Flame Fruit.
A resource that was scarce throughout the entire cave. It was absolutely profitable to buy it, and when Chen Yu processed it into Flame Fruit preserves, it received an 80-fold greedy critical hit.
Lucrative!
Chen Yu would then be able to perfectly supply the Elton family with Flame Fruit preserves. Although the Elton family currently appeared in the Batu Federation as equipment merchants, a position that allowed them to thrive in the caves, Chen Yu desired more.
He wanted to be all-encompassing.
He aimed to transform the Elton family into the most comprehensive commercial clan in the caves, no longer bound by the kingdom's regulations. He wanted to command respect from all nations.
Equipment merchant was just the beginning.
In the future, he could also be a food merchant, a resource merchant, making the Elton family the first name anyone thought of when purchasing any resource.
Once this was achieved, Chen Yu would hold the entire cave's lifeline in his hands.
Despite his enthusiasm for Flame Fruit, he could not show it.
Chen Yu knew his own character. If Noel truly didn't know the price of Flame Fruit and had no intention of price gouging, Chen Yu would have offered a price that wouldn't burden his conscience, and would have been willing to let Noel experience instant wealth.
However, if the other party was cunning, he wouldn't mind making a substantial profit.
After sending the message, Chen Yu quietly waited.
"Boss Chen Yu is truly a good person." Noel was filled with shock as he stared at the reply. Reyel, with his arms crossed, grumbled, "I've always said Boss Chen Yu is a good person. Yet, there are so many ungrateful people in our region. They don't realize that without Boss Chen Yu, they would have starved to death long ago. Now, look, Boss Chen Yu isn't the exploiter and oppressor they claim he is; he genuinely wants us to live well."
"I didn't realize Little Lei was such a fervent fan of our boss," Ai Wei chuckled.
"It's the truth."
Reyel didn't shy away at that moment, stating solemnly.
"I've been in the same region as Boss Chen Yu from the very beginning. Sister Ai Wei, you joined later and don't understand. Do you know how arduous the initial exploration of the caves was? With bad luck, you could use up all ten exploration chances in a few days and still not get a sip of water or a piece of bread."
"What was the death rate in other regions during the early stages?"
"The death rate in our region was the lowest. It was precisely the food resources sold by Boss Chen Yu that allowed the people in our region to survive."
"And yet, there are still many people who speak ill of Boss Chen Yu."
"It's terrible."
Ai Wei didn't agree much with this point. Her region had merged relatively late, and Chen Yu rarely appeared in the chat channel after she arrived. Her understanding of Chen Yu was all from hearsay and his unshakeable position on the rankings.
However, there was one thing she had to admit.
The death rate in the region where Reyel and Noel were, and which Chen Yu controlled, was indeed the lowest. Before their region merged, less than two thousand people remained.
Exploration was indeed full of danger, but more people actually died of starvation and thirst.
"Boss Chen Yu is truly bringing glory to our Dragon Country," Ai Wei said with a smile in her eyes. "Noel, you should reply quickly too, don't keep the boss waiting. If the boss is willing to lighten our burden, we shouldn't refuse. It's more important to exchange the fruits for the resources we need. We can repay this kindness when we grow stronger in the future."
"Then how much should we sell them for?"
Noel looked at the Flame Fruits before him and asked.
"I feel like the boss doesn't need these fruits much. Is 300,000 perhaps still a bit high? Why don't we give the boss a discount?"
"I don't think it's necessary."
Ai Wei frowned slightly and shook her head.
"I don't know if I'm being petty, but I think our fruits are worth more than 300,000. Boss Chen Yu adding us as friends is actually because he wants to buy more fruits."
"Sister Ai Wei, how can you talk about Boss Chen Yu like that?" Reyel exclaimed softly.
"Perhaps I'm mistaken," Ai Wei pursed her lips, her eyes not carrying much confidence. "It's just my thought. I'm just stating my idea. No matter the price, since they are useless to us, let's sell them all. If you think it's too expensive, just lower the price a little."
"How about 250,000?"
Noel looked at the other team members, and upon hearing the figure, everyone nodded in agreement.
"Boss, we have about 60 Flame Fruits here. If you're willing to wait a moment, we'll have over 30 more coming in. If you're willing to buy in bulk, we can give you 250,000 resource points per piece. What do you think... is that acceptable?"
???
Bang.
Chen Yu, leaning back in his chair, dropped the cup in his hand onto the floor.
60 pieces?
Flame Fruit?
"Wow, did he enter a pure fire zone?" the little devil exclaimed with wide eyes. "Chen Yu, your region is too rich. I already felt it was exaggerated when you entered the lava underground, but there's actually a pure fire zone? Nearly 100 Flame Fruits, and you'll make hundreds of millions in profit by reselling them. Your luck is too good!"
"It's not my luck; it's theirs."
Chen Yu said with a smile, "It seems they are a small adventure team. It's their luck to discover these Flame Fruits. I merely reaped the benefits."
As he spoke, Chen Yu actually felt a slight regret.
90 Flame Fruits.
If he had harvested them himself, it would have been over 7,000.
Processed into preserves, that would be nearly 300,000 cans. Even if sold over a hundred years, it would be enough for the Elton family.
Even without selling them, these 300,000 cans of Flame Fruit preserves could cultivate a large number of fire-element elite mages.
"Accept."
As the members of Noel's adventure team waited anxiously, Chen Yu's message finally appeared before their eyes.
"Organize yourselves. Do you want to store resource points with me, or do you want water directly, or perhaps other resources at a fair price? Once you've decided, just send me the Flame Fruits. Upon receipt, I will transfer the resources you need to you."
"See? Isn't Boss Chen Yu thoughtful!"
Reyel pointed proudly and grumbled, "I told you Boss Chen Yu is a good person, he thinks of everything for us and gives us so many choices. If anyone dares to speak ill of Boss Chen Yu again, watch me bite them."
The other adventure team members echoed in agreement.
"Indeed, Boss Chen Yu is truly a great person."