Chapter 360: Searching for Information (3)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
[Do you wish to spend 30 points to train 10 special forces, Fierce Tiger, Cheetah, and Dragon?]
“Yes!”
In the blink of an eye, 130 Technology Points were used up, and 100 soldiers were added to the training list.
It would still take a few hours for all the soldiers to finish training. Zhao Yu called two teams of ten guards and got into three off-road vehicles left at the base, driving toward the east gate.
The enemy’s characteristics were obvious. They had blue headscarves on their heads. Although he did not know what force they were from, there might be people in Meng Xian’s camp who knew.
He planned to go over and ask to see if he could get some information.
Before this, Zhao Yu rarely interacted with the locals. Firstly, he was worried that his base would be exposed. Secondly, he looked down on these people. He felt that he would eventually become a big shot if he slowly developed.
“But it seems that to get by in this world, one still needs to understand some of its rules and conditions.”
“Centurion Zhao, welcome, welcome. I heard from Tao Zi that you were looking for me?!”
Eagle approached with a large group of armed men, his face full of smiles and showing no sign of hostility.
Zhao Yu wasn’t here to cause trouble this time, just to gather information. He got out of the car and shook hands with Eagle.
“What should I call you?”
This man was obviously the temporary leader of Meng Xian’s camp, yet he didn’t know his name.
“My name isn’t important. Just call me Eagle…”
Eagle, perhaps an enhancer?
Zhao Yu nodded slightly and said, “The headquarters sent some engineers over who have repaired the photovoltaic power plant. So, 1 wanted to discuss about your power supply…”
He couldn’t directly ask about the blue headbands group, as it would reveal his motive. If people knew his base was currently vulnerable, it would be a serious issue.
So, Zhao Yu planned to take a roundabout approach, familiarize himself first, and then casually inquire.
Eagle and others were overjoyed, quickly expressing their willingness to pay for electricity if the price was right.
“What do you usually use for trade?”
Zhao Yu asked casually.
“Food, weapons, or Heishi coins are all fine…”
“If needed, we can also provide labor to help you with some work. Which would you prefer?”
“Do you have gasoline?” Zhao Yu asked.
“Gasoline?!”
Eagle was momentarily stunned. Such a resource, he thought, should be abundant for a large force.
But he didn’t dwell on it, understanding that even large forces need such strategic materials.
“We do have gasoline, but using it to pay for electricity seems a bit…”
“Do you have gasoline?”
Zhao Yu’s heart leaped. He had various types of tanks in his war vehicle factory, but he hadn’t been able to use them due to a lack of gasoline and diesel.
“Speak freely, what’s the issue?”
Eagle scratched his head and said, “It’s not that we don’t want to trade gasoline with you. It’s a scarce commodity, and there are no oil fields in this area…”
“The gasoline circulating in the market mainly comes from the west, transported to Black Rock City, and it’s expensive…”
“How much is gasoline in Black Rock City?”
“500 Black Rock coins per liter…”
Five hundred Black Rock coins?
Zhao Yu continued, “What’s the value of Black Rock coins?”
It wasn’t odd for him to ask these questions, given that he represented the Re Zhao Corporation. From what Meng Xian had shared before, the Re Zhao Corporation didn’t have a base in Black Rock City, so it was normal for him not to know the price of Black Rock coins.
“Black Rock coin is the currency issued by Black Rock City, circulating mainly in and around Black Rock City…”
“As for prices, 100 Black Rock coins can buy 50 kilograms of rice, 30 kilograms of potatoes, or 10 kilograms of flour…”
Eagle added, “Of course, these are city prices. Outside the city, food prices are slightly higher, a premium of 10-20% is normal…”
Zhao Yu couldn’t tell if these prices were high or low, so he asked, “How much for weapons?”
“A handgun is usually between 500 and 1000, rifles are more expensive, ranging from 2000 to 5000…”
“The real expensive items are bullets, costing one Black Rock coin each…”
After understanding a bit more, Zhao Yu asked, “How much electricity do you need?”
“200 kWh per day…”
Considering pre-apocalyptic prices, 200 kWh was only a few tens of money, so Eagle thought Zhao Yu asking for gasoline in exchange was a bit much.
“200 kWh per day, is that enough for you?”
“Yes, we’ve calculated it. This amount is mostly for lighting…”
Now, without high-power-consuming devices like smartphones, computers, or refrigerators, and without the capability to run factories, their electricity usage was minimal.
Zhao Yu nodded slightly and asked, “200 kWh per day, how much would you pay?”
Asking me?
Eagle was expecting Zhao Yu to name his price. After hesitating, he mentioned the price they had previously discussed.
“200 Black Rock coins, is that okay?”
“One Black Rock coin per kWh, that’s the rate in Black Rock City…”
Unknown to them, only those who had bought property and obtained residency in Black Rock City, effectively paying a form of tax from other places, could live there.
So, this electricity rate was actually on the lower