Ye Zhongming saw these representatives of Black Dragon City’s local forces in the residence’s hall, their expressions varied and clearly somewhat distracted.
Exchanging a glance with Xiao Peng beside him, Ye Zhongming didn’t know what had happened—was it because of his neglect last night that made them unhappy? But from their faces, he couldn’t see anger or resentment; instead, they showed expressions of surprise, disbelief, and deep thought.
Black Brother, serving as the intermediary, took the initiative to speak and introduced those present to Ye Zhongming.
“This is my boss, the leader of the Moonfall Icefield Battle Squad, Sister Ru.”
“This is Shopkeeper Jiang Dabao, owner of Jiang Dabao’s Store.”
“This is the captain of the Linchuan Hunting Team, He Qinchuan.”
“This is the chief steward of Morning Light Pavilion, Mr. Li Long.”
“This is the young master of the Cold Extreme Team, Young Master Qing.”
“This is…”
After listening to the introductions, Ye Zhongming nodded. The people he sent out yesterday had already gathered a general understanding of the local forces. He knew that those present were all influential figures in the city. Although the most powerful major factions hadn’t sent anyone, the combined strength of those here was still not to be underestimated.
Naturally, this was relative.
With Black Brother’s introduction as a starting point, these people adjusted their attitudes and began exchanging pleasantries with Ye Zhongming, gradually steering the conversation toward the main topic.
They didn’t know Ye Zhongming’s identity, only that this person was generous with his spending and had strong purchasing power. Those who came here basically wanted to do some business with Ye Zhongming.
Unlike Xiao Xuan, they didn’t think Ye Zhongming had been invited to assist in a fight. They knew he was purely a passerby.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t have paid him such attention, but Black Dragon City was currently in a special period. With the impending battle against those foreigners from the north, everyone was trying every possible means to strengthen themselves and their factions’ power.
Having needs didn’t mean they could easily obtain what they wanted. Currently, Black Dragon City lacked items that could directly enhance combat effectiveness.
Everyone was searching for good items, but Black Dragon City’s supply was limited in the short term, and opportunities were scarce for each person.
Facing the outsiders’ invasion of their base, the people of Black Dragon City showed relative unity. They had no intention of retreating and were determined to fight a bloody battle against those foreigners. However, reality constrained the effectiveness of their “last-minute preparations.”
Shops like Essence Pavilion and Jiang Dabao’s Store had some good items, but first, their inventory also had costs and wouldn’t be given away for free. Selling to Black Dragon City residents at cost price was already considered generous. Additionally, these shops wouldn’t stand aside during this event—they had their own needs. What could be sold would be sold, and what couldn’t would be kept for their own use.
Second, the items they could sell that could immediately enhance combat effectiveness were already mostly sold out. What remained were things that required time to cultivate or had other conditions. For example, apart from the Ice Marrow Liquid and Frost Heart, the other items Ye Zhongming bought, such as Cracked Cold Stone, level eight beast hide, Ice Soul, etc., were materials. The Snow Pattern Ants even required long-term cultivation. These were all items with potential but couldn’t deliver immediate results.
As for the boss of Morning Light Pavilion, Elder An, who had crafted the Four Dragon Heads, wasn’t a monstrous craftsman like Ye Zhongming, who could mass-produce equipment. In a short time, it was impossible to manufacture large quantities of gear. It was said that the elderly man, already over seventy, was willing but lacked the energy.
Under these circumstances, Ye Zhongming arrived—and most importantly, he had money.
In the apocalypse, money meant demon crystals. A person carrying many demon crystals meant that once obtained, they could be used to spin the wheel and immediately acquire useful items.
For wheels above level six, even if one didn’t land on evolution potions, the other rewards were still quite good.
This was why they had come to visit since last night. Even after being rejected and waiting all night, they didn’t show any dissatisfaction.
Because they needed something from him.
Otherwise, even if Ye Zhongming were a seven-star evolved, it wouldn’t warrant so many people of the same level adopting such a humble attitude toward him.
It was true that Ye Zhongming and his group had strength, and these people didn’t dare act recklessly, but that didn’t mean they had to behave like this. Simply put, they still wanted to see what they could gain from Ye Zhongming.
After hearing their intentions, Ye Zhongming understood. He also sympathized—if it were for other matters, he might have refused, but since these people were preparing to resist foreign enemies, he wouldn’t hesitate to help where he could.
“Can you tell me what you need?” Ye Zhongming’s question left those present exchanging glances.
Our needs?
The people of Black Dragon City didn’t show it on their faces, but in their hearts, they thought Ye Zhongming’s words were a bit too bold.
We need seven-colored grade equipment, nine-star evolution potions—do you have those? We need level nine battle beasts and an elite army of 100,000—do you have those?
Although they felt somewhat displeased, considering Ye Zhongming had spent roughly 100,000 level six demon crystals in one go last night, they held back their frustration out of respect for his status as a tycoon.
Sister Ru, Black Brother’s boss, was in her forties but appeared much younger due to evolution. Though not a stunning beauty, she was still quite attractive. Her personality carried the straightforwardness of northern women. Hearing Ye Zhongming’s question, she inwardly scoffed before speaking directly: “If Mr. Ye still has demon crystals on hand, I’m willing to trade items for them.”
Ye Zhongming nodded, then shifted his gaze to the young master of the Cold Extreme Team, Young Master Qin, sitting beside her.
Young Master Qin was taken aback. What did this mean? Asking each person about their needs? After asking, could he fulfill them? Did he think he was Doraemon or Aladdin’s genie?
Being young and lacking restraint, his expression darkened. He snorted and said, “I need a golden-grade weapon!”
The others immediately understood that Young Master Qin was unhappy. Golden-grade equipment was inherently rare, and golden-grade weapons were especially precious. Even Elder An couldn’t manufacture golden-grade equipment at will. Over the past few years, only about four or five pieces had been produced. The Four Dragon Heads were his proudest work, benefiting from the rarity of the materials used, but they were also the only purple-grade equipment he had ever crafted.
Now, asking this outsider for a golden-grade weapon was somewhat of a provocation.
However, they noticed that the young outsider sitting at the head of the room didn’t show any surprise. Instead, his gaze moved to the third person—He Qinchuan, captain of the Linchuan Hunting Team.
This middle-aged man, known for his bravery, spoke up: “If Mr. Ye has an eight-star evolution potion, that would naturally be best. If not, a golden-grade weapon would also suffice. If even that is difficult, level seven or level eight demon crystals would also work.”
The others found this amusing. Though He Qinchuan’s words sounded polite, they carried an undertone of mockery toward Ye Zhongming—first mentioning eight-star evolution potions, then golden-grade weapons, things that were clearly impossible to provide.
But He Qinchuan ultimately softened his tone, echoing Sister Ru’s request for high-level demon crystals. They all needed these to spin the wheel of fortune, making it a common demand.
Ye Zhongming continued to the next person.
“If you have any materials not found in the northern regions, Elder An would certainly appreciate them. Also, I have some items here—I wonder if Mr. Ye might be interested.”
Li Long, the chief steward of Morning Light Pavilion, spoke this. As the oldest in the room, his tone was composed, speaking purely to achieve today’s objective.
“I don’t have any special demands. As long as Mr. Ye has anything that could be immediately useful to me, I’m willing to offer a reasonable price.”
“Mr. Ye, do you have anything useful for battle beasts? Such as beast gear, high-quality food, or potions that can enhance a warbeast’s strength directly? If so, I’m willing to pay a high price.”
“Mr. Ye, I have two very special items here. I wonder if you’d be interested in taking a look. They definitely won’t be inferior to what you obtained at Essence Pavilion yesterday.”
“Mr. Ye, may I ask which faction you belong to? How strong are your subordinates? I’d like to hire them as bodyguards to accompany me in the battle against the foreigners if possible. The compensation will be high, and for any injuries or losses, I’m willing to provide ample compensation based on their strength.”
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