Published: February 12, 2025
In the apocalypse, it's not that no one wants to do business.
But trading in the apocalypse is not that easy.
Firstly, you need a source of goods.
This problem seems simple because mutated life forms are everywhere; you just need to hunt them down. Obtaining magic crystals and materials is your capital.
However, in reality, this is a deadlock.
In the apocalypse, everyone is striving forward, trying every means possible to evolve to a higher level. It's a matter of survival; if you don't progress, you will fall behind. The apocalypse won't halt its evolution just because you are stagnant; the whole environment is continuously getting stronger.
If mutated life forms become stronger and you're not, then hunting becomes impossible. If those around you grow stronger and you're not, you'll be bullied.
Gradually, stagnation leads to regression, and falling behind often means elimination in the apocalypse, which usually equates to death.
Thus, when everyone obtains magic crystals and materials, as well as other things, they generally invest it in themselves. Even if they can't use something, they will exchange it for what they need with others.
In such a situation, there is little surplus and wealth to conduct business.
Ye Zhongming, being reborn, understands this situation deeply and is thus able to come up with such a solution.
Others, who have also lived in the apocalypse for over three years, understand this as well, which is why their faces are filled with excitement.
Secondly, having a source of goods means you also need relatively low costs.
Transportation is challenging in the apocalypse. Although it seems that powerful factions can move through the wilderness without issue, that’s only achievable by a few super forces. They have large numbers, balanced professions, and can possess a vast array of transportation tools. They can skillfully dodge large clusters of mutated life forms and are safe from small numbers that pose no threat.
However, for individuals or small teams, venturing far in the apocalypse feels almost impossible. The uncertain dangers are too great; traveling far without proper preparation can easily lead to death.
In this scenario, most evolvers are passively fixed in certain areas.
Their activity range is limited, and even if they have some surplus items, prices in these areas are stagnant. The surplus they might have is merely the local specialties, which may be valuable elsewhere but are not rare locally.
Thus, even if you have some rare goods, they won't fetch a good price; trying to profit from the price difference becomes incredibly difficult.
Trade organizations like the Ogre Chain and the five rings society do exist, but how could they allow ordinary evolvers to profit? The value in between is all exploited by them.
Ye Zhongming suggested selling these materials to them at below market price, regardless of how much they sell for, which would yield a large profit.
Even if they don’t go elsewhere, within the Cloud Summit's sphere of influence, these items would still fetch a good price.
Many people have already set their sights on those manufacturing professionals gathered at Cloud Summit who did not go out this time.
Those individuals are all well-fed by Cloud Summit.
Man is driven by wealth, and in the apocalypse, people are mad for evolution.
What Ye Zhongming proposed undoubtedly offers them a moderate fortune.
The remaining matters no longer need Ye Zhongming to elaborate. Naturally, someone would arrange it, categorizing the materials based on the strengths and weaknesses of each faction. Once this is settled, they can take the materials on the spot, with a deadline of one month to sell them. If they sell them, they would pay back according to Cloud Summit's predetermined price; if they can’t sell them, they return the materials.
It can be said that this business ensures these factions will make a profit.
The meeting quickly dispersed, and those people followed the staff from Cloud Summit to collect materials. This was different from clearing a battlefield; it was estimated that they would be done by dawn if they worked quickly.