Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 2012: Assessment

The day of the Bronze Camp's grand examination finally dawned.

At first, the internal evaluations among the Star-Eye Clan's three primary squads remained private matters. Yet, thanks to Ye Zhongming and the enticing prizes he offered, this major test drew widespread interest.

That day saw nearly every Silver Mask fighter and Gold Mask fighter off-duty show up, with their Order Leaders obviously joining in too; Jikesu, Yashinan, and Bashilu made appearances as well.

At last, the joint arrival of the Star-Eye Clan's two leaders sparked the initial peak of excitement.

Pressure and anxiety gripped all Bronze Mask warriors, as folks once more saw Ye Zhongming's immense influence and position in the Star-Eye Clan.

For a mere squad evaluation, the clan heads showed up to observe. Though not entirely without precedent, such backing was utterly total.

These Bronze Mask warriors bore the brunt. Thrilled at spotting the clan leaders, they also sensed heavy strain from performing under the eyes of nearly the whole clan elite. Plenty suffered clammy hands.

With the pair of Star-Eye clan leaders present, speeches were inevitable. Leader Eye spoke on the clan's behalf with a short address before kicking off the evaluation.

Ye Zhongming, alongside numerous top officials, joined the two clan leaders to observe the test. As today's organizer, Ye Zhongming took a seat beside the duo.

"What snag?"

To keep the machine purchases under wraps, direct buys from big races were impossible, so secret routes were the only path. The Star-Eye Clan's route led to a junk yard focused on scrapped mechanical and metal refuse from diverse races.

Some discards from those big races still held value for minor ones. Straight deals with majors weren't feasible—they ignored you—so alternatives arose, like these hidden scrap yards.

Naturally, not everyone could run such operations.

Every survivor fortress hosted one or two of these yards, all dabbling in this trade. To ensure other races paid instead of pilfering, strong support was essential, so every yard backed by major races or top powerhouses.

Moreover, super and major races weren't naive; they knew their tech gaps with rivals. Crucial parts never hit the scrap heaps.

Thus, operators of these yards either linked to super races or grasped key advanced techs themselves.

Either way, it wasn't for average folks.

These spots and folks stood tall not just against the Star-Eye Clan, but even bigger races.

"A set of mining machines won't sell piecemeal. To acquire them, the full lot is required. Over half proves totally worthless to us, pushing the cost from one or two million Moonspan Gold to almost six million."

Leader Eye inwardly sighed, weighed down by the burden.

This marked the first real task Ye Zhongming entrusted to the Star-Eye Clan. Earlier stuff, like spokesperson system info relays or shop runs, came easy—just a clan head's approval sufficed.

This one differed. It gauged the clan's prowess in intel gathering, negotiation, action power, funds, and more.

Efficiency shone through; landing a vendor in under 10 days and nearing deal closure highlighted their strength.

Still, in a seller's turf, the Star-Eye Clan's haggling edge stayed weak.

The clan chipped in three million Moonspan Gold, Ye Zhongming added five million. That eight million formed the initial fund, all available pre-profit flow.

Spending six million right away would leave the leftover two million utterly inadequate. Keep in mind that the necessary staff hasn't received training yet; any instructors brought in would demand compensation. Once Jie Su arranges the planes and their flight paths, expenses for fuel, landing fees, and more will pile up. Costs for building warehouses, establishing sales channels, and ongoing upkeep haven't even been factored in.

At first, those additional expenses formed the bulk of the budget. But now, the price of acquiring the machines dominated the spending.

Mentioning this made the two clan leaders feel uneasy and ashamed, with a touch of discouragement hanging over them.

Indeed, without funds, even a great hero falters. The Star-Eye Clan was completely tapped out at the moment; three million stood as the absolute limit they could offer. To scrape that together, numerous routine clan activities had to halt, restarting only once profits rolled in.

Ye Zhongming nodded thoughtfully, pondering the best approach to this dilemma.

"Is there only this one seller?"

Ye Zhongming believed competition among buyers could drive down the price. If more vendors entered the picture, a better deal might still emerge.

Leader Eye shook his head upon hearing the question. "This deal demands utmost secrecy. Purchasing from other survivor fortresses carries excessive danger; secrecy would be nearly impossible to maintain. We must stick to a seller within our own fortress, and they remain the sole option here."

With this avenue closed off, success meant clenching their jaws and committing fully.

"Then buy it. As for the funds shortfall, I'll sort it out later. But can we get them to train some technical staff for us? They're selling the equipment; they ought to teach us how to operate it at minimum, don't you think?"

Knowing Ye Zhongming had a backup plan eased the two clan leaders somewhat. Leader Eye replied straightforwardly, "I believe that's open to discussion."

The resource star mining machine issue was settled for now, just pending shipment. Meanwhile, Logistics Officer Yashinan reported, "On the land matter, I checked around for you and picked a site beyond Darkstrip City. It's a bit expansive, flanked by artificial woods on two sides and an artificial stream on the other. Securing it will cost an extra one and a half million Moonspan Gold."

Before Ye Zhongming could respond to Yashinan's words, Paobai jumped in, "That's a huge sum! Just how vast is this plot?"

Survivor fortresses were man-made worlds mimicking real planets, featuring peaks, waterways, ponds, plus diverse wildlife and flora.

Yet being fully constructed, every detail was meticulously designed. Urban zones stayed mostly level. Beyond city limits lay primarily farmlands.

Each interstellar species had unique eating preferences. Near Darkstrip City, multiple races relied chiefly on fruit from trees and minimal meat, needing scant crop fields. As a result, certain areas stayed unused, though few matched Ye Zhongming's needs perfectly—this one fit best.

Once Yashinan detailed the exact spot and size, Ye Zhongming verified it via his device and declared without delay, "Buy it!"