Chapter 36 Weapons Supplier <TOC> Chapter 38 Machine Stack Service
Translator: SumTLMan
The bespectacled young woman had numerous titles.
Weapons supplier, honorary knight of the Dead Sea Knights, those were easy to understand at a glance.
A citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom?
That was new to him.
Zhou Yi introduced himself in turn: “Zhou Yi, Chairman of the Wasteland Development Company, currently involved in farmland reclamation around the desert zone.”
“I know of you,” said Qian Su, intrigued: “Almost everyone who can afford to raise a Dead Sea Abomination is quite famous. If possible, could you reveal a little about your background and identity? Just a bit would suffice.”
Zhou Yi replied to her question with another: “Are you here on behalf of the Dead Sea Knights?”
“Misunderstanding, misunderstanding,” the young woman gestured dismissively: “You might not be familiar with this, Mr. Zhou, but honorary knights gain their titles either through connections or by buying them. There are quite a few of them. With this title, one can act with a bit more freedom and even take the Dead Sea Knights’ ships for safe passage at sea. It’s completely different from being a formal knight; honorary knights merely enjoy protection and certain privileges from the order.”
“However, some honorary knights actually maintain close relationships with the order. They act under the honorary title specifically to avoid the restrictions of the knightly code… Ji Chang is one of those.”
“He’s in the same line of work as me, a senior even. But unlike me, he can genuinely summon the knights to carry out his orders.”
Zhou Yi’s gaze sharpened.
Clearly, the other party knew something.
Qian Su quickly changed the topic, glancing at the monster army behind Zhou Yi: “Mr. Zhou, just as the rumors say, leads a squad of Warrior Crabs, moving decisively in the desert, truly impressive military leadership.”
“If you buy a little something from me, I’ll share a piece of information that’s absolutely worth the cost. How about it?”
Zhou Yi replied: “Since there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
He had no desire to waste money.
Besides, he didn’t have any to spare.
Currently, every Light Seed needed to be saved, for Jade Emerald City, for Red Falcon, for evolving the Warrior Crabs into Black Warriors, and his own upgrades were the last priority.
“Mr. Zhou, wait, wait.”
Qian Su jogged after him as he turned to leave.
“To show my sincerity, I’ll give you a tip.”
“Ji Chang has already convinced the Dead Sea Knights, and they’re en route here. They might arrive within the next few days.”
Zhou Yi wasn’t surprised.
What was bound to come would inevitably arrive.
He had eliminated Ji Chang’s team, costing him five Enhancers, and dismantled his plans for Jade Emerald City.
If he were in Ji Chang’s position, he too would return to settle the score.
Qian Su continued: “I’m not sure what kind of force is coming this time, but if you don’t have any combat vehicles for sea battles, it could be a challenge…”
“The Dead Sea Knights can launch long-range attacks from across the Dead Sea. Even a Dead Sea Abomination would be quite vulnerable. After all, everyone knows that an abomination falls into a slumber once it enters the Dead Sea.”
Zhou Yi asked her: “Why are you telling me all this?”
“Naturally, for business. As soon as conflict and war come into play, merchants like us must seize the opportunity to peddle our goods. I thought you might need to make an emergency purchase to handle this external threat.”
The young woman seized the moment to suggest: “There’s also a straightforward solution that could solve this issue immediately.”
“If you’re willing to sell that Dead Sea Abomination, I’ll bring in a professional appraiser to evaluate it, then offer a price based on its strength and completeness. Just pay up, and we can find a middleman to resolve this trouble…”
Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow.
Her ambitions and goals were laid bare without any concealment.
Both Ji Chang and Qian Su had their sights set on Jade Emerald City.
They simply chose different approaches.
“No need to trouble yourself,” Zhou Yi said: “Goodbye.”
“Hey, hey, don’t go… Let’s be friends first. Even if there’s no deal, there’s no harm in talking. We could negotiate other things too.”
Unwilling to give up, Qian Su followed persistently, keeping her tone humble.
Zhou Yi asked coldly: “Do you have anything that might interest me?”
The question caught her off guard.
She hesitantly asked: “What would you like to buy? I’ve got quite a range here.”
“A Light Blocker.”
“I have those. Small Light Blockers, two light-blocking boxes per set for 30 Light Seeds, and medium-sized ones with five boxes per set for 150 Light Seeds.”
Zhou Yi asked: “How soon can you deliver them here?”
“Within seven days.”
“Too slow. I need it by sunset today.”
“…That’s a tall order,” Qian Su admitted, visibly distressed: “Even if I get supplies from the nearest Sand Port, it would still take at least a day to transport them here.”
Zhou Yi replied: “That’s your problem, not mine.”
She gritted her teeth: “It’ll cost extra. Urgent transport fees are 10 Light Seeds, and if it’s more than two sets, the weight will require doubled transport fees.”
“Agreed. Two sets of small Light Blockers.”
Zhou Yi nodded: “By sunset, I’ll be waiting below the company’s base at Jade Emerald City to receive it.”
“Alright.”
With that, Qian Su didn’t even ask for a deposit. Jets of air burst from her feet, and she darted away like she was riding on wheels of wind and fire.
After this brief encounter, Zhou Yi returned to his base.
This regional campaign had yielded Light Seeds and a large quantity of Stinging Antlion shells, leg spines, and antennae.
But the Death Dunes still seemed endless, and clearing a path to other cities would take time. He would have to come back later.
…
As the sun neared the horizon, a silver-black American heavy-duty truck roared up to the security line outside Jade Emerald City.
The door opened.
Qian Su, wearing a sunhat, jumped out.
She walked over to Zhou Yi, who was reading a magazine under a sunshade: “Despite a few hiccups during transport, I wasn’t late. Come take a look at the goods you ordered.”
Zhou Yi nodded.
Qian Su clapped a metal hand on the silver cargo container at the back of the truck, and the metal door on this side lifted up.
She climbed the ladder into the truck’s cargo space and brought out several wooden crates. With practiced efficiency, she unsealed the crates and assembled the devices inside, handing Zhou Yi a handwritten operation manual.
The two Light Blockers were verified on the spot, clearly superior to the confiscated one from before.
Zhou Yi handed her his Light Absorber box.
Qian Su pulled out her own Light Absorber box, twisting the two together like screws until they locked, enabling the Light Seed count on Zhou Yi’s device to start dropping.
In no time, 70 Light Seeds completed the transaction.
Only then did Qian Su turn her attention to Jade Emerald City.
She lifted her head, her eyes widening slightly, lips parted: “It’s massive… So well-preserved, with a substantial energy reserve. Impressive.”
Zhou Yi asked: “Have you been wandering around the Death Dunes just to find me?”
“Not exactly. I was testing new weapons over there. For that kind of experiment, it’s best to test on wild Light Absorber species. That area of the Death Dunes is a fantastic natural shooting range.”
Qian Su explained: “Originally, I planned to finish the testing and then pay you a visit. But as luck would have it, I ran into you.”
“I’m a bit curious, Mr. Zhou.”
The bespectacled young woman gave him a puzzled look: “Are you genuinely unconcerned about this attack? How are you planning to counter it? I mean, if warships attack from the Dead Sea, even a Dead Sea Abomination might be powerless.”
Zhou Yi replied: “No big deal.”
He didn’t elaborate further.
Qian Su didn’t press him but seemed lost in thought.
Zhou Yi had already devised a strategy in the Death Dunes.
He would simply have Jade Emerald City retreat inland to lure the enemy deeper in.
The current Wasteland Development Company was highly adaptable.
If this group of Dead Sea Knights dared to land and abandon their ships and advantage over the Dead Sea, eliminating them would be a straightforward task.
Chapter 36 Weapons Supplier <TOC> Chapter 38 Machine Stack Service