Chapter 446: Chapter 446 Wasteland (Part Eight)_1 Chapter 446: Chapter 446 Wasteland (Part Eight)_1 “`
Regardless, it was inadvisable to act hastily now.
After Ji Yicheng left, Fu Qian quickly determined his course of action.
Although he had attracted attention from all quarters, it was still less than it would have been had he exposed himself too soon, which afforded him the opportunity to wait and see how things would develop.
Also, because of his subtle identity, valuable information would automatically find its way to him.
All things considered, it was not bad to experience the local customs and culture on his first visit to this place.
I wonder if, in such a martially esteemed location, there would be the fabled auction house where coveted items are fiercely contested? Perhaps I could exchange for some High-grade Mercury Bullets.
…
As it turned out, there really was such a place!
Fu Qian walked down the crooked road and soon reaped rewards.
The mask on his face did not attract too much attention; after all, in the wasteland, everyone’s attire was unique.
As he approached the massive building of the Siren Group, the familiar feeling of being watched returned—the previously negligent tail had finally caught up.
Fu Qian paid no mind and turned his attention to a building next to the skyscraper.
The trident symbol on the building indicated that it was also a part of the Siren Group.
However, it was much more inconspicuous in comparison.
Fu Qian noticed this place because, at a glance, it seemed to have the highest density of people he had seen, besides the bars.
“Is there something you would like to take a look at?”
After entering the building, Fu Qian looked around for only about five seconds before a sweet and charming staff member approached him.
“Just browsing.”
Fu Qian replied with the classic line of an insincere customer.
“If it’s your first time here, I can give you a brief introduction.”
The staff member was clearly well-trained, her smile undiminished.
“Are you looking for weapons, gadgets, or consumables?”
“There are several major categories for exchangeable items, and over there we have an organized catalog.”
“If you cannot find what you’re looking for, you can make a direct request, and a professional will match you with the items you need.”
Is it really that considerate?
Fu Qian sized up the staff member; she was certainly healthy and energetic, but strictly a regular person.
The Siren Group indeed had its own style, daring to bring someone so utterly defenseless to such a wild and desolate place.
I wonder how many times her salary is.
Thinking about it, this was not a bad way to showcase strength—literally saying, “I can place a delicate and easily broken mere mortal here; let’s see who dares to cause trouble.”
Having a brawny Transcendent instead would have undermined the confidence befitting a top-tier consortium.
“You might want to take a look at this.”
Seeing that Fu Qian was paying attention, the staff member opportunistically took out a booklet and flipped it open to a catalog for him to inspect.
Fu Qian glanced quickly and found that, as she had said, there was indeed a rich variety of items available.
The selection included, but was not limited to, various types of weapons, specially formulated drugs, and an assortment of specialized arrows and ammunition.
“Are all transactions made solely through points exchange?”
Fu Qian flipped to another page and asked with some confusion.
“It is actually more of a bartering system.”
The staff member patiently explained.
“You can exchange all sorts of materials that you’ve hunted for different amounts of points, depending on their quality, and then use those points to exchange for items.”
This strangely familiar feeling!
Fu Qian shook his head.
The staff member was clearly very adept at reading people’s expressions.
“If you don’t have materials at the moment, we also buy things back.”
“Weapons and gadgets that you no longer need can also be exchanged for points.”
“Of course, their actual value will need to be assessed by professionals.”
“Really? Then how much could this be exchanged for?”
Fu Qian directly took out his gun.
“Although I am not a professional, this weapon appears to be of quite excellent quality.”
“`
The staffer’s eyes lit up instantly.
“I estimate it can be exchanged for at least three digits.”
Three digits?
Fu Qian flipped through the booklet, finding the same type of bullets he had used before, five points each.
So a decent handgun is only worth twenty bullets?
Fu Qian flipped further and discovered that the cheapest firearms also started in the four digits.
“What a rip-off!”
This discount was akin to diamond recycling.
Fu Qian couldn’t help but sigh for a moment.
“Our prices are clearly marked!”
Hearing Fu Qian’s sigh, the staffer just covered her mouth and chuckled.
“Just look around, and you’ll see that customers quite recognize this.”
“That’s true.”
Fu Qian had already observed since entering; Transcendents were coming in non-stop, bringing all sorts of items and materials to exchange.
He understood this quite well; while Siren Group’s pricing was harsh, they had one glaring advantage that was like dimensional suppression—efficiency.
Before they came here, the Transcendents from the wastelands likely traded by bartering goods.
But with such primitive, small-scale trading, not to mention trust issues, one could imagine just how low the matching efficiency was.
Many probably carried materials they’d exchanged with their lives, that they might never find what they wished for, even if they held on to their loot until it rotted.
Yet, these massive corporations, with their ample stockpiles, could nearly provide anything the Transcendents needed.
Transcendents were exploited at one level, but their efficiency surged by several times or even tens of times.
Take a simple example: one takes home several dozen bullets from here, goes out and blows away a few Transcendent creatures.
Then, they come back with materials from those creatures to exchange for more bullets.
There might be a small loss in between, but after several trips, everything comes back.
Over time, accumulating materials to upgrade equipment, exchanging old guns for cannons, it becomes even more efficient.
If you encounter competitors snatching up business, just blast them away with one shot.
In such scenarios, it’s unlikely that many would still sit around slowly looking for buyers.
What an accelerator for internal rivalry!
While reflecting, Fu Qian remembered a game about chopping down one’s brothers.
He also quite understood why the Ji Family had designs on the Siren Group.
After all, who wouldn’t want to be a capitalist in the Supernatural World!
Cough, cough!
The next moment, he cleared his throat.
“No matter what, your recycling prices are just too outrageous; I have to consider going to the Ji Family.”
“You must be joking, sir.”
“Although they’re doing similar things, I am quite certain that the conditions the Ji Family can offer won’t differ from ours.”
The staffer seemed to have seen this sort of reaction often and calmly responded.
Are they that in sync?
Fu Qian didn’t particularly question the staffer’s statement.
It seemed that as two mature organizations, they had utterly grasped that the essence of competition wasn’t to offer the best quality for the lowest price, but to find every possible way to blow the opponent’s head off.
Especially here, the likelihood of a price war was, indeed, probably lower than that of a physical fight.
“You can look around more, and call me anytime if you want to know about something.”
Realizing that Fu Qian indeed didn’t show particular interest in any item, the staffer didn’t bother him further, leaving the booklet with Fu Qian and retreating.
Fu Qian casually flipped through the booklet, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone observing him from a distance.
They looked unfriendly!
Fu Qian furrowed his brow slightly, pondering the reason, realizing it might have been because he’d taken his gun out earlier.
Not bad, not bad—since there are auction houses, how could murder and robbery be amiss?
In midst of his musings, Fu Qian abruptly closed the booklet and stood up to leave.