Before opening the shop, a pop-up appeared on the Merchant page. Jian Xingyi first claimed the customary level-up reward—two plots of land.

This time, the system granted him two… B-grade fields!

Jian Xingyi was quite satisfied. The system was intelligent, tailoring rewards to his current progression. Otherwise, giving him a D-grade field now… would have been worse than nothing.

After claiming the fields, Jian Xingyi entered the shop.

—The VIP Shop within the Merchant System was exclusively his.

Jian Xingyi hadn’t rushed to buy cannons from the Zombie Tide Mall precisely to compare options. The previous VIP Mall had given him Acceleration Fluid and Synthesis Fluid. He still had some Acceleration Fluid stockpiled in his backpack. His current supply of pesticides was depleted; if things didn’t improve, he’d have to resort to using the Acceleration Fluid.

Not only that, but there were also Plants vs. Zombies items—Cherry Bombs and Nut Walls.

He’d used up all his Nut Walls back in Vulcan’s Belly. After the refresh, his inventory only had two left, though he had quite a stockpile of Cherry Bombs. These little items could be useful during gate defense.

Jian Xingyi scrolled down.

No new magic potions were unlocked this time, but the Plants vs. Zombies series introduced a new item…

Huh? Not a plant?

Jian Xingyi was puzzled. What was this?

【Pot Bud: Can grow any item from the Plants vs. Zombies catalog. Rare items may appear with low probability, while withered plants appear frequently! Entirely up to the player’s luck!】

【Remaining Stock: +999】

【100 dawn coins】

This was a small sprout that could be planted in fields.

Jian Xingyi thought to himself: So this is like a gacha pool or capsule toy machine? Only costs a hundred coins, but might yield something good—or nothing at all.

Jian Xingyi: “…”

Hard to judge, especially since he was a notorious unlucky player.

Jian Xingyi scanned further down. The remaining items were farming tools the system offered based on his current upgrade progress, designed to simplify future cultivation. For example…

【Magic Shovel: Unlike ordinary shovels, soil dug up by this tool won’t regrow】

【Stock: 10】

【5000 dawn coins】

【Axe: Unlike ordinary axes, it can chop down solid trees】

【Remaining: 10】

【5000 dawn coins】

While not particularly helpful for his current situation, these items would undoubtedly be a huge boon for the future Jian Xingyi.

When Jian Xingyi was struggling to chop down trees earlier, he desperately wished someone could assist him.

However, the game map features an auto-repair function. Felled trees regenerate, and the wood obtained isn’t physical—it only appears in the backpack as icons and quantities. Thus, Jian Xingyi had to handle it himself.

This shovel was likely meant to help Jian Xingyi dig holes for gathering and farming. Otherwise, he’d have to resort to blowing things up with explosives like before, then race against time to complete tasks before the repairs finished.

Jian Xingyi checked the remaining slots. The limit was ten, meaning he could recruit a maximum of ten helpers.

Honestly, that should be enough.

Jian Xingyi continued swiping.

Nothing.

Nothing…?

Jian Xingyi rubbed his temples in frustration.

Ah…

But thinking about it, it made sense. This was the mall under the Business and Merchant System, and it was only Level 3. It probably wouldn’t carry combat items for fending off zombie hordes like the ones found in the Zombie Tide Mall.

Jian Xingyi also needed to strategize how to use his funds, which was why he hadn’t replanted crops on his fields yet.

He had to think… think about his strategy.

Currently, he had 5.48 million in total, while his personal account held less than 10,000.

Regular stores offered limited loans, the Zombie Tide Store didn’t provide loans, and his own VIP Store had unlimited loan capacity.

Therefore, he should prioritize spending the 5.48 million in the Zombie Tide Mall—cannons, for instance, were now essential.

The mall offered eight cannons, implying the system deemed at least two necessary per gate.

Jian Xingyi could only afford five, so he purchased them immediately, placing one at every main gate. He positioned the extra one at the Feiyi West Gate, as he sensed that area would prove particularly challenging.

After purchasing the cannons, Jian Xingyi took out a loan to buy 12 Pot Buds. He wasn’t entirely sure how this worked, so he decided to give it a try.

Excluding the Lava Volcano plot, he currently had 15 fields at home: 4 Grade A and 11 Grade B.

Three fields were permanently dedicated to feed crops—otherwise his sheep and cows would starve—leaving only 12 plots for the Pot-Bottomed Sprouts.

True, these two things hadn’t grown yet, but they were devouring feed like bottomless pits.

Jian Xingyi could only hope the harvest wouldn’t disappoint in meat quality and buffs—otherwise, he’d be truly out of pocket.

Jian Xingyi scattered the Pot Buds.

The advantage of these Pot Buds was their customizable growth time. For a better harvest, one could extend the period to let the buds fully develop. But if success was urgent, they could sprout in as little as an hour.

Jian Xingyi set it for five hours before going to sleep.

Four hours later, Jian Xingyi was roused by the sound of training drills nearby.

Huh…?

Jian Xingyi was momentarily dazed.

He made his way to the open area near the office and saw several squad leaders leading everyone in formation drills and scenario simulations.

For instance, how to respond if zombies appeared from this direction, how to reinforce everyone’s positions and responsibilities, or how to shift formations during unexpected situations…

Jian Xingyi noticed the fierce determination on everyone’s faces.

He glanced around. “Where’s Lone Wolf? Why isn’t he here?”

How could he be absent from this?

Heiye paused. “Ah…”

After a moment, Heiye’s expression grew somber. “Last night, besides Wenwen’s sacrifice, another person was infected. Lone Wolf went… to send him off.”

After being infected by zombies, the time until mutation depends on the severity of the wound.

Severe wounds or injuries to vital areas might trigger mutation within an hour or two; but if the wound was in a non-critical spot, it could even be delayed for several days.

Yesterday’s victim was wounded on the wrist, and the injury was quite severe. Therefore, the mutation was imminent today.

As his squad leader, Lone Wolf, along with several friends, treated him to a proper meal. Then, before the mutation took hold… they saw him off.

Heiye shook his head. “The red spider lily is too rare, too difficult to obtain. We can only be more cautious and… carry on fighting with the will of those who have fallen.”

Honestly, these words might sound a bit detached, but that’s all we can do now.

The dead cannot be brought back. We must find a way to survive.

Heiye patted his shoulder. “Let’s talk about something cheerful! This morning, everyone’s morale skyrocketed the moment they saw the cannon! I also spoke with Feiyi and explained things to him. Plus, seeing you prioritize giving him the extra cannon this morning really lifted his spirits.”

Jian Xingyi nodded. “That’s good…”

Jian Xingyi went to inspect the cannon. It truly felt reassuring.

This thing… is enormous?!

The cannon stood nearly as tall as a person, its metal barrel ending in a muzzle wider than his own face.

Jian Xingyi tapped the cannon, eliciting a deep, hollow thud.

Hope this thing proves useful after dark…

Jian Xingyi glanced around. It wasn’t midnight yet, so visibility was still decent, and everyone’s eyes had adjusted to the grayish gloom.

Last night had been brutal—the sheer number of zombies terrifying. The corpses of slain zombies could have piled up like small mountains. Yet after the zombie tide ended, all the bodies vanished in an instant.

Yet the bloodstains on the ground remained, and the air still carried the stench of decay.

Jian Xingyi noticed Cola and Firelight standing nearby, examining the cannon.

“Ah, good afternoon,” Firelight smiled. “We’re just curious about this thing.”

Considering they were allies, even comrades-in-arms who’d fought together, Jian Xingyi asked with concern, “Did you buy for Grapevine Peak?”

“We did. But honestly… our situation is unique. These cannons are customized based on the server-wide average player strength. So while they might be super useful for you guys, for us… Well, we’ll see how tonight goes. Last night, we were getting hit with giants nonstop—it just kept coming.”

Jian Xingyi paused.

The difficulty of Grapevine Peak was absurdly high. You could only say they were truly elite players, but even the elite had their own troubles.

Cola sneered, “It’s less an event and more a screening process. The system announcement said from the start not everyone could board the Ark. After this event, the players who remain will likely be the truly capable ones.”

Jian Xingyi thought to herself: So essentially, the system screens players in every round—like how guilds under 20 members got wiped out at the start.

Firelight: “Grapevine Peak has been gathering data and strategies. Many have already died this time. It’s only been two days, but two guilds have been wiped out entirely. That’s why I said you guys have Long Live for a Hundred Years—you’re already impressive. Look at our guild—we still have members infected.”

Jian Xingyi asked with concern, “Is it Nana’s boyfriend?”

“Yeah. So Nana won’t be able to come support us here anymore. She has to take over for Dawen. As for whether Dawen can be saved… we might not know until after the zombie tide ends.”

“Why?”

Firelight explained, “When a guild breaks through Level 30, they receive a red spider lily. We’re currently Level 50 and possess one. But since we only have one, and Dawen’s wound can hold out a little longer… we’ll wait a bit longer.”

Jian Xingyi understood.

Because there was only one, and what if others got injured later? So their decision was to wait until after the zombie tide ended to assess who was worth saving.

It was cruel, it was harsh, but it was also… fair.

Jian Xingyi wanted to say something else, but his system alert sounded.

Five hours were up!

“I’m off! I need to go home and check on my seeds!”

Cola sighed helplessly, “Lucky you. Got any extras I could plant too?”

Firelight chuckled, “Nice try.”

Jian Xingyi was too eager to discover what the Pot Buds were to bother responding. He dashed straight home to investigate.

Twelve Pot Buds… twelve sprouts!

Jian Xingyi took a deep breath.

Please, please…

Everyone’s already struggling enough. Please, let this be something useful…

The pot sprouts grew into small saplings, each topped with an unopened, plump, spherical bud.

Jian Xingyi’s hands trembled as she tapped the first one.

【Congratulations! Player 【Xinghe】 has obtained Cherry Bomb x2】

Jian Xingyi swallowed hard. Not great, but not bad either. After all, this item had purchase restrictions in the shop and was pretty pricey.

Jian Xingyi clicked open the second one.

【Congratulations! Player 【Xinghe】 has obtained Luck. Something better will definitely appear next time!】

Jian Xingyi: “…”

Thanks.

Jian Xingyi then tapped the remaining ones all at once, receiving a Cherry Bomb, a Nut Wall, and Luck.

He realized that Cherry Bombs and Nut Walls, as the earliest items available in the shop, were also the system-defined starter kit for new players.

But these were indeed very useful.

He had already opened 11 of the 12 Pot Buds, obtaining a total of 4 Cherry Bombs and 3 Nut Walls.

The drop rate was actually quite good.

But this was also because Jian Xingyi had maxed out his skill points, granting a planting buff, had a high-level farm, and had adjusted the timing for five hours—after all, Pot Buds required a minimum of one hour.

Now, only the final Pot Bud remained.

Jian Xingyi washed his hands—barely stopping short of burning incense and bathing—before reverently opening the final pot.

Following the pattern, this last one had to be something good!

【Congratulations! Player 【Xinghe】 has obtained Cherry Bomb x3】

“…”

Divine Gold.

【Player has obtained R-grade plants ten times consecutively. Keep up the good work!】

The system even felt the need to remind him.

Ah, well, these items weren’t exactly useless. The Nut Wall had even saved his life back in the Fire God’s Belly. If he had any extras, he could share them with the others during the zombie hordes.

After this round of testing, Jian Xingyi resolved to plant more and gamble for something valuable. After all, if R-grade plants were already this useful, imagine if he got a single top-tier item—it might just turn the tide…!

Jian Xingyi took a deep breath and bought another batch of seeds to sow. This time, he adjusted the settings and ran the experiment for three hours.

Only after completing all this did Jian Xingyi relax, sitting down in the courtyard.

Phew…

Finally, all the pots had sprouted.

With the matter he’d been preoccupied with all morning finally resolved, he now had the presence of mind to eat and reflect on the events of the day.

…Wait.

Wait!!!!

Jian Xingyi shot up with a thud, nearly knocking over his chair.

Thoughts raced through his mind in an instant.

Earlier, while everyone was practicing formations, he’d seen Heiye instructing them on how to use terrain advantages for evasion and combat.

Terrain! Terrain!

This was a defensive battle—defensive tools and terrain were paramount!

Hadn’t he spent all that money on cannons and repairing the palisades precisely to enhance the defense system?

Then… then…

Why hadn’t he bought up every axe available, mobilizing the entire guild to chop down trees? Why hadn’t he used that solid timber to build walls, forge spears, and reinforce his own palisades?!

Why didn’t he buy up all the shovels and have the guild dig trenches?

Who said farming tools weren’t useful on the zombie tide front lines?

They’re incredibly useful!

Not only that, but Jian Xingyi also recalled something Cola had said.

—If you have any extra, could you let me plant some too?

It was just Cola’s joke, and no one took it seriously. But Jian Xingyi was trembling all over now—he’d thought of a brilliant plan!

A plan that, if successful, would benefit others and himself while making a fortune!

Jian Xingyi purchased a Pot Sprout from his exclusive VIP store, then attempted to list it on the public marketplace where he usually sold food.

【Item Grade Verification Complete. Item exceeds D-grade, appraised as A-grade. Eligible for listing.】

Ahhhhh…!!!

It worked!

It really worked!!

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Two hours later, players in Lava Volcano and Peace Mountain saw that a big shot called Xinghe launched a new product.

As for why it took two hours? Because during that time, Jian Xingyi conducted experiments with Lone Wolf and Haihai.

Every player’s home system comes with two plots of land. Neither Lone Wolf nor Haihai had upgraded theirs, and neither possessed any farming skill bonuses. Consequently, Haihai failed to grow anything at all.

But after Lone Wolf used the seeds Jian Xingyi gave him for an hour, one plot yielded nothing, while the other produced three Nut Walls.

Jian Xingyi was somewhat stunned.

Lone Wolf sheepishly explained that when he first started playing, he focused on gacha-based progression. But after pulling gold cards ten times in a row, then double yellow cards, and continuing to pull with consistent drops, he found it tedious and lacking challenge, which is why he ventured into the Canyon.

Jian Xingyi: “…”

Ah, this feels even more disheartening than Zuo’an’s quotes.

However, Lone Wolf’s nut wall differed from his own. Perhaps due to skill and field bonuses Lone Wolf lacked, his nut wall proved far more fragile and noticeably smaller than Jian Xingyi’s.

Still, it served its purpose.

This proved entirely viable.

Thus, players across both regions witnessed Jian Xingyi launch an event.

【Nationwide Card Draw to Ward Off the Zombie Tide】

People were curious.

What the heck is this?

Clicking in, they saw Jian Xingyi had listed an item called “Organic Seeds” priced at 5000 dawn coins.

That’s right—the sprout Jian Xingyi bought for 100 was now selling for 5000.

Jian Xingyi also posted an announcement, honestly sharing the odds.

These seeds mostly yield useless luck items with a low probability of producing anything worthwhile. A small chance yields Cherry Bombs or Nut Walls.

Jian Xingyi included descriptions for both.

An extremely, extremely low probability allows you to grow plants rivaling the Cannon’s effectiveness.

All we can say is, it’s all down to luck.

【Is this real? Is there such a good thing??】

【They said it’s a probability. Even if it’s a scam, you wouldn’t know.】

Honestly, it does look like a scam.

But first, 5000 dawn coins isn’t a huge sum. Second, the ID “Xinghe” has high enough credibility in these two regions that people are willing to trust him, even thinking Xinghe couldn’t possibly deceive them.

【I trust Xinghe! I’m buying! Check back in an hour!】

【Seeing the bombs and nut walls Xinghe posted, they look pretty solid? If you get one, it feels like a steal!】

【Honestly, Xinghe made it clear—volunteers only. I’m willing to try! What if…?】

Human nature is just like that.

What if?

Amidst the current zombie surge, countless “what ifs” already abound.

And an hour later, everyone exploded.

【Holy crap, I got the Nut Wall! Just tested it out—how to put it… Even if I don’t get rare items, this is already a steal for me!!】

【I pulled a Cherry Bomb! This looks super useful too!】

【Ugh, did I get nothing…?】

【Dammit, not a single person in our guild pulled anything! So frustrating!! See you all in an hour, family!】

—Nationwide Gacha!

This isn’t like food—people might only buy food once. But gacha… It’s either zero or countless times. Since the price is set at a not-too-high-not-too-low 5000, many players will keep buying and trying, especially since the base items are pretty decent.

Jian Xingyi watched the money pour in while carrying a pile of axes and shovels toward the office.

Re-education through labor, commence!