FIELD REFERENCE / Shop & story
Probably Stolen Underground Exchange Guide
Turn the trash can into an overnight trade point—provided the service is unlocked and the ingredients match the directive.
Unlock Sawyer's exchange, read the Underground Exchange Directive, put the exact required goods into the trash can and keep Janitorial Service active for the night. Collect the reward from the trash area the next morning. A full bin, wrong ingredients or a blocked exchange can spoil the transaction.
Unlock the exchange before using the bin
The player walkthrough identifies Sawyer as the contact who introduces the Underground Exchange. Fence and the Sawyer's Crew starting perk provide earlier access. Do not assume every specialization receives the directive on the same day.
Having a trash can is not enough. Confirm that the exchange has been introduced and that the janitorial service is available. If you are following an early-access tip for a different starting setup, check the actual dialogue and perks in your run.
Evidence: AllThingsHow: Underground Exchange walkthrough · Wikily: starting scenarios
Read permanent and promotional offers separately
These are selected directive examples, not a complete substitute for the document in your save. Each listed offer is a recipe, not a general request for similar-looking goods. Promotional trades must actually appear in the current directive.
Some Dream Dust exchanges depend on purity as well as item count. Keep those batches separate until you understand the relevant requirement; four vials do not automatically mean two identical rewards.
| Offer type | Example input | Listed result |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent | 3 Water Filters | 1 new Water Filter |
| Permanent | 2 machine modules | A new module; not a choice of any module you want |
| Permanent | 1 Command keycard | 2 random keycards |
| Promotion | 3 Security keycards | Security supply crate, when that promotion is listed |
| Promotion | 4 Medical keycards | Medical supply crate, when that promotion is listed |
Evidence: Underground Exchange Directive reference
Complete one trade from start to finish
- Choose one directive offer and count its ingredients. For your first attempt, use a simple item-count trade such as Water Filters.
- Remove unrelated stock from the trash. Leave only goods you mean to sacrifice or exchange.
- Place the required inputs in the trash can before ending the day. Leave room for the expected reward.
- On the nightly service screen, keep Janitorial Service enabled. The exchange is tied to that collection, not simply to sleeping.
- The next morning, inspect the trash area and retrieve the reward. Check the result before preparing a larger or more complicated batch.
Troubleshoot a missing reward
The documented walkthrough describes exchange access being blocked by the Black Market's Blacklisted state. If the service screen is active but trading is unavailable, inspect the reputation perk rather than repeatedly feeding the bin.
| Symptom | What to inspect |
|---|---|
| Nothing was exchanged | Unlock state, the active janitorial service and Black Market standing. |
| Ingredients disappeared with no expected item | Exact item identity, quantities, quality requirements and output space. |
| A promotional trade failed | Whether it was selected in the current directive. |
| You supplied two batches but received one reward | The directive's once-per-night rule for each offer. |
| The wrong trade consumed shared inputs | Competing recipes; isolate one trade on the next attempt. |
Evidence: AllThingsHow: Underground Exchange walkthrough · Underground Exchange Directive reference
Use the exchange without losing working stock
Our recommendation is to maintain a small exchange staging area outside the bin during the day. Move the final ingredients only when you are ready to close. This makes it harder to throw away an upgrade module you intended to keep.
Value the trade by what you give up. A new filter can be useful, but three working filters may still be worth more to your production line. A random module is not guaranteed to improve your current machine. Prefer exchanges that solve a real shortage rather than exchanging just because a recipe is available.
Retrieve rewards promptly. Official notes have fixed at least one exchange-delivered item's treatment by later trash collection; that specific fix should not be generalized into a promise that every reward is safe in the bin forever.
Evidence: Developer announcements and fixes
COUNTER QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Does the Underground Exchange require Janitorial Service?
Yes, the documented exchange occurs during the nightly janitor collection. Unlocking the directive alone is not enough.
Where do the exchanged items appear?
Check the trash area the following morning. Leave room before closing and retrieve the reward instead of forgetting it in the bin.
Can I repeat the same offer several times in one night?
The directive reference limits each offer to once per night. Do not assume that doubling its ingredients doubles that night's output.
Sources & evidence
Source notes identify the basis for this guide. Your current in-game tooltips and dialogue take precedence when a patch or mod changes a mechanic.
- AllThingsHow: Underground Exchange walkthrough ↗
Player walkthrough with directive and Sawyer screenshots, opening conditions and nightly service steps.
- Underground Exchange Directive reference ↗
Community transcription with English in-game directive images. Consult your own directive for promotions and input requirements.
- Wikily: starting scenarios ↗
Community transcription of starting menus and equipment. Starting figures can be altered by perks and difficulty.
- Developer announcements and fixes ↗
Official patch notes. Used for changed behavior, including filter removal, evaporator residue and mod compatibility.
Found a discrepancy? Send the page link and supporting evidence.