Chapter 464: Apocalypse Trading System (36)

Until he returned to the base, Zhou Chen'an was still in a daze.

He turned his head in a trance to look toward the trunk.

There were three baskets of freshly picked vegetables, a pot of just-braised tea eggs, and a pot of steaming mutton soup.

How long had it been since he touched mutton? It must have been nearly three to five months, right?

There were a few sheep in the base exchanged from the West City Farm Base, but supplies were scarce now; even if they slaughtered sheep for meat, how would it ever be the soldiers' turn?

This time, thanks to the Xie Family, their soldiers could not only eat fragrant tea eggs but also drink a bowl of hot mutton soup.

He had just glanced at it; there were large chunks of mutton stewed until tender in the soup.

Looking again at the two large bamboo baskets filled with chicken, duck, and goose eggs strapped in with seatbelts on the back seat, and his partner calmly driving beside him, Zhou Chen'an felt it was all so unbelievable:

"Old Chu, is what you and the Xie family members agreed upon really not a material trade? But an ability? Two 50g gold bars can obtain an ability? And you can pick the type of ability you want? No, pinch me again. Let me see if it hurts."

Chu Qingyan glanced at him and peeled a tiny wisp of lightning directly from a Thunderball, dropping it onto Zhou Chen'an's head.

"Crack!"

Zhou Chen'an's hair was instantly electrified into the hairstyle of Leizhenzi, and a burnt smell permeated the car cabin.

"Hiss! Alright, alright! I know it's not a dream!"

Zhou Chen'an peered at his "new hairstyle" in the rearview mirror and turned his face away, unable to bear looking at it, but his eyes were excited and agitated:

"Old Chu, if there's such a good thing, you should have said so earlier! I would have brought some supplies over to trade for an ability too, and I could have gone out on a Task this afternoon, saving the need to make another trip."

"Weren't you cursing them for scamming money and supplies?"

"..."

Zhou Chen'an remembered; last night he had indeed complained to that laminated paper that they were a scam ring.

But this couldn't be blamed on him either; how could there be such an absurd thing: abilities could be traded for supplies?

"Old Chu, what are your plans next? Are you sending all the brothers over to let Miss Xie help cultivate their abilities? Or are you letting her pick who to cultivate? Did she mention any requirements? Also, abilities activated so quickly, won't there be side effects?"

"There is a small side effect."

"What?"

"Easily hungry."

"..."

"There is only one requirement: draft a list first, and after it's sent over, she will do a background check; if there are no problems, then send the people over."

"Background check? How does she plan to investigate? This is the apocalypse. Even before the apocalypse, our personnel files were classified; what could she possibly investigate?"

Xie Yang couldn't investigate anything, but wasn't there the Main System?

Spending a few points, it could investigate a person's ancestors up to three generations clearly and thoroughly.

And so, as soon as they arrived at the base, Chu Qingyan sent over the drafted list and the satellite phone, and by evening, Xie Yang had obtained the comprehensive background check data from the Main System.

One had to praise this: those who could stay in Chu Qingyan's team until now were indeed of top-tier character and strength.

She made a satellite phone call to Chu Qingyan, notifying him that everyone on the list could be sent over, but no more than five per day.

"They all meet the requirements?"

Chu Qingyan was surprised; he thought she would screen out a batch.

"It's all fine on my end; it just depends on whether you can come up with the corresponding supplies. It doesn't have to be gold bars; non-heritage handicrafts are fine too. For large items that are hard to move, you report an address, and I will go collect them myself."

Handicrafts used for decoration and beautification were considered the least valuable things in the apocalypse.

Chu Qingyan didn't say a word and pulled two trucks over directly from the international exhibition hall.

Such as bamboo-woven hand-painted photo frames, silk hand-painted hanging scrolls, ceramic floral sculpture ornaments, lion dance gift boxes, lidded bowl painted tea set gift boxes, and so on.

Sitting at home, Xie Yang received a large sum of Trading Coins and was very dedicated to cultivating ability users for Chu Qingyan.

Every day, she helped him cultivate five ability users.

In reality, she could activate an ability user in a few seconds, and five combined didn't even take a minute.

But if she said that, ability users would seem too worthless.

Yet she didn't want to drag it out too long, in case a Zombie Tide came again.

So, in the end, a quota of five per day was set.

Even so, it made Chu Qingyan and Zhou Chen'an, who witnessed the ability users increasing day by day, feel as if their hearts were being pounded by crashing waves.

All soldiers who awakened abilities, including Chu Qingyan and Zhou Chen'an, signed confidentiality agreements.

However, even if they hadn't signed, or were forced by high-level leaders to explain, they couldn't give a logical answer.

Like the other ability users in the residential area, Xie Yang sprayed them all with Amnesia Potion; they had absolutely no impression of those most critical few seconds.

Fortunately, the other party only wanted supplies, regardless of what kind, even the least valuable handicrafts, solid wood furniture, toilets, and bathtubs in the apocalypse were fine, so what was there to be picky about?

Pulling a truckload of things that no one would pick up if thrown on the road could increase the base's number of ability users; why insist on wanting an answer?

Just like that, Xie Yang's "Ability User Training Class" was considered started.

First, all soldiers without abilities at the Chengnan Base gained Advanced Abilities, followed by the ability users who had survived Alienation and awakened on their own, who upgraded from "Ordinary Ability" to Advanced Ability.

Then, the West City Base and North City Base, which received the news, and finally the First Base of Raocheng, which had resettled after experiencing the Zombie Tide, all sent people over for cultivation.

As the number of official ability users in Yicheng increased and the overall combat power improved significantly, Xie Yang's "Bond" became less and less, and the entire city was gradually cleaned up.

Each base increased the number of infrastructure-type Earth-type Ability Users and planting-type Wood Ability users according to their own development needs; each district regained vitality, and damaged buildings such as residences and shops were repaired one by one.

Ordinary Survivors entered the repaired factories and institutions to work, and children returned to school.

Yicheng could be said to be the first city in the country to emerge from the chaotic state of the apocalypse, and also the first city to restore order and production.

Other brother cities sent out distress signals one after another.

Chu Qingyan took the upgraded rescue team and set off to other cities for rescue.

The soldiers were happy and excited.

Many of them were from other places, and since the apocalypse, they hadn't been able to contact their families, so they had always been worried.

But duty calls, and there is no way to leave at will. Now that this opportunity has arisen, who wouldn't be happy?

It also happens to bring more "business" to Xie Yang.

Xie Yang: "..."

Thanks!

Her Bond is all in Yicheng; once Yicheng settles down, her Task will be considered complete.

Other cities... forget it, who cares when there are more Trading Coins than can be spent? Since they can't be taken away anyway, might as well spend them all.

But relying on Chu Qingyan to go out, bring back lists, conduct background checks, then bring people back, and also transport Trading supplies—these back-and-forth trips are truly too troublesome.

Xie Yang decided to just drive the Recreational Vehicle and go along with the rescue team, treating it as a post-apocalyptic tour of the country.

The Xie Family was worried, so in the end, it simply became a post-apocalyptic trip for the four members of the Xie Family.