Chapter 88: Chapter 88: He Knew This Trick Would Work on Them

But that was before the apocalypse.

Now, no one cared if these cars were luxury models anymore.

These vehicles had become "homes" for some of the survivors.

These people lived out of their cars, eating and sleeping inside them.

A bigger car meant a more comfortable life.

A smaller one meant a more cramped existence.

Beyond that, the brand of the car and its monetary value were things they couldn’t care less about.

Sierra Sullivan and Jayce were in disguise, having changed their clothes.

They had also deliberately altered their aura and gait, making themselves much less conspicuous.

Following Charlotte Morgan’s directions, the two successfully found the so-called trading market.

Survivors living in the base received some basic food and water every day.

But that was only enough to keep them from starving.

If they wanted to eat their fill, or eat well, they had to find other means.

With most people having needs and some deliberately taking the lead, a trading market had thus emerged.

There were quite a few people selling their wares here.

The so-called "stalls" were just pieces of cloth spread on the ground, with goods displayed on top for people to see.

With a single glance, Sierra Sullivan spotted many luxury items.

Clothes, handbags, jewelry, and even cosmetics.

These items, which ordinary people couldn’t have afforded before the apocalypse, were now laid out like cheap junk, casually strewn about and already covered in a layer of sand.

When these things were manufactured and hyped up, no one could have ever imagined they would one day be tossed on the ground like this.

Sierra Sullivan had only been staring at a stall for a few seconds when the woman behind it noticed her.

The woman wore a hat, a scarf, and a mask, wrapping herself up completely.

It wasn’t that she was afraid to be seen; she simply didn’t want to inhale too much sand while breathing.

It wasn’t just her; nearly everyone in the underground parking garage was dressed the same way.

After all, the parking garage wasn’t airtight. Though not as bad as outside, the air was still thick with dust and sand.

The entire underground garage was hazy and gray.

Although there were lights in some areas, they were incredibly dim, like oil lamps in a fog, making everything blurry and indistinct.

The woman stood up, but not completely straight. She was hunched over, her voice filled with urgency and a hint of ingratiation.

"What do you like? Everything is very cheap."

"Look at this handbag! It cost me tens of thousands when I bought it! Now, it’s just ten packs of instant noodles!"

"And this bracelet, it’s a classic model, worth hundreds of thousands! Just twenty liters of water."

"And this one..."

Her voice grew more frantic as she spoke, as if terrified Sierra Sullivan would refuse.

Before Sierra Sullivan could say anything, the woman changed her tune.

"If you still think it’s too expensive, we can negotiate! Buy one get one free is also fine! Just pick whatever you want!"

Sierra Sullivan could hear the desperation in her voice and infer that her life was likely very difficult.

But Sierra Sullivan didn’t let her heart soften because of it.

’I came here for a reason!’

Sierra Sullivan said nothing. She simply averted her gaze, took Jayce by the hand, and walked in another direction.

The woman watched Sierra Sullivan and Jayce’s retreating figures, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, before she sat back down on the ground.

But she quickly composed herself and continued to wait patiently for the next customer.

This wasn’t the first time she’d experienced something like this; she was already used to it.

Sierra Sullivan and Jayce wandered aimlessly through the trading market, seeing all sorts of things and all sorts of people.

There were many people just browsing, but few who were actually willing to trade water and food for these luxury goods.

Just as Sierra Sullivan was thinking that aimless wandering wasn’t getting them anywhere, she noticed a crowd gathering in a corner.

In the current situation, it was rare to draw such a crowd unless free food and water were being given away.

Sierra Sullivan and Jayce exchanged a look and headed over together.

As they got closer, they heard a man speaking in a low, mysterious voice.

"Don’t you want to become Superpower Users? It’s very simple to become one now. And it’s not as dangerous as it used to be. Don’t you really want to give it a try?"

"Once you’re a Superpower User, you’ll never have to go hungry again. You can do whatever you want. People will be clamoring to get on your good side! You’ll eat well, live well!"

"And if you awaken a rarer Superpower, that’s even better! The base will be begging you for help!"

The man’s voice was seductive, every word plucking at the nerves of the survivors present.

They had endured the hardships of survival for too long; of course they wanted a better life.

But even so, they weren’t about to lose their heads completely.

Someone quickly calmed down. "If it’s such a great opportunity, why are you coming to us?"

"Yeah!" someone else chimed in. "This sounds too good to be true. Are you just trying to trick us?"

"Is this some kind of scam?"

Faced with their doubts, the man didn’t panic at all. Instead, he let out a cold laugh.

"I don’t mean to be harsh, but take a look at yourselves! Poor as church mice, the lot of you. What do you have that’s worth me cheating you out of?"

"The only reason I’m telling you all this is because I used to be just like you, living in a place like this, never knowing where my next meal was coming from! I thought, ’We’re all in the same boat!’ Now that I’m living the good life, I wanted to give you all a hand up!"

"And what’s the result? Not only are you ungrateful, you even question my motives! It’s true what they say, you can’t just be a good person! No good deed goes unpunished!"

"Since you doubt me, I’m leaving! You can just stay here and continue living your ’peaceful’ lives!"

As he spoke, he turned to leave, his movements crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

Watching the man actually start to walk away from the crowd, the very people who had just been doubting him now began to doubt themselves.

’Did we really misunderstand him?’

’We don’t have anything. There’s really nothing for him to gain from us!’

"Wait!"

Someone hurriedly called out to the man.

But the man seemed furious. He heard the voice but didn’t stop, continuing to walk away quickly.

"Wait up!"

Another person rushed forward, spreading their arms to block the man’s path.

"I really didn’t mean to doubt you just now! I was wrong!"

"Yes, yes! We were wrong! We shouldn’t have doubted you! Can you give us another chance?"

"We want to become Superpower Users too! We want to get stronger!" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Listening to their clamoring, the man put on a troubled expression, but a flash of triumph flickered in the depths of his eyes.

’He knew this trick would work on them!’