59: Chapter 59 Trading Floating Techniques

Upon hearing the news that the Mountain City was sealed off and there was no way to escape, Zhou Che slapped his thigh in frustration, filled with deep regret.

Had he known they would end up in such a desperate, dead-end situation, he would have led The Convoy to flee yesterday no matter what!

For the sake of an unknown top-ten strange object, trapping the entire Dawn Convoy of over a hundred and fifty people...

...to die in this dragon's den was truly a massive loss!

But frustration was frustration; things had already come to this, and there was no use crying over spilled milk.

With their retreat completely cut off, complaining was useless. They could only make the best of it.

Zhou Che quickly adjusted his mindset, a cold, calculating glint flashing in his eyes.

If they couldn't run, then they wouldn't run!

Better others die than myself; survival in the apocalypse had always been this cruel.

The moment the strange object appeared would bound to be a chaotic time when all The Convoys would panic and attempt a mass breakout.

When thousands of vehicles scrambled and fled at that time, no matter how many anomalies there were, they couldn't possibly stop everyone.

Meanwhile, his Dawn Convoy possessed extraordinary-powered floating cars.

Their speed would crush everyone else, and their mobility and escape speed would utterly outclass any ground convoy!

When the time came, as long as they ran faster than the others, it would be the others who died, and the Dawn Convoy would be the ones to survive!

Having figured this out, Zhou Che felt much more relieved.

Since there was no retreat, he would actively enter the game!

With the anomalies in the main city fully suppressed and the risks greatly reduced, wasn't this a god-given opportunity to scavenge?

Wealth is found in danger, and opportunities arise from desperate situations!

Areas others didn't dare to venture into, he dared to;

Treasures others couldn't find, he dared to go after!

If he got incredibly lucky and found the strange object early, this sealed desperate situation could instead become the opportunity for the Dawn Convoy's rise!

With his mindset adjusted, Zhou Che completely cast aside his worries.

As for the other convoys wanting to purchase Levitation Technology, he directly delegated full authority.

"Handle this with full authority. The rules remain the same: we only trade for strange objects and strange object materials, and we won't accept ordinary supplies at all."

With a trace of apprehension in his eyes, Zhou Che continued, "That levitation core, the wraith cold crystal, was not easy to obtain."

Even now, remembering the Wraith Black Mist they had encountered back then still gave him goosebumps all over.

That bone-chilling coldness and suffocating, angry terror remained vivid in his mind.

Entering the Wraith Black Mist area was a near-certain death sentence; surviving it and obtaining the wraith cold crystal had cost them half their men.

There was absolutely no need to sell off resources bought with lives at a cheap price.

Throughout the afternoon, the various convoys of the East Bank held emergency closed-door discussions, with everyone weighing the pros and cons.

The temptation of Levitation Technology was too great in this Mountain City, which was filled with obstacles and hidden dangers.

Having the ability to levitate was equivalent to having absolute initiative.

If they gave up, they would be stuck struggling on the ground forever, their upper limit restricted by the terrain;

If they strove for it, they had to trade strange objects or strange object materials for it.

Night gradually fell, and the blood moon hung in the sky, enveloping the entire Mountain City camp in a dark red, cold halo.

Finally, the various convoys reached a decision.

Over a dozen convoy leaders came together, their expressions solemn and their attitudes humble.

They took the initiative to visit the Dawn Convoy, specifically seeking out Captain Liu Ruyan to negotiate the trade of Levitation Technology.

Everyone had cast aside their initial contempt, and their eyes were filled with awe as they looked at the Dawn Convoy's camp.

A convoy holding exclusive Levitation Technology was destined to be on a completely different level from them.

Captain Liu Ruyan sat in the open space of the camp, facing the crowd of convoy leaders who had come to seek her guidance.

Her expression was calm, and her aura firmly dominated the entire scene.

She raised her hand and took out a crystal that was icy cold all over, surrounded by a faint black mist, and gleaming with a ghostly, cold luster.

The crystal was freezing to the touch, causing the surrounding air temperature to drop suddenly. Though seemingly unremarkable, it contained a unique, eerie energy.

Captain Liu Ruyan lightly tapped the cold crystal with her fingertip, slowly revealing the core secret in front of everyone.

"Look closely. This is the levitation core you want—the wraith cold crystal."

"It comes with two major core effects. First, permanent levitation and weight-bearing;"

"Second, low-temperature cooling."

"The entire vehicle's flight capability and the confidence to ignore terrain all come from this single strange object material."

The leaders stared intently at this rare crystal, their eyes burning with desire, finally understanding where the Dawn Convoy got the confidence to stand unrivaled.

With the ghostly cold, deep wraith cold crystal resting in her palm, Captain Liu Ruyan straightforwardly explained its two core effects: levitation and cooling.

The dozen or so convoy leaders surrounding her instantly lit up.

Their breathing grew ragged, and the excitement on their faces was impossible to hide.

Everyone's initial expectations had been extremely low, thinking that this strange object material...

...would only unlock the vehicle's levitation ability, which was already a very good skill.

Who would have thought that this thing was actually a 'buy-one-get-one-free' deal, coming with dual special effects!

Not only could it allow vehicles to ignore the ruins and obstacles all over the Mountain City and fly at low altitudes, but it also came with a cooling effect!

The weather in the apocalypse was unpredictable. If a heatwave hit sometime, wouldn't the cooling effect come in handy?

Moreover, it could be used for long-distance travel, guarding inside the vehicles, and preserving supplies—it was absolutely a multifunctional material!

In an instant, only one thought remained in everyone's mind: A massive bargain! They had to trade for it!

Even if they had to empty their pockets, they had to get this item!

A floating car was a life-saving trump card in the Mountain City, and with the cooling assistance added, its cost-effectiveness was off the charts. It was not a loss at all!

After the excitement passed, everyone calmed down and entered a long, drawn-out bargaining process.

Everyone understood that Captain Liu Ruyan was adamant about only trading for strange objects and strange object materials, refusing to accept ordinary supplies.

But strange objects were also divided into different grades, and strange object materials were categorized into rare and common. The prices and exchange ratios could all be haggled over.

For a time, the scene became incredibly lively.

Someone was the first to take out a low-level strange object they had been keeping at the bottom of their chest, actively raising their bid to secure a priority exchange slot;

Others took out rare anomalous materials they had treasured for a long time, piling them on the ground to negotiate sincerely;

There were also a few small convoys with meager savings who didn't have any strange objects or rare materials at all, but they still refused to give up and wanted to try their luck.

Holding onto a sliver of hope, they brought out piles of food, steel, fuel, and medicine.

They wanted to slip through using basic supplies, attempting to trade ordinary resources for the wraith cold crystal.

Facing these people's pestering, Captain Liu Ruyan's attitude was incredibly straightforward. With indifferent eyes, she rejected them directly without a second thought.

"The rules were already set in stone. We will not trade for ordinary supplies under any circumstances."

"Either trade with strange objects and strange object materials, or leave immediately. There's no need to waste your breath."

There was absolutely no room for negotiation. Cold and decisive, she directly shut down everyone's wishful thinking.

The apocalypse was just that realistic; anything associated with the extraordinary was never sold cheaply.

This bargaining tug-of-war lasted for over an hour.

The various convoys probed back and forth, raising prices and struggling with difficult choices. Some parted with their treasured possessions with great pain.

Some gave up helplessly after weighing the options, while others gritted their teeth and did everything they could to exchange for a few crystals, just to gain a slight head start.

It wasn't until the night grew deep that Captain Liu Ruyan finally sent off the last batch of convoy leaders one by one.

Opening her palm to count her gains, the harvest was frighteningly bountiful.