Mingyue stood on the mountaintop, observing everyone who had come to the trade fair. She found nothing.
Anyone who could kill someone under her gaze must have a strong mental fortitude and wouldn't show it on their faces.
In fact, it was Zhao Wumian who had killed Snake Er, and the method was simple, but only Zhao Wumian could have done it.
It was just that Mingyue didn't understand the levels of abilities well, which was why she was kept in the dark and didn't discover it in time.
Because Zhao Wumian was the only Level Ten Gold Element ability user present, and once an ability user reached Level Ten, they could achieve cross-elemental transformation.
Zhao Wumian had taken advantage of the chaos at the trade fair to secretly use his ability, turning the blood in Snake Er's heart into steel needles.
These needles pierced through his heart, killing him. That's why when Mingyue examined the body, she only found a heart riddled with holes, but no wounds on the body.
In reality, Zhao Wumian's success was due to Mingyue creating the conditions for him to act. If it weren't for Baxiu using his mental shackles to control Snake Er.
Preventing him from speaking or moving, Zhao Wumian wouldn't have been so smooth.
At the very least, Snake Er would have struggled and cried out when the ability entered his body.
At worst, his expression would have been one of extreme pain, and Mingyue would have noticed immediately.
However, now, Mingyue was clueless, seeing everyone as a suspect and no one as a suspect.
For the safety of the base, she had no choice but to activate her Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing, monitoring every movement within the entire base.
As Mingyue pondered on the mountaintop about who the killer was, the trade fair in the plaza on the mountainside had reached its climax.
The tasting session was a great success, with all the dishes receiving unanimous praise from the representatives of various bases.
Ren Jian, shamelessly, even licked the plates clean, completely disregarding his image.
Everyone was not only interested in the agricultural products from Mingyue Base but also had a special fondness for their jerky, cured meat, and smoked meat.
They flocked to Wen Qingtian to inquire about prices, eager to purchase, fearing they would miss out if they were late.
"Everyone, please don't rush. The next part is the sales segment.
Please remain calm and listen carefully as I explain the purchasing rules.
This is crucial for whether your trip to the trade fair will be fruitful or leave you empty-handed.
Because our agricultural products and various meat products are limited in quantity.
Whether you can buy them will depend not only on your wealth but also on your courage."
Seeing everyone's desire to purchase surge, Wen Qingtian returned to the stage and announced loudly.
His words stunned everyone; it turned out the quantity was limited.
Recalling the delicious taste from earlier, they all clenched their fists, displaying an air of determination.
Watching their expressions, Wen Qingtian, standing on the stage, felt pleased.
He had deliberately said that. Scarcity breeds value. Only by making customers feel that the products are rare.
And that there's no second chance, can he sell them at a good price.
Therefore, he needed to create a sense of urgency. But this was just the appetizer; the purchasing rules he was about to announce.
Would be the main course that would drive these people mad. If it were a normal transaction, cash for goods.
Like selling vegetables in a market, he wouldn't go through such a complicated process and build so much anticipation.
The purchasing rule he had devised was an auction. He intended to sell the agricultural products as luxury items.
Since the resources used for trading by everyone were of different values, Wen Qingtian had specifically produced a batch of trading chips.
And established various exchange rates between resources and chips. To bid for goods, one had to exchange for chips first.
Of course, if the chips were not used up in the end, they could be returned.
This way, everyone could compete fairly within a unified price range.
All of this was done by Wen Qingtian to maximize the value of these agricultural products.
"Now, the product auction officially begins. Please welcome Miss Rose!"
Seeing that everyone had exchanged their chips and returned to their seats, Wen Qingtian introduced Rose to the stage.
"Family, good afternoon. My name is Rose, and I'll be introducing the first auction item: five thousand catties of tomatoes.
I believe everyone has already tasted them, so I won't go into detail about the flavor.
I want to specifically mention that our tomatoes can quickly restore consumed abilities after eating them.
In addition, they can be used as vegetables, fruits, or even as a filling meal, making them excellent as a staple.
Five thousand catties of tomatoes, starting bid is five thousand chips. What are you waiting for?
Buying it is making a profit. Buy it, buy it!"
Rose, dressed in an evening gown and high heels, appeared taller than her usual petite frame.
Before the apocalypse, besides being a stunt double, she also live-streamed sales.
So, she was not at all shy and spoke eloquently about the product as soon as she took the stage, while also subtly guiding the atmosphere.
Hearing the five thousand chips, everyone hesitated. One hundred catties of steel were exchanged for only one chip.
At this price, it would take a catty of tomatoes to get one chip. Everyone knew that the tomatoes from Mingyue Base were as big as washbasins, with each one weighing at least twenty catties.
So, one tomato would require two thousand catties of steel. The price was a bit high!
Some bases, like Xuanwu Base, were facing starvation.
Therefore, their priority was rice and flour. Those grains could be used to make porridge or noodle soup, allowing them to hold on for a while longer.
So, tomatoes were not within their consideration. The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.
"Six thousand chips."
Just as Rose was about to speak to liven up the mood, Ren Jian raised his bid.
He had told Mingyue that he would purchase in large quantities, and he would keep his word.
Moreover, he was wealthy. Although it was the apocalypse, most vehicles, whether for ability users or ordinary people, were still cars.
Therefore, the value of petroleum, gasoline, and diesel was even higher than before the apocalypse.
Although not as crucial as food, one liter of petroleum could be exchanged for one chip, so what was he afraid of?
"Seven thousand chips."
Just as Ren Jian was about to gloat and show off his wealth in front of a bunch of paupers, Yue You raised his bid, making him feel slapped in the face.
"Eight thousand!"
Ren Jian was not a calm person. This was no longer about tomatoes; it was a provocation, and he absolutely could not back down.
"Nine thousand."
Yue You was not an impulsive person, but he was determined to get these tomatoes. Because during the tasting session earlier.
He had discovered that the seeds of these tomatoes were mature.
So, he wanted to buy these tomatoes to extract the seeds, allowing their Qinglong Base to also possess such a high-yield variety.
"Ten thousand."
Ren Jian glanced at Yue You, a provocative smirk on his lips, as if to say, "Grandpa has money, bring it on!"
Yue You wanted to bid higher, but Zhao Wumian placed a hand on his shoulder, signaling that it was unnecessary.
However, Yue You smiled at Zhao Wumian and didn't listen to him. Instead, he gently patted Zhao Wumian's hand, reassuring him.
"Twenty thousand."
Yue You opened his mouth and directly doubled the bid. He then gave Ren Jian a thumbs-up, followed by a wrist flick, turning his thumb downwards.
"Forty thousand."
Ren Jian was completely enraged. This ordinary person dared to mock him.
"Eighty thousand."
"One hundred and sixty thousand."
"Three hundred and twenty thousand."
The two were locked in a bidding war, taking turns to raise the price. Wen Qingtian's mouth twitched slightly, realizing that Ren Jian had been tricked by Yue You.