Apocalypse Gachapon

Chapter 2334: Lowly request

"You seem to need money lately—you can take these things and sell them." He pointed at Ye Zhongming's terminal.

In truth, the potions currently made by the Changxu Water Race were far less valuable than the artifacts left by their ancestors—any one of those would be a masterpiece, and if sold, Ye Zhongming couldn't even estimate how much Moonspan Gold he'd get.

He could indeed control all these items now, but could he really sell them all as He had suggested?

Obviously not.

Although the Changxu Water Race was now under Ye Zhongming's protection, and under the previous agreement had completely submitted and joined his system—to the point that, in some sense, the Changxu Water Race had ceased to exist—Ye Zhongming couldn't treat them as servants or slaves.

The Cloud Peak King knew well the benefits of mutual gain. One-sided exploitation might yield huge short-term profits, but it wouldn't last. The result would be rebellion and abandonment.

Moreover, selling off so many good items in a short time would not only attract unwanted attention but could also crash the market—something Ye Zhongming wouldn't do.

"I'll take a portion of them, and sell some as needed for emergencies. The rest we'll keep for ourselves."

As he spoke, Ye Zhongming carefully browsed the list and said to He, "I see there are some potions here that are very helpful to your race—go ahead and use them. Don't worry about anything, and you don't need to report everything to me. Though you're under me now, you still have a fair degree of freedom."

These people would continue to create value for him in the future—good helpers on the battlefield and money-makers off it. Respect was essential.

He nodded, hesitating as if she wanted to say more.

Ye Zhongming found it odd and asked, "Is there something difficult to say?"

He sighed softly. "There is something."

"Tell me." Ye Zhongming closed the list and looked at him seriously.

"Now that we have more people, you've taken good care of our living conditions, and we can manage ourselves. But... once life gets better, with no oppression, physical restrictions lifted, and a large supply of materials to practice with, many of my people are on the verge of advancing."

Ye Zhongming's eyes lit up. "That's great—if your people grow stronger, the Changxu Water Race grows stronger. To be selfish about it, if you all advance, it helps me even more."

He shook his head apologetically. "In principle, yes. But our people advance differently from other races—besides meeting the energy threshold, they need to be in the process of refining a high-grade potion when lighting a new sacred symbol. If they succeed, great; if they fail, it's not a disaster, but the energy they gain afterward will be less."

He quickly added, "Almost every advancement at a certain Furelai threshold requires a minor breakthrough, and the sacred symbol could light up at any one of them. So each time, we have to prepare—and most attempts fail. That consumes far too many materials."

"With more people and more consumption, the strain on materials in a short time is immense." He watched Ye Zhongming's expression. "And after advancing, our people need more time to stabilize their new level than other races—anywhere from twenty to thirty days to over a hundred. During that period, they're fully absorbed in reflection and digestion—they can't do anything else..."

Ye Zhongming understood.

Ultimately, it came down to money.

The Changxu Water Race's living conditions had improved, their strength was advancing rapidly, but because their breakthroughs consumed too many high-grade materials and they couldn't create value for long periods, He was worried Ye Zhongming might become dissatisfied or cut off their material supply.

Normally, that wouldn't be an issue—once they advanced, they could create more value faster, which would be an investment.

But that wasn't the case here.

Even though He had just presented that list—excluding the ancestral artifacts—the potions they'd made were worth tens of millions, but after deducting costs, the net profit was only six or seven million.

And how much had it cost to rescue them, restore their health, and build their living facilities?

Far more than what they'd produced so far.

He was embarrassed because they still owed a debt and were now asking for more—with no set repayment timeline.

And after overhearing Ye Zhongming's conversation with Helsky, she knew he was also short on funds. Bringing this up would only add to his burden—poor timing.

But she had to speak, because her people were at a critical juncture. They had to keep going; otherwise, they'd face failure. Too many failures could cause permanent damage, making future advancements much harder.

Ye Zhongming nodded in acknowledgment.

He was indeed in a tough spot. On paper, he had money, but there were too many places to spend it.

Under the Huo'er Star people's pressure, he had to strengthen himself rapidly and build a solid foundation, investing heavily in both the Star-Eye Clan and Cloud Peak Manor.

To maintain contact with Earth, smuggling the Red Makeup Guard and himself had cost a fortune, and future transmissions of messages and equipment would add up to a huge sum.

Add the investments to enhance his own and his subordinates' strength, along with the upcoming second phase of the manor and the third land expansion—money would flow like water.

And that didn't include the funds for buying materials, nor the compensation and condolence money promised to the soldiers who died under his command.

Now the Changxu Water Race needed a large supply of high-grade materials—most of which would likely be wasted. From He's expression, the amount would be substantial, putting even more pressure on him.

As for the Changxu Water Race's treasures, they were still a mirage—worth nothing until sold.

He bit her lip, then suddenly said, "I... it's still that matter. My people are actually hoping... that I could marry you. Not because of the mass advancement, but because then they'd feel secure—because through my relationship with you and my status as your wife, they'd gain a sense of safety. If... if that could happen... we're willing to give up this round of advancement, as long as you can provide us with basic materials again. We'll make more potions and earn the funds for advancement ourselves."

After saying this, He's face was flushed crimson, her neck reddening all the way down beneath her collar.

Seeing Ye Zhongming look stunned, even frowning slightly, He seemed to suddenly find courage.

"This is also my own wish. I've never liked anyone before, but now I find myself looking forward to seeing you every day—I think that must be love."

"Also, as just your subordinate, I feel the same as my people—no sense of security. The Changxu Water Race has been abandoned and betrayed too many times over the long years. This constant anxiety haunts us like a nightmare. Unless I become your woman, even bear your children, that fear will never disappear."

"So I beg you—let me be your woman, even if you only... treat me as a woman."