This was Zachary’s first time strolling through the leisure layer, and he never expected that on a floor he had never casually wandered in the third base of Magic City, where he purchased property, he would experience it in this first visit.

Although this layer was an indoor area, compared to the usual three-meter-high floors, this one was about four meters high. Although there were no windows in the entire layer, the lighting facilities above ensured the brightness of the room.

At this time, some elderly people were relaxing here with children, but not a single young person could be seen.

The two did not stay here long before Ethan Harris received a message from Official Liam, asking them to return.

"We agree with the price you mentioned, and will proceed with the exchange at a ratio of ninety to one. How much can you offer at once?"

"I have plenty of goods on my end. How much are you prepared to take?"

Caught off guard by Zachary’s counter-question, Official Liam paused for a moment, then asked in a questioning tone, "How much I want? Can you provide as much as I ask for?"

"Of course, but it has to be cash on delivery."

Heartened by Zachary’s requirement, Official Liam quickly did some mental calculations before stating, "I’ve prepared a hundred thousand Mysterious Cores. If possible, I’d like to use them all to purchase meat."

Zachary was genuinely shocked by Official Liam’s words. Based on the ratio of ninety to one, a hundred thousand Mysterious Cores corresponded to nine million pounds of meat—over four thousand tons.

These numbers might not have seemed significant before the catastrophe, but placed in the context of...

Because before the disaster, Zachary had cleared out the Cold Storage and several large supermarkets’ warehouses in Pengcheng and, living in the Cave Pasture Zone, the livestock grew quickly; accumulating for so long, not to mention four thousand five hundred tons of meat, Zachary could easily come up with even double that amount.

But, easy as that might sound, it wasn’t something that could truly be done. In an era where even an Imperial Court-affiliated Water Base couldn’t raise livestock on a large scale, Zachary was able to produce so much meat in one go.

Were Zachary to actually do this, after the transaction was complete, the other party would certainly report to the Imperial Court, causing Zachary unnecessary trouble.

However, faced with a hundred thousand Mysterious Cores, Zachary did not want to miss the opportunity, so he took out some fruit again, sliced one open, and shared it with Official Liam and Evelyn Harris present.

Perhaps because they consumed more of the fruit than last time, Ethan Harris finally realized the health benefits of the fruit.

Without waiting for Official Liam to speak up, Zachary laid out the price of the fruits.

After experiencing the fruits’ benefits, Official Liam understood Zachary’s thoughts and directly asked how much stock Zachary had.

Seeing that Official Liam did not question the price he proposed, Zachary knew the deal was secure. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Because the haggling step was skipped, the details of the transaction were quickly finalized.

Zachary took on the hundred thousand Mysterious Cores, offering a split of meat and fruit for the goods.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, it surely made more sense to buy meat than fruit, but the outcome told everyone that although the top echelon might be honest and incorruptible, those responsible for executing orders could subject them to their own interpretations to a certain extent.

After all, humans are not machines; they still have desires, so intentions that are initially good can change direction when entangled with some people’s interests.

But as far as Zachary was concerned, he did not want to meddle in these matters, as he also belonged to the beneficiary party in this transaction.

"Now that the price has been agreed upon, when can you deliver your goods, and can the transaction be expedited?"

Hearing Official Liam’s urging, Zachary laughed nonchalantly, then confidently declared, "Once you have your Mysterious Cores ready, my ship escorting the goods can dock at any time.

However, the transaction location definitely can’t be here. You will need to send out a cargo ship and loading crew, and we will choose a trading spot thirty nautical miles from here."

Ethan Harris’ face showed surprise at Zachary’s words since Zachary displayed his possession of Storage Equipment in the warehouse he had rented from him.

For this transaction, although half of the Mysterious Cores was switched to buying fruit, Zachary still had to provide over two thousand tons of meat, so it made sense that the trading spot was not here.

Official Liam did not question Zachary’s request, as the trade involved such a large amount of food, and any mishap would be unimaginable.

Once the specific transaction time was agreed upon, Official Liam arranged for Ethan Harris to escort Zachary away.

Once they reached the dock, Ethan Harris understood the source of Zachary’s confidence as he watched him summon the jade Companion Spiritual Treasure from his Sea of Consciousness.

Ethan Harris stood on the dock, watching Zachary’s boat depart, and did not leave until Zachary’s vessel was out of sight.

Meanwhile, although Evelyn Harris had not returned, she, having worked in procurement for so long, could easily imagine the chaos that must be brewing in their department at this moment.

Even without returning, Evelyn could foresee that there were likely suggestions within the department for zero-cost acquisitions regarding this trade.