283: Chapter 283 It was simply a matter of each getting what they wanted.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, the higher-ups of the Shelter of The Authorities lived as if each day were a year.

On one hand, they were looking forward to the legendary fresh vegetables and meat; on the other, they worried whether the temperamental Lin Yuan might suddenly change his mind.

After all, in the Apocalypse, reputation is thinner than toilet paper.

Finally, the agreed-upon trading day arrived.

The location was set at an abandoned highway service area five kilometers away from Lin Yuan's base.

The terrain here was open, and The Authorities had cleared out a buffer zone in advance.

To show their importance, The Authorities had sent out their elite forces this time.

Accompanied by Zhao Dezhu, the highest military commander of the Shelter of The Authorities—Major General Li Tiejun—led the team in person.

A full two thousand heavily armed soldiers stood in formation, attempting to display the majesty and foundation of The Authorities.

However, reality is always harsh.

In the extreme cold of minus sixty or seventy degrees, even the specially made cold-weather gear of The Authorities could hardly provide full protection.

The soldiers hunched their necks, and the white mist they exhaled formed thick frost on their eyebrows and eyelashes.

Although the weapons in their hands were polished bright,

most were automatic rifles from the old era. Occasionally, one could see a few modified crystal-core powered guns, which were held in their arms like precious treasures.

Not to mention the uneven ranks.

Some soldiers had deformed postures due to frostbite; others were sallow and thin, clearly suffering from long-term malnutrition. The title of "elite" looked quite hollow no matter how one saw it.

"Old Zhao, is that Lord Lin really that divine?"

Li Tiejun stomped his numb feet, breathed out a puff of hot air, rubbed his hands together, and frowned deeply.

He had spent half his life in the military; what kind of scenes hadn't he seen?

But regarding Zhao Dezhu's exaggerated praise of Lin Yuan after returning, he still harbored some doubts.

One person, one private base, could compare to the foundation of a state machine?

Zhao Dezhu, huddled in his thick military overcoat, was still shivering with a runny nose. He gave a bitter smile at the words:

"General Li, you will know in a moment. Our little bit of wealth, in front of that master, is really... Sigh, calling us beggars would be giving us too much credit."

Li Tiejun snorted coldly.

Just as he was about to retort with words that would dampen his own morale while boosting others',

suddenly, a sentry responsible for guarding issued a cry of surprise:

"They're here! They're here!"

Everyone's gaze instantly turned toward the wind and snow in the distance.

On the white horizon, a black troop appeared.

There was no roar of tanks, no engine rumbling.

There was only the uniform sound of footsteps, like stepping on everyone's heartbeat.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

As the group approached, a murderous aura rushed toward them, actually forcing back the surrounding blizzard.

When they saw the true appearance of this group,

Li Tiejun's pupils contracted into pinpoints, and his jaw nearly hit the ground.

"This... What kind of equipment is this?!"

The group of about two hundred people was entirely composed of women.

But that wasn't the point.

The point was their equipment.

Uniform streamlined black form-fitting battle armor, reflecting the cold luster unique to metal, with pale blue energy light flickering at the joints.

That was... exoskeleton power armor?!

And looking at its thinness and flexibility,

it was definitely not the clumsy stuff still in the labs of The Authorities; this was a product at least twenty years ahead of current technology!

Each Female Warrior wore a specially made tactical mask, revealing only cold and sharp eyes.

The weapons they held had long, slender barrels, and the muzzles faintly emitted heart-stopping energy fluctuations. Clearly, they were all enchanted weapons or high-grade crystal-core weapons.

What made the soldiers of The Authorities break down most was...

These Female Warriors all stood straight with light footsteps, as if the extreme cold that could freeze people to death didn't exist at all.

Even...

A sharp-eyed soldier muttered softly:

"Damn! Look at that girl at the head of the line, the skin exposed at the collar of her armor... That's white! Rosy! She actually hasn't been frozen into a purple eggplant?!"

"Nonsense! Her armor must be temperature-controlled! Look at us, each one of us looks like a newly unearthed Terracotta Warrior!"

"Damn it, I even want to jump ship... Just give me a hot meal..."

Li Tiejun, at the front of the line, listened to the whispers behind him. His face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, but he was unable to refute.

Because even he himself was envious.

Look at their soldiers, then look at his own.

Where is this a trade? This is clearly a public execution! This is naked show-off!

Just as the people from The Authorities were still doubting their lives, Lin Yuan walked over with the women.

He wore a black long trench coat today, without any armor, walking leisurely through the wind and snow.

Snowflakes melted automatically within three feet of him, as if even the heavens dared not let snowflakes stain his coat.

Behind him, Luo Qinghan held the dozing Xiao Qi.

Ji Wushuang carried that exaggerated flame greatsword.

Chu Yanran was still in her cold, ancient-style attire, while Tang Shiyun held a tablet computer, looking like a workplace elite.

With this lineup, those who didn't know would think some top boy band or girl group had come out to hit the streets.

"General Li, hello."

Lin Yuan stopped ten meters away and said lightly.

The voice was not loud.

But it clearly reached the ears of everyone present, carrying an undeniable penetrative power.

Li Tiejun took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his heart, walked up quickly, and extended both hands:

"Mr. Lin! Nice to meet you! I am Li Tiejun, the person in charge of this transaction."

Originally, he intended to extend only one hand to maintain some of the reserve of The Authorities.

But after seeing those two hundred female guards who looked like future soldiers,

and feeling the terrifying aura faintly emanating from Lin Yuan,

his hands reached out honestly, and his waist bent involuntarily.

This was the instinctive reaction of a biological entity facing a higher-level predator; it was nothing to be ashamed of.

Lin Yuan shook his hand symbolically and let go immediately.

"Time is precious, let's start directly."

He waved his hand.

Tang Shiyun behind him immediately stepped forward, pushed her glasses, and said in a business-like manner:

"This is the list we want. Three thousand A-grade crystal cores, fifty S-grade crystal cores, five hundred kilograms of rare metal 'Star Steel', some mutated medicinal materials..."

Listening to these numbers that would bankrupt a small base, Li Tiejun's eyelids twitched.

Lin Yuan's base could collect them.

But it would cost a huge amount of effort.

Because to collect so much, the target would have to be expanded to a huge area.

If he cooperated and traded this with The Authorities,

the speed of resource collection would be much faster.

This had a huge effect on the development of his underground Shelter.

But he still gritted his teeth and nodded, turning to roar at the logistics officer behind him:

"What are you standing there for! Pull the things up!"

Soon, more than a dozen heavy trucks drove over. The carriages opened, revealing mountains of crystal cores and metal ores inside.

The colorful light of the crystal cores looked particularly dazzling in the snow.

"Mr. Lin, would you like to count them?" Li Tiejun smiled ingratiatingly.

Lin Yuan didn't even glance at them, just said lightly: "No need to count. I assume you wouldn't dare to short me."

This confidence made Li Tiejun's mouth twitch, but he could only laugh and agree.

"Then... what about our supplies?"

Zhao Dezhu rubbed his hands on the side, his eyes staring straight at the—air behind Lin Yuan.

Because Lin Yuan didn't bring any transport vehicles this time.

This made the people of The Authorities murmur in their hearts.

Could this Mr. Lin be trying to get something for nothing?

Lin Yuan looked at Zhao Dezhu with a faint smile, then waved his right hand gently.

"Boom!"

Without any warning.

On the open space beside them, a... mountain suddenly appeared out of thin air.

That's right, it was a mountain made of supplies!

Bags of special supply rice were stacked neatly; fresh vegetables and fruits still had dew on them; boxes of vacuum-packed frozen meat were bright red; and there was...

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

A loud crowing of a chicken rang out abruptly on the silent snowfield.

Everyone was startled. A few soldiers with tight nerves almost pulled their triggers, thinking it was a sonic attack from some new type of Mutated Beast.

Looking closely.

They saw that at the very top of the supply pile, inside a few bamboo cages,

dozens of fat hens were peeking around, looking spiritedly at this group of ignorant humans.

These were the technological achievements of Lin Yuan's base.

Without needing eggs, they had already achieved the ability to create chickens!

It could be seen that the development of Lin Yuan's base and the outside world were simply two different worlds!

Silent.

Deathly silent.

More than two thousand soldiers of The Authorities, more than four thousand eyes, stared fixedly at the hen that was grooming its feathers.

At that moment, there was no murderous intent in their eyes.

There was no discipline, only the most primitive, wolf-like green light.

"Chicken... a live... chicken..."

Li Tiejun, a dignified Major General, had a trembling voice, and his Adam's apple rolled frantically.

When was the last time he heard a live chicken crow?

After the Apocalypse, animals either mutated or died out. This kind of pure natural poultry was more precious than a giant panda!

"This is... for us?"

Li Tiejun pointed at the cages of chickens, asking in disbelief.

"A bonus."

Lin Yuan said lightly, "Consider it as a celebration of our long-term cooperative relationship."

"Wuu wuu wuu... Mom, I want to go home, I want to eat chicken legs..."

In the ranks, someone broke down, letting out a suppressed cry.

Immediately after, the sound of swallowing saliva rose one after another, connecting into a piece, which was even more spectacular than the uniform footsteps just now.

At this moment, what dignity of The Authorities, what special forces elites.

In front of a hen, all were shattered into pieces.

"Mr. Lin! You are my own father... ah no, you are our rebirth parents!"

Zhao Dezhu was incoherent with excitement; if there hadn't been outsiders, he would have rushed up to hug Lin Yuan's thigh.

Lin Yuan stepped back half a step in disgust, avoiding Zhao Dezhu's sprayed saliva.

"Alright, put away that pathetic look."

Lin Yuan's gaze swept across the audience, and his voice turned cold:

"The supplies are given to you. If I find out that this batch of supplies didn't reach the people who really need it, but was embezzled by some parasites..."

He paused and looked at Li Tiejun.

Li Tiejun shuddered and immediately straightened his back and saluted:

"Mr. Lin, rest assured! I, Li Tiejun, stake my head on it! Whoever dares to have crooked thoughts about this batch of supplies, I will be the first to blow his head off!"

Lin Yuan nodded slightly.

Immediately, he walked toward the pile of crystal cores and ores of The Authorities.

Just when everyone was curious about how he would transport these dozen truckloads of things,

Lin Yuan waved his hand again.

"Collect."

A simple word.

The next second.

The supplies on the dozen trucks, along with the containers they were loaded in, disappeared without a trace instantly!

Leaving only empty truck beds and the people messy in the wind.

"Holy... shit..."

An Ability User of The Authorities had his eyes popping out, not even noticing his jaw had dislocated.

As a Space Ability user, the most he could do was carry a small space of a few cubic meters, and it was hard to even carry personal items.

This method of taking away dozens of tons of supplies with a wave of his hand was simply a miracle!

This was S-grade... no, this definitely surpassed S-grade Space Ability!

Li Tiejun was also terrified.

This method, if used to load bombs... hiss!

He didn't dare to think further, only feeling a chill down his back, and cold sweat instantly soaked his thermal underwear.

Lin Yuan looked at the shocked expressions of the crowd, very satisfied with this deterrent effect.

He turned around, ready to leave.

Before leaving, he stopped, with his back to the crowd, and left a light sentence:

"By the way, go back and tell some people who are still watching."

"As long as you follow the rules, this business can be done for a long time, and everyone will have meat to eat."

"If you don't follow the rules..."

Lin Yuan tilted his head slightly, and a trace of blood-red light flashed in his eyes.

Boom!

This sentence was like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's minds.

Rumors about the destruction of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, although already circulating among major forces, were mostly guesses.

Now, the principal himself admitted it!

That once arrogant Heavenly Secret Pavilion, which claimed to calculate all heavenly secrets, was really destroyed by this young man in front of them!

A chill rushed from the soles of their feet to their scalps.

Li Tiejun swallowed, and bowed deeply again:

"Mr. Lin's words, I will definitely pass on! Definitely!"

Lin Yuan said no more, took his Female Warriors guard, and turned away.

Coming like the wind, leaving like lightning.

Leaving only a group of stunned personnel of The Authorities, and that mountain-like pile of precious supplies.

...

Watching the back of Lin Yuan's team going away.

Li Tiejun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, turned to look at Zhao Dezhu, his tone extremely solemn:

"Old Zhao, go back and draft the highest-level report immediately."

"In the future, within The Authorities, list Lin Yuan's base as an 'SSSS-grade forbidden zone'."

"Whoever dares to provoke this master..."

Li Tiejun glanced at the cages of chickens that were still clucking, and gnashed his teeth:

"I will stuff him into the chicken coop and give him to Mr. Lin as feed!"

This day.

The name "Lin Yuan", and the legend of the "hen that could scare special forces soldiers to tears".

Like growing wings, quickly spread throughout all major forces of the Apocalypse.

"The look General Li gave the hen just now was more intimate than looking at his own mother."

Ye Qingxue's cold, beautiful face leaned over, smiling rarely.

Lin Yuan glanced at her: "If you were hungry for three days, you would think a sow looked beautiful too."

Ye Qingxue smiled:

"That's true. However, are we really going to cooperate with The Authorities for a long time? Those old foxes have many tricks."

"Each getting what they need."

Lin Yuan said lightly, looking at the wind and snow outside the window.

Inside the vehicle, the women's expressions became a bit serious upon hearing this.

They knew that Lin Yuan's meaning was by no means as simple as zombies.

That was the unknown fear... from the deep sea.