Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

As soon as Lin Chen finished speaking, the council hall fell silent.

Shen Ada's smile froze for a moment, and his fingers unconsciously tightened, gripping the armrest of the chair.

He glanced quickly at Amin, whose face changed and mouth gaped open. The others were in even worse shape; some gasped, while others instinctively took a half-step back.

The Xie family was the largest power in eastern Shanghai, with tens of thousands of men under their command, making them roughly equal in strength. To wipe them out so easily? Just who was this person?

Shen Ada steadied himself and chuckled twice, "Mr. Lin is joking..."

Lin Chen didn't reply, but just looked into his eyes. His gaze was as calm as a stagnant pool, unfathomable. Shen A'da's voice caught in his throat; he couldn't laugh anymore.

Just then, another henchman rushed in in a panic and handed a note directly to Shen Ada.

Shen Ada unfolded it and saw that it read: "The Xie family has been wiped out, and the leader's surname is Lin."

He looked up at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen remained as casual as ever, leaning back in his chair as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Shen Ada's forehead as he passed the note to the person next to him.

After looking around, the atmosphere in the council hall completely changed; everyone's face turned pale and their breathing became rapid.

Shen Ada took a deep breath and put on a smile again, but the smile was more stiff and cautious than before.

"Mr. Lin, what you're saying is... a good deal! We may not have many crystal cores here, but we'll definitely support you! You name how you want to exchange them, and we'll do it."

As he spoke, he winked at Amin. Amin understood and quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes, support!"

Lin Chen nodded, his expression unchanged, as if he had expected this outcome.

"I'll have someone send over the specific exchange rate later. Just make sure you have the crystal cores ready."

He paused, then briefly explained his plan to gather ordinary people and clear out the zombies, hoping the other party would cooperate.

Shen Ada nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice, not daring to utter a single word of objection.

After saying that, Lin Chen stood up and walked out with Yuanzai. Shen Ada quickly stood up to see the guest off, his back unconsciously bending slightly.

As he saw him to the door, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Mr. Lin, about... the Xie family..."

Lin Chen glanced back at him and smiled, "Don't pry into these things. Just focus on your own work, and you won't be shortchanged on the supplies you're entitled to."

Shen Ada nodded repeatedly, not daring to ask any more questions.

The man and the bear disappeared at the end of the passage.

Shen Ada stood at the door, watching that figure from behind, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

Ah Ming leaned closer and whispered, "Boss, this guy..."

Shen Ada raised his hand to interrupt him, and after a long silence, he said, "We can't afford to offend this person. Give the order to send more people out to kill zombies starting tomorrow. As for crystal cores, collect as many as you can."

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After leaving the airport base, Lin Chen didn't rush back. Instead, he rode Yuanzai south.

The territory of the forces in the south of the city was further towards the sea, and Wang Xing pointed out the way to them.

That area was originally an industrial zone, densely packed with factories and warehouses. Before the apocalypse, it was not very populated, but after the apocalypse, it became a natural fortress.

After running for more than ten minutes, Yuanzai could see a gray cluster of buildings in the distance.

The fence was made of steel plates and shipping containers, and the heights varied, but it looked sturdy.

There were people at the door, not many, just three or five, huddled in a sheltered corner, looking listless.

When Lin Chen rode Yuanzai closer, the group was first startled by Yuanzai, and then jumped up when they saw Lin Chen.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

The gun barrels were all raised and pointed at him.

Lin Chen jumped off the bear's back, walked towards the group of people, and spread his hands to indicate that he meant no harm.

"My name is Lin Chen. I'm from the east of the city. I'd like to talk to your boss about some cooperation."

The group of people looked at each other in bewilderment.

The leader swallowed hard, his gaze darting back and forth between himself and Yuanzai, unsure whether to believe him or not.

East of the city? Isn't the east of the city Xie family's territory? This guy riding a giant panda doesn't look like a normal person.

"Wait... I'll go report this." The leader turned and ran.

The remaining guards stood still, staring at Lin Chen, not daring to utter a sound.

Yuanzai lay down, squinted his eyes and dozed off, completely ignoring them.

After waiting for a while, people finally came out of the camp.

The guard in front was not the same one as before; it was a young man.

He was in his early twenties, wearing glasses and a white down jacket, walking at a moderate pace, followed by four or five people.

The young man walked up to Lin Chen, looked him up and down, then glanced at Yuanzi lying on the ground, and reached out his hand.

"Lu Heng. I'm in charge here for now. And you are?"

Lin Chen grasped his hand and introduced himself: "Lin Chen. I'd like to discuss some cooperation with you."

Lu Heng pondered for a moment, nodded, stepped aside, and gestured for them to come in: "Come in and talk."

Lin Chen nodded and followed him inside.

Upon arriving at the enemy's underground camp, Lin Chen found it to be cleaner than he had imagined.

There was no litter scattered everywhere, nor any haphazardly erected sheds. The fire was kept in a fixed location, and the passageways were wide enough for people to walk and run.

Some people were grilling food, others were distributing things; the order wasn't great, but at least it wasn't chaotic.

There were quite a few people, young and old, men and women.

Lin Chen was somewhat surprised. He had witnessed the strict discipline of the Xie family, the chaos of Shen Ada, the rules of the military, and the struggles of small factions like Wang Xing's.

This is the first time I've seen something so unhurried and orderly. My impression of this place is quite good.

Lu Heng led him into a room with a long table and several chairs.

After they sat down, Lu Heng poured him a glass of water. The water was lukewarm, not boiling, but in this weather, being able to drink lukewarm water was already considered a high standard.

"Mr. Lin came from the east of the city," Lu Heng said calmly, sitting opposite him. "Isn't that Xie family's territory?"

"It used to be," Lin Chen said, taking the cup and taking a sip. "It's not like that anymore."

Lu Heng glanced at him, but didn't press for details, simply nodding. A girl with a ponytail behind him couldn't help but widen her eyes, wanting to ask something but then swallowing it back.

Lin Chen put down his cup and got straight to the point: "I plan to build a trading center in the East Financial City, where I can exchange food, warm clothing, and other supplies for zombie crystal cores. I'm here today to ask if you're interested."