Chapter 26: Transaction

The afternoon sunlight was filtered by heavy leaden clouds, leaving only a pallid light that fell upon the ruins, adding a touch of desolation to this dead city.

"Lin kid, will they really come?"

Wang Gongtou stood behind him, his expression complex.

On one hand he despised the shelter's high‑handed conduct; on the other, that place was where he had lived, filled with familiar people and things.

"They will come."

Lin Yue's tone was flat,

"If Commander Zhang is a smart man, he won't abandon them over a mere crystal core."

This extortion seemed to give him the upper hand, but in fact it also pushed him completely into the spotlight.

To the shelter, the threat posed by Black Tortoise was simply too great.

And Lin Yue intended, through this transaction, to tell the shelter's higher‑ups that he had no wish to be their enemy, but neither was he easy to bully.

"They're here."

Lin Yue's eyes narrowed slightly.

On the distant horizon, a convoy of modified military Humvees sped toward them.

The vehicles halted about a hundred meters from Black Tortoise City.

The car doors opened, and a middle‑aged officer in a crisp uniform, his demeanor efficient, stepped out.

He raised both hands to show he carried no weapons, then walked slowly toward Black Tortoise City.

"Interesting."

Lin Yue watched the man's actions, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful arc,

"It seems Commander Zhang still knows the rules."

With a thought, a staircase gradually condensed on the heavy stone walls of Black Tortoise City, extending down to the ground.

"Old Wang, stay in the city; I'll go meet them."

Lin Yue said, walking down the stairs at an unhurried pace.

The colonel was obviously stunned by this supernatural sight; he didn't regain his composure until Lin Yue stood before him, then he snapped to attention and rendered a standard salute.

"Mr. Lin, I am acting on Commander Zhang's orders to handle the handover; my name is Zhao Hailong."

Zhao Hailong's sharp eyes swept over the young man before him.

He was far too young.

Even after having seen countless feeds of him on the command center's screens, seeing him in person still left him somewhat incredulous!

The youth before him looked to be barely twenty, his expression calm, yet deep in his eyes lay a composure and sharpness belied by his age.

It was hard to imagine that it was he who had subdued the shelter's strongest "Night Blade" squad without bloodshed.

"I am Lin Yue."

Lin Yue stated his name plainly,

"Did you bring the goods?"

"We brought them."

Zhao Hailong took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and waved his hand.

The two soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward, placed the heavy metal box on the ground, and opened it.

In an instant, a soft yet brilliant light spilled out; inside the box lay neatly arranged over a hundred diamond‑shaped crystals that flickered with a faint glow.

These were Grade 1 Energy Crystals.

"One hundred thirty Grade 1 Energy Crystals in total, please inspect them, Mr. Lin."

Zhao Hailong said in a low voice, his heart bleeding inside.

This was almost half of the shelter's entire stock.

Lin Yue merely glanced at it, with no intention of stepping forward to count, for he knew that in this situation Zhang Zhen'guo dared not, nor needed to, play tricks.

"Your people may leave."

As his words fell, not far off, the stone cages holding the Night Blade members slowly opened, and a series of disheveled figures staggered out.

Most of their exoskeleton armor was twisted and deformed; many had broken bones and torn tendons, each step drawing a piercing pain.

Seeing this, Zhao Hailong immediately gestured for his men to rush forward and administer aid, while he himself stepped forward and solemnly saluted Lin Yue.

"Mr. Lin, on behalf of the Third Exploration Detachment and myself, I thank you for saving Zhao Si's life!"

His voice was utterly sincere.

"Is Zhao Si still alive?"

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!"

Zhao Hailong nodded firmly,

"We later found him, and he told us everything that happened. If it weren't for you, those two..."

"Just a trivial effort."

Lin Yue waved his hand, indifferent.

"Mr. Lin,"

Zhao Hailong hesitated a moment, then relayed Zhang Zhen'guo's words,

"Regarding Deputy Director Li Wei's unilateral actions, Commander Zhang has launched an internal investigation and assures you he will give you a satisfactory answer; at the same time, the commander hopes this unpleasantness will not affect our future relations."

"Future relations?"

Lin Yue looked at him with interest,

"What, do you still want some kind of relationship with me?"

Chen Mo took a deep breath, his tone becoming extremely solemn.

"Yes, Mr. Lin. The Commander hopes to reach a strategic cooperation with you."

"Cooperation?"

"Exactly."

Chen Mo's gaze turned scorching,

"It has been half a year since the apocalypse descended; within Hangcheng, mutant beast nests are tangled and complex, among them exist extremely powerful beings that seriously threaten the shelter's safety. Although we have the ability to eradicate them, each operation means massive casualties."

He looked at Lin Yue, his voice carrying a hint of pleading:

"Your... Black Tortoise possesses mobility and defensive power beyond our comparison. The Commander hopes, with your help, to assist us in clearing those mutant beast nests."

Lin Yue fell silent.

His fingers rubbed the cold metal box, his brain racing.

Cooperating with the shelter has its pros and cons.

But Lin Yue doesn't care.

He needs energy points, a large amount of energy points; only with sufficient energy points can the Black Tortoise evolve quickly.

And the shelter happens to have the information he needs most.

But the posture must be fully put on; he wants the other side to understand that it is they who are seeking him, not him relying on them.

"What's in it for me?"

Lin Yue lifted his eyes, asking calmly.

"As repayment,"

Chen Mo immediately said, evidently having received authorization beforehand,

"We are willing to provide you with the highest-level information support, including maps of all known high-risk areas in Hangcheng, distribution and habit analysis of mutant beast populations. At the same time, for any of your actions within Hangcheng's range, the shelter will provide whatever convenience it can."

He paused, then threw out the final chip.

"Most importantly, all spoils from the extermination operations you participate in—including all mutant beast corpses and energy crystals—will belong entirely to you!"

Upon hearing the final condition, Lin Yue's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly.

All the energy crystals would go to him?

This condition is certainly not unfavorable.

Evidently, Zhang Zhengguo had already seen that he needed a large amount of energy crystals, and, given the shelter's current technological level, these energy crystals, aside from serving as some kind of rare strategic reserve, have little practical use.

Using something temporarily "useless" to exchange for the aid of a powerful combat force to eliminate the imminent threat.

This deal, Zhang Zhengguo calculated very precisely.

"Good."

Lin Yue pondered for a long time, finally uttering a single word.

"I agree to you."

"Great!"

On Chen Mo's tense face, finally a hint of relieved joy appeared,

"Mr. Lin, on behalf of the shelter and on behalf of Commander Zhang, I thank you for your decision!"

"Don't get too happy too soon."

Lin Yue waved his hand, interrupting him,

"I have a condition."

"Please speak."

"I will cooperate with you only in exterminating mutant beasts. I will not participate in any internal disputes of your shelter, nor accept any form of dispatch or command. We are equal partners, not superior-subordinate."

As he said this, Lin Yue's eyes suddenly turned sharp,

"If there is another incident like this 'Night Blade'... I cannot guarantee you'll be able to redeem the people."

"That's only natural!"

Chen Mo nodded solemnly,

"I assure you, there will definitely not be a second time!"

"Then that's good."

Lin Yue nodded, then turned and headed toward Xuanwu City.

"Mr. Lin, please wait!"

Chen Mo shouted from behind him.

Lin Yue stopped his steps, turned back to look at him.

"The Commander has me tell you, regarding Li Wei... within three days, he will personally deliver him to you for you to dispose of as you wish."

After Chen Mo finished speaking, he again performed a standard military salute toward him.

Lin Yue looked at him, said nothing more, only the corners of his mouth slightly rose.