Cave Refuge-Chapter 217 - 216: Getting Something for Nothing_1

"I’m not stupid. Anyone with eyes can see the pattern of these catastrophes beginning and ending. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice. And if they’re called catastrophes to begin with, they must have a start and end. Otherwise, why not just say it’s the end of the world?"

When he heard Ye Liuyun say this, Robinson William, who was standing nearby, nodded in agreement before he continued, "According to the news from Pengcheng Government, if we go by the previous catastrophes, the high temperatures could last one more month at most.

After a month, the outdoor temperature could drop to over 120 degrees. At that time, if nothing unexpected happens, the outdoor temperature will suddenly drop and hot and cold air will come together, triggering constant rain. We can only speculate whether it will flood Pengcheng again."

"I guess it won’t be like the previous flood, right? After all, ever since the flood ended, the survivors in Pengcheng have been busy unblocking the previously congested sewers. Plus, all the local water bodies like Dragon Lake and the surrounding rivers have basically dried up. Until precipitation reaches a certain level, it will at most fill up the waterways.

Unless it’s like during the flood, when it rained non-stop for a whole month, it will be difficult to see anything like the previous flood."

After Robinson William finished speaking, both Zachary and Ye Liuyun fell silent, deep in thought. All they had been thinking about was what happens when the temperature rises to a certain level and the catastrophe ends. They hadn’t considered the weather after the high temperatures.

However, they don’t need to worry about it. After all, no matter what, they are, at most, independent survivors, and don’t need to worry about the lives of other survivors.

"By the way, now that you’re back, do you still want the saltpeter I prepared last time?"

Upon hearing this from Zachary, Ye Liuyun was taken aback. He didn’t expect that, given the situation, Zachary would still be willing to trade saltpeter with him.

"Definitely yes. While many people are guessing that the high temperatures will end in a month, within this period, outdoor temperatures will continue to rise, and correspondingly, the temperature in the underground refuge will increase significantly too.

Even though humans can survive in temperatures of forty to fifty degrees, if they stay in such high temperatures for a long time, it’s hard for an average person to adapt to it, especially the physically weak ones who are prone to fainting from heatstroke.

You know, the reason most of the elderly people alive now have survived, apart from their strong bodies and good care, is that they are willing to consume resources.

According to what I learned, let alone the whole of Pengcheng, even if we exclude the saltpeter you possess, the saltpeter owned by West City District alone is no less than a ton.

Where do you think all of this saltpeter has gone to? It has been shuttled around and consumed by some people. It may seem like all the shelters are waiting for ice from the West City District Headquarters, but in reality,

many shelters are secretly using their own saltpeter to make ice. We don’t have to talk about others. Let’s take those shelters where our family members live in, for example, even now, the temperature in those shelters is maintained at under thirty degrees."

Upon hearing Ye Liuyun, Robinson William was surprised. He hadn’t told his younger brother about this. How did he know?

Seeing the expression on Robinson William’s face, Ye Liuyun said discontentedly, "Do you think I goofed around all these years? If it weren’t for the catastrophe, although I couldn’t be the all-knowing guru in Pengcheng, nothing could be hidden from me if I were to ask around."

Seeing Ye Liuyun’s confidence, Zachary gave a thumbs up as if to say ’you’re amazing’.

"Let’s not get off topic, you haven’t answered if you still want those saltpeter."

"Yes, of course! Saltpeter has so many uses, it’s not just for making ice, even after the high temperatures end, there’ll be many places where it can be used. But... But..."

"But what? Stop beating around the bush. Just say it."

"Only that I don’t have anything of equal value to trade with you. So although I really want your saltpeter, alas...".

When Zachary heard Ye Liuyun say this, he was about to offer to lend him the saltpeter when Robinson William interrupted, "Zachary, what do you need for trade?"

Seeing his brother interject, Ye Liuyun paused, and then, as if he had thought of something, excitedly asked, "Zachary, are you still accepting metal ingots?"

"Yeah, I am."

Following Zachary’s affirmative response, Ye Liuyun glanced at Robinson William, "Bro, we can’t make use of the stuff in the storage depot above ground right now. Why don’t we..."

As soon as Ye Liuyun brought it up, Robinson William rolled his eyes. The warehouse Ye Liuyun was talking about was a reserve warehouse built in the West City District after the flood. It contains non-perishable materials, which were not moved underground as they can withstand the catastrophe. They’re still stored on the surface.

Ye Liuyun’s suggestion was simple. They would use these materials to trade for saltpeter from Zachary first, then trade the saltpeter with the people from other districts for stuff, and ultimately replenish their warehouse reserve.

In essence, if everything goes smoothly, this amounts to asset turnover, profiting through the price difference. Many well-connected individuals used to operate the same way.

Of course, if they estimate the price incorrectly, they wouldn’t be able to make up for their losses, so they would be screwed.

Without expressing a definite answer, Robinson William pondered for a long time, "Due to the high outside temperatures and the nature of the store’s contents, we are only patrolling the surface once in the evening. I can get the warehouse key. Can you solve the transportation and loading problem by yourself? You only have one day’s time."

Upon hearing Robinson William’s question, Zachary nodded, "That’s easy."

After hearing Zachary’s response, Robinson William turned to his brother and said earnestly, "I can help you this time, but I can only give you a week. Once you get the saltpeter from Zachary this time, don’t think about hoarding it. As long as there’s profit, trade it as soon as possible. The most important thing is if Zachary takes away certain metal ingots, you must exchange the exact same kind of metal ingots back, maintaining the original weight, and similarity of over seventy percent."

Upon hearing what Robinson William had to say, Ye Liuyun understood his brother’s concerns. Robinson William feared that he wouldn’t be able to exchange for identical materials, which is why he stipulated such conditions. Even so, his brother was still taking on a lot of pressure.

"Bro, relax, I’ve got some stuff here. You can take it first and grease the wheels. I won’t say too much except, within a week, all the items in the warehouse will be right back where they were, every gram intact."

Upon hearing what Ye Liuyun had to say, Robinson William only smiled.