Ling Xiuâs face lit up with joy when he heard Lin Xinghai agree.
âWith a powerhouse like Lin Xinghai joining the team, we might actually be able to check out that place we found,â he thought.
"Brother Lin, do you have any requirements regarding the missionâs profits?" Ling Xiu asked after confirming the mission.
"Hm?" Lin Xinghai was a little confused.
"Itâs like this. If a hunting squad has a temporary member join, itâs classified as a temporary team."
"Under these circumstances, we usually first establish a plan for distributing the missionâs earnings. When we accept the mission, the Mercenary Guild will also confirm this to ensure fairness."
"This helps avoid disputes and other such issues after the fact."
"And besides the distribution plan, we typically also agree on the contribution ratio for purchasing supplies before the mission," Ling Xiu explained.
This was a testament to how well-established the Mercenary Guildâs system was.
After all, every Mercenary was precious to the Shelter. Even if they had to die, it should be in battle against Zombies, not in internal conflicts over profit.
Lin Xinghai nodded upon hearing this. He wholeheartedly approved of these measures. It was better to get the unpleasantries out of the way upfront than to bicker about it later.
"So, what do you suggest for the distribution plan?" Lin Xinghai asked.
He really didnât know anything about this. It was better to let the other party make the first offer. If he wasnât satisfied, it would be easier for him to negotiate a better deal.
"For the distribution plan, considering your strength far surpasses ours, I suggest a 60/40 split. You take sixty percent of the total earnings, and the four of us will split the remaining forty percent among ourselves."
"As for the supplies needed before the mission, itâs mostly ammunition. I suggest each of us contributes one-fifth of the cost in Points. We can buy a little extra ammo. If thereâs any left over, we can request a refund when we get back and split it according to the same ratio." It was obvious Ling Xiu had already thought these terms through, as he rattled them off effortlessly.
Lin Xinghai was a bit stunned to hear this. Ling Xiu had clearly come up with these terms specifically to curry favor with him.
Would Lin Xinghai refuse such a sweet deal? Of course not!
If he refused, his conscience would bother him for days.
"Alright! Weâll do it your way," Lin Xinghai said with a nod and a smile.
Next, they went to line up, submit the hunting squadâs information, and accept the mission.
Naturally, Lin Xinghai didnât need to worry about these things. Ling Xiu could handle it all himself.
At Zhang Meilingâs invitation, he went to the bar next to the main hall. It was a convenient place to rest, and of course, to have a drink.
On Zhang Meilingâs recommendation, Lin Xinghai ordered a cocktail called "Bloody Apocalypse."
Zhang Meiling ordered a "Starlight Sky," while Huang Nuo and Yao Cheng surprisingly went straight for two large glasses of strong liquor.
Lin Xinghai hadnât expected the two of them to be such heavy drinkers.
He wasnât really worried about them drinking on the job. With the powerful metabolism of the Optimized, they could metabolize a few hundred milliliters of strong liquor in less than half an hour.
Lin Xinghai picked up the Bloody Apocalypse and took a sip, his brow immediately furrowing.
His first thought was: âThis tastes awful!â
It was nothing like the cocktails he remembered.
He frowned slightly, but he noticed everyone around him seemed to be drinking with great enthusiasm.
âIs this what alcohol is like in the future?â he wondered.
He took another sip, but it still tasted really strange, so he put the glass down on the table.
"Whatâs wrong, Brother Lin? If you donât like this cocktail, Iâll get you a different one right away," Zhang Meiling said quickly, noticing his strange expression.
"Uh... no need. Maybe I just havenât had a drink in a long time. It tastes a bit odd, and Iâm not used to it," Lin Xinghai explained.
Hearing this, Zhang Meiling thought for a moment and asked, "Have you never had a drink here at the Mercenary Guild before?"
"Right." Lin Xinghai nodded, then picked up his glass again.
âIâm definitely going to be drinking in the future, so I should probably get used to the taste of this eraâs alcohol sooner rather than later,â he thought.
"Oh! Itâs perfectly normal to feel that way if itâs your first time drinking here. The alcohol at the Mercenary Guild is all made from industrial alcohol mixed with water and some food additives," Zhang Meiling said.
The hand Lin Xinghai was using to hold the glass trembled, and he nonchalantly set it back down.
"Industrial alcohol mixed with water?" he asked, just to be sure. No wonder the drink tasted so bizarre.
"Thatâs right! Grain is so scarce in the apocalypse, how could it possibly be used for brewing? So itâs basically all made from industrial alcohol and water. But since weâre all the Optimized, besides the bad taste, itâs not really a big problem."
"But if you can get your hands on real alcohol out there, no matter the brand, you could sell it for an exorbitant price back here," Zhang Meiling said, her eyes seeming to sparkle.
At the same time, her gaze kept darting toward Lin Xinghai. Whether or not they could get real alcohol from that place would ultimately depend on him.
Of course, Lin Xinghai was oblivious to her little scheme. In any case, he had no intention of drinking any more of that stuff, so he just sat and waited quietly.
Fortunately, Ling Xiu didnât keep him waiting long, returning in less than five minutes.
"Alright, itâs all taken care of," Ling Xiu said.
The next step was to buy supplies. But before that, they could request their Firearms and equipment first. That way, they could leave immediately after their purchase without having to wait.
Requesting equipment was also simple. You just had to find a self-service terminal, enter the mission number and personal information, and then submit the request.
Of course, someone like Lin Xinghai could only request the Firearms he personally owned. If he wanted to request things like multi-purpose off-road vehicles, Armored Vehicles, or even Mechas, he would need a document signed by a regiment commander.
After submitting their requests, the group went back up to the second floor of the Mercenary Guild, where there was a trading hall.
Here, Mercenaries could trade amongst themselves or with the Mercenary Guild. This was also where you could buy things like ammunition.
Most veteran Mercenaries couldnât be bothered with such tedious tasks, but since this was Lin Xinghaiâs first time, he was naturally full of interest.
In the trading hall, a wide variety of weapons and equipment were clearly priced.
For example, a Tearing Rifle, depending on the model, sold for between 800 and 900 Points.
A Hand Cannon was a bit cheaper, but it still cost over 600 Points.
As for the various models of sniper rifles, they were the most expensive, generally costing over 2,000 Points.
And compared to Firearms, melee weapons with various functions werenât much cheaper.
For instance, a Vibrating Dagger cost 400 Points. Larger melee weapons, like a Great Saber or a Giant Axe, were even more expensive, usually over 1,000 Points.
Lin Xinghaiâs first reaction to melee weapons being more expensive than firearms was disbelief.
But then he considered that prices were determined by the buyerâs market, and he felt more at ease with the idea.
If it werenât for the existence of the Optimized in this era, it would be impossible to sell melee weapons at such high prices.
Of course, compared to everything else, he felt that the price of ammunition was the most expensive of all.