Apocalypse: I Have A Multiplier System-Chapter 506: Maria

"They planted them in Lab Sector 7, under controlled light conditions. The seedlings sprouted on Day 3. That’s faster than even the regular pre-apocalypse cucumbers!"

Su Jiyai raised a brow, impressed. "That’s faster than expected. What about their yield?"

"They’re still growing," Xin said quickly, "but the first round already produced about 40% of a normal harvest cycle."

"That’s amazing," Su Jiyai said.

"But that’s not all!" Xin continued, eyes practically glowing, "They also experimented on other seeds and can now make other hybrid seeds too!"

Su Jiyai’s eyes were still bright from Xin’s report when he leaned forward again, voice low with excitement.

"That’s not all," he said, flicking a glance toward the speaker so his words would reach her without delay.

"Huo Ning’s power has also evolved—she can now accelerate plant growth. Vegetables mature in just one week."

Su Jiyai’s breath caught. A week. In a post-apocalyptic world where even cucumbers once took a month to yield, this was a seismic shift. She steadied herself against the edge of the conference table.

"One week," she repeated, as if tasting the promise of it. A slow, triumphant smile curved her lips. "Now things are looking very good."

Xin beamed. "And that’s not the only upgrade. I..." He paused, cheeks coloring slightly. "...I can now pick metals too! But there’s something here I can’t identify. I wanted you to see it."

Su Jiyai nodded from her seat, her eyes steady on the monitor. "Go ahead. Place whatever you can’t identify on the conference table."

Yuan Xin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small chunk of black metal. It was strange—shiny but darker than any metal she had seen before. He carefully set it down on the table.

"Can you identify this, Boss Su?" His voice held a mix of excitement and curiosity.

Suddenly, the black metal shimmered and teleported through the network, appearing in Su Jiyai’s hand as if by magic. She held it up, turning it slowly, the coolness of the metal seeping into her palm.

Her eyes widened. A deep memory flickered in her mind—the last time she had seen this metal. A system alert popped up beside her vision:

[Material Identified: Legendary Black Metal. Extremely rare in the Interstellar Era. Known for superior weapon forging properties. Weapons crafted or upgraded with this metal gain +1 rank upgrade per usage of metal shavings.]

Su Jiyai’s heartbeat quickened. This was huge. A metal like this could change everything, especially in a world struggling to rebuild from ruins.

"Yuan Xin," she said quickly, "send me all the metals you have. I want to buy them all."

There was a pause. Then, through the speaker, Yuan Xin’s voice softened, shy but earnest. "Boss Su, please don’t say that. I want to give all these metals to you. For free."

Su Jiyai blinked in surprise. "Free? Why?"

"I see you as a savior for all of us," Yuan Xin said quietly, "and I want to do something to help. It would feel wrong if you didn’t accept my offer—please believe me."

For a moment, Su Jiyai chuckled softly, a warm smile spreading across her face.

"Alright, Yuan Xin. I accept your kindness. Thank you."

Yuan Xin couldn’t hide his grin.

"Boss Su, the sales have been fantastic—especially the spa. It’s our biggest profit center right now." He leaned back, pride shining in his voice. "People line up for hours just to get a day’s pass."

Su Jiyai arched an eyebrow. "That’s good... but you sounded uneasy just now. Did something happen?"

He hesitated, then sighed. "Actually, there was a bit of a fight down in the spa district yesterday."

"Fight?" Su Jiyai’s curiosity flickered. "What kind of fight?"

Yuan Xin’s expression grew serious.

"One of the wealthiest families here tried to monopolize the entire bath and spa area. They booked every hour slot, then turned around and started selling those same passes back to people—for double, even triple the original price."

Su Jiyai frowned. "Which family?"

"It was the Mu family," Xin said—voice low enough that only Su Jiyai’s monitor could catch it.

At the name, Su Jiyai’s memory snapped into focus.

The Mu family: powerful even before the apocalypse, they’d horde resources and influence every major enterprise on the base.

The matriarch—Lady Mu—was notorious for stashing supplies away for her own comfort during those first harsh years.

"What exactly did they do?" Su Jiyai asked, leaning forward.

Yuan Xin ran a hand through his hair.

"They bought full-day spa subscriptions—every single one available. Then they hired dozens of people, all under their payroll, to occupy each slot. By the time others came, the spa was booked solid. After that, they set up stalls outside, re-selling those time-slots at inflated rates."

Su Jiyai’s lips curved into a thoughtful half-smile. "I remember placing a restriction: each person can rent a communal facility only once per day."

Yuan Xin nodded grimly. "They found a loophole—by registering each of their hired hands as "individuals," they effectively booked every slot, one per person, and still stayed within that rule."

"Clever," Su Jiyai said softly, though her eyes were cold. "But not clever enough."

She straightened in her chair, mind already racing with solutions.

"Thank you for telling me. We’ll need to seal that loophole—and make sure Lady Mu knows that monopolies on community resources end on my watch." freeweɓnovel~cѳm

Yuan Xin exhaled, relief and admiration in his tone. "Understood, Boss Su. I’ll draft the new policy changes right away."

Su Jiyai leaned back in her chair, her expression calm but sharp.

"Yuan Xin, once the meeting ends and you’re done with your reports, call the Mu family to the conference room. I want to speak to them directly."

"Yes, Boss Su," Yuan Xin replied with a quick nod.

Su Jiyai tilted her head slightly. "Anything else I should know before we wrap this up?"

Yuan Xin glanced down at the small data pad in his hand, then looked back at the monitor.

"Yes, a few more things. I’ve received letters from several smaller bases. They’re asking for your presence, Boss Su."

Su Jiyai’s eyes narrowed slightly with thought.

"Mm. I figured that would happen eventually. Pass me all the letters—they should be in my inbox by the end of the day. I’ll go through them and decide what needs my attention."

"Understood." He tapped something on his screen, confirming the action. Then, after a small pause, he added,

"There’s one more thing. A woman named Maria... she’s been waiting to meet you."

"Maria?" Su Jiyai repeated, one eyebrow lifting.

"She says she has something private—extremely private—to talk to you about," Yuan Xin said slowly. "And she offered one billion federal coins just to get a meeting with you."

Su Jiyai blinked. One billion wasn’t pocket change—even in the post-apocalypse. Her interest piqued, she leaned forward slightly.

"She must really want this meeting... Alright. Once you’re done with the report, call her in."

Yuan Xin nodded firmly. "Will do."

He went on to deliver a few final updates.

With that, he gave her one final nod and left the conference room, the door sliding shut behind him.

A few seconds passed before the soft chime of the door rang again.

A tall woman stepped inside. She wore a sleek black coat, a wide-brimmed hat, and carried herself with poise and elegance.

Her movements were graceful, almost too calm for someone who had just offered a billion coins for a short meeting.

She stopped before the conference table and looked directly at the speaker.

"Boss Su," the woman said politely. Her voice was soft, but firm. "Thank you for agreeing to see me. I’m Maria."

Su Jiyai’s gaze remained sharp. "I don’t usually make exceptions for private requests. But your offer was... unusual."

Maria smiled faintly. "The coin wasn’t meant to impress. Only to show that I’m serious."

"Then I hope what you have to say is worth my time," Su Jiyai said, folding her hands on the table. "Speak."

Maria hesitated, then reached into her coat and placed a sealed data chip on the table.

"This chip contains information on a hidden facility—one that belonged to the Institute before the Collapse. It’s still functional, hidden underground, and more importantly, it’s not empty."

Su Jiyai’s fingers tapped slowly against her armrest. "What’s inside?"

Maria’s eyes flickered. "Experiment survivors. Some are still in stasis. Some... aren’t exactly human anymore."

That got Su Jiyai’s full attention. Her body went still.

"I used to work there," Maria continued quietly.

"Until I escaped. But my sister is still in there—frozen. If you help me retrieve her, I’ll give you access to everything in that facility. Technology, research, samples... everything."

Su Jiyai’s gaze darkened. "Why now?"

Maria looked down at her hands. "Because now I finally have the location again. And because I know you’re the only one with the power and the force to pull it off."

The room was quiet.

After a moment, Su Jiyai stood up slowly. "I’ll look into the data. If what you say is true... We’ll prepare a mission. But..."

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