The Great Merchant in the Cataclysm

Chapter 82: The Enticement Of Huge Rewards

Zhang Mu stared at Wang Liang curiously, “You don’t wish to lead and expand your territory anymore? If you expand your territory, you will be able to get many different types of supplies although the quantity may be lower.”

“The logic is there but expanding territory is hard work. If the rewards for supplying news is even better than expanding territory, the evolvers might have other thoughts.”

Wang Liang gave a forced smile. With Zhang Mu’s help, he and his men will be able to tackle a thousand walking dead if their position is good. They can get a good amount of supplies from there and split it among themselves. However, the rewards that Zhang Mu is giving out to a normal person is too much. His men will definitely have other thoughts about this.

Zhang Mu thought about it and realised his mistake. He apologised, “I didn’t think through this carefully enough. If the rewards for a normal person is too huge, evolvers will think otherwise and this is not good for your commandment. Furthermore, the safety of the base might be at risk too.”

He pondered a while and said to Wang Liang, “Give the person who provided the news 200kg of food supplies and 50L of drinking water. For the rest, give them 2 days worth of basic supplies. This will be better for you.”

Wang Liang heaved a sigh of relief. He was so worried that under the enticement of the huge rewards, everyone would go and collect news for him. The current rewards were still within the acceptable range of the evolvers since good materials are worth much more than food supplies. The wealthier evolvers can still exchange food supplies for a good piece of material.

“However, I will need you to help me give the rewards first. I have used up all my supplies.” Wang Liang frown at Zhang Mu’s calm tone as he said this sentence. So he doesn’t have any food supplies on hand and yet, he still wants to give such a high reward. He is able to handle if there are only one or two people claiming rewards. But if there are more people, his supplies will empty out very fast.

Zhang Mu knew what Wang Liang was thinking and continued his words, “I will return all the food supplies that I borrowed from you in 7 days. Not only that, I will give you back double of what you have lent me. How about that?”

“Double the food supplies in just 7 days?”

Wang Liang’s expression immediately changed when he heard what Zhang Mu said. Worried that Zhang Mu might go back on his words, he said hurriedly, “I will instantly prepare the rewards for them.”

Zhang Mu shrugged helplessly. He looked around Wang Liang’s room and saw an opened notebook on his table. The notebook recorded all the inputs and outputs of the various security base.

“This guy bluff me into thinking he is poor. Look at this, his gains today alone is already of a sizable amount. Tsk tsk tsk. He can open a supermarket with these supplies. Sigh. How can he agree with just double the supplies? Doesn’t he know that 7 days later, the era merchant’s shop will open and the value of the food supplies will drop drastically?”

...... In an open field at the survival base, a van suddenly drove in loudly. All the workers turned their heads and looked at the van. The search party had already come back once. Are they going out again? Doesn’t look like it. It seems as though the pickup was filled with bags of rice?

Just when everyone was in a daze, a sonic evolver got out from the van. His eyes were filled with jealousy as he shouted, “Who is Jiang Wei? Boss Zhang Mu and Boss Wang have prepared your reward, please come and collect immediately.”

The crowd was in an uproar. There really were rewards, and looking at the amount of bags in the van, the rewards were not little.

A few seconds later, a man squeezed through the crowd and came to the front of the van. His face was covered with dirt and a piece of cloth hung from his neck. He looked as though he just came out of a pile of dirt.

“I am here. I am Jiang Wei. Is there really food supplies?”

The sonic evolver looked at him with disdain and jealousy, thinking why didn’t such a good opportunity land on him. He humphed at Jiang Wei and said, “do I look like I am kidding with you?”

“I don’t dare to think this way. How much food supplies are there?” Jiang Wei thought that he wouldn’t be able to get much food supplies as the evolvers might take most of it. The sonic evolver saw through his thoughts and shouted at him, “Are you thinking that I would take your food supplies? Do I look like I lack them?”

The sonic evolver forgot to control his voice and his voice sounded throughout the entire survival base. More and more people started to gather around the van. Jiang Wei waved his hands and said, “I do not mean it that way. I’m just asking out of curiosity.”

“Let me tell you clearly, there are exactly 200kg of rice and 50L of drinking water here. Don’t worry, no one dares to take from you.”

After he finished, everyone’s eyes had a fire in them.

“The reward was actually doubled in value! Boss Zhang is really willing to give. To think that my few months worth of salary is all in the van.”

“He might not be lacking in food supplies. I heard that he carried away a few granaries.”

“What are you saying? I heard that the granary is opened by Boss Zhang.”

“Wow, he is so rich?”

The people in the field started muttering and gossiping within themselves. If Zhang Mu heard what they say, he would not know whether to laugh or cry. Someone actually said that he opened a granary.

“Get in the van. Boss Wang has ordered us to send the rewards to your house.”

The evolver driving the car patted the stunned Jiang Wei and said, “Why are you still frozen? Get in the van. I still have something on later.”

“Yes yes, I will get in the van. I will get in the van.” Jiang Wei was stuttering as he struggled to get onto the van and directed the driver to his house. It was really not his fault for being in shock. He had undergone the pain of hunger and was traumatised by the experience. He never wanted to undergo the same experience ever again.

When he reached the survival base, he didn’t have any abilities, not even an increase in strength or agility. He was just a normal person who works hard to feed himself. No wonder he was so surprised when he heard that he was getting the 200kg worth of food supplies. At first, Jiang Wei thought that his news might not be accurate as he just took a quick look before running away. Hence, he was a bit worried when he heard that those who gave false news might be chased out of the survival base.

However, he has food now. It felt like a dream.

Jiang Wei’s ‘home’ was a warehouse. When they arrived, he started unloading the bags along with the evolver. When he finished, the people from the field had also arrived at his house and were looking enviously at the rewards displayed on the floor.

“What is there to see? Boss Wang has given his word. If anyone is able to provide Boss Zhang with accurate news, he will give at least 100kg of food supplies to the person.”

A few people within the crowd probed, “really?”

“Of course. If it isn’t for the fact that I have a mission on hand, I will go myself and find some news.” the evolver started to become agitated.

“What are you all standing here for? The time can be better spent finding news. You might even be rewarded.”

Hearing this, the crowd looked at each other and dispersed.