Chapter 47

As soon as the private message notification sound on the system panel faded, the global channel instantly erupted, with red, gold, and dark blue chat boxes flashing across the screen.

Someone posted a video of themselves testing their purchase of sweet grass root from the "Number One Store in the World," showing them lifting a 50-kilogram rock with one hand without flinching.

Some people complained that they didn't have enough points to buy core resources;

Many more people are speculating wildly whether the shop owner will add high-level equipment like laser guns and energy shields next time.

The discussion quickly rose to the top of global trending topics.

At this moment, Su Jing was sitting at the solid wood table in the living room of the villa, her fingertips lightly tapping the tabletop, her gaze sweeping over the three private messages from different countries on the panel.

The United States, the European Union, and Russia share a highly consistent demand—to purchase laser guns and energy crystals—but their tone and stance differ.

A faint, indifferent smile played on her lips as her fingers rapidly tapped the screen, devising a strategy to offer a tenfold return price, treating everyone equally.

United States - Recycling Base for Abandoned Car Factories

The ear-piercing sound of metal clashing shattered the factory's deathly silence. Jack kicked over a box of mechanical parts in the corner, scattering silver gears all over the floor, mixing with the oil stains on the ground.

Beside the metal table in front of him, his four teammates looked grave. Taylor's arm was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, and the wound was still throbbing.

Three days ago, during the Cyber ​​Industrial Complex raid, two of the team's most experienced mechanics were killed, bringing the repair of core equipment to a standstill.

"We must buy a laser gun!"

Jack's voice was filled with anger, his knuckles white from gripping the system panel so tightly.

"The next time we encounter rebel robots, without advanced weapons, we'll be lambs to the slaughter!"

The screen clearly displayed the records of physical fitness supplies that "Number One Store in the World" had previously stocked.

“The five ordinary energy cores we had before were not enough. Ivan said he saw the energy crystal in this woman’s hand in the dungeon. Its energy density far exceeded our current reserves and could keep the generator running for three days and three nights!”

"But what if she demands an exorbitant amount?" Taylor frowned, a sharp pain shooting through the wound beneath the bandages.

"We only have 3,000 points left, not even enough to buy a high-level core. Besides, she only accepted points before, but if she demands gold or rare materials for payment this time, where will we get so many of our stock?"

"I'll take care of the gold!"

Jack pulled a palm-sized gold nugget from his pocket, its gleam dazzling—this was the last of his family's possessions, stolen from the family safe.

"I messaged her first, saying I wanted 10 laser guns and 500 energy crystals, to be paid in gold."

"If she dares to raise the price..." Before he could finish speaking, a notification popped up on the screen saying "Private message delivered."

Jack stared at the screen, his finger hovering over the send button for a moment before finally gritting his teeth and pressing it—he knew very well that this was the team's last chance to survive.

EU underground medical shelters

The smell of disinfectant permeated every corner of the command room. Emily sat in front of the holographic projector, her fingertips tracing the attack data on the screen.

With a serious look in his eyes: "The laser gun can penetrate a 3-centimeter steel plate, which is just right for dealing with the alloy shell of the mechanical guard."

The energy crystal has an energy density of up to 85%, three times that of our existing emergency batteries, enough to power the shelter's defense system for a week at full capacity.

Lucy, the assistant, handed over a cup of hot coffee, her brow furrowed: "But the owner of 'Number One Shop Under Heaven' has never sold high-level weapons to users outside of China, and even if she were willing to sell, the price would definitely be high."

Our current supplies are only enough to last two weeks. If we were to exchange them for gold or food, wouldn't that affect the basic survival of the shelter?

“We have to take the risk.” Emily took the coffee, her fingertip pausing on the words “Rebellious Robot Danger Level 90” on the projection screen.

"Last week, the Munich shelter was attacked by rebel robots, half of its defenses were destroyed, and more than 300 survivors were killed."

"If we don't have laser guns, being targeted next time will be a death sentence."

She looked up at Lucy and said firmly, "Message her and ask for 10 laser guns and 300 energy crystals. If you don't have enough gold, you can use other supplies instead. As long as she's willing to sell, we can negotiate the terms."

Lucy nodded and quickly typed the purchase information on the panel to send it. The two of them stared at the screen at the same time, and the air was filled with a tense atmosphere. They didn't know that what awaited them was a price ten times higher than the asking price, with no room for negotiation.

Russian Bear State Siberian Energy Depot

A biting wind seeped in through the cracks in the warehouse, and thick frost condensed on the walls. Ivan leaned against a metal rack piled high with diesel drums, toying with a fragment of an energy crystal that gleamed with a pale purple light—

This was a fragment he picked up from the edge of the cyber dungeon. It had weak energy, but it showed him the potential of high-level energy.

Wolf, one of his subordinates, was taking inventory of the supplies in the warehouse. Even his heavy winter clothing couldn't ward off the biting cold: "Boss, we currently have 500 tons of rice, 300 tons of frozen meat, and 2,000 tons of diesel. Our energy reserves are sufficient."

However, they only had three high-level weapons like laser guns, and all of them were damaged, making them completely inadequate against the mechanical monsters in the 'Steel Frozen Land Dungeon'.

"The owner of 'The Best Shop Under Heaven' has some." Ivan stuffed the crystal fragment into his pocket, his eyes sharp.

"I heard from people at other bases that the laser guns she sells are extremely powerful and can penetrate 5-centimeter-thick steel plates. No matter what price she asks for, we have to buy 10 of them, otherwise we won't even be able to get into the next dungeon."

He paused, then added, "Just send her a private message and say you'll trade supplies for 10 laser guns. If she dares to raise the price, we'll use diesel to lower it—energy is more valuable than gold in the apocalypse."

Wolf nodded and immediately edited and sent the message on the panel. Both of them thought that with their ample energy reserves, they would always have some negotiating advantage, but little did they know that what awaited them were harsh conditions no different from those of the other two parties.

Su Jing looked at the three private messages, her fingertips rapidly tapping the screen. She sent three replies simultaneously, offering no further explanation, only cold conditions and prices:

- To Jack (United States): 10 laser guns, 500 energy crystals, and a total payment of 1000 tons of rice and flour, 1000 tons of meat and seafood, and 10000 tons of energy. Points or gold are not accepted; only material payments are accepted.

- To Emily (EU): 10 laser guns, 300 energy crystals, and a total payment of 1,000 tons of rice and flour, 800 tons of meat and seafood, and 8,000 tons of energy. Only material settlement is accepted; no bargaining is accepted.

- To Ivan (Russian Bear State): 10 laser guns, requiring payment for a total of 1,000 tons of rice and flour, 500 tons of meat and seafood, and 5,000 tons of energy. Only material settlement is supported. If not confirmed within 24 hours, the transaction will be cancelled.

The moment the reply was sent, Jack's private messages exploded: "This is robbery! Ten times the exorbitant price! Heartless shop owner!" Su Jing glanced at them and ignored them.

Ten minutes later, Jack sent another private message, his tone filled with resentment and compromise: "Provide the supplies as you say, and initiate the system teleportation as soon as possible. If you dare to play tricks, I will make sure you have nowhere to stand in any dungeon!" Clearly, he had no other choice.

Emily's reply was much calmer, without anger, only a pragmatic confirmation: "The required supplies are ready. Please provide the system transaction link. We need to receive the weapons within 24 hours, otherwise it will affect the shelter's defense deployment."

Upon seeing the reply, Ivan slammed his fist on the diesel drum next to him, making a dull thud: "Is she crazy? Ten times the price! And she only accepts supplies!"

Wolf was stunned, unable to believe his eyes: "Boss, this price is too high. We have to use half of our grain reserves. Is it worth it?"

Ivan paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the mountain of diesel drums in the warehouse, and gritted his teeth, saying, "It's worth it! Without laser guns, the next dungeon run will be a total wipeout, and no amount of food will help."

He immediately replied to Su Jing: "I agree to the conditions. Initiate the system transaction now, and the supplies will be transferred immediately."

Su Jing activated the system's "Cross-Server Transaction" function and established transaction links with the three parties respectively.

The transaction with Jack was initiated first, and the system panel showed: "The buyer has initiated the transfer of supplies. 1,000 tons of rice and flour, 1,000 tons of meat and seafood, and 10,000 tons of diesel have entered the transfer queue."

Su Jing clicked "Confirm Receive" and her consciousness sank into the space. She saw two 10-meter-high mountains of supplies instantly piled up in the "People's Livelihood Zone". Sealed bags of rice and flour were neatly arranged, and frozen meat and seafood were automatically stored in a dedicated freezer area.

In the "energy zone," countless barrels of diesel fuel were neatly stacked, occupying almost half the area. Simultaneously, 10 laser guns and 500 energy crystals were retrieved from the spatial "weapon zone."

Entering the teleportation queue. Inside Jack's base, Taylor was the first to pick up a laser gun, pull the trigger, and the red laser beam instantly pierced through the thick iron plate beside him.

A charred hole remained, and the tense atmosphere was instantly broken by cheers: "It's even more powerful than we expected! It was worth it!"

The deal with Emily followed closely, with 800 tons of meat and seafood (including salmon, steak, frozen shrimp, etc.) and 8,000 tons of gasoline being successively delivered into the space, and the supplies in the living area and energy area piled up even higher.

After the 10 laser guns and 300 energy crystals were transferred, Lucy, inside the EU underground shelter, aimed the detection equipment at the laser guns.

He excitedly reported to Emily, "The energy bar is full, the range is up to 500 meters, and the defensive penetration is 5 times stronger than our previous weapons!"

Emily nodded, a hint of relief finally appearing on her tense face—with these weapons, the shelter's defensive capabilities would be greatly enhanced.

Finally, there was the deal with Ivan: 500 tons of rice and flour, 500 tons of frozen beef, and 5,000 tons of diesel fuel were sent into space, while 10 laser guns were simultaneously sent out.

In the energy warehouse of the Russian bear country, after carefully inspecting each laser gun, Wolf said to Ivan, "Boss, all the weapons are in good condition, the power test has passed, and they can easily penetrate a 5-centimeter-thick steel plate."

Ivan looked at the cold metallic sheen of the laser gun. Although he felt the pinch of the high price paid, he knew that this deal was necessary.

With these weapons, they can gain the upper hand in the perilous post-apocalyptic world.

After all three transactions were completed, Su Jing brought up her spatial panel and looked at the updated total amount of supplies: 3,000 tons of rice and flour, 2,300 tons of meat and seafood, and 23,000 tons of energy.

With the previously stockpiled supplies of daily necessities, the "livelihood zone" and "energy zone" of the space have been completely filled, leaving only narrow passageways for movement.

She stretched and her gaze fell on the 10 flying cars in the corner of the "energy zone" of the space.

When she used her advanced technology to detect supernatural abilities, she discovered that these flying cars had a lot of room for improvement in terms of endurance and defensive capabilities.

With ample supplies, we can use our spare time to make modifications and prepare for the next dungeon adventure or apocalyptic relocation.

Su Jing's consciousness sank into the space, and her fingertips gently touched one of the silver-gray flying cars, instantly activating her technological proficiency and superpowers.

Countless complex circuit patterns, mechanical structures, and performance parameters clearly emerged in her mind: the levitation device could be replaced with a higher-density energy crystal interface to improve levitation stability and load-bearing capacity;

The outer shell can be reinforced with a 10mm thick steel plate to enhance its defensive capabilities and withstand low-intensity attacks;

The battery capacity can be expanded by connecting three energy crystals in series, which can increase the driving range to three times the original.

The control system can be optimized, incorporating intelligent navigation and hazard warning functions to adapt to the complex terrain of the post-apocalyptic world.

She closed her eyes, focusing her consciousness on refining the modification plan. Her fingertips traced lines in the air, transmitting modification instructions to the processing equipment in the space through her supernatural abilities.

The robotic arm inside the space automatically started, retrieving reinforced steel plates, energy crystals, and various parts from the supplies area, and began disassembling, modifying, and assembling the flying car.

Sparks flew as metal was cut and the precise clanging of parts being assembled echoed throughout the space. An upgrade and modification project centered around a flying car was quietly unfolding in a silent corner of the post-apocalyptic world.