Chapter 275 - 165: Going to the Market
As the system underwent update after update, ordinary players also began searching for a way forward into the future. For the time being, small base players could still scrape by because they hadn’t yet hit their last line of defense: food. Even through the winter, the system left a lifeline for Fishing players. However, those in the know saw that if one couldn’t produce food as in real post-apocalyptic life, sooner or later, it would become unsustainable.
The currently recognized most reliable way to obtain food was farming, but farming required large outdoor plots, and this was where small bases fell short. During this Fishing event, some players seemed to have found the version’s answer in Outpost Cards. Occupying a restaurant with Outpost Cards costs 1 labor point per day and yields 1 unit of food daily. A small base with three people could make use of three Outpost Cards to get 3 units of food per day. Everyone believed that even if the versions updated, the value of Outpost Cards would not decrease.
But the problem was that Outpost Cards were too rare. In this Fishing event, only one small base player in North Town managed to get one Outpost Card. In the Waste City mission, Maya only obtained an Outpost Card by exchanging points. Upon hearing that players had Outpost Cards, Stone immediately contacted them through the radio, expressing his willingness to trade for the card. The other party told Stone that Invincible Base was also interested in this Outpost Card. If Shadow Base wanted it, the bid would take place tomorrow morning at ten o’clock at the factory crossroads.
President Stone faced a dilemma. Given Shadow’s current net worth, they could undoubtedly get the Outpost Card, but a direct competition would inevitably have negative implications. Subsequently, Stone contacted Invincible to inquire if they intended to bid, and after getting a positive reply and explaining that they had been invited to bid, he decided not to participate since Invincible was confident in acquiring the Outpost Card.
Maya was puzzled by this. From a tactical and strategic level, it was almost impossible for Invincible to offer any more help to Shadow. With vehicles and personnel already available, Invincible no longer held any value. Stone agreed with what Maya said, but asserted that living in a slum area required conduct appropriate for the slum—showing off wealth or turning on allies were both undesirable behaviors.
Stone gave an example of two noodle shops on the same street inevitably being at odds, whereas two office buildings on the same street, both dealing in noodle exports, would not have such a poor relationship and might even cooperate. The larger the business, the more amicable the attitude and behavior when facing competition in the same trade.
Shadow started as a noodle shop and would eventually become a noodle company, so maintaining a fundamental corporate image was beneficial for future growth.
However, Stone himself also said that he was unsure whether it was necessary to consider so much in the game, which was why it was tough for him to make a decision.
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