Zombie Apocalypse: Reborn With A Farming Space Chapter 846: Negotiation ( 12 )

After concluding his conversation with Xun Che, Jin Xuyan glanced at the calendar, which indicated it was March 23rd, 2189.

In less than sixty days, the winter would conclude, ushering back the period of extreme heat. He recalled that in his previous existence, over 40% of the high-level mutants had undergone a horrific transformation into zombies following the winter season.

At the time, the origin of this infection remained a total mystery, as mutants were presumed to possess immunity to the zombie plague provided the source was of a lower rank than their own.

This sudden global outbreak caught everyone off guard. Losses were catastrophic, and countless strongholds fell within a single month.

Perhaps this phenomenon was intrinsically linked to this mysterious parasite.

Upon reaching this realization, every trace of weariness vanished. Turning his head, he noticed his fiancée had awakened and was gazing directly at him.

"Brother Yan, what is weighing on your mind?" Jiao Lizhi queried.

"Xun Che just reached out, requesting that we depart for the Green Lake Base. They’ve detected a parasite within the mutants' remains and require the expertise of Mo Junjie and Beiye."

Jiao Lizhi nodded, responding simply, "We are ready to leave at any moment."

"Furthermore, the Mo family has consented to let our squad retain 60% of the crystal cores. We shall depart once those are collected."

Her eyes illuminated at the mention of this.

She had sacrificed 20% of their squad’s crystal cores to compensate Xun Che when she retrieved the Sthanam crystal. Given that the recent horde attack involved a vast number of creatures, mostly level 2 and above, the total yield of crystal cores promised to be significant.

"That is wonderful news!"

Observing her delight, Jin Xuyan chuckled softly and flicked her cheek. "You little money-grubber."

The pair headed off to freshen up and share breakfast before seeking out their team members. At present, the squad remained occupied, clearing the grounds beyond the base perimeter.

Unlike the mutants affiliated with the Mo family or those dispatched by Xun Che, the members of the Phantom Team did not bother scouring individual zombie corpses to extract crystal cores.

Poised behind the main group, Qin Luzi and Gao Bohai conjured powerful tornadoes to assist Shen Jinzhe, Li Qixuan, and Cheng Yue, who combined their intense flames with the winds to incinerate the remains and evaporate the snow.

Once the firestorms had cleared the area, Xiao Qi, Feng Yun, Pei Yizie, and Du Beiye stepped in to gather the scattered crystal cores from the exposed earth.

Owing to their exceptional synergy, the efficiency of their cleanup operation was hundredfold greater than that of the others. Within a single day and night, more than 75% of the zombie corpses had been eradicated.

While they labored, the rest of the group stayed busy as well, attending to the injured or reinforcing the walls.

Upon arrival, Jin Xuyan joined the efforts to finish clearing the battlefield. Jiao Lizhi trailed him like a shadow, diligently collecting every single crystal core, leaving nothing behind.

After several hours of steady work, the entire area was finally sanitized. Checking his timepiece, Jin Xuyan announced, "Everyone, take a break. We depart for the Green Lake Base immediately following lunch."

Upon hearing this, the members traded looks but offered no objections. "Understood," they replied in unison.

With all crystal cores collected, the task of distribution began. The members funneled all gathered cores to Jiao Lizhi. After a brief twenty-minute respite, Jin Xuyan brought her to rendezvous with Wen Hanli and Mo Junlong.

As they entered, they found Mo Junlong and Wen Hanli sharing a midday meal. Seeing the pair engaged in lively conversation, Jin Xuyan arched an eyebrow.

Xun Che was fortunate to have Wen Hanli's support. Without a person possessing such high emotional intelligence and networking skills to manage interpersonal relations across various bases, the rapid expansion of the Lin’an City Base over the last year would have been impossible.

Noticing their approach, Mo Junlong offered a smile. "Captain Jin, Comrade Jiao, have you both eaten?"

Jin Xuyan pulled out a chair for his fiancée before settling into his own. He did not refuse when Wen Hanli’s assistant offered them bowls of food.

The menu featured Mapo tofu, creamy coleslaw, chicken and mushroom soup, and steamed rice.

Upon seeing the spread, Jiao Lizhi and Jin Xuyan exchanged a brief, meaningful glance toward Wen Hanli but remained silent.

For them, such a meal was standard due to their abundant supplies. However, for Wen Hanli, even as Vice Commander, such luxury was rarely seen.

While eating, they listened to the ongoing dialogue between Wen Hanli and Mo Junlong. Though they missed the full context, they quickly grasped the essence of the discussion.

Clearly, the recent thaw in Mo Junlong’s attitude was heavily influenced by the food laid out before them.

Since the apocalypse began, nobody had succeeded in finding fertile, uncontaminated soil for agriculture. Many had attempted to replicate the Lin’an City Base’s hydroponic methods, but without reliable water sources, meaningful harvests were impossible.

Presently, Mo Junlong was endeavoring to pressure Wen Hanli into approving a supply contract for the Mo family.

As the meal reached its conclusion, Mo Junlong finally stated, "Vice Commander Wen, if you grant us priority, we are prepared to pay 5% above the current market rate."

Hearing this, Wen Hanli finished his bite, dabbed his mouth with a cloth, and answered, "Comrade Mo, it isn't that I am unwilling to supply your faction."

"However, you are aware that our harvests remain limited, and we are already bound by contracts to over 50 bases and 100 families. Even if we promised you priority status, we simply lack the volume required to fulfill your requested amount."

"Besides, the current size of your family does not truly necessitate such an excess of supplies," he added, a cryptic look in his eyes.