Chapter 393: Times Have Changed

Chapter 393: Times Have Changed

Zhang Yi’s calm response caused a brief pause on the other end of the line.

Oh, correction—it was

Xingtian

now. After all, he was no longer Xing Weinan, the unremarkable classmate, but a bigshot leader of Qingpu Base. Bigshots didn’t like being reminded of their humble beginnings, not even their names.

Xingtian chuckled. “I thought we’d reminisce a bit first, catch up on old times.”

“Back in school, I wasn’t much, was I? Not like you—you were the handsome guy, popular with girls, and good at your studies.”

With a long sigh, his tone turned wistful.

“Who would’ve thought someone like me would make it big someday? Life sure is full of surprises, huh, old classmate?”

Zhang Yi smiled but didn’t take Xingtian’s boasting to heart.

It wasn’t uncommon for someone who’d suddenly risen from nothing to seek validation in their past connections.

Without knowing Xingtian’s real intentions, Zhang Yi chose not to expose his insecurities.

“Catching up is fine,” Zhang Yi said evenly. “But I don’t think you reached out just for nostalgia, did you?”

“I’m a curious person, you see. Why don’t you skip to the part where you tell me what you really want?”

Xingtian raised his eyebrows on the other end of the line.

This wasn’t the reaction he’d been hoping for.

What he wanted was for Zhang Yi to express shock, to say things like:

“Whoa, you’re running Qingpu Steelworks now?!”

Or

“I never expected someone like you to rise so high!”

But Zhang Yi neither fulfilled his expectations nor said anything that might offend him.

Still, the chance to show off to an old classmate left Xingtian in good spirits.

“Alright then, let’s get down to business!”

He cleared his throat, his tone turning serious.

“Zhang Yi, you’ve killed people from Yangsheng and Chaoyu Bases. Now they’re coming after you.”

“But they’re not coming alone. To be safe, they’ve roped in Qingpu Base and the Followers of the Snow God.”

“Let’s just say, if all the western factions gang up on you, your situation is going to be pretty grim.”

Zhang Yi’s eyes narrowed, a sharp glint flashing within them.

“Western factions?”

He had no prior grudges with Qingpu Base or the Followers of the Snow God.

It wasn’t surprising that Yangsheng and Chaoyu Bases had allied against him, but involving all of Tianhai City’s major factions?

That raised the stakes significantly.

If the western alliance attacked as a unified front, the pressure on his shelter would double.

Zhang Yi had considered such a worst-case scenario but hoped it wouldn’t come to pass. If it did, the probability of his shelter’s surface structures being breached would rise to

20%

.

In that event, they would have no choice but to abandon the villas and the ground-level buildings, retreating into the underground layers.

Drastic? Yes.

But not impossible. Even the western alliance’s combined forces wouldn’t necessarily bring more firepower than Xishan Base had.

And Xishan Base, for all its might, had failed to destroy the ground-level buildings of Zhang Yi’s shelter.

Still, Xingtian’s words indicated this was no ordinary threat.

Zhang Yi asked flatly, “So, are you calling to declare war?”

Xingtian chuckled.

“Old classmate, this isn’t some medieval drama. Who declares war anymore? If I were coming after you, I wouldn’t bother calling. I’d hit you with a surprise attack.”

“No, this call is partly to catch up, partly to talk things over.”

On the other end, Xingtian’s expression softened as he reminisced.

He recalled his school days, when he was a poor student with no charisma, often overlooked in class.

Zhang Yi, on the other hand, had never belittled him. He’d even taken the time to help him with math problems.

Now that he was successful, Xingtian wanted to return the favor, to showcase his success and lend a helping hand to his old friend.

“How do you propose we talk?” Zhang Yi asked, breaking his train of thought.

Xingtian said, “Qingpu Base has no quarrel with you. I can stay out of this war, but you’ll have to make it worth my while.”

Unlike the more aggressive factions, Qingpu Base’s workers valued stability. Their current lives were relatively comfortable, and they disliked the idea of senseless bloodshed.

While they were unafraid of fighting, they didn’t want to die for no reason.

Thus, Xingtian had reached out to Zhang Yi. If he could secure benefits without shedding blood, all the better.

Perhaps there was a hint of genuine care for his old classmate, but it was minimal at best.

Zhang Yi fell silent, unsure whether to believe Xingtian.

He couldn’t even be certain that the man on the other end of the line was truly Xingtian.

But recalling that Xing Weinan had worked at Qingpu Steelworks before the apocalypse, and considering his survival, it was plausible.

Xingtian, sensing Zhang Yi’s hesitation, laughed.

“You’d better decide quickly—time isn’t on your side. The alliance will attack your shelter soon!”

Zhang Yi’s eyes sharpened.

“When?”

“Ah, now that’s something I can’t tell you. Unless, of course, you’re willing to make a deal.”

Zhang Yi considered this and asked, “What’s your price?”

Xingtian replied, “10,000 kilograms of food.”

Zhang Yi frowned.

“10 tons of food?”

“That’s right,” Xingtian confirmed. “If you want Qingpu Base to sit this one out, that’s the price.”

Zhang Yi paused to think.

He recalled that Xing Weinan’s math skills had been poor—scoring above 60 on a 150-point test was a rarity for him.

Did Xingtian believe that

10 tons

was an astronomical amount?

It wasn’t. Not for Zhang Yi.

His warehouses contained food reserves far exceeding that amount, and 10 tons was merely a drop in the bucket.

Zhang Yi responded, “I’ll need time to consider. Ten tons is a lot of food, and I can’t decide immediately.”

Xingtian laughed. “Fair enough. I’ll give you one day. By tomorrow noon, I’ll need your answer.”

He added, “I hope you say yes, old classmate. I really don’t want to face you on the battlefield.”

After the call ended, Zhang Yi leaned back on his sofa, the warm light of the crystal chandelier casting a gentle glow over him.

“Ten tons of food isn’t much. I can use the canned goods from Xishan Base’s stores. Those are heavy and will add up quickly.”

“Or maybe the leftovers from Wang Siming’s warehouse. The canned foods there are full of water and weigh a lot.”

“Getting to ten tons will be easy.”

His concern, however, wasn’t the food—it was whether Xingtian could be trusted.

Resources weren’t an issue.

If it weren’t for the dangers outside, Zhang Yi could easily raid buried supermarkets with Xu Pangzi to replenish his supplies.

But he didn’t want to hand over food only to be betrayed.

“Here’s what I’ll do,” Zhang Yi decided.

“I’ll agree to his terms but only pay a portion upfront. If Qingpu Base’s behavior during the battle satisfies me, I’ll pay the rest after it’s over.”

With a plan forming in his mind, Zhang Yi smiled faintly.

Author's Note