Chapter 213: “Stasis”
Ding Heyu’s eyes widened.
So this was the catch!
But strangely enough, he found it reasonable. His trust in Taoyang shot back up to 90%.
He thought so—how could such rare supplies be sold at such low prices and obtained so easily?
Ji Boda shook his head and sighed.
“Mayor Ding, you really don’t see me as a friend. I figured Su Boss might have limited supplies, so I didn’t rush to spread the word. Instead, I thought of you first and brought you here early to buy, so you wouldn’t miss out when the crowd comes rushing in…”
Ding Heyu quickly apologized. “That was my mistake.”
Su Tao smiled. “Have you both finished selecting? Once you confirm, I’ll have my people prepare the supplies in advance.”
Ji Boda scribbled away furiously.
Ding Heyu, though tempted, had mostly come to Taoyang with a probing mindset. The higher-ups hadn’t directly approved any budget for purchasing supplies.
He hesitated.
Su Tao noticed his delay and asked, “Mayor Ding, do you have any concerns?”
Ding Heyu waved his hand. “No, no.” Then, gritting his teeth, he decided to pay out of pocket for an initial batch.
Otherwise, he was worried that if he didn’t buy now, by the time he reported back to his leaders and waited for budget approval, Taoyang’s supplies would be long gone.
Reluctantly, he pulled out his only crystal core and anxiously asked,
“Su Boss, will there still be supplies next time I come to Taoyang?”
He had taken a quick glance at Ji Boda’s list—it was packed with items. It looked like he had bought a ton.
Ji Boda, who was considering adding a bit more, also perked up his ears.
Su Tao nodded. “Yes, I supply long-term. But if certain supplies run out, I will prioritize clients like Mr. Ji, who have membership status.”
Ding Heyu was reassured. He decided to persuade the leadership as soon as he got back to approve 8 crystal cores for membership status.
Ji Boda suddenly felt an odd sense of superiority.
The two handed their completed order forms to Su Tao.
She had intended to just glance at them and pass them to Fang Zhi for preparation, but then she noticed something.
“A ten thousand bento meals order?”
“It’s hot right now, and fresh meals only last one day at most. Given the transport time to Wutai, it might take over a day, and the food could spoil in transit,” Su Tao reminded him.
Ding Heyu chuckled.
“Don’t worry, Su Boss. My ability is ‘Stasis.’ Within a certain space, I can stop time from passing. Whatever state the meals are in when you hand them to me, that’s exactly how they’ll be when I take them back. Hot stays hot, cold stays cold—spoilage isn’t an issue.”
Su Tao paused, looking at him with curiosity.
That was a damn useful ability…
An image suddenly flashed in her mind—the vision of Ding Heyu standing beneath the city walls, only to be bitten in half at the waist by a climbing mutant zombie that had breached the walls.
It seemed like such a waste for him to die like that.
She hesitated, then asked, “Mayor Ding, what are your thoughts on Dongyang?”
Ding Heyu was taken aback but quickly understood the deeper meaning behind her question.
It seemed Taoyang had a close relationship with Dongyang.
Feeling slightly guilty, he replied at once:
“There are indeed some leaders in Wutai who have biases against Dongyang. But personally, I don’t share that mindset. It’s the apocalypse—who’s more ‘noble’ than whom? Right now, we should be working together.”
Su Tao’s impression of him improved significantly.
She couldn’t help but warn him, “Mayor Ding, your city walls are not safe. Avoid going near them if you can.”
Ding Heyu frowned.
He had always believed that while Wutai might have some weaknesses, its city walls were one of the most enviable defenses among the bases. How could they be unsafe?
