晚上就能到。」
“Y-Yang, this person’s offered four hundred years and wants to buy us out entirely. He can be here by tonight.”
「不用管他。」
“Don’t worry about him.”
「哦。」阿雅断掉链接，马上就有无数丝线射来，她胸前密集的丝线已经形成个小光锥。
“Oh.” Aya severed the link, and instantly, countless gossamer threads shot toward her; the dense net of threads on her chest had already formed into a small cone of light.
「两百五？不卖！」阿雅果断断掉随机连到的某个心灵连接。
“Two-hundred fifty? No sale!” Aya decisively cut off a random mental connection she’d stumbled across.
仅仅几分钟，阿雅的眼界已经高得不行。
Just a few minutes in, and Aya’s criteria had already soared sky-high.
在她进行「宣告」之前，还在想杨子藏将这种香丸定价高达两百年时序，怎么会有人买。对她来说，不说一两年，一两天的寿命给予都是件艰难的事情。
Before making her “declaration,” she was still wondering why anyone would buy the incense pellets set by Yang ZiCang at a price as high as two hundred years of Chronos. To her, gifting even a day or two of lifespan, let alone a year or two, was a difficult task.
可现在，这些密密麻麻的求购信息让这个历经磨难、实则年纪尚轻的女孩彻底懵了。太多人争相出高价，对于有实力的人来说，只恨杨子藏定价太低，甚至有好几人扬言要包场。
But now, the densely packed purchase inquiries left this girl—who had endured much yet remained young at heart—utterly stunned. Too many people were vying to pay high prices; for those with means, their only regret was that Yang ZiCang had set the price too low, with several even clamoring to buy out the entire stock.
此刻阿雅意念中仿佛无数人的声音作响，但奇异的是，每一道心声都清晰的呈现，并且没有干扰到她的思绪。她突然想到，不知寺庙里高高在上的塑像，是否也是如自己这般。
At this moment, Maya’s mind seemed to resound with the voices of countless people, yet oddly, each inner thought presented itself clearly, and they did not interfere with her reflections. She suddenly wondered if the towering statues in the temple before, up on their pedestals, also endured a similar experience.
女人抬起脸，充满自信的她，一扫之前的颓容，脸上洋溢着精神饱满且明亮的光泽。
The woman lifted her face, overflowing with confidence, her previous defeated expression swept away and replaced by a radiant, vibrant glow.
「杨哥，又有人出价八百年，说有多少要多少，最低请给他留十五份。」
“Brother Yang, someone else has bid eight hundred years, saying they’ll take however many we have, but at the very least, please reserve fifteen portions for them.”
杨子藏摇摇头，「不卖。」
Yang ZiCar shook his head. “Not selling.”
对方连清神香丸是什么都不清楚就开口八百年，不是骗子就是势力过大的人物。而大佬来得太多，反而会干扰他的计划。
That person offered eight hundred years without even knowing what the Qing Shen incense pellets were; they were either a liar or someone with overwhelming power. Having too many major players coming in would instead interfere with his plans.
自己只是想找人去试探幻影的实力，并不是想将里面的宝物拱手相让。
All he wanted was to find someone to probe the strength of the Phantom Shadow, not to hand over the treasures inside willingly.
虽然自己实际是在玩火，稍不注意就会鸡飞蛋打。但另一方面来说，这时序自己不得不赚。
Though he was indeed playing with fire, a single misstep could leave him with nothing. But on the other hand, he couldn’t afford to pass upこのChronos.
莫里的技能书卖掉的时序，人家给自己随意使用，终归是别人的。自己能靠这一次赚到时序，后续不论是自己用还是给别人，抑或购置枢纽镇的资产，支配起来才心安理得。
The Chronos from selling Morris’s skill book, given to him by others for his free use, was ultimately someone else’s. If he could earn Chronos on his own this time, whether he used them himself, gave them away, or invested in Hubville assets, he could spend them with a clear conscience.
莫名的，他抬起头看向远方……佐罗。
For no reason, he lifted his head and gazed into the distance… Zorro.
「杨哥，这人说四百年求购七份。」
“Brother Yang, this guy says he wants seven copies over four hundred years.”
阿雅的声音打断了杨子藏的思绪，他点点头道：
Aya’s voice interrupted Yang Zicang’s train of thought. He nodded and said:
「这个可以考虑考虑。」
“We can consider that.”
「那我就先记着，再看看有没有更高点的出价。」阿雅主动的说道。
“I’ll note it for now and see if there are any better offers,” Aya offered voluntarily.
陈老师蹲在旁边咽了咽口水。
Professor Chen crouched nearby, swallowing hard.
他内心一直在估算，光这一会儿阿雅念叨过的时序收入，若全部同意，已至少三四万！
His mind was constantly calculating—just from the Chronos income Aya had rattled off so far, if all were agreed upon, it already amounted to at least thirty to forty thousand!
他感觉有点眩晕，这可比自己拼死拼活去弄化石遗物装备来的快当多了。
He felt a bit dizzy; this was way quicker than going out working his bones off for fossilized artifacts and gear.
同样有点晕乎的还有徐秀川等人。
Shiu Siuchuan and the others were equally dazed.
几人难以想象若从这会儿开卖到底能收入多少时序，怕是回到地球就能成为让一个城市之人都长生数百年，被人当成神灵给供起来。
They could hardly imagine how much Chronos they could earn if they started selling right now—by the time they returned to Earth, they would easily be worshipped as gods for bestowing centuries of longevity on an entire city’s population.
至于小刘几人，早就兴奋得忘乎所以了。
As for Xiao Liu and the others, they had long been ecstatic, beside themselves with joy.
「我们平时连十年二十多年都难找到。甲哥一出手，唉，不说了。」
“Even finding that kind of thing in a decade or two is rare. Big Brother Jia comes in? Ha, forget it.”
左非闲感叹：「我这般英明神武的男人，最是与老杨惺惺相惜。」
Zuo Feixian sighed, “A man as brilliant and mighty as me naturally finds a kindred spirit in Old Yang.”
「甲子间兄弟姓杨？」
“Brother Jiazi Term, your surname is Yang?”
宋棚主佩服不已，听到旁边几人的话，便好奇问道。
Song Penglord, utterly impressed and overhearing the nearby chatter, asked out of curiosity.
洛宾笑嘻嘻站了过来：「老左在扯犊子，我姓杨，名大藏，他在跟我相惜。」
Robin Lo sauntered over, grinning, “Old Zuo’s talking through his hat. My surname is Yang, given name Dacang—he’s my so-called ‘kindred thing.‘“
「大，大肠？」宋棚主错愕。
“Da, Dacang … like large intestine?” Song Penglord was stunned.
左非闲过来一脚，但洛宾更快，抬脚后发先至，「看坤！」
Zuo Feixian swung in with a kick, but Robin Lo was quicker—lifting his leg to beat him to it, “Take this crown move!”
「嗷呜——」
“OW—wooooo!”
左非闲双手下伸，整个人倒了下去。
Zuo Feixian extended both arms downward and collapsed entirely backward.
宋棚主牙齿酸了酸，什么也没说转身干活去了，还有好几个木屋还没搭好呢。
Song Penglord’s teeth clenched with sourness; without a word, he turned and went back to work—there were still several wooden cabins not yet finished.
不远处，几名棚区的妇女在为大家做好饭菜，二十多人的售货队伍喧闹的聚在一起吃大锅饭，好不热闹。
Not far away, several women from Peng Zone were preparing meals for everyone, and a group of more than twenty people of the Cargo Crew crowded together noisily, eating from a shared pot, a scene bustling and lively.
「咱们这些百货，之前我还觉得会不会太多，根本卖不掉，结果现在我看，这是不愁卖啊。」
“At first I thought these supplies we brought might be too many, impossible to sell off—but seeing things now, I think we won’t have to worry about that at all.”
「对，还是咱们货队长的眼光高。」
“Yeah, that’s the vision of our Cargo Crew Chief for you.”
旁边两个棚子中，有着成山的衣服鞋子，还有笔头墨水纸张，乃至水壶、铁锅、箱子等物品。
In the two sheds nearby, there were mountains of clothes and shoes, alongside writing brushes, ink, paper, and even items like water kettles, iron pots, and chests.
而其中最多的还要数工具，比如挖矿的镐头，伐木的砍刀、铲子等，可谓是生产生活都一应俱全。
Chief among these were tools, such as mining picks, logging machetes, and shovels—essentials for both production and daily life.
这都是上次从荒车大货队所获得的物品。
These were all items obtained from the Wasteland Wagon’s Cargo Crew last time.
其中部分手工制造的被用来做成了引擎，大多数从枢纽镇进货的因为本就是引擎所复刻，就没办法继续用作引擎的制作材料了。
Some handcrafted ones had been used to make engines, but most of the goods sourced from Hubville were themselves replicas of engines and thus could no longer serve as engine-making materials.
牛娃端着热腾腾的饭碗，「宁哥，还有甲子哥，好久没这么开心热闹了，真想一直这样啊。」
Niuwa held a steaming bowl of rice: “Brother Ning, and Brother Jiazi, it’s been ages since we’ve had such joy and liveliness. I wish it could stay this way forever.”
「住嘴，别立flag.」左非闲从板凳上跳了起来。
“Shut up, don’t jinx it!” Zuo Feixian leaped up from his stool.
他挥着筷子道：「今天是发财的日子，咱们以后都长命百岁，呸，万岁万岁，以后好饭好菜多着呢，对吧，甲队长。」
He waved his chopsticks: “Today’s a day of fortune, folks. We’re all gonna live a hundred years, no—cheers to eternal life! More good food and feast to come, right, Captain Jia?”
众人一阵哄笑，不过这话说到了大家心中。
A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd, yet his words resonated with everyone’s hearts.
虽然有「轻易」获得的寿命，但若是随时都像是活在地狱之中一般，漫长的岁月不过是一种惩罚。
Even with life “easily” gained, if every day felt like living in hell, the endless years would only be a form of punishment.
此刻他们手中的饭菜，这些在地球寻常的食物，在这世界却是大棚主们才可能每天享用的美味。
The meals they held now—ordinary food back on Earth—were delicacies in this world that only the great Penglords could enjoy daily.
若天天有这样的日子，他们觉得在此活上千年万年，也真的算是神仙了。
If they could live each day like this, they truly believed that dwelling here for millennia would indeed make them gods among mortals.
……
次日清晨，天刚蒙蒙亮，一阵轰鸣声便由远及近，一辆经过恶魇改装的轿车卷着尘土疾驰而来，车身已是狰狞怪诞的模样。
The next morning, just as dawn was barely breaking, a rumbling sound approached from afar. A car, grotesquely modified by Nightmare energy, kicked up dust as it sped closer, its body already twisted into a monstrous and bizarre form.
「各位！哈哈，大家早上好啊！」车上的人在几十米外跳下车，朝营地走来。
“Hey everyone! Haha, good morning!” A figure leaped from the vehicle a few dozen meters away and strided toward the camp.
宋棚主带人迎了上去，客气中带着警惕。有他这个「四边形」能力者在，虽然实力不算顶尖，但对低级Moexl天生具有压制力。
Song Penglord led his men forward to meet him, their greetings tinged with vigilance. With his “Quad” ability, though his strength wasn’t top-tier, he held a natural oppressive force over low-level Moxel.
「各位是来看货的吗？」
“Are you here to check on the goods?”
「是啊是啊，我们是后荒男孩，哦耶！」车上一人挥舞电吉他，手指一拨，发出刺耳的噪音。
“Yeah, yeah! We’re the Wasteland Boys, oh yeah!” One of the men in the car swung an electric guitar and plucked a string, producing a jarring screech.
他大笑着把吉他扔回车上，也翻身跳下。
Laughing heartily, he tossed the guitar back into the vehicle and jumped out to land on his feet.
宋棚主还没问完，另一边又传来马蹄声，几匹高头大马驮着人影奔来。
Before Song Penglord could finish his inquiry, the sound of hooves echoed from the other side. Several tall horses galloped into view, carrying dark silhouettes.
杨子藏静静打量着来客。
Yang ZiCang quietly observed the arrivals.
这些人头戴草帽，腰间佩着的枪械明显是恶魇所化，活像一群打扮怪异的西部牛仔。能在城市里搞到枪械类恶魇的，要么来历不凡，要么就是自己制造并降服了恶魇才获得的武器。
These men wore straw hats, their waists adorned with firearms that were clearly Nightmare-spawned, making them look like a band of eccentric western cowboys. Anyone wielding gun-type Nightmares in the city either had an extraordinary background or had personally forged and tamed them to obtain their weapons.
无论哪种，这些人的身手都不会差。
Regardless of which, these individuals were certainly no pushovers.
为首之人挽着缰绳抱拳道：「大甲方货队？幸会，我们是箜山货队，在下袁昆。」
The man at the front reined in his horse and cupped his hands in salute, saying, “A’jia Cargo Crew? Pleased to meet you. We’re the Kongshan Cargo Crew. I’m Yuan Kun.”
「欢迎光临。」
“Welcome.”
那辆狰狞的恶魇轿车缓缓驶近，马队也停在附近，七八个人聚拢过来。
That ferocious Nightmare sedan slowly drew closer, and the horse team also halted nearby, with seven or eight people gathering around.
「幸好我们正好来探查这片A级交错地，否则就错过机会了。」袁昆说道。
“It’s a good thing we happened to be scouting this A-class interweave zone, or we’d have missed the chance.” Yuan Kun said.
弹吉他的那人上前问：「不知你们卖的是什么宝贝？真能保我们平安进山？」
The man strumming the guitar stepped forward and asked, “May I ask what treasures you’re selling? Can they truly guarantee our safe passage into the mountains?”
这时有人眼尖，瞥见了旁边帐篷里木牌上的字迹。
Just then, someone with sharp eyes spotted the words on the wooden boards inside the tent beside them.
「清神香丸？」
“Clarity Incense Pills?”
「没错，正是此物能保各位安全入山。」
“Indeed. This is precisely what can ensure your safe entry into the mountains.”
左非闲迫不及待地拿起一颗香丸凑上前去。还未靠近，一股清幽香气已然飘来，几人顿觉头脑清明不少。
Zuo Feixian couldn’t wait to pick up a pill and leaned in. Before he even got close, a faint, refreshing fragrance wafted over, instantly clearing the minds of those nearby.
袁昆身旁一人闭眼深吸一口气，赞叹道：「幽香入心肺，神魂自相随。 好妙的香气。」
The person beside Yuan Kun closed his eyes and took a deep breath, praising, “A subtle scent fills heart and lungs, the soul freely follows. What a wonderful aroma.”
「不愧是酸秀才，哈哈，咱们货队里的文化人算是被这香丸给折服了。」
“As expected of a learned scholar, haha. Our Cargo Crew man of culture has indeed been captivated by these incense pills.”
袁昆大笑完，勒著缰绳冷眼道：
After a hearty laugh, Yuan Kun tightened the reins and said coldly,
「就是不知道这香丸起不起作用。」
“But we still don’t know if these pills will actually work.”
他目光扫过营地这二十多人，除个别外，大多带著小棚区特有的穷酸气息。
His gaze swept across the twenty-odd people stationed there. Except for a few, most exuded the shabby and destitute air unique to the Little Peng Zone.
只一眼，袁昆便自觉看透了这些人的底细。
With just one glance, Yuan Kun felt he had seen through these people’s true colors.