Gradual Binding

Mental Cabin

Several hazy figures shrouded in mist appeared.

"You’re being far too unfair. We helped you open up the market, yet now you’re demanding payment upfront."

"Exactly. Even when those large legions ask us to sell for them, they deliver the goods first, and we settle the payment only after they’ve sold."

"We count as elders of the merchant guild, its first supporters. You can’t let us down like this."

The distributors all shouted fiercely, as though they would part ways the moment negotiations broke down.

Yet in Xu Yue’s eyes, their noisy protests posed no real threat.

"You should know perfectly well how much better our goods are than those of other legions. Still, we are reasonable people. If you insist, continuing with delivery before payment is fine, but future goods may no longer be supplied to you as a priority. After all, our production capacity is limited."

Once Xu Yue said that, all the shouting distributors fell silent at once. They had not forgotten the Black and White Blood Plasma he had shown them before!

That was the product that could truly bring out the full value of Kabane flesh and blood!

"Fine, upfront payment is acceptable. These goods sell far better than those backlogged products anyway. But shouldn’t that Black and White Blood Plasma be brought out to stimulate the market by now?"

"Yes. A large number of newcomers have taken the Kabaneri route lately. The first batch of Black and White Blood Plasma can be released. Even a small quantity would be enough to stir things up."

Hearing their buzzing discussion, Xu Yue did not object.

"I intend to package them for sale at this round’s special auction. By the time the auction begins, there should be fifteen bottles of each."

Now that he possessed captain-level authority and could use the special auction, Xu Yue no longer had any reason to keep hiding it.

A single set of Black and White Blood Plasma, being consumables, could at most sell at the level of a C-Rank Plot. That was only because of their complementary effects. If sold separately, the Black Blood Plasma’s fatal nature meant it was not even worth a C-Rank Plot.

But if fifteen sets were thrown into the auction house at once, they would definitely reach the B-Rank level.

Large legions might still be able to scour the Public Auction House for C-Rank Plots through sheer manpower, but obtaining B-Rank Plots was far too difficult.

In Xu Yue’s Giant Space, aside from the final epic mission, only three of the other missions had offered B-Rank Plot rewards!

And if one specifically chose unpopular skills, a B-Rank Plot was enough to buy something at the level of Advanced Body Mastery from the auction house. Even if used purely as currency to upgrade through the Reincarnation Space system, it could obtain a skill at the level of Advanced Combat Mastery.

The gap between advanced and intermediate skills was quite obvious. If beginner skills belonged to cannon fodder, then intermediate skills formed the backbone of ordinary Reincarnators. Those who possessed advanced skills, however, could already be considered experts with a specialty.

Most of the skills possessed by the squad Xu Yue had dealt with in the Giant Space were centered around abilities exchanged for B-Rank Plot Points. They were Veteran Reincarnators above official Reincarnators, after all, so their accumulated B-Rank Plot Points were fairly substantial.

No matter how many low-level skills one mastered, they could not compare to a single advanced skill!

If the sale succeeded, it meant Xu Yue could steadily obtain one B-Rank Plot reward during nearly every mission interval. It was equivalent to completing a relatively difficult mission for free.

"We have no objection to using the auction house for the first time, but once the price is determined, you must still let us handle the sales as promised. Rest assured, we will also bind ourselves to paying with the highest-value Plot Points."

The distributors had compromised on the payment method precisely for this reason. It was not that they wanted to earn some price difference; as distributors, they needed to use such exclusive goods to consolidate and elevate their own status!

"Of course. The higher your standing, the greater the benefits to our Penguin Merchant Guild. Also, do any of you recognize this?"

Xu Yue took out a set of Omni-directional Mobility Gear.

"Omni-directional Mobility Gear from the Giant world. Its performance is excellent. If not for its reliance on gas, along with its basic-item nature that makes it difficult to repair once damaged, it would be a very good item."

As distributors, everyone present had sharp eyes. Someone immediately listed the characteristics of the Omni-directional Mobility Gear as though reciting treasured knowledge, and then everyone’s expressions shifted.

"Could it be that your legion has acquired a channel capable of producing this equipment steadily? Rather than merely including it in sets, if it can be sold in bulk, the major legions would be interested as well."

"That’s right. Especially lately, when many large legions have begun preparing Kabaneri squads. With the physical abilities of Kabaneri combined with high-mobility items like these, the value for money would be unimaginable. Good quality, low price."

Kabaneri using Omni-directional Mobility Gear? That was certainly an imaginative idea. These distributors really did react quickly.

"There is indeed a somewhat stable source. You may set whatever retail or wholesale prices you wish, but what I want to know is whether twelve sets of Omni-directional Mobility Gear can be exchanged for one C-Rank Plot Point."

Without Plot Points to go with them, Reincarnation Points could only be used for consumables. He could not rely on only one side; he needed to walk on two legs.

Some Reincarnators entering the Giant Space deliberately stockpiled Omni-directional Mobility Gear. Although its user base was not as broad as that of Kabaneri, its market circulation was not low.

However, without a stable supply, and with the equipment prone to damage and lacking any guarantee, no legion was willing to form such squads exclusively even if the cost-effectiveness was quite good.

Replenishing logistics was far too troublesome, and they would have to face stock shortages from time to time. If problems arose at a critical moment, that would be disastrous.

But with a stable supply channel now, everything was different.

What legions loved most were products that could be mass-produced, with stability and reliability!

Once again, the attention of the distributors was drawn in.

After pondering for a moment, one of the distributors displayed his formidable intelligence-gathering abilities.

"According to news I just received, the eleventh-ranked Shogunate Gate lost a seed squad and an elite squad in the Giant Space. That was not your legion’s doing, was it?"

The distributors were not specialized intelligence organizations, but their nature ensured their sensitivity to information. Individually, it might not show much, but once gathered together, there was always someone who knew!

Since the other party had brought it out while summoning them now, he had likely obtained this supply channel only recently. He had probably just completed a mission and returned.

Even Xu Yue felt somewhat surprised. Time inside the Mission Space passed as only a brief instant outside. He had not been back for long, and confirmation of those people’s deaths had probably only come through recently. Yet this man had already received the news. No one who could reach this level in the Reincarnation Space was to be underestimated.

"There is no need to answer. I mean no harm. I merely wish to remind you that the war has only just ended, the Allied Powers suffered a crushing defeat, and the aftereffects have already reached China. The German Eagle and Turkish Kebab Shop have fallen sharply in the rankings, while Shogunate Gate is the legion most likely to rise…"

"So, I do not wish for any disturbances to arise in the cooperative relationship we have only just established. Of course, if you do not care about Shogunate Gate at all, then it does not matter."

The distributor spoke with apparent sincerity.

Xu Yue merely gave an ambiguous reply.

"Who knows?"

His attitude seemed both indifferent and subtle, making it impossible to tell whether he cared or not.

Still, although the distributor’s words contained an element of probing, it was true that due to their shared interests, they genuinely did not want Xu Yue’s "legion" to encounter trouble.

As time passed, they would sooner or later begin voluntarily protecting the "Penguin" Merchant Guild, protecting him and the "legion" behind him.

Interests were the foundational bridge upon which alliances were built…

After finishing the discussion in the Mental Cabin and disconnecting, Xu Yue lightly rubbed his temples.

Before, it had not mattered at all. No one would have been interested in a newcomer like him. But now, because of those distributors, he had no choice but to be more vigilant.

There were still many high-authority items in the space that he did not know or understand. He could not afford to unknowingly fall into some trap one day.

"I’ll see whether there are any high-authority anonymous items that can conceal my identity at the auction."

Having been reminded by the distributor’s probing, Xu Yue naturally would not continue leaving behind such a potential flaw.

The special auction… he had waited for it for a long time. But this time, he was not merely there to buy things…