Apocalypse: System of lotteries

Chapter 409 "Covered In Scales?"

?

Ming, feeling helpless, instructed Clos to receive and arrange for this group of people to start working.

He chatted with Stalov and others for a while, mainly about making the best use of everything. After they completely understood, Ming let them leave.

The current workstations were already fully staffed, and these people were kept on standby, he must find a new industry.

After all, a labor contract had been signed. Ming had also talked about the spirit of the contract with them, and now he was just giving them an unpaid holiday. 

Ming assigned Kelly to the farm. She was very happy.  In passing chatter, it emerged that she cherished life's simple pleasures, loathing strife, and violence. Contentment for her was working with her beloved at dawn and resting at sunset.

He handed over everything on the farm to her, feeling very reassured.

When he returned to the grassland, Clos had already completed the 'new employee induction' work.

Seeing Ming come back, she stepped forward and said, "Boss, these new arrivals have been assigned to the mine by me. What about their remuneration?"

"Just feed them, they are all captives. There's nothing special required. Have Schneider and the others supervise these people. They are all newbies and have a lot to learn."

"Alright."

Clos made a note, and then said, "Since they are captives, two meals a day should suffice. How long is their sentence?"

Ming said, "What do you think?"

"Understood~"

The woman nodded to show she understood. When the boss said: "What do you think?", basically, these people were in for life.

In that case, a meal a day should be enough. As a secretary, her aim was to trim costs for her boss

"Any news recently?"

Ming pulled out a leg of a mutant beast, swung his arm, and threw it out. He then kicked the pig crocodile in front of him. The latter ran frantically with its belly touching the ground, flapping its wings struggling to take off, to chase after its food.

"Hold on."

Clos took out another notebook, opened it, and found the record, "News related to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I collected it, especially from the trading city. The result is, all the chosen people have died, and the plague has already begun to appear."

"Hmm."

Ming nodded. David had already talked about this matter. It seemed that nearly two thousand people were chosen, all dead.

"There's also one piece of important information."

Clos said this, flipping the page, "After the catastrophe starts, all the people in all the districts and regions within its range will be locked "

"Uh~"

Ming sat back on the sofa, took an apple, and took a bite. In a way, this was very fair. The term "all people within this range" was easy to understand. If one happened to be within the range at the time, they would also be locked in for selection.

He then asked, "Are there any specifics on the selection procedure?"

"All details are right here."

Clos held up the notebook, meticulously recounting the information told by survivors.

"Okay."

After listening, Ming grasped that the selection process was straightforward - survival of the fittest!

"Any other incidents?"

"There are people in the trading city who have started to sell slaves. They use barter, a hundred kilograms of food can exchange for one person, varying depending on health and ability."

Clos got to this point, flipped the page, and continued, "I have already asked, if we buy in bulk, there can be a discount, seventy kilograms for a person."

"We don't need that."

Ming shook his head. He needed people, but there was no need to buy them. They were voluntarily seeking him out.

"By the way, there are some people who want to join the company out of admiration. I've already noted them down and told them to go home and wait for news."

Clos closed the little notebook after speaking, "There's nothing else."

"Good."

Ming nodded, pointed at Clos's chest, "Can you give them back to me?"

"..."

Clos was taken aback. Was he being so direct?

"..."

Ming frowned, "Don't forget, they are my frogs."

"~~"

[Your froglets were grabbed by the woman and handed back to you. Da Vinci shook his head. This woman's heart rate is beyond help. It suddenly jumped just now, quite frightening~]

[Foodie is sleepy, what's up, is it time for food~]

"I have something else to do, I'm leaving first. You're in charge here. If there are any attackers, let Kyomoto Jiro handle them. He knows what the old rules are."

Ming stuffed the two froglets into his pocket,  stood up, and glanced at the woman, "You... keep up the good work."

"…"

"Stepping forth with his left foot, Ming entered the portal, his right foot swiftly following suit. Even before he landed, a petite curtain of light erupted before his eyes."

"Congratulations, you have been selected."

"A worldwide broadcast, the calamitous boss has descended upon area 109. All within the vicinity are locked in, and forbidden from using the chat channel. Everyone is granted a ten-second preparation period."I think you should take a look at

"~~"

What an uncanny coincidence; it arrives just as I return. It must have been waiting specifically for me.

Fine.

"Ten seconds are up."

"Everyone within area 109, make your choice."

"First, pay 10,000 gold coins for the lockdown to be lifted."

"Second, choose not to pay."

"Kindly note, you have ten seconds to consider."

"~"

What an excellent proposition, right?

This is an obvious trap.

"Option two."

"Congratulations to those who selected the first option, you are excused from participating in this cataclysm. Those who chose the second, continue."

"We adhere to the principles of fairness and transparency, there's no deceit involved."

"~~"

???

"Please choose:"

"One, believe in the existence of gods."

"Two, do not believe in the existence of gods."

"Three, sometimes believe, sometimes don't."

"Make your choice within five seconds."

"Two."

"Congratulations to the survivors who chose option two, welcome to the calamity. Since you don't believe, let's broaden your horizons."

"~"

The light screen in front of me disappears. In the next instant, a white light descends.

When Ming open his eyes, he was in a mountain field shrouded in a gray mist. The vegetation in the forest has turned yellow, and the air is filled with a sour, pungent smell.

Ming checked the purchased calamity information:

"Nine…"

"~~"

Is that all? 

10,000 gold coins only bought me this... what a rip-off.

"Boss!"

At this moment, a familiar voice rang out.

Ming turned to look at Mike. "Where's your wife?"

Mike ran up to him, panting. "When we were choosing, we were sitting on the sofa. She told me to choose the same thing as her, but I of course disagreed. There's no way we would both go in, one of us has to survive."

"Reasonable."

"Boss, seeing you here is a relief. Let's go locate that scale-laden creature and defeat it!"

"Covered in scales?"

Ming was taken aback. How did you know?

Mike opened the information he bought. It displayed:

"It is covered in scales…"

"~~"

Nine, covered in scales... what on earth could it be?

"Boss, what's your information?"

Mike snickered upon seeing the 'nine' shown by his boss. "Boss, you paid 10,000 for just one digit, you've been hoodwinked~~"

"~~"

You're comparing even this with me? 

"You guys are here."

At this moment, Alan rode over on a giant crab, showing his information:

"It has eighteen eyes..."