"Brother Xiao, wake up and eat."
A gentle voice rang out as the twin sister stood in front of the bed, softly calling out.
Glancing at the dark night outside, Xiao Jun stretched comfortably and crawled out of bed.
"As in the previous days, there were no traces of zombies found inside Future City after the night ended, and the loot drop rate has increased even more. Now everyone is equipped with high-tech weapons."
At the dining table, Jiang Yue was reporting today's situation to Xiao Jun.
"Hmm."
Xiao Jun nodded, a fully-armed team of a thousand people, and even the lowest second-tier mutants, no team in the current Future City could match them.
"Yunyun, how were the cigarette sales today?"
Taking a bite of soybean pudding, then swallowing a big mouthful of rice, it was truly delightful.
"Brother Xiao, today we sold a total of 3,441 low-grade cigarettes and 14 high-grade cigarettes, but we're running low on low-grade cigarette stock."
Actually, it should be more than these numbers, Yunyun clearly remembered counting over 6,000 the day before. How did the number drop so drastically today?
However, yesterday all the cigarettes were given to Brother Xiao, and today he only gave 3,500 to the salesgirls, keeping the rest for himself to smoke?
"Starting tomorrow, we'll only sell high-grade cigarettes, buy them or not."
Low-grade cigarettes at 2 Mutated Crystals per pack sold nearly 70,000 Mutated Crystals in a single day.
A thousand Mutated Crystals can upgrade a salesgirl from second-tier to third-tier, so 70,000 is equivalent to 70 third-tier mutants, terrifyingly so.
"Jiang Yue, pick out a hundred salesgirls for upgrading."
Xiao Jun took out 30,000 Mutated Crystals from his spatial storage and handed them to the little loli.
"Is this enough?"
"More than enough, I still have over 10,000 here."
The little loli hurriedly took them, wondering how Brother Xiao had so many Mutated Crystals.
As for her own 10,000 plus, they were deducted from the daily zombie income to pay the salesgirls' salaries.
"Remember, those who use them must sign IOUs, deducting from their future salaries."
The little loli nodded, though she didn't know the use of IOUs in this lawless society, but she would just follow Brother Xiao's instructions.
"Oh, call Li Qianwan up when you leave."
Second-tier Mutated Crystals were useless to Xiao Jun, as he needed third-tier ones to advance from fourth to fifth tier.
However, third-tier zombies were still very rare, so Xiao Jun had no way to level up even if he wanted to.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll activate our trading market. In addition to selling cigarettes, we'll also sell surplus weapons. And we'll exchange lower-tier Mutated Crystals for higher tiers. I'll tell you the pricing details later."
Xiao Jun's disappearance for so long wasn't just about cigarettes.
No matter how many he sold, they were only first-tier Mutated Crystals, barely enough for Xiao Jun and the other two major forces.
Future City was still better off with more people and more first-tier mutants, needing a huge amount of Mutated Crystals.
But for teams like Xiao Jun's with less than a thousand people, first-tier Mutated Crystals would eventually be phased out, only usable as currency and medical supplies.
With everything arranged, the atmosphere finally lightened.
The twin sister quickly stretched out her chopsticks.
She had endured too much discomfort, not daring to take any food in that heavy atmosphere.
Her younger twin sister Jingyi looked at her disapprovingly, how embarrassing.
Dinner was eaten quickly, as the next wave of zombies loomed like a mountain over everyone. The only way was to urgently enhance their strength. The more they could enhance, the greater their chance of survival.
"Li Jingyin, go upgrade."
A thousand second-tier Mutated Crystals were taken out.
Li Jingyin looked around, then pointed at herself, as if not quite believing it.
There were already five tenacious ability salesgirls on the team, and it wasn't known how many more would emerge later.
The team currently had enough second-tier Mutated Crystals for only two people to reach the fourth tier. Li Jingyin thought it would be the two flame ability salesgirls, never expecting herself to be among the chosen.
"What are you spacing out for? Go quickly."
Xiao Jun urged her again.
It was then that Li Jingyin suddenly woke up and hugged the large pile of Mutated Crystals into the room.
Shortly after, Li Qianwan also came upstairs, it being her first time entering the team leader's residence.
For these women living on the second floor with the team leader, the others could only be envious.
Many salesgirls in the team were secretly vying to see who would be the next lucky one to enter the second floor, some even secretly set up betting pools.
Li Qianwan had seen that betting list, her own name clearly on it. So she secretly gave money to her former roommate to place a bet on herself...
Now that she had set foot on the second floor, did this mean she had won?
With various thoughts in mind, Li Qianwan finally got to meet Xiao Jun and the others.
Was this their dinner?
Li Qianwan had three big question marks in her mind as her mouth involuntarily secreted saliva, her cute little tongue licking her lips.
Spicy, hotpot, who could resist such temptation?
"Want some?"
Xiao Jun gestured to Jiang Yue.
The lady manager reluctantly took out a set of bowls and chopsticks from her spatial storage and tossed them onto the table.
Today they were eating together, who knew if tomorrow they might sleep together.
"Eat quickly, then upgrade after."
These women had nothing but crazy ideas in their heads all day long, Xiao Jun didn't want to bother with them anymore.
Did he seem that desperate? Wait until the zombie apocalypse ends, then he'd show them what desperation really looked like.
Li Qianwan obliviously sat down, picked up the bowls and chopsticks, and ate her first hot pot since the apocalypse began, still piping hot.
Wait, what did the team leader just say? Eat quickly, then upgrade?
She didn't mishear, did she? Happiness seemed to come a bit too suddenly.
Did the team leader suddenly take a liking to her? But with so many sisters here, to so brazenly bring her to eat together, wasn't that improper?
"Bang!"
A brain-bursting bullet flew over.
"I told you to eat quickly, what are you thinking about? Time won't wait, if you don't eat now, then don't eat at all."
Li Qianwan could no longer think about anything else, she had to eat first and worry later.
After devouring everything left by Xiao Jun and the others, Li Qianwan still had some cravings left unsatisfied. If there weren't others present, she could have drunk the entire hotpot soup.
"Go into this room. Here are a thousand second-tier Mutated Crystals. Do it quickly."
Li Qianwan was pushed into the room, the bed piled with green Mutated Crystals. The door was closed, giving the implication that she wouldn't be allowed out until she upgraded.
With no choice, she obediently followed the arrangements.
Everything proceeded according to Xiao Jun's plan, only hoping tonight would be a bit easier.