Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies Chapter 1224: Pleasure Doing Business

The Deng Family had no grounds whatsoever to decline. Deng Shentong wasted no time in discussing the matter with Deng Yuanbo, and the answer he got was a firm yes to the agreement.

Deng Yuanbo told Deng Shentong, "It's not Zhang Yi who requires our aid, but rather us who desperately need his backing."

"We've been carefully nurturing our alliance with Zhang Yi all along, which is precisely why we've secured this chance."

"By taking a stake in Deng Technology, he's essentially aligning himself with us. He'll serve as our most powerful ally."

"Even without the massive fortune he's provided, I'd hand over shares to him without hesitation!"

"Furthermore, that half-percent share of the elemental ore vein he's offering is nothing short of direct support for our cause!"

Deng Yuanbo grasped the situation with crystal clarity.

He fully understood Zhang Yi's motives, which boiled down to channeling his surplus resources into a smart, long-term investment.

Elemental Stones, this freshly unearthed power source, could draw any faction across the globe like moths to a flame.

But Zhang Yi, burdened with an overabundance of energy he couldn't fully exploit, boldly handed over half a percent of the Elemental Stone vein in a single gesture.

Still, Zhang Yi wasn't squandering it carelessly.

No one close to him specialized in biology or genetics.

Zhou Ke'er was merely a physician, versed somewhat in medical matters.

Biology proved far more intricate than mechanics, plunging into the tiniest scales of existence.

Only experts could properly manage it.

And the Deng Family stood out as the perfect collaborator.

Zhang Yi had long been acquainted with the Deng Family. They'd extended him considerable assistance, yet he'd never found a moment to return the kindness.

Thus, he seized this chance to settle the debt and invest simultaneously.

It was a masterful move that achieved dual purposes.

Upon getting Deng Yuanbo's confirmation, Deng Shentong hurried back to Zhang Yi to pass along the news.

"Deng Technology has been deeply engaged in mutation studies. While Epsilon-level research remains constrained by scarce specimens,"

"our progress on Delta level and lower is already well-advanced."

"Every bit of this tech will be open to you."

Zhang Yi gave a nod. "Pleasure doing business."

Deng Shentong grinned. "Pleasure doing business."

Zhang Yi reaped the biggest rewards from the Shengjing journey, though his companions also scored substantial benefits.

Liang Yue, Hua Hua, and the rest sharpened their real-world fighting skills amid the clash and devoured the essences of numerous mutated beasts.

Without question, their power levels would surge once they got back.

Yet Fatty Xu stayed moody, barricading himself inside his quarters, too afraid to venture out.

Zhang Yi was well aware he was dodging Li Yangyang.

Li Yangyang recognized it as well. Lately, he'd steered clear of the area near Zhang Yi's team's lodging, delegating daily chores to his subordinates instead.

Zhang Yi intended to depart from Shengjing.

Therefore, he sought out Fatty Xu once more to probe his ultimate decision.

"Hey, Fatty. What's really on your mind? Even if you won't say yes, at least respond to her—that's just proper manners."

Fatty Xu lifted his gaze, his features worn with fatigue, chin shadowed by days-old stubble.

"Boss, I..."

He started to speak, then faltered.

Zhang Yi chuckled. "Decide for yourself! Your clock's ticking down."

He refused to meddle in romantic affairs.

Prior to his exit, a Shengjing representative contacted Zhang Yi. Qin Qigong wished to converse with him.

Zhang Yi headed to the Ming Imperial City and located Qin Qigong in his workspace.

Qin Qigong cut right to the chase, revealing why he'd summoned him.

"The Ground Centipede swarm under Wuyou Valley is taken care of, yet the enigmatic entity in the subterranean realm remains a total unknown."

"Thus, extracting the Elemental Stone vein moving forward involves some hazards."

"With three-tenths of the stake now in your Jiangnan Region's possession, you'll need to dispatch personnel to assist in the extraction."

At Qin Qigong's words, Zhang Yi inclined his head in agreement.

It made perfect sense. Nothing came free in this world. Digging up the vein demanded labor; they couldn't simply sit back and collect shares.

Besides, without overseers on site, Shengjing might cheat them out of their rightful portion.

"Once I'm home, I'll arrange for the region to send folks over to join the effort,"

Zhang Yi replied steadily.

"Regarding that hidden force in the Qinling Mountains' underworld, I'm confident it poses no immediate danger to us."

Qin Qigong eyed Zhang Yi with interest. "Oh? What leads you to that conclusion?"

A smile played on his lips, as if he concurred with Zhang Yi's assessment, yet he pressed for elaboration.

Zhang Yi reflected on his ordeal in the underground that day, a flicker of puzzlement in his stare.

"I can't put it into exact words. Humanity faces far too many enigmas."

"But I felt the White Snake we met that day harbored no malice toward us. Had it wanted us dead, not a single one of us would've made it out alive."

Bai Longzi had struck at Zhang Yi's quartet, leaving Li Changgong and the others gravely wounded.

It appeared a savage assault, but in hindsight, Zhang Yi saw it wasn't truly lethal.

Otherwise, he himself would've perished down there.

Bai Longzi's moves resembled a warning, meant to expel them from the depths.

"Plus, you've been harvesting the underground Elemental Stone vein for ages; they must've known about it."

"If they'd meant to strike, they'd have acted by now."

Zhang Yi shared his innermost speculations.

Qin Qigong mulled it over briefly, then grinned and nodded in approval.

"Your logic holds water. It eases my mind considerably."

"That said," he continued, hands clasped behind him, face composed, "even with the peril lurking, we can't halt the Elemental Stone vein's mining."

Zhang Yi folded his arms, gazing inquisitively at Qin Qigong.

"Why is that?"

Qin Qigong let out a light laugh.

"When colossal rewards are at stake, accepting some degree of danger is utterly justified."

"What's more, should disaster strike, the worst outcome is losing a few diggers."

"Those dispatched as miners are ordinary folk devoid of superhuman promise. Swapping their lives for the Elemental Stone vein's riches is a bargain beyond measure."

These harsh sentiments from Qin Qigong's lips failed to shock Zhang Yi one bit.

Accomplishing grand feats left no room for tenderness. The compassionate rarely lasted beyond the Apocalypse's first two months.

Zhang Yi abruptly considered a scenario and queried with a grin, "At least they retain the capacity to reproduce. Couldn't their children potentially yield elite superhumans?"

Qin Qigong shook his head with an amused smile.

"First-gen superhumans gain powers through divine luck and hard work, offering a shot at beating the odds. Second-gen ones inherit solely from parental genes."

"Plain folk produce plain offspring. Elite superhumans are likelier to sire strong heirs."

"We maintain just enough normals to sustain their lineage as workers. Excess numbers would strain resources needlessly."

"Naturally, scarcity isn't ideal—we superhumans rely on the underclass for support."

Author's Note