Ming wasn't lying.
Every day, he would get over 20,000 gold coins for doing nothing.
If he went out and took a spin, wouldn't the value of the items he acquired be several hundred thousand each time?
So, anything less than that number really wouldn't move him. Of course, if the project was good, that would be another story.
He looked at the two silent figures and said while walking, "Honestly, I'm a down-to-earth person. You should feel that. Let's talk about the business you want to do with me. If it's feasible, I might consider it, like doing some long-term risk investment or something."
"..."
Sam and Gandis were stunned at the same time. They felt that the man in front of them sounded very professional.
They wondered if this young man had been involved in finance before the apocalypse.
"..."
"I'm Sam, and this is Gandis. We're both from the 1001st District. Of course, you must feel repulsed when you hear about the 1001st District, but please hear me out."
Sam hurriedly said, "It's true that there are many bad guys in the 1001st District, but there are also ordinary people like us who just want to make a living. We belong to the FD Mercenary Corps. We're here because we've been assigned a task by our patron to catch some mutated creatures to take back."
"Catching mutated creatures?"
Ming looked at Gandis. His main profession was as a proper puppet master.
"Yes~ Our patron is very rich. No matter who it is, as long as they bring back a mutated creature, they will be paid according to the rank of the creature. Even the most useless snail can be exchanged for money."
Gandis paused, then added, "As you probably know, there's a high chance now that individual instances will teleport into instances formed by the destruction of districts, which is very dangerous. So, for the sake of our lives, we have to do this to earn some money."
Ming nodded, "I see. So you came to me to buy some mutated creatures to take back for a reward. If I'm not mistaken, you're going to undercut my price and sell them to your patron at a high price, and your mercenary corps will take cut prices under the name of protection, right?"
"..."
Sam and Gandis were both taken aback.
This guy must have been in finance before the apocalypse. He could see right through this kind of capital operation.
Since that was the case, they didn't have much to hide anymore. They nodded, slightly ashamed, "You're absolutely right. But, we also have to pay some protection fees to the local gangs. We hope you understand our difficulties and could give us a little discount?"
"Erm~"
Ming touched his nose. He was a bit puzzled. Given the hardships of living there, why wouldn't they choose to leave?
If he remembered correctly, now every transfer to another district was done by targeted teleportation.
Is it not as easy to join other districts as it used to be?
Surely something he didn't know had happened. It seems that being alone for a long time, he would miss a lot of important information.
Ming didn't feel right to directly ask them why they didn't leave the 1001st district. That might make them feel he was an idiot.
So he asked in a different way, "It seems you still quite like the 1001st district, huh?"
Sam shook his head, "No. I wanted to leave before, but it just so happened that some time ago the leaders of several major districts were assassinated. Now all the districts are in a state of martial law. It's not as easy to change districts as it was during the great migration."
Gandis added, "Yes, we once went to the 109th district, but we were repatriated as soon as we landed. Their requirements are more strict."
"Mm, 109 is indeed very strict."
Of course, Ming didn't know about these things about the 109th district, since he hadn't been back for a long time, but that didn't stop him from pretending to know.
In their conversation just now, he obtained an important piece of information - the leaders of several major districts had been assassinated!
The leaders were assassinated, and it happened in several major districts at the same time.
That's interesting~
Ming thought to himself, could it be the work of some faction again?
The God faction was recruiting believers, these guys who were assassinating the district leaders were trying to disrupt the order of a district, so those who carried out the assassinations should have their own faction.
Which faction could it be?
Ming touched his nose and thought, the people who would do this kind of thing obviously wanted the district to fall into chaos and disappear.
So, the faction of these guys could be: Chaos? Rebels? Or what?
At this time, Sam continued, "Later, we also came to understand that although the 1001st district is quite bad, it has its good sides. There are many opportunities to make money. Other districts all adhere to humanity, fairness, and so on, but in secret, they still come to the 1001st district for fun, hehe~"
After Sam finished, Gandis laughed and added, "We have a lot of fun in the 1001st district, with arenas, casinos, breweries, handsome men and beautiful women, and even strange men and women. Hehe~ As long as you have money, there is nothing you can't do in the 1001st district."
"Right, the most important thing is there's also the black market. All the world's illegal transactions are carried out there. For example, if you were to kill and loot in your district - of course, you're a good person, you certainly wouldn't do such a thing, it's just an example, you don't mind, do you?" Sam asked tentatively.
Ming nodded, "I mind. Use yourself as an example instead."
"Okay, suppose I killed someone in my district. I wouldn't be foolish enough to sell the loot in my own district or put it up for auction myself, right?"
Sam said, "So, I would sell the loot to the black market in the 1001st district, take the clean money and leave. The black market would then list those items for sale. If someone wanted to take revenge, they wouldn't be able to wipe out the 1001st district black market, would they~"
Sam paused here, looked around, and whispered, "Besides, some of the leaders from other districts have also set up their own businesses in the 1001st district. If you want to take down the black market, it's hard. They talk about how dirty we in the 1001st district are every day, but they're making dirty money here, they're actually dirtier. You're in finance, you understand what I'm saying, right~"
"Mm~"
Ming nodded, where did this guy get the idea that I'm in finance?
Eh?
The existence of a place like the 1001st district could be analyzed from their words. It wasn't a coincidence, but a necessity.
Moreover, it's bound to grow bigger in the future. After all, the leaders of other districts are also involved, and there will always be someone willing to make money. Nobody hates money. To some extent, the 1001st district has already become the 'world center' of this era.
Not long after the apocalypse began, such a place emerged. It seems that capital operations don't care about time or place. As long as there are profits to be made, there will be a shadow of capital.
Ming felt that the 1001st district would be incomplete without his presence.
But, he understood very clearly that there was no need for him to go to the 1001st district. Because capital depends on primitive accumulation, and turning the 1521st district into a paradise for mutant creatures is the embodiment of that primitive accumulation.
"Can you sell us some mutant creatures?" Gandis asked eagerly, looking at Ming.
Sam bowed with his hands folded, "You must help us two poor souls. If you think the money we're offering is too little, you can make other demands. We'll definitely satisfy you."
[Your foodie told Da Vinci that he just had a wonderful dream. Ming rewarded me with delicious food because I helped him find a lot of good things~ Foodie said mysteriously, I dreamt of a big pit filled with shiny little stones~]
"..."
After receiving the message from the froglet, Ming turned to look at the two men in front of him, "Would you mind temporarily becoming miners?"
"Miners?"
Sam and Gandis exchanged glances and then looked back at Ming, "Can we start digging now?"