"A-choo!"
"Damn... who is thinking about me again?"
North Fourth Ring Road, front line.
The sporadic gunfire in the distance made Detwei standing on the street nervous.
He had a habit of sneezing when he was nervous.
The situation here was completely different from the Western Front.
The Western Front was a ruin made of concrete slag, while the scattered buildings here were like a forest, and behind each black window, there seemed to be a pair of scarlet eyes.
It can be seen that these country bumpkins are dealing with the wave for the first time. The buildings and streets here obviously do not seem to have experienced the baptism of long-term artillery fire.
If a relatively open area cannot be cleared on the ruins, they can only fight hand-to-hand with those alien species in buildings and alleys.
The endless alien species will rush in like a tide, and it is a miracle to hold on.
Tightening the gas mask hanging on his face, Detwei took out his pocket watch and checked the time.
It was already noon.
As the elected representative, he would represent all the businessmen interested in the "emerging market" in the north to meet the lord here - the manager of Shelter No. 404.
Accompanying him were two other partners and a dozen bodyguards who sent them here.
To be honest, this was not an easy job.
If it weren't for the promise of others that he would take the lion's share, if it weren't for the monopoly of all the spoils on the Western Front by Weijia Trading Company, Ditwei would never be willing to be the first to come to this barbaric land to open up the market.
Outside the giant wall, people who abide by the rules are rare. Doing business with people you haven't contacted before is a matter of life and death.
What if this lone carrier gets upset and chops himself off?
This risk may be low, but it is definitely not zero.
Especially the performance of these blue coats, which always gives him a feeling of usurping the magpie's nest.
Are they really blue coats?
Could it be that they killed all the people in the shelter and stole their coats to wear?
Just as he was muttering in his heart, a man in black military uniform and carrying a rifle came out of the building next to him.
Looking at Ditwei, the man said.
"The manager agreed to meet you, please follow me."
Ditwei breathed a sigh of relief, with a friendly smile on his face, and said politely.
"Please."
After that, he winked at the two partners behind him and led them to the building in front of them.
The front-line headquarters of these blue jackets is on a certain floor of the building. The high-altitude vision and signal are good, and the concentration of spore clouds will be lower.
However, the manager did not meet them in the headquarters, but chose the office area on the 20th floor for the meeting.
There are ready-made tables and chairs here. Although they are a bit old and covered with dust on the surface, it does not affect their use.
After going up the stairs, the three people who came to the room through the corridor saw the azure power armor at a glance, and their faces showed surprised expressions, but they soon restrained themselves.
Ditwei took the lead and stepped forward, bowing his head slightly, speaking respectfully.
"Dear Lord of the Northern Suburbs, the manager of Shelter No. 404, please allow me to introduce myself. I am a merchant from Boulder City, my name is Ditwei. The two behind me are our partners, Yang He and Teno."
"On behalf of the partners present and absent, I pay you the highest respect."
Chu Guang looked at the three people standing in front of him. Although he knew their intentions in his heart, he did not take the initiative to point it out.
It is a taboo to expose your needs urgently. Waiting for the other party to make a price or reveal the trump card first will make it easier to take the initiative.
This is his experience in his previous life.
"Welcome to the Northern Suburbs."
Chu Guang, who unlocked the helmet mask, continued with a gentle smile on his face in a relaxed tone.
"You came at an inopportune time. We are dealing with the wave and can only entertain you here. Please forgive me for the inadequacy of the hospitality."
"It's nothing. I am very grateful that you are willing to take time out of your busy schedule to talk to me!" When saying this, Ditwei had a bright smile on his face.
The manager in front of him was easier to get along with than he thought.
And this also made him feel relieved.
Maybe this business will be much easier than he thought.
Chu Guang looked at him and continued.
"So, friends who came from afar, why did you come to the northern suburbs? You didn't come all the way from Boulder City to greet me."
Ditwei said respectfully: "Dear manager, we are here to share your worries."
Chu Guang looked at him with interest.
"Oh? Tell me."
Seeing that Chu Guang gave him a chance, Ditwei immediately brought out the words he had been brewing all the way.
"You should have seen that the streets outside are full of corpses, and they are rotting and stinking! It's spring now, and within a week they will become a breeding ground for plague, attracting rats, cockroaches and other troubles... In fact, when I came here, I found that the situation has begun to get worse."
Chu Guang didn't say anything, just looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
Ditwei paused for a moment and continued in a serious tone.
"This situation is not uncommon on the Western Front, and it can even be said to be a common trick of the Wave... We call it a plague offensive. In the past, even if the militia of Boulder City won, they would be overwhelmed by the plague and plague after the war."
Chu Guang looked at him and said, "So you are here to help me solve these problems?"
Ditwei said immediately.
"Of course! The wave is the common enemy of all the survivors in Qingquan City. We can't just sit there and watch you get into trouble."
"We can provide you with cheap and easy-to-use medicines. In addition... we can also deal with the corpses on the battlefield for free."
Although the former can make a small profit, it's not much.
The latter is Ditwei's real purpose.
Dealing with corpses for free is fine.
Chu Guang smiled in his heart, but didn't expose him, but looked at the man in front of him with interest.
"How do you plan to deal with it?"
Seeing that the manager in front of him was interested in his proposal, Ditwei was happy in his heart, and continued to speak calmly.
"We will hire a group of corpse recovery experts from Boulder City, transport the corpses to the Fifth Ring Road, load them on the backs of two-headed bulls, and then transport them to other places for disposal."
Chu Guang: "For example, Boulder City?"
"Well, of course! Boulder City is a good choice... We will simply process the corpses and turn them into something useful... After all, the transport team and corpse recovery experts are not cheap, we have to make a little money to subsidize the travel expenses, so that we can lose less."
Ditwei actually didn't want to reveal the thoughts of these corpses, especially not wanting the man in front of him to realize that the corpses of gnawers can be sold for money in some places, although they are sold very cheaply.
But Chu Guang has already pointed out Boulder City, and obviously knows something. If he pretends to be stupid again, he will treat others as fools.
Ditwei can only pray in his heart that the manager in front of him does not understand the specific market conditions.
However...
Is this possible?
Chu Guang looked at Ditwei who lied with his eyes open, and couldn't help laughing in his heart.
Lose less?
If it weren't for his people who went to the front line to find out the market price, he might have been fooled.
"How can that be, my friend," Chu Guang shook his head, "How can we let our friends suffer such a big loss? I will find a way to deal with these corpses, so you don't have to worry about it."
Ditwei was anxious when he heard this and said hurriedly.
"Please don't say that. For the sake of our friendship, we are willing to show some sincerity. Please give us this opportunity."
Chu Guang said seriously: "But this will make me feel bad. Once I feel bad, I can't sleep."
It's okay to not sleep.
Ditwei almost spit out when he heard this.
This is too fake!
Now Ditwei knows that this guy knows that these corpses can be exchanged for chips. Otherwise, why has he offered to deal with these corpses for them for free, but the manager has not yet relented.
Ditwei took a deep breath and said slowly.
"How about 5 chips per ton?"
Chu Guang said with a half-smile.
"How can that be? It's already costing us enough to get rid of these troubles for free. How can we let you pay us more?"
Sure enough!
This guy knows!
Ditwei's eyebrows twitched fiercely.
He was now sure that the man in front of him not only knew that the alien corpses could be sold for money, but also had an 80% understanding of the market.
Otherwise, this guy would not have tacitly agreed that the money was paid to them by himself.
It was meaningless to beat around the bush.
Ditwei looked up at Chu Guang and said frankly.
"Sir, I admit that we can make a little money by dragging these bodies to Boulder City, but it is all hard-earned money. These bodies are not light, whether it is dragging them out of the battlefield or transporting them to Boulder City, it costs a lot of money."
"Five chips per ton is the highest price we can offer. The freight we pay for each ton of goods is far more than that. If the purchase price is a little higher, we will not make any profit at all... I hope you can understand."
"Of course I understand. I just simply can't bear to see you lose money," Chu Guang smiled amiably and looked at him sincerely, "How about this, I can offer a more sincere proposal."
Ditwei felt something was wrong, but still forced a smile from his face and said with a stiff upper lip.
"Please go ahead."
Chu Guang continued.
"You just said that you have a way to turn the corpse of the alien species into something that can be used. In that case, why don't you turn it into something that can be used right here, in the northern suburbs?"
Ditwei was stunned.
"In... the northern suburbs?"
"That's right," Chu Guang nodded, smiling and continued, "We can produce bullets and shells, and naturally we can also produce nutrient pastes and fertilizers. Instead of dragging heavy raw materials around, why not turn it into lighter and more value-added goods directly at the place of origin and take it away?"
Ditwei's old face flushed.
Good fellow, this guy not only knows that the corpses of alien species can be sold for money, but also knows what these corpses of alien species can be made into.
And then he watched me perform for a long time...
This cunning blue hamster!
Ditwei lowered his head and coughed lightly in embarrassment.
"... The equipment of tens of thousands of chips is too expensive. We have to consider the risks of opening a factory outside the giant wall."
Chu Guang nodded slightly.
"I understand. After all, your understanding of us is still stuck in last winter. It is human nature to feel worried."
Ditwei raised his head, his eyes full of hope. Gu
"So you mean to agree..."
"I mean, you lack understanding of our real situation."
Chu Guang looked at Xu Shun who was waiting on the side.
"Take these three friends to visit our industrial zone, and stay in the hotel of Changjiu Farm at night. The air there is better."
Which places are suitable for visiting and which places are not suitable for strangers to enter, I have already explained to the guards.
The performance of this young guard has always been quite good, and Chu Guang believes that he knows what is going on.
"Okay, sir!"
Xu Shun, who was standing aside, saluted and then looked at Ditwei and his group and said politely.
"Please follow me, three of you."
Ditwei looked at Chu Guang in confusion, not understanding what he was going to do.
Visit... the industrial zone?
This was a completely unexpected itinerary for him.
By the way, there is an industrial zone in the northern suburbs?
Can a few small workshops be called an industrial zone?
I can guess what Ditwei is thinking, but Chu Guang did not answer his confusion.
Some things are useless just by talking.
Facts speak louder than words.
"I don't like wasting time on fruitless arguments, especially at this critical juncture."
"I'll give you two choices. Either you spend 20 chips per ton to buy these garbage and drag them to where you want, or consider setting up a factory here. You can dispose of the bodies outside as you like. We won't charge any fees. You just need to pay taxes legally."
Looking at Ditwei standing there motionless, Chu Guang said gently.
"Don't make a decision in a hurry."
"It's the same answer tomorrow."
...
Ditwei couldn't think of any reason to refuse Chu Guang's proposal.
Although he didn't think the country bumpkins in the northern suburbs could understand what perfect industrial supporting facilities meant, and he didn't think they could build a so-called industrial zone, only a fool would refuse someone who was willing to take him on a free tour.
It doesn't cost money to take a look.
Anyway, I'm here.
I got on the truck south of the Garden Street subway station and drove along the abandoned road to the intersection of 76th Street and Linghu Wetland Park. The road ahead suddenly became flat.
A hint of surprise appeared in Ditwei's eyes.
But the more surprising thing was yet to come.
The truck continued to head north and stopped near the abandoned tire factory.
When Ditwei followed the guard named Xu Shun down from the truck and stepped into the "North Suburb Industrial Zone", he immediately realized how wrong his previous idea was!
The sound of clanging continued, tall chimneys puffed out smoke, trucks loaded with goods passed through the park, and workers in work clothes gathered at the door to load and unload goods.
It was like a clock with a spring wound up.
Everything here was incredibly well organized.
Three pairs of eyes widened at the same time.
Teno, who was standing next to Ditwei, couldn't help swallowing his saliva and squeezed out half a sentence from his throat.
"Here..."
"Is it the North Suburb?"
The other partner didn't speak, but his eyes were obviously filled with the same surprise.
Compared to the industrial zone of Boulder City, this place is undoubtedly much smaller, but he really can't tell what they are missing at a glance.
"The factory in front is Lister's."
"Lister?!" Ditwei looked at Xu Shun with surprise, "Is that guy here too?"
Xu Shun looked at him in surprise.
"Do you know him?"
Ditwei said with a dry cough.
"No... but I've heard of him."
The business circle of Boulder City is not very large, and there are only a few well-known local businessmen. Of course, he knows a more powerful businessman like Lister.
Although Lister may not know him.
Xu Shun nodded and said nothing more.
"Except for military factories and factories involving sensitive technologies, I can take you to see other factories."
Yang He, who had not spoken all the time, suddenly spoke.
"Would it be convenient for you to take us to see your power station?"
Xu Shun nodded.
"No problem."
Since they are considering setting up a factory, power supply is undoubtedly one of their most concerned issues.
The most feared thing for a stable production line is a sudden power outage, especially if it stops for a whole day. If you are unlucky, the products on the entire production line will be lost.
However, after seeing the power station planned by these people, the three immediately dispelled their concerns in this regard.
These blue jackets are really good.
Not only did they find no fault with the planning of the power station, but the substations, power grids and other transmission and distribution facilities also made them amazed.
This is not a very advanced technology.
But being able to plan every wire and every generator set in an orderly manner is not something that anyone can do.
Glancing at the VM on his arm, Xu Shun cleared his throat and introduced it to the three people who looked surprised.
"At present, our electricity supply is mainly thermal power generation. The large forest farm in the northern Yumu District and the vegetation in the nearby urban area are enough to supply the power station's consumption for more than ten years."
"In addition, there are biogas pools and gas power stations under construction, as well as fuel-fired generators prepared for Kamu trees."
"In the future, we will consider improving the existing energy structure through diversified power generation methods."
Di Twei looked at Xu Shun with a little surprise.
"You also planted Kamu trees?"
There must be at least three or four hundred people working in this industrial zone.
Where are there so many people in the northern suburbs? !
Could it be refugees from the north?
But even if they accept all the refugees...how to solve the problem of food?
So many people must eat!
"The planned area is 5,000 mu," Xu Shun answered truthfully after glancing at VM, "Not only kamu trees, we also planted corn and potatoes... and other high-yield crops."
"I will take you to the hotel at Changjiu Farm in a while."
"You will see it when we get there."
...
If the industrial zone in the northern suburbs has already contracted Ditwei's surprise and astonishment for the next month, then the situation at Changjiu Farm is enough to shock him from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
Endless ridges, patches of rice seedlings, tractors, two-headed cows and refugees working in the fields.
The degree of mechanization here is not high, but Ditwei can feel with his naked eyes that these people pursue advanced productivity and a better life.
This is something he has never seen in other survivor settlements.
Of course, what interests Ditwei most is the food here.
The dish that was so spicy that he stuck out his tongue seems to be called Mapo Tofu, and there are also things like stewed pig's trotters with soybeans, and two-headed beef with potatoes...
The taste is simply amazing!
He was in the grain business.
He had long coveted the food processing business of Weijia Trading Company.
However, he envied it. He did not have a farm of tens of thousands of acres and thousands of serfs who worked hard for him, nor could he afford the expensive land rent, let alone the capital to open a large factory covering dozens of acres in Boulder City.
What he needed happened to be found here.
That night.
Living in the hotel of Changjiu Farm, Ditwei couldn't sleep on the warm bed. He stared at the beer on the bedside table, as if in a daze.
Finally, he made a decision, took out a palm-sized transceiver from his bag, dictated and edited a message of thousands of words, and sent it to his partners in Boulder City.
It's not that he didn't think about eating alone.
It wouldn't take much chips to buy off the two small partners who came with him.
It wouldn't be too difficult to get some chips from the bank by himself.
But he wanted to do something big.
The opportunities here are far more than just corpses and nutritional creams. A few tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of chips can no longer satisfy his appetite.
He wants to be the largest food supplier in Boulder City and even Qingquan City!
If he can use the power of these people, he feels that he has this hope.
He even thought of the name of this business.
It's called Didiwei Business!
The factory is called Didiwei Food Processing Factory!
This name is easy to pronounce, and it makes people think of him. He has made money and gained fame.
Thinking of this, Ditwei couldn't help but smile.
"This sounds much better than stupid names like 'good taste' and 'especially good taste'!"
Click.
Send!
Two beeps.
The "Delivered" pop-up window appeared on the screen of the communicator.
Waiting for the partners' replies, Ditwei fiddled with his index finger on the palm-sized screen and read the message he edited gently.
[…The situation in the northern suburbs is astonishing. With the help of the residents in the shelter, the local survivors have built power plants, water towers and a relatively complete logistics system. They use trucks to transport supplies, use cement to repair abandoned roads, cast excess steel into rails and lay them on the ground, and build new settlements in the wilderness, turning large tracts of wasteland into farmland…]
[We must admit that the towering walls and ruins block our view, and our understanding of this place is still a year ago. In just less than half a year, they have achieved what ordinary survivor settlements may not be able to achieve in ten years. ]
[My point of view is that although we can make a fortune by transporting the good things here to Boulder City, we can make more money if we process them into nutrient paste and organic fertilizer here. ]
[There are opportunities everywhere! There are chips everywhere! ]