Chapter 99 Greed Everywhere
Francis gasped for breath as he got out of bed, grabbed a glass of water from the table, and gulped it down. The clear liquid spilled from the corners of his mouth, running down his chin and over his sweaty, muscular body.
On the bed, a beautiful woman with an air of elegance pulled the sheet over her body. She looked at the water dripping onto the floor, a hint of longing flashing in her eyes.
For a weak and helpless woman, the world outside, full of man-eating monsters, was too dangerous. To survive, she had to give up something.
In peacetime, a woman might only have to give up her effort, youth, or a bit of self-respect. But now, she had to give up her body, dignity, and even her soul.
It had been nearly a week since the apocalypse began, and many households had run out of stored food and water. The first survival crisis had arrived, and many things that seemed unimaginable in peacetime were happening now, gradually becoming the norm and evolving towards more twisted directions.
Susan Allen was a white-collar worker, no, by salary standards, she was a gold-collar worker. She could afford to buy a house and a car outright in this extremely expensive city with her income, her abilities were unquestionable.
While Francis, he was just a property fee collector in the neighborhood! When he saw Susan, he would bow and scrape, even his lecherous glances were furtive.
More than once, Susan had turned away with a sneer at the corner of her mouth.
But now, this man, already fifty years old, could easily have her. The price was just a bit of food and water each day, barely enough to sustain life!
Susan had been thinking about death more frequently lately. She would pick up a fruit knife and hold it to her neck or abdomen, hesitating for a long time. However, she ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it. It was just like how she dared not step out of this building to face the man-eating monsters outside.
Seeing the woman's gaze, Francis smiled smugly, feeling immensely satisfied. A few days ago, he was just a miserable old man, doing odd jobs. He had to think twice about whether to buy a $1 or $2 drink, let alone considering women.
But now, he was an Evolving person. The magical potion had restored his full physical functions and given him control of a magical roulette. He didn't need to go outside and fight zombies. Instead, he just needed to spread the word and then sit at home collecting fees.
Despite the streets full of zombies and corpses, this city had one thing in abundance: people. Many people died, but even more were still alive!
These survivors, if they wanted to continue living, had to come to him and spin the roulette.
In just three or four days, he had collected over a hundred Magic Crystals in fees. His son's Evolution Elixir came from this.
With food, women, and power, Francis felt that this wasn't the apocalypse but paradise.
His son called out, "Dad, another group of people has arrived. They look tough and want to spin the roulette."
A young voice came from outside the door, knocking lightly twice.
Francis casually threw on some clothes, put down the water glass, opened the door, and looked at his son, asking, "How many people? Are they armed?"
His son replied, "Six, four women and two men, with guns."
Francis was slightly surprised; such a team was quite strong.
He asked, "Did you call our people over?"
Francis's son, Oscar Hall, nodded, "Yes, everyone's there."
Hearing this, Francis said no more and quickly walked towards the roulette.
Oscar stood at the door, watching his father walking away. Then he slipped into the room, walked to the bed with a lecherous smile, and reached for Susan. A flash of anger appeared in Susan's eyes, but she could only lower her head and avoid him, not letting him have his way.
As if knowing this would happen, Oscar pulled out a bag of cookies and a bottle of soda from behind him like a magician.
Susan looked at these things, and after a few seconds, she made her choice, the same choice as before: not daring to go outside, not daring to commit suicide.
The location of the roulette was obtained by William from the trio, in a croquet court of an upscale neighborhood.
Seven or eight people glared at William's group, one holding a longbow, another with a gun, and the rest with knives and clubs.
As Francis walked over, a pistol and an 82-2 grenade occasionally peeked out from his waist.
Francis questioned, "Do you know the rules?"
Seeing three people in the group holding long guns, Francis was a bit nervous. He could hold his ground here not just because he and his son were Evolving persons, but also because of their firepower that consisted of three guns, a bow, and a grenade!
With this equipment, they were able to deter anyone nearby from coveting the roulette and to intimidate those who might try to renege on their payment before spinning.
However, these men clearly had firepower comparable to his own, and Francis feared they might have other intentions.
Oscar arrived late, but fortunately, he wasn't too stupid and knew to hold his gun in his hand.
William stated, "Spin once for a Magic Crystal."
William had already glanced at the roulette a few times, knowing it was just an ordinary roulette. One spin required six Magic Crystals, and there were nine items on it. The most valuable Light Blade skill had already been drawn by a woman named Owen.
Francis said, "Alright, you know the deal. How many spins? Pay up first."
Francis and his people stood ready around the roulette, and William's group had the same expression.
William replied, "Ten spins."
Throwing ten Magic Crystals to Francis, William began to spin the roulette.
Since they needed to exchange for the professional certificate mentioned by the trio, they needed Evolution Elixir. This was the closest roulette they could find nearby.
Francis received the ten Magic Crystals, a bit surprised by the number of spins.
Aside from the one-star Evolution Elixir, the best item on the roulette was the grenade Francis carried. They probably traded their guns for this.
Using the Exclusion spell, they spun five times and only got one bottle of Evolution Elixir, the rest were useless items. William simply stopped spinning himself and let Jack, who had been eager to spin, take over.
There's a saying that fools have good luck. Jack spun five times and got three bottles of Evolution Elixir and a grenade, which made him grin from ear to ear.
No wonder he was happy. In the team, besides him, only Michelle wasn't an Evolving person. But she had a bottle of Evolution Elixir and could use it anytime. Moreover, once they reached Hope Base, Michelle would leave.
Strictly speaking, Jack was the only one in the team who wasn't an Evolving person, which depressed him much. Now, with four bottles of Evolution Elixir, he was sure to get a share.
Having used up almost all the Magic Crystals they had collected along the way, the results were satisfying, and William's group prepared to leave.
But a person's greed wouldn't change just because he was reborn. Before they could leave, they were stopped by the people occupying the roulette.
Francis really didn't want to provoke these people, but seeing them get four bottles of one-star Evolution Elixir, how could he not be jealous? If he had these potions, he could have four more Evolving persons under him, securing the roulette even more firmly.
Great danger often came with great wealth, and Francis decided to take a gamble.
"Leave the Evolution Elixir, and I won't kill you," Francis said menacingly, brandishing his gun.
William sighed slightly, and said, "I knew it would come to this."
In his previous life, survivor bases were often built around the roulettes. Some bases had good credit; as long as you paid the fee, you could take whatever prize you won. They made their money from the fees.
The small fee of a few Magic Crystals per spin couldn't be underestimated. Accumulated over time, it could help a faction rise quickly. Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs could indeed make one rich overnight, but it also cut off a steady source of income. This principle was understood by some in the apocalypse, who would restrain their greed for long-term development.
But now, at the beginning of the apocalypse, most people were in the initial stage of accumulating power, and greed naturally took the upper hand.
"I've told others before, you gotta have the power to be greedy. Now it's your turn to hear it," William remarked.
Francis was stunned. Before he could think more, he felt something pounce on him from behind. He quickly turned around, only to see darkness before him. Then, his throat hurt, and he knew nothing more.
