Chapter 58: Evolution Potion

It was already night.

Qiong En gazed out the window at the dimly lit, dirty streets of the lower city.

Behind him, his sister Crimina's indignant voice rang out: "That guy is really despicable! He actually caused a scene in the market, and several people got hurt. He's no different from those upper-class people!"

"Brother, let's kick him out!"

"Enough," Qiong En turned and gave his sister a stern look.

Crimina wanted to say more, but under her brother's gaze, she backed down. Since they were children, her brother had never looked at her so severely.

Qiong En waved his hand. "Go back to your room. Don't bring this up again, and don't provoke them. This is the Doctor's order. Crimina, you know what we're going through. This is war, not child's play… Don't cause trouble for me."

Crimina opened her mouth to speak.

She just wanted to help her brother—how was that causing trouble? The materials for the advanced evolution potion were already within reach. How could she just let them go?

But seeing the exhaustion on Qiong En's face, Crimina finally said nothing and silently left the room, closing the door behind her.

Qiong En let out a long sigh, then picked up a document from the table and began to read.

After some time, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Qiong En put down the document.

The door opened, and Zhao Kuo walked in slowly, closing the door behind him.

Qiong En stood up and gestured for Zhao Kuo to sit on the couch. Then he took out a box of hand-rolled cigarettes from the drawer—crudely made, but in the lower city, they were a rare luxury.

Zhao Kuo waved his hand, politely declining the offer.

Cigarettes were addictive. In the real world, it wasn't a big deal since they were easy to find.

But in the subway world, addiction could become a significant expense. So Zhao Kuo tried to stay away from such things, not letting himself get hooked.

Qiong En didn't mind. He lit one for himself and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"What happened this afternoon… was that a show of force for me and the Doctor, wasn't it?" he said, breaking the silence.

Zhao Kuo smiled. "It's easy to talk to someone smart. Of course, it wasn't entirely that."

Zhao Kuo could control his emotions well, never letting them dictate his actions. The scene he caused in the market wasn't just about venting frustration—it was a demonstration of his strength, a warning to Qiong En and the Doctor.

"There was no need for that. We're on the same side," Qiong En said.

Zhao Kuo shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.

Qiong En didn't press for a response. Instead, he asked, "What brings you here at this hour?"

Zhao Kuo nodded. "What do you think the chances are of the lower city's forces defeating the upper class's organized army?"

Qiong En's eyes flickered. "About 60%…"

"Don't joke around. Didn't you just say we're on the same side?" Zhao Kuo leaned forward slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.

60%? In Zhao Kuo's eyes, that number was far too generous for the ragtag forces of the lower city.

Yes, in Zhao Kuo's view, the lower city's people were nothing but a disorganized mob. Against the well-armed upper-class army, they stood no chance.

Qiong En slowly stood up and sighed. "I believe you've had some time to understand the situation in the lower city. To be honest, the Doctor and I have discussed it. Currently, the chances of victory are only 20%."

"Heh," Zhao Kuo chuckled. "In my opinion, your chances are less than 10%. Of course, you might have some hidden methods I'm unaware of, but those are just icing on the cake. They won't change the outcome of the overall strategy."

Qiong En fell silent because the Doctor had said something similar.

Zhao Kuo also stood up. He looked at the burly man in front of him and said slowly, "To be honest, I'm not optimistic about your chances. To completely overthrow the upper class's rule, mere bravery isn't enough. You need guns, ammunition, training, and even a lot of money for infiltration, spies, and so on."

"What the lower city lacks most, in my opinion, is money."

The lower city used a currency called "Koron." 100 Koron equaled 1 subway coin. Prices were extremely low, which was one of the ways the upper class controlled the lower city—through monetary economics.

Qiong En frowned. He vaguely understood Zhao Kuo's intentions and decided to be direct. "Yes, we need a lot of subway coins. But the flow of subway coins is controlled by the upper class. What we can get is limited."

Hearing this, Zhao Kuo smiled easily. "What you can get is limited, but it's different for me. Have you forgotten what my identity is?"

A player, an outsider!

Qiong En looked at Zhao Kuo and suddenly understood why the Doctor valued this man so much.

Zhao Kuo stopped beating around the bush and asked directly, "Can you mass-produce the primary evolution potion? What's the production cost, and how much inventory do you have now?"

Qiong En thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, we can. The materials are common, and the only valuable part is the Doctor's special technology. Currently, we have 5,324 doses in stock. We can produce 74 doses daily, and the cost is about 1.2 subway coins per dose."

1.2 subway coins per dose! Zhao Kuo's eyes lit up, and he smiled. "Leave it to me. I can give you 5 subway coins per dose. After deducting profits, you'll earn a net profit of 3.8 subway coins per dose. That's not a small profit."

Looking into Zhao Kuo's eyes, Qiong En hesitated.

The upper class had always been secretly buying the lower city's evolution potions at 4 subway coins per dose, and the daily sales were limited.

If they could really get a net profit of 3.8 subway coins per dose… Qiong En's heart raced. Selling all 5,324 primary evolution potions would bring in a total profit of 20,231.2 subway coins!

On the black market, an industrial bolt-action rifle cost about 2 subway coins. Not counting ammunition, they could buy 10,000 rifles with that money!

Qiong En felt his breathing quicken.

"I need to consult the Doctor," he said, gesturing and picking up the landline phone on the table.

A moment later, Qiong En put down the phone and looked at Zhao Kuo, who was still smiling by the couch. He nodded.

"The Doctor will send the primary evolution potions over shortly. Also, there are 563 intermediate evolution potions. But the Doctor hopes we can get at least 7 subway coins per primary dose and 14 subway coins per intermediate dose."

"The Doctor said he knows you can make a lot."

Zhao Kuo thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.