chsdbacks Chapter 45 Zhongchao and Trade Upgrading
Chapter 45 Zhongchao and Trade Upgrading
Nest City, inside a massive industrial elevator shaft.
The rusty car creaked and groaned as it was pulled by the winch, climbing upwards at a speed of fifteen meters per second.
Sisyphus stood in the middle of the oil-stained carriage, covering his nose with a handkerchief in disgust.
Behind him, two Storm Squad soldiers, clad in black armor and wielding Hellfire Guns, stood like statues, their only evidence of their presence being the occasional flash of their helmet visors.
These two were Andy's personal bodyguards, whom he had specifically assigned.
Since Dr. Birdbeak's lair was destroyed by the Nurgle cultists last week, Sisyphus has moved into the Vault and become Andy's personal business representative.
To be honest, Sisyphus never dreamed that he would be able to go out to do business with bodyguards of this caliber in his lifetime.
The Hellfire Gun is standard issue for Astragalus Stormtroopers. A single shot can burn through light armor. In a place like Midnest, these two guns are more intimidating than ten fully armed gang thugs.
"bite--"
The elevator stopped, and the heavy gate slowly opened.
A wave of heat, a mixture of engine oil, ozone, and the stench of overcrowded human sweat, hit me.
We've arrived at Zhongchao.
Zhongchao is the industrial heart of Casting Furnace No. 7, but it is also a lawless place that is completely out of control.
Since imperial ships stopped visiting regularly, the industrial zone of Zhongchao has begun a frenzied, illegal mass production in order to survive.
Imperial Patent Law and mechanical engineering production licenses are all worthless here.
As long as the machines can be turned on and there are raw materials, the factory owners here dare to make anything, from fully equipped laser gun batteries to prohibited chemicals, and even unauthorized bionic prosthetics.
Sisyphus pushed an inconspicuous little cart out.
The cart was covered with a dirty tarpaulin, making him look like an ordinary deliveryman.
But what he was pushing was the most sought-after hard currency in the entire Zhongchao black market right now.
In the two months since Andy joined forces, Sisyphus's business model has undergone a complete 180-degree turn.
He used to be the spokesperson for Birdbeak Doctor, but what was he selling back then?
It was the rotten flesh cut from corpses, and the green soup teeming with viruses and impurities.
A slightly more respectable method is to buy and sell other people's products through a distribution network.
At that time, he was at the lowest end of the industry chain. He had to be subservient to the Helios Group, beg the illegal clinics to take his goods, and always be on guard against being double-crossed.
It's different now.
Sisyphus lifted a corner of the oilcloth, revealing neatly stacked glass bottles inside.
A pale yellow, clear liquid sloshed in the bottle.
【Andy Biochemical No. 1】.
The high-purity penicillin G sodium solution produced in the shelter has been modified.
Once this product was launched, it swept through the entire black market for pharmaceuticals in Zhongchao.
The effect is amazing, it's unbelievable!
With just one injection, no matter how severe the gunshot wound infection or the gangrene that could lead to amputation, as long as the person hasn't completely died, they can basically be saved!
Moreover, the side effects are minimal, unlike those old green soups that required a liver transplant after consumption!
For workers like Zhong Chao, who lose hands and feet on the production line every day, or are hit by wrenches or bullets in street shootouts, this thing is nothing short of a second life.
Sisyphus walked through the bustling streets.
Both sides were lined with illegally built factories, their chimneys spewing black smoke that blotted out the sky.
He walked into an unlicensed clinic with a sign that read "Fast Prosthetic Repair".
The boss was a one-eyed man with greasy hands. When Sisyphus used to come here to sell his green soup, this guy always ignored him.
But today...
"Oh dear, Mr. Sisyphus!"
When the one-eyed man saw Sisyphus, especially the two guardians behind him carrying Hellfire Gun battery packs, his old face instantly broke into a wide grin.
"You've finally arrived! I have three seriously wounded soldiers waiting for your miraculous medicine to save their lives!"
Sisyphus didn't even look at him.
He took two boxes of medicine from the car and casually threw them onto the blood-stained operating table.
"Twenty bottles, the usual."
Sisyphus's voice was indifferent.
"Where is what I asked for?"
One-Eyed Dragon quickly pulled out a box wrapped in an anti-static bag from under the counter and handed it over respectfully.
"It's all here! These are military-grade servo motor control chips that leaked from Shangchao, brand new! Still unopened!"
Sisyphus took the box, glanced at the number on it, nodded, and turned to leave.
This kind of transaction happened more than a dozen times in the next two hours.
At an underground chemical plant, Sisyphus threw away five barrels of high-purity industrial acid in exchange for a box of rare catalysts.
At an illegal weapons workshop, he traded ten boxes of antibiotics for a sophisticated rifling process.
Bartering is permitted, accepting only high-level industrial resources and avoiding the depreciating imperial currency.
Through this seemingly primitive trading method, Sisyphus is using his technological advantage to frantically siphon resources from the Middle Nest, gradually moving the industrial essence accumulated here over hundreds of years back to the Bottom Nest refuge.
But Sisyphus knew very well that the reason he could act so arrogantly here and have these usually fierce gang leaders bowing and scraping to him was all because of Andy.
Andy not only gave him the goods, but also provided him with military support.
If anyone tries anything funny, Andy's Happiness Car will probably be blocking his door the next day, and he'll be given a reasoned talk with a heavy logging gun.
This overwhelming power inflated Sisyphus's ego to an extreme degree, while also instilling in him a deep sense of awe for Andy.
In no time, the cart was empty.
Sisyphus casually pushed the broken-down car into the roadside garbage heap; the thing was useless now.
He patted the heavy tactical backpack on his back.
It was filled with chips, blueprints, and rare metals, making it priceless.
"Let's go to the last stop."
Sisyphus straightened his collar and, with two bodyguards, made his way through the crowded market to the heart of Zhongchao—District 10.
In an instant, the style of the scene changed drastically.
No longer are those messy, illegal buildings, but towering, industrially aesthetically pleasing cooling towers and forging workshops.
The chaotic noise in the air disappeared, replaced by a uniform, heart-beating mechanical roar.
A huge gear logo hangs above the main entrance, gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the searchlights.
"Gear Heart" Industrial Park.
One of the most prosperous areas in Zhongchao, and also the true technological mecca of Zhongchao.
The owner of the Heart of Gear is none other than Zoller Creek, Sisyphus's old friend whom he often talks about.
Zol is a true high priest of the Mechanicus, the kind with Martian certification.
He commands hundreds of highly modified fighter servants and owns dozens of fully automated production lines.
It's fair to say that he represents the pinnacle of technology at Zhongchao.
Sisyphus stood at the front door and took a deep breath.
Two months ago, he wouldn't even have been qualified to enter this place; at most, he would have had a drink with Zor's stewards on the outside.
But today, he comes on behalf of Andy.
He wanted to talk to this eccentric high priest about the "starship wreckage".