The Thrill of the Market: A Desperate Trader's Tale

As I walked through the bustling streets, I couldn't help but feel a sense of desperation wash over me. My pockets were light, my stomach was growling, and my options for making some quick cash were dwindling by the minute. That's when I spotted him - a shady character hawking his wares on the street corner. He had two bottles of beer, and he wanted 10 rubles for them. I couldn't resist the opportunity to make a deal.

I approached him with a mix of caution and curiosity, eyeing the bottles of beer in his hands. "What's the story here?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. He seemed taken aback by my interest, but he quickly regained his composure. "Ah, just trying to make some scratch," he replied, his tone dripping with desperation. I didn't need any more convincing - I was in it for the beer.

I did a little shopping around, comparing prices and weighing my options. The first vendor offered me 13 rubles for two bottles of beer, but that seemed like highway robbery to me. That's when I spotted her - a dark-haired woman with a stand covered in various alcoholic beverages. She caught my eye and beckoned me over, a hint of mischief in her voice. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," she said with a wink.

I showed her the two bottles of beer and asked what she'd give me for them. She named a price of 17 rubles, which was significantly better than what the first vendor had offered. I agreed to the deal, and we shook hands, sealing the transaction. As I left the stand, I felt a sense of satisfaction wash over me - I'd just scored some decent deals on beer.

But my adventure wasn't over yet. I spotted a blue-eyed salesman standing behind his counter, surrounded by an assortment of goods. He seemed to be selling everything from food supplies to clothing, and I was intrigued. Maybe I could find something here that would help me make some real money.

I approached the salesman, who greeted me with a flat, fake enthusiasm. "Welcome to my store," he said, his voice lacking any real warmth. "My prices aren't steep." I eyed his wares skeptically, but my curiosity got the better of me. What did he have that I needed?

As I browsed through his selection, I spotted something that caught my eye - a special field uniform with survival gear attached to it. The price tag read 1200 rubles, plus an additional 7 survival points, which seemed like a pretty good deal to me. But then I saw the tire armor, and my mind was blown. This guy had everything I needed.

I haggled with the salesman, trying to get the best deal possible. He seemed willing to negotiate, but only up to a point. I eventually settled on a price of 136 rubles for the thorny armor, which included fire resistance and some other goodies. Not bad, not bad at all.

But that wasn't the end of my negotiations. The salesman had something else that caught my eye - a leather breastplate, plus an additional 10 survival points. He wanted 60 rubles for it, but I knew I could get more than that elsewhere. So, I asked him if he'd be willing to trade me some other goods in exchange. After a few minutes of haggling, we agreed on a deal - I'd give him 14 rubles for my old ammo, and he'd throw in the leather breastplate.

As I walked away from the stand, I felt a sense of satisfaction wash over me. That was it for me - I'd done my shopping, made some deals, and come out on top. Now, all I had to do was head back to the hotel, grab a bite to eat, and maybe run into that depressed father who lived nearby. But for now, I was content with my spoils.

As I turned the corner onto the main street, I spotted a familiar figure standing on the sidewalk. It was the blue-eyed salesman, still lingering in the shadows. He seemed tired, almost defeated, but he smiled weakly at me as I passed by. "Thanks for doing business," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded sympathetically and continued on my way, leaving him to his troubles. My adventure was over, but I knew that there were always new opportunities waiting around the corner - if you're willing to take risks, that is.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhere i am in trudeau outside to be honest i'm not feeling very good the people here are very very unfriendly there's more to this trudeau grad than you first think i'm noticing some things about this place i think there is a lot of nasty business going on in this place i'm going to keep looking and keep trying to find more and more supplies so i can get my ass out of here some beer and some water i'll grab it all i've been giving more thought to that letter wondering if these people that i've been talking to are mixed up with these things with this business i need these things because i'm going to be the one taking the risk so i need as many supplies as i possibly can those cheap bastards that ate them they don't supply me with enough and yet they're asking me to save the world at least they could do is give me proper supplies and equipment to complete my mission it's not something under the bed i guess not nothing at that nothing i can use i have to scrounge around but soon i'm going to be leaving the outskirts and i'm going to be making my way from the big city of truth still nobody in here look at this sexy picture here on the wall oh here's a book up here good i love books i can find also here there's some use with this hat this sushanka hat and an empty tin this is what i need this will help me with my bolts i can craft some bolts with an empty tin and the bandana will help me as well now what is this book all about how come i cannot grab it hey it's just an old magazine nothing useful in this cabinet or something an an arm clock and another one of these compact cassettes i still have not found any good use for these cassettes but i'm going to grab it anyway ah a spoon and a condom all always come in handy you never know maybe i'll have to go and talk to that's dandelion a book no okay all right this is the market here i don't think i'm ready to go to the market not yet who's this fellow with this dog should i go see him or should i go into the market oh my god this guy here is standing by this car what's he waiting for ah i don't know about this place it's cold it's cold here very cold i'll go see this guy what's he saying a man of short stature is nervously jumping in place while every so often glancing at a shaggy dog sitting nearby happily wagging its tail the man is so consumed by this activity he doesn't see you approach negligent hound good for nothing not even for supper i might just cook you for supper for scolding man's best friend that way man flinches in surprise and curses in an unfamiliar language very funny lao wai if the animal is such a friend why will it not obey me its rightful master who paid a good sum of money to purchase it if i say stay it walks when i say follow the beast stays i do not know what to do i'm no dog expert but maybe i can solve your problem the man gives you a skeptical look i guess you could give it a try his name is hashen sea cucumber in your tongue perhaps you will succeed where i failed if you do not you have my permission to put it down oh i hope it won't come to that stay here okay let's see if we can help hash in here a young male alsatian tosses his head and looks at you with a silly expression on his muzzle well hussion what do you think about a little workout the dog goes cross-eyed and gives a little whimper we'll start with some simple commands sit lie down the dog stares at you blankly what's the best approach for teaching him the basic commands make the dog sit down and lie down hundreds of times while repeating the relevant commands until he responds without any coaching using endurance ah passion joyfully and energetically sabotages your attempts to make him sit lie down or heal but after many exhausting attempts to shift the dog into the right postures he finally understands what you want and begins to respond to the commands without your that's help for today hashem but i'll be back or bark good you see this is what it takes some patience you you need more patience otherwise you have no business owning a dog i will be checking on you i'll give this woman a try and see what she says if she says something oh i got no time for chitchat of course why am i not surprised i don't know if i want to spend much money here in the market because i'm gonna be going to the big city first i think i'm going to save my money for that i do want to talk to this fella over here leaning around looks like he's got nothing better to do with himself but just sit there what's this guy this wide shouldered man leans against his weathered car crosses his greasy arms and asks what are you looking for dude if it's a driver then you're in the right place no i'd rather walk but thanks for the author the guys at the bar will have a laugh when they hear someone mistook mika the wheel for a taxi driver i transport cargo sorry i should have been clear must be hard to find clients if you're hocking your services in the street this way meek of the wheel dismisses your question with a wave long-term contractors took the whole blanket for themselves some are even subsidized by the city hungry times are coming for solo privateers like me big companies sometimes won't take on jobs that a private entrepreneur would gladly pick up right hey the truck driver looks around and quietly asks what exactly are you insinuating mikra the wheel is done with the legal stuff that part of my life is over it's finished done now ask me whatever else you wanted to know go about your business i have a few more questions can you answer them why would i talk to you don't annoy me man i'm fishing for clients not random conversations yeah in that case i'm out of here but maybe before i leave maybe we should look at each other's supplies here maybe we can make a deal ah you have us what do you have you have a ziggy and you have a corned meat oh you've got corn meat ah okay i like corn meat how much you want for that you want 11 rubles what could i give you in exchange you like cassettes i thought i had two i do i don't know what these cassettes are for you know these cassettes are for here you have a cassette cassette there's seven ruble right there you can have i'll throw in for more ruble and get the deal done here's your 11th ruble now i'll take one of those corned meat i love the corn meat is the deal let's make a deal all right all right have fun with the cassette tape now what's going on over here there's an argument or something let me see if i can hear what they're talking about i'm gonna talk to this film the gray-haired but still hearty fellow in his 50s is starting staring angrily at the parking lot guard who looks nonplussed turning to you he tiredly pinches the bridge of his nose i can't believe what i'm seeing this enemy of justice wants to stand in the way of a man getting even with his son's murderer your son was killed you should go to the police the man spits on the ground in disgust that moneybags has the police in his hip pocket justice will turn a blind eye to anything if you flash a bundle of rubles even murdering children who are you talking about the man grimaces and gestures to the fence around the parking lot see that expensively dress creep standing near the large track him with the bodyguard that's ganyev the merchant and all around sick a month ago on his way to deliver goods to the city he crossed paths with my son vitya the boy was walking along the road to pick berries by the swamp i ran him over did he in that the same truck he's fixing he did it was a straight stretch of road but that piece of jerked the wheel at just the right moment i keep seeing vitia's bent body flying through the air and rolling over and over after it hit the ground he killed my son for no reason at all that beast he knew he would go scot-free in this city of corruption mad with grief and revenge the father looks as if he's going to burst into tears that's terrible what are you going to do now the man lapses into silence and glances suspiciously at the parking guard i have a couple of ideas but let's discuss them in my room at the hotel i don't want to talk in front of this lick spittle the man shoots the guard one last disdainful look and leaves all righty we'll see okay let me see if i can talk to this guard see if he'll give me another side to the story the sullen but the robust guy looks at you as if you'd spit in his plate of boiled turnips beat his dog to death with a garden hose burnt his house to the ground and then pissed on his mother's grave i have no idea who you are but i have a feeling we're not going to be friends or even acquaintances come on can't you answer a couple of questions for me i don't have time for this you guard this parking lot am i right yes i'm the guard here is that something you couldn't work out on your own calm down i have some more questions i said i don't have time for this as you wish i'll leave you alone so there's a parking lot in here what's going on maybe i should go talk to this fella this guy here is this this gun yet i'll go have a word with him i need to hear his side of the story before i take on any kind of job from that guy that i'm going to meet in the hotel about his son being killed by this guy let me talk to him a swarthy man in his 30s greets you he seems cautious at first but visibly relaxes once he's had a good look at your face he speaks with a barely perceptible southern accent i saw you talking to that poor guy outside he must have told you about the accident well go ahead what can i do for you comrade then tell me why did you kill that man's son the man's face darkens and he lowers his eyes before answering in a voice heavy with pain why i was in a rush to deliver my cargo and this boy was in the middle of the highway staggering drunk i honked my horn and he flipped me the bird then he made a gesture as if to say go ahead and run me down i don't give a yes it's my fault i should have slowed down but instead i tried to swerve around him scare him a little who could imagine he would jump right at my windshield probably he was too drunk to realize his little prank would be lethal or maybe he was doing it so he could blackmail me afterwards i know people do that based on your story you're both to blame for what happened yes we're both to blame but me to a much lesser extent were you even listening to what i said i tried not to hit him but he jumped right into the path of my truck and that's not the end of it mind i paid for his funeral expressed my remorse and showered money on his old man jesus himself couldn't have done more but that old bastard doesn't give a toss he spent the money i gave them on booze and bomba gun now he hangs around at the parking lot trying to extort more money from me ah i just know what to do just don't know what to do it happens can you answer a couple more questions go find someone else to chat with i'm busy all right keep your secrets see you later now i'm not so sure what really is going on here two sides to this two different sides here two different sides to this story this guy is the bodyguard okay who's this fella over here working on the car i'll go speak with him a clearly annoyed man in his thirties is trying to pick the rusty badly scratched locked on the driver's door of an old car noticing you he nods and immediately returns to his problem no time for talking i really need to get going but i lost my key and i can't get this bloody thing open for half the money you get from selling this beauty i'll open the door for you what i'm not stealing it you ass clown it's my car it's just that door key isn't the same as the ignition key and i lost one of them i think you can figure out which one or maybe not for half the money as if i'd even consider selling it she's my one and and only let me help you man gets up puts his hand in his pockets and lets you approach the door thanks hey i don't have any money to pay you but if you help me out i'll tell everyone in my village what a good person you are let me inspect the car door first you study the door carefully but you can't figure out a way to open it without severely damaging the car open the lock using the owner's lock picks you take the guy's lock fix and start fiddling with the lock but can't do any better i need to find the right kind of lock pick for this type of mechanism you try to recall how a car's locking mechanism works become a blank this is ridiculous i'm going to jerk on the door to force the damn thing open ah the driver rapidly steps aside as you rush up to the car as if intending a vicious assault you straighten your back grab the handle of the unruly door and pull you keep pulling as the metal begins to creak the window rattles and finally something snaps inside the door as it shrieks open slightly bent but still functional jesus h christ i bought that door as a replacement only a year ago still this is better than breaking the window or walking home thank you you notice a strange amulet on the floor beneath the driver's seat that would be a suitable reward for your efforts i notice a little amulet lying on the floor of the car giving it to me would be a nice thank you for helping out what do you say the man reluctantly shakes his head no he seems embarrassed to refuse your request but he won't give you the amulet forgive me comrade but my mom made it for me she said it would grant me speed and agility when i'm on the road and it works too especially after a few drinks but listen i will tell everyone i know what a great guy you are everyone in my tiny remote village with no connection whatsoever to trudeau grad what a pity suppose i'll be on my way then i'm sorry i don't have anything to give you although wait a second here's a sweet roll for you i was saving it for my wife but just between you and me that dog of a woman doesn't deserve it you on the other hand look like a person who would appreciate a fine pastry the happy driver hands you a sweet roll wrapped in old newspaper it's pretty clear he won't be taking it back it's better than nothing i guess now answer some questions for me will you sorry but now that this damn door is finally open i need to get moving ain't no time for idle talk right see you later then okay i'm gonna continue looking through this parking lot what's in this house here what can i find in here let me see let me check this cabinet oh there's a there's a plate look at that look what i have here already some good things toilet paper and devil's weed i'll grab that happily thank you this out there he doesn't deserve it and this is his place this guard i'm gonna grab all this stuff he doesn't like it he can talk to me about it all right i think i've cleared this parking lot out pretty good i understand what's going on now i'm not sure what the real truth is do you think i should believe this ghania did he try to swerve and miss the kid it almost sounds more believable but more believable to me why would he run down the kid just for giving him the finger i don't think so i think before i go back into the hotel though i'm gonna have a little bit of a talk with some of the merchants here i don't necessarily gonna buy but i'm gonna talk to someone what is this one here some fish the man behind the fish counter is absent-mindedly reading some pre-war book but from time to time he licks a finger which in all honesty could be cleaner and turns the page as soon as he notices you he sets the book aside and summons a half-hearted smile ah hello what do you want i'm here to buy some fish show me what you have oh we have a lot of fish here we have some salted fish from same thing that i have i also have some salted fish don't i where is it yes right there and he'll give me how much for that i have five i have enough salted fish oh look at this canned fish three-eyed trout some horned smelt and some humpback before the war humpback was a local name for a large perch but in the wastes the name stuck to this fish why nobody knows a mutation prevents it from rotting you can eat it raw but it's still better to cook it oh a perch definitely i like perch it's very good fish how much does he want for this i think i'm going to switch some of the alcohol with this guy he probably wants some beer and he probably wants some pre-war cognac huh pre-work on you can i have some beer that's going to 23 rubles i don't drink it's no good to me so i may as well use it to trade just wait maybe i could use that for something else he's only giving me 10 rubles for two bottles of beer i don't know if that's such a good deal maybe not let me see i'm gonna do a little bit of shopping around see if there's a better better deal out there i know how much he wants for his perch 76 ruble for one perch this is highway robbery here i don't know i'm not sure about this guy and he's only going to give me how much 13 rupals and for my beer 10 rubles five five rubles for a bottle of beer i'm just looking around i might come back have a good day who sells alcohol here which one where's the liquor store who's selling the liquor ah there we go desperate times call for desperate measures measures of alcohol okay let's see a dark-haired woman in her 40s gives up on her attempts to lure the passerby to her stand covered in various alcoholic beverages and focuses all her attention on you look what the cat dragged in so a little bottle of liqueur a shot of vodka i can see you're quite the drinker wow that's just plain rude but yes let's see what you've got let's see what she'll give me for my alcohol ah she's going to give me 17 rubles for my pre-work on yeah this is much better and she's going to give me how much for my beer 13 rubles this is more like it give me 30 rubles and we have a deal i don't need to buy anything this is the one i sell my alcohol to she gives me much better deals thanks come again thank you for doing the business i'm going to leave now next thing i'm going to look for is i'm going to look for somebody selling some clothing anybody selling clothing here what are they selling looks like supplies more food what is this one here i'm going to talk to this one here maybe i can sell that suit the blue-eyed salesman greets you with a neutral nod after a few seconds of complete apathy his voice rings out with flat fake enthusiasm ah welcome to my store i am demian the merchant and my prices aren't steep come and see it's almost free hello show me what you got oh look at this look at this we can maybe make a deal he's going to give me 1200 rubles for a special field uniform plus 7 survival am i making a mistake selling this plus seven percent cold resistance maybe the survival maybe i should hold on to this but what does this guy have tire armor maybe i could make some thorny armor now i have some thorny armor i could sell him for a 136 rupals and he has tire armor wow it's not very expensive it's a good deal i get a little bit more fire resistance on my thorny armor let me test this here can i compare these i don't know maybe not okay minus four dodge minus ten plus six damage plus eight plus one damage threshold plus one damage threshold and plus ten percent fire resistance plus five percent and this is even lighter i could trade him for this definitely trade him for this oh he also has a leather breastplate even better or is it not so much he's going to give 60 rubles for this ushanka hat plus 10 survival that's why i could do that too what about the bandana a regular scarf that protects the wearer's head from the elements gives me eight rubles eight rubles it's pretty good deal he's looking for these bandanas i don't know if i'm gonna use that in my crafting though i don't think so no i'm gonna hang on to the bandana i'm just gonna go like this i'll give him the rest in the ruble so just wait maybe i have something else here maybe i can trade him something else see he's only going to give me five rubles for my fish not as much i don't need these this ammo but maybe this isn't the place to sell it i might be able to get a better deal someplace else i'll give him the rules 14 more rubles we have a deal i'm going to give him the thorny armor for tire armor very happy with this trade very happy i'm not looking to buy anything more right now see you damian but thank you the merchant spreads his arms to stop you from leaving but at the last moment steps wearily aside apparently he's decided you're not worth the effort i walk away next i'm going to look for some ammo and then i will be done with the market and i will head back to the hotel i will hawk talk to that depressed father try to get to the bottom of this story maybe i'll head there youhere i am in trudeau outside to be honest i'm not feeling very good the people here are very very unfriendly there's more to this trudeau grad than you first think i'm noticing some things about this place i think there is a lot of nasty business going on in this place i'm going to keep looking and keep trying to find more and more supplies so i can get my ass out of here some beer and some water i'll grab it all i've been giving more thought to that letter wondering if these people that i've been talking to are mixed up with these things with this business i need these things because i'm going to be the one taking the risk so i need as many supplies as i possibly can those cheap bastards that ate them they don't supply me with enough and yet they're asking me to save the world at least they could do is give me proper supplies and equipment to complete my mission it's not something under the bed i guess not nothing at that nothing i can use i have to scrounge around but soon i'm going to be leaving the outskirts and i'm going to be making my way from the big city of truth still nobody in here look at this sexy picture here on the wall oh here's a book up here good i love books i can find also here there's some use with this hat this sushanka hat and an empty tin this is what i need this will help me with my bolts i can craft some bolts with an empty tin and the bandana will help me as well now what is this book all about how come i cannot grab it hey it's just an old magazine nothing useful in this cabinet or something an an arm clock and another one of these compact cassettes i still have not found any good use for these cassettes but i'm going to grab it anyway ah a spoon and a condom all always come in handy you never know maybe i'll have to go and talk to that's dandelion a book no okay all right this is the market here i don't think i'm ready to go to the market not yet who's this fellow with this dog should i go see him or should i go into the market oh my god this guy here is standing by this car what's he waiting for ah i don't know about this place it's cold it's cold here very cold i'll go see this guy what's he saying a man of short stature is nervously jumping in place while every so often glancing at a shaggy dog sitting nearby happily wagging its tail the man is so consumed by this activity he doesn't see you approach negligent hound good for nothing not even for supper i might just cook you for supper for scolding man's best friend that way man flinches in surprise and curses in an unfamiliar language very funny lao wai if the animal is such a friend why will it not obey me its rightful master who paid a good sum of money to purchase it if i say stay it walks when i say follow the beast stays i do not know what to do i'm no dog expert but maybe i can solve your problem the man gives you a skeptical look i guess you could give it a try his name is hashen sea cucumber in your tongue perhaps you will succeed where i failed if you do not you have my permission to put it down oh i hope it won't come to that stay here okay let's see if we can help hash in here a young male alsatian tosses his head and looks at you with a silly expression on his muzzle well hussion what do you think about a little workout the dog goes cross-eyed and gives a little whimper we'll start with some simple commands sit lie down the dog stares at you blankly what's the best approach for teaching him the basic commands make the dog sit down and lie down hundreds of times while repeating the relevant commands until he responds without any coaching using endurance ah passion joyfully and energetically sabotages your attempts to make him sit lie down or heal but after many exhausting attempts to shift the dog into the right postures he finally understands what you want and begins to respond to the commands without your that's help for today hashem but i'll be back or bark good you see this is what it takes some patience you you need more patience otherwise you have no business owning a dog i will be checking on you i'll give this woman a try and see what she says if she says something oh i got no time for chitchat of course why am i not surprised i don't know if i want to spend much money here in the market because i'm gonna be going to the big city first i think i'm going to save my money for that i do want to talk to this fella over here leaning around looks like he's got nothing better to do with himself but just sit there what's this guy this wide shouldered man leans against his weathered car crosses his greasy arms and asks what are you looking for dude if it's a driver then you're in the right place no i'd rather walk but thanks for the author the guys at the bar will have a laugh when they hear someone mistook mika the wheel for a taxi driver i transport cargo sorry i should have been clear must be hard to find clients if you're hocking your services in the street this way meek of the wheel dismisses your question with a wave long-term contractors took the whole blanket for themselves some are even subsidized by the city hungry times are coming for solo privateers like me big companies sometimes won't take on jobs that a private entrepreneur would gladly pick up right hey the truck driver looks around and quietly asks what exactly are you insinuating mikra the wheel is done with the legal stuff that part of my life is over it's finished done now ask me whatever else you wanted to know go about your business i have a few more questions can you answer them why would i talk to you don't annoy me man i'm fishing for clients not random conversations yeah in that case i'm out of here but maybe before i leave maybe we should look at each other's supplies here maybe we can make a deal ah you have us what do you have you have a ziggy and you have a corned meat oh you've got corn meat ah okay i like corn meat how much you want for that you want 11 rubles what could i give you in exchange you like cassettes i thought i had two i do i don't know what these cassettes are for you know these cassettes are for here you have a cassette cassette there's seven ruble right there you can have i'll throw in for more ruble and get the deal done here's your 11th ruble now i'll take one of those corned meat i love the corn meat is the deal let's make a deal all right all right have fun with the cassette tape now what's going on over here there's an argument or something let me see if i can hear what they're talking about i'm gonna talk to this film the gray-haired but still hearty fellow in his 50s is starting staring angrily at the parking lot guard who looks nonplussed turning to you he tiredly pinches the bridge of his nose i can't believe what i'm seeing this enemy of justice wants to stand in the way of a man getting even with his son's murderer your son was killed you should go to the police the man spits on the ground in disgust that moneybags has the police in his hip pocket justice will turn a blind eye to anything if you flash a bundle of rubles even murdering children who are you talking about the man grimaces and gestures to the fence around the parking lot see that expensively dress creep standing near the large track him with the bodyguard that's ganyev the merchant and all around sick a month ago on his way to deliver goods to the city he crossed paths with my son vitya the boy was walking along the road to pick berries by the swamp i ran him over did he in that the same truck he's fixing he did it was a straight stretch of road but that piece of jerked the wheel at just the right moment i keep seeing vitia's bent body flying through the air and rolling over and over after it hit the ground he killed my son for no reason at all that beast he knew he would go scot-free in this city of corruption mad with grief and revenge the father looks as if he's going to burst into tears that's terrible what are you going to do now the man lapses into silence and glances suspiciously at the parking guard i have a couple of ideas but let's discuss them in my room at the hotel i don't want to talk in front of this lick spittle the man shoots the guard one last disdainful look and leaves all righty we'll see okay let me see if i can talk to this guard see if he'll give me another side to the story the sullen but the robust guy looks at you as if you'd spit in his plate of boiled turnips beat his dog to death with a garden hose burnt his house to the ground and then pissed on his mother's grave i have no idea who you are but i have a feeling we're not going to be friends or even acquaintances come on can't you answer a couple of questions for me i don't have time for this you guard this parking lot am i right yes i'm the guard here is that something you couldn't work out on your own calm down i have some more questions i said i don't have time for this as you wish i'll leave you alone so there's a parking lot in here what's going on maybe i should go talk to this fella this guy here is this this gun yet i'll go have a word with him i need to hear his side of the story before i take on any kind of job from that guy that i'm going to meet in the hotel about his son being killed by this guy let me talk to him a swarthy man in his 30s greets you he seems cautious at first but visibly relaxes once he's had a good look at your face he speaks with a barely perceptible southern accent i saw you talking to that poor guy outside he must have told you about the accident well go ahead what can i do for you comrade then tell me why did you kill that man's son the man's face darkens and he lowers his eyes before answering in a voice heavy with pain why i was in a rush to deliver my cargo and this boy was in the middle of the highway staggering drunk i honked my horn and he flipped me the bird then he made a gesture as if to say go ahead and run me down i don't give a yes it's my fault i should have slowed down but instead i tried to swerve around him scare him a little who could imagine he would jump right at my windshield probably he was too drunk to realize his little prank would be lethal or maybe he was doing it so he could blackmail me afterwards i know people do that based on your story you're both to blame for what happened yes we're both to blame but me to a much lesser extent were you even listening to what i said i tried not to hit him but he jumped right into the path of my truck and that's not the end of it mind i paid for his funeral expressed my remorse and showered money on his old man jesus himself couldn't have done more but that old bastard doesn't give a toss he spent the money i gave them on booze and bomba gun now he hangs around at the parking lot trying to extort more money from me ah i just know what to do just don't know what to do it happens can you answer a couple more questions go find someone else to chat with i'm busy all right keep your secrets see you later now i'm not so sure what really is going on here two sides to this two different sides here two different sides to this story this guy is the bodyguard okay who's this fella over here working on the car i'll go speak with him a clearly annoyed man in his thirties is trying to pick the rusty badly scratched locked on the driver's door of an old car noticing you he nods and immediately returns to his problem no time for talking i really need to get going but i lost my key and i can't get this bloody thing open for half the money you get from selling this beauty i'll open the door for you what i'm not stealing it you ass clown it's my car it's just that door key isn't the same as the ignition key and i lost one of them i think you can figure out which one or maybe not for half the money as if i'd even consider selling it she's my one and and only let me help you man gets up puts his hand in his pockets and lets you approach the door thanks hey i don't have any money to pay you but if you help me out i'll tell everyone in my village what a good person you are let me inspect the car door first you study the door carefully but you can't figure out a way to open it without severely damaging the car open the lock using the owner's lock picks you take the guy's lock fix and start fiddling with the lock but can't do any better i need to find the right kind of lock pick for this type of mechanism you try to recall how a car's locking mechanism works become a blank this is ridiculous i'm going to jerk on the door to force the damn thing open ah the driver rapidly steps aside as you rush up to the car as if intending a vicious assault you straighten your back grab the handle of the unruly door and pull you keep pulling as the metal begins to creak the window rattles and finally something snaps inside the door as it shrieks open slightly bent but still functional jesus h christ i bought that door as a replacement only a year ago still this is better than breaking the window or walking home thank you you notice a strange amulet on the floor beneath the driver's seat that would be a suitable reward for your efforts i notice a little amulet lying on the floor of the car giving it to me would be a nice thank you for helping out what do you say the man reluctantly shakes his head no he seems embarrassed to refuse your request but he won't give you the amulet forgive me comrade but my mom made it for me she said it would grant me speed and agility when i'm on the road and it works too especially after a few drinks but listen i will tell everyone i know what a great guy you are everyone in my tiny remote village with no connection whatsoever to trudeau grad what a pity suppose i'll be on my way then i'm sorry i don't have anything to give you although wait a second here's a sweet roll for you i was saving it for my wife but just between you and me that dog of a woman doesn't deserve it you on the other hand look like a person who would appreciate a fine pastry the happy driver hands you a sweet roll wrapped in old newspaper it's pretty clear he won't be taking it back it's better than nothing i guess now answer some questions for me will you sorry but now that this damn door is finally open i need to get moving ain't no time for idle talk right see you later then okay i'm gonna continue looking through this parking lot what's in this house here what can i find in here let me see let me check this cabinet oh there's a there's a plate look at that look what i have here already some good things toilet paper and devil's weed i'll grab that happily thank you this out there he doesn't deserve it and this is his place this guard i'm gonna grab all this stuff he doesn't like it he can talk to me about it all right i think i've cleared this parking lot out pretty good i understand what's going on now i'm not sure what the real truth is do you think i should believe this ghania did he try to swerve and miss the kid it almost sounds more believable but more believable to me why would he run down the kid just for giving him the finger i don't think so i think before i go back into the hotel though i'm gonna have a little bit of a talk with some of the merchants here i don't necessarily gonna buy but i'm gonna talk to someone what is this one here some fish the man behind the fish counter is absent-mindedly reading some pre-war book but from time to time he licks a finger which in all honesty could be cleaner and turns the page as soon as he notices you he sets the book aside and summons a half-hearted smile ah hello what do you want i'm here to buy some fish show me what you have oh we have a lot of fish here we have some salted fish from same thing that i have i also have some salted fish don't i where is it yes right there and he'll give me how much for that i have five i have enough salted fish oh look at this canned fish three-eyed trout some horned smelt and some humpback before the war humpback was a local name for a large perch but in the wastes the name stuck to this fish why nobody knows a mutation prevents it from rotting you can eat it raw but it's still better to cook it oh a perch definitely i like perch it's very good fish how much does he want for this i think i'm going to switch some of the alcohol with this guy he probably wants some beer and he probably wants some pre-war cognac huh pre-work on you can i have some beer that's going to 23 rubles i don't drink it's no good to me so i may as well use it to trade just wait maybe i could use that for something else he's only giving me 10 rubles for two bottles of beer i don't know if that's such a good deal maybe not let me see i'm gonna do a little bit of shopping around see if there's a better better deal out there i know how much he wants for his perch 76 ruble for one perch this is highway robbery here i don't know i'm not sure about this guy and he's only going to give me how much 13 rupals and for my beer 10 rubles five five rubles for a bottle of beer i'm just looking around i might come back have a good day who sells alcohol here which one where's the liquor store who's selling the liquor ah there we go desperate times call for desperate measures measures of alcohol okay let's see a dark-haired woman in her 40s gives up on her attempts to lure the passerby to her stand covered in various alcoholic beverages and focuses all her attention on you look what the cat dragged in so a little bottle of liqueur a shot of vodka i can see you're quite the drinker wow that's just plain rude but yes let's see what you've got let's see what she'll give me for my alcohol ah she's going to give me 17 rubles for my pre-work on yeah this is much better and she's going to give me how much for my beer 13 rubles this is more like it give me 30 rubles and we have a deal i don't need to buy anything this is the one i sell my alcohol to she gives me much better deals thanks come again thank you for doing the business i'm going to leave now next thing i'm going to look for is i'm going to look for somebody selling some clothing anybody selling clothing here what are they selling looks like supplies more food what is this one here i'm going to talk to this one here maybe i can sell that suit the blue-eyed salesman greets you with a neutral nod after a few seconds of complete apathy his voice rings out with flat fake enthusiasm ah welcome to my store i am demian the merchant and my prices aren't steep come and see it's almost free hello show me what you got oh look at this look at this we can maybe make a deal he's going to give me 1200 rubles for a special field uniform plus 7 survival am i making a mistake selling this plus seven percent cold resistance maybe the survival maybe i should hold on to this but what does this guy have tire armor maybe i could make some thorny armor now i have some thorny armor i could sell him for a 136 rupals and he has tire armor wow it's not very expensive it's a good deal i get a little bit more fire resistance on my thorny armor let me test this here can i compare these i don't know maybe not okay minus four dodge minus ten plus six damage plus eight plus one damage threshold plus one damage threshold and plus ten percent fire resistance plus five percent and this is even lighter i could trade him for this definitely trade him for this oh he also has a leather breastplate even better or is it not so much he's going to give 60 rubles for this ushanka hat plus 10 survival that's why i could do that too what about the bandana a regular scarf that protects the wearer's head from the elements gives me eight rubles eight rubles it's pretty good deal he's looking for these bandanas i don't know if i'm gonna use that in my crafting though i don't think so no i'm gonna hang on to the bandana i'm just gonna go like this i'll give him the rest in the ruble so just wait maybe i have something else here maybe i can trade him something else see he's only going to give me five rubles for my fish not as much i don't need these this ammo but maybe this isn't the place to sell it i might be able to get a better deal someplace else i'll give him the rules 14 more rubles we have a deal i'm going to give him the thorny armor for tire armor very happy with this trade very happy i'm not looking to buy anything more right now see you damian but thank you the merchant spreads his arms to stop you from leaving but at the last moment steps wearily aside apparently he's decided you're not worth the effort i walk away next i'm going to look for some ammo and then i will be done with the market and i will head back to the hotel i will hawk talk to that depressed father try to get to the bottom of this story maybe i'll head there youhere i am in trudeau outside to be honest i'm not feeling very good the people here are very very unfriendly there's more to this trudeau grad than you first think i'm noticing some things about this place i think there is a lot of nasty business going on in this place i'm going to keep looking and keep trying to find more and more supplies so i can get my ass out of here some beer and some water i'll grab it all i've been giving more thought to that letter wondering if these people that i've been talking to are mixed up with these things with this business i need these things because i'm going to be the one taking the risk so i need as many supplies as i possibly can those cheap bastards that ate them they don't supply me with enough and yet they're asking me to save the world at least they could do is give me proper supplies and equipment to complete my mission it's not something under the bed i guess not nothing at that nothing i can use i have to scrounge around but soon i'm going to be leaving the outskirts and i'm going to be making my way from the big city of truth still nobody in here look at this sexy picture here on the wall oh here's a book up here good i love books i can find also here there's some use with this hat this sushanka hat and an empty tin this is what i need this will help me with my bolts i can craft some bolts with an empty tin and the bandana will help me as well now what is this book all about how come i cannot grab it hey it's just an old magazine nothing useful in this cabinet or something an an arm clock and another one of these compact cassettes i still have not found any good use for these cassettes but i'm going to grab it anyway ah a spoon and a condom all always come in handy you never know maybe i'll have to go and talk to that's dandelion a book no okay all right this is the market here i don't think i'm ready to go to the market not yet who's this fellow with this dog should i go see him or should i go into the market oh my god this guy here is standing by this car what's he waiting for ah i don't know about this place it's cold it's cold here very cold i'll go see this guy what's he saying a man of short stature is nervously jumping in place while every so often glancing at a shaggy dog sitting nearby happily wagging its tail the man is so consumed by this activity he doesn't see you approach negligent hound good for nothing not even for supper i might just cook you for supper for scolding man's best friend that way man flinches in surprise and curses in an unfamiliar language very funny lao wai if the animal is such a friend why will it not obey me its rightful master who paid a good sum of money to purchase it if i say stay it walks when i say follow the beast stays i do not know what to do i'm no dog expert but maybe i can solve your problem the man gives you a skeptical look i guess you could give it a try his name is hashen sea cucumber in your tongue perhaps you will succeed where i failed if you do not you have my permission to put it down oh i hope it won't come to that stay here okay let's see if we can help hash in here a young male alsatian tosses his head and looks at you with a silly expression on his muzzle well hussion what do you think about a little workout the dog goes cross-eyed and gives a little whimper we'll start with some simple commands sit lie down the dog stares at you blankly what's the best approach for teaching him the basic commands make the dog sit down and lie down hundreds of times while repeating the relevant commands until he responds without any coaching using endurance ah passion joyfully and energetically sabotages your attempts to make him sit lie down or heal but after many exhausting attempts to shift the dog into the right postures he finally understands what you want and begins to respond to the commands without your that's help for today hashem but i'll be back or bark good you see this is what it takes some patience you you need more patience otherwise you have no business owning a dog i will be checking on you i'll give this woman a try and see what she says if she says something oh i got no time for chitchat of course why am i not surprised i don't know if i want to spend much money here in the market because i'm gonna be going to the big city first i think i'm going to save my money for that i do want to talk to this fella over here leaning around looks like he's got nothing better to do with himself but just sit there what's this guy this wide shouldered man leans against his weathered car crosses his greasy arms and asks what are you looking for dude if it's a driver then you're in the right place no i'd rather walk but thanks for the author the guys at the bar will have a laugh when they hear someone mistook mika the wheel for a taxi driver i transport cargo sorry i should have been clear must be hard to find clients if you're hocking your services in the street this way meek of the wheel dismisses your question with a wave long-term contractors took the whole blanket for themselves some are even subsidized by the city hungry times are coming for solo privateers like me big companies sometimes won't take on jobs that a private entrepreneur would gladly pick up right hey the truck driver looks around and quietly asks what exactly are you insinuating mikra the wheel is done with the legal stuff that part of my life is over it's finished done now ask me whatever else you wanted to know go about your business i have a few more questions can you answer them why would i talk to you don't annoy me man i'm fishing for clients not random conversations yeah in that case i'm out of here but maybe before i leave maybe we should look at each other's supplies here maybe we can make a deal ah you have us what do you have you have a ziggy and you have a corned meat oh you've got corn meat ah okay i like corn meat how much you want for that you want 11 rubles what could i give you in exchange you like cassettes i thought i had two i do i don't know what these cassettes are for you know these cassettes are for here you have a cassette cassette there's seven ruble right there you can have i'll throw in for more ruble and get the deal done here's your 11th ruble now i'll take one of those corned meat i love the corn meat is the deal let's make a deal all right all right have fun with the cassette tape now what's going on over here there's an argument or something let me see if i can hear what they're talking about i'm gonna talk to this film the gray-haired but still hearty fellow in his 50s is starting staring angrily at the parking lot guard who looks nonplussed turning to you he tiredly pinches the bridge of his nose i can't believe what i'm seeing this enemy of justice wants to stand in the way of a man getting even with his son's murderer your son was killed you should go to the police the man spits on the ground in disgust that moneybags has the police in his hip pocket justice will turn a blind eye to anything if you flash a bundle of rubles even murdering children who are you talking about the man grimaces and gestures to the fence around the parking lot see that expensively dress creep standing near the large track him with the bodyguard that's ganyev the merchant and all around sick a month ago on his way to deliver goods to the city he crossed paths with my son vitya the boy was walking along the road to pick berries by the swamp i ran him over did he in that the same truck he's fixing he did it was a straight stretch of road but that piece of jerked the wheel at just the right moment i keep seeing vitia's bent body flying through the air and rolling over and over after it hit the ground he killed my son for no reason at all that beast he knew he would go scot-free in this city of corruption mad with grief and revenge the father looks as if he's going to burst into tears that's terrible what are you going to do now the man lapses into silence and glances suspiciously at the parking guard i have a couple of ideas but let's discuss them in my room at the hotel i don't want to talk in front of this lick spittle the man shoots the guard one last disdainful look and leaves all righty we'll see okay let me see if i can talk to this guard see if he'll give me another side to the story the sullen but the robust guy looks at you as if you'd spit in his plate of boiled turnips beat his dog to death with a garden hose burnt his house to the ground and then pissed on his mother's grave i have no idea who you are but i have a feeling we're not going to be friends or even acquaintances come on can't you answer a couple of questions for me i don't have time for this you guard this parking lot am i right yes i'm the guard here is that something you couldn't work out on your own calm down i have some more questions i said i don't have time for this as you wish i'll leave you alone so there's a parking lot in here what's going on maybe i should go talk to this fella this guy here is this this gun yet i'll go have a word with him i need to hear his side of the story before i take on any kind of job from that guy that i'm going to meet in the hotel about his son being killed by this guy let me talk to him a swarthy man in his 30s greets you he seems cautious at first but visibly relaxes once he's had a good look at your face he speaks with a barely perceptible southern accent i saw you talking to that poor guy outside he must have told you about the accident well go ahead what can i do for you comrade then tell me why did you kill that man's son the man's face darkens and he lowers his eyes before answering in a voice heavy with pain why i was in a rush to deliver my cargo and this boy was in the middle of the highway staggering drunk i honked my horn and he flipped me the bird then he made a gesture as if to say go ahead and run me down i don't give a yes it's my fault i should have slowed down but instead i tried to swerve around him scare him a little who could imagine he would jump right at my windshield probably he was too drunk to realize his little prank would be lethal or maybe he was doing it so he could blackmail me afterwards i know people do that based on your story you're both to blame for what happened yes we're both to blame but me to a much lesser extent were you even listening to what i said i tried not to hit him but he jumped right into the path of my truck and that's not the end of it mind i paid for his funeral expressed my remorse and showered money on his old man jesus himself couldn't have done more but that old bastard doesn't give a toss he spent the money i gave them on booze and bomba gun now he hangs around at the parking lot trying to extort more money from me ah i just know what to do just don't know what to do it happens can you answer a couple more questions go find someone else to chat with i'm busy all right keep your secrets see you later now i'm not so sure what really is going on here two sides to this two different sides here two different sides to this story this guy is the bodyguard okay who's this fella over here working on the car i'll go speak with him a clearly annoyed man in his thirties is trying to pick the rusty badly scratched locked on the driver's door of an old car noticing you he nods and immediately returns to his problem no time for talking i really need to get going but i lost my key and i can't get this bloody thing open for half the money you get from selling this beauty i'll open the door for you what i'm not stealing it you ass clown it's my car it's just that door key isn't the same as the ignition key and i lost one of them i think you can figure out which one or maybe not for half the money as if i'd even consider selling it she's my one and and only let me help you man gets up puts his hand in his pockets and lets you approach the door thanks hey i don't have any money to pay you but if you help me out i'll tell everyone in my village what a good person you are let me inspect the car door first you study the door carefully but you can't figure out a way to open it without severely damaging the car open the lock using the owner's lock picks you take the guy's lock fix and start fiddling with the lock but can't do any better i need to find the right kind of lock pick for this type of mechanism you try to recall how a car's locking mechanism works become a blank this is ridiculous i'm going to jerk on the door to force the damn thing open ah the driver rapidly steps aside as you rush up to the car as if intending a vicious assault you straighten your back grab the handle of the unruly door and pull you keep pulling as the metal begins to creak the window rattles and finally something snaps inside the door as it shrieks open slightly bent but still functional jesus h christ i bought that door as a replacement only a year ago still this is better than breaking the window or walking home thank you you notice a strange amulet on the floor beneath the driver's seat that would be a suitable reward for your efforts i notice a little amulet lying on the floor of the car giving it to me would be a nice thank you for helping out what do you say the man reluctantly shakes his head no he seems embarrassed to refuse your request but he won't give you the amulet forgive me comrade but my mom made it for me she said it would grant me speed and agility when i'm on the road and it works too especially after a few drinks but listen i will tell everyone i know what a great guy you are everyone in my tiny remote village with no connection whatsoever to trudeau grad what a pity suppose i'll be on my way then i'm sorry i don't have anything to give you although wait a second here's a sweet roll for you i was saving it for my wife but just between you and me that dog of a woman doesn't deserve it you on the other hand look like a person who would appreciate a fine pastry the happy driver hands you a sweet roll wrapped in old newspaper it's pretty clear he won't be taking it back it's better than nothing i guess now answer some questions for me will you sorry but now that this damn door is finally open i need to get moving ain't no time for idle talk right see you later then okay i'm gonna continue looking through this parking lot what's in this house here what can i find in here let me see let me check this cabinet oh there's a there's a plate look at that look what i have here already some good things toilet paper and devil's weed i'll grab that happily thank you this out there he doesn't deserve it and this is his place this guard i'm gonna grab all this stuff he doesn't like it he can talk to me about it all right i think i've cleared this parking lot out pretty good i understand what's going on now i'm not sure what the real truth is do you think i should believe this ghania did he try to swerve and miss the kid it almost sounds more believable but more believable to me why would he run down the kid just for giving him the finger i don't think so i think before i go back into the hotel though i'm gonna have a little bit of a talk with some of the merchants here i don't necessarily gonna buy but i'm gonna talk to someone what is this one here some fish the man behind the fish counter is absent-mindedly reading some pre-war book but from time to time he licks a finger which in all honesty could be cleaner and turns the page as soon as he notices you he sets the book aside and summons a half-hearted smile ah hello what do you want i'm here to buy some fish show me what you have oh we have a lot of fish here we have some salted fish from same thing that i have i also have some salted fish don't i where is it yes right there and he'll give me how much for that i have five i have enough salted fish oh look at this canned fish three-eyed trout some horned smelt and some humpback before the war humpback was a local name for a large perch but in the wastes the name stuck to this fish why nobody knows a mutation prevents it from rotting you can eat it raw but it's still better to cook it oh a perch definitely i like perch it's very good fish how much does he want for this i think i'm going to switch some of the alcohol with this guy he probably wants some beer and he probably wants some pre-war cognac huh pre-work on you can i have some beer that's going to 23 rubles i don't drink it's no good to me so i may as well use it to trade just wait maybe i could use that for something else he's only giving me 10 rubles for two bottles of beer i don't know if that's such a good deal maybe not let me see i'm gonna do a little bit of shopping around see if there's a better better deal out there i know how much he wants for his perch 76 ruble for one perch this is highway robbery here i don't know i'm not sure about this guy and he's only going to give me how much 13 rupals and for my beer 10 rubles five five rubles for a bottle of beer i'm just looking around i might come back have a good day who sells alcohol here which one where's the liquor store who's selling the liquor ah there we go desperate times call for desperate measures measures of alcohol okay let's see a dark-haired woman in her 40s gives up on her attempts to lure the passerby to her stand covered in various alcoholic beverages and focuses all her attention on you look what the cat dragged in so a little bottle of liqueur a shot of vodka i can see you're quite the drinker wow that's just plain rude but yes let's see what you've got let's see what she'll give me for my alcohol ah she's going to give me 17 rubles for my pre-work on yeah this is much better and she's going to give me how much for my beer 13 rubles this is more like it give me 30 rubles and we have a deal i don't need to buy anything this is the one i sell my alcohol to she gives me much better deals thanks come again thank you for doing the business i'm going to leave now next thing i'm going to look for is i'm going to look for somebody selling some clothing anybody selling clothing here what are they selling looks like supplies more food what is this one here i'm going to talk to this one here maybe i can sell that suit the blue-eyed salesman greets you with a neutral nod after a few seconds of complete apathy his voice rings out with flat fake enthusiasm ah welcome to my store i am demian the merchant and my prices aren't steep come and see it's almost free hello show me what you got oh look at this look at this we can maybe make a deal he's going to give me 1200 rubles for a special field uniform plus 7 survival am i making a mistake selling this plus seven percent cold resistance maybe the survival maybe i should hold on to this but what does this guy have tire armor maybe i could make some thorny armor now i have some thorny armor i could sell him for a 136 rupals and he has tire armor wow it's not very expensive it's a good deal i get a little bit more fire resistance on my thorny armor let me test this here can i compare these i don't know maybe not okay minus four dodge minus ten plus six damage plus eight plus one damage threshold plus one damage threshold and plus ten percent fire resistance plus five percent and this is even lighter i could trade him for this definitely trade him for this oh he also has a leather breastplate even better or is it not so much he's going to give 60 rubles for this ushanka hat plus 10 survival that's why i could do that too what about the bandana a regular scarf that protects the wearer's head from the elements gives me eight rubles eight rubles it's pretty good deal he's looking for these bandanas i don't know if i'm gonna use that in my crafting though i don't think so no i'm gonna hang on to the bandana i'm just gonna go like this i'll give him the rest in the ruble so just wait maybe i have something else here maybe i can trade him something else see he's only going to give me five rubles for my fish not as much i don't need these this ammo but maybe this isn't the place to sell it i might be able to get a better deal someplace else i'll give him the rules 14 more rubles we have a deal i'm going to give him the thorny armor for tire armor very happy with this trade very happy i'm not looking to buy anything more right now see you damian but thank you the merchant spreads his arms to stop you from leaving but at the last moment steps wearily aside apparently he's decided you're not worth the effort i walk away next i'm going to look for some ammo and then i will be done with the market and i will head back to the hotel i will hawk talk to that depressed father try to get to the bottom of this story maybe i'll head there you\n"