Apocalypse Trade Monopoly

Ava had never seen anyone spend money like Lucas Bai.

Or in this case—tokens.

The Token System wasn't officially rolled out yet. But in the underground trade scene? It was already spreading.

Lucas was treating it like law.

The Black Market was louder today.

Word had spread—Lucas Bai was buying.

And when Lucas Bai bought, he didn't haggle like a scavenger.

He dominated.

They moved through the chaos, past stalls stacked high with weapon mods, stolen rations, and pre-collapse luxuries that should've been extinct by now.

Lucas walked like he owned the place.

And honestly? He might as well have.

William shadowed them, scanning every corner like he expected a blade to come flying out of nowhere.

Ava? She kept her focus on Lucas.

Because this was something new.

Lucas wasn't just spending.

He was controlling.

Every vendor he stopped at, every deal he made—it was deliberate.

Not just for the goods.

Not just for power.

For influence.

Every move was intentional. Lucas stopped at a weapons stall, eyeing a set of reinforced gauntlets.

Ava immediately scanned them.

[ITEM: TITAN MK-II GAUNTLETS]

[MATERIAL: ALLOY – UNKNOWN SOURCE]

[FUNCTION: ENHANCED IMPACT + GRIP LOCK]

[STATUS: SLIGHTLY DAMAGED]

Lucas tapped the metal. "Repairs?"

The vendor, a grizzled ex-soldier, rubbed his jaw. "Pricey."

Lucas tossed a gold-marked token onto the table. "And now?"

The vendor's eyes widened. "That's military grade."

Lucas smiled, easy. "So are the gauntlets."

Ava watched as the man caved in seconds.

One token, and Lucas just bought himself an ally.

A few stalls later, Lucas stopped again.

This time? An info broker.

Ava recognized him—Jin Lao.

Scarred hands. Cybernetic eye. A man who only sold information that was worth killing for.

Lucas didn't bother with small talk. He tossed a stack of tokens onto the counter.

"Tell me about General Zhao's latest bunker orders."

Jin's smile turned razor-sharp. "Dangerous request, Bai."

Lucas's golden eyes gleamed. "So is keeping secrets from me."

Ava exhaled slowly.

Jin laughed. But he took the tokens.

And when he leaned in, whispering classified military movements, Ava knew—

This wasn't just a shopping spree.

Lucas Bai was playing a bigger game.

The cycle repeated.

Ava was mentally cataloging their haul when Lucas suddenly veered off course.

She blinked. "Where are you—"

Then she saw it.

A stall filled with old-world tech.

Not weapons. Not armor.

Blueprints.

Her heart skipped.

Lucas barely glanced at the seller. "The entire crate."

The vendor hesitated. "That's—"

Lucas flicked five high-grade tokens onto the counter. "I said, the entire crate."

The man swallowed, nodded.

Lucas handed it off to William without a word and turned to Ava.

"Happy?"

Ava stared at him. "You—" She shut her mouth, exhaled. "You spent an obscene amount of money on something for me."

Lucas smirked. "I did. Shall I remind you of our deal, Beauty?"

Ava rolled her eyes, but her fingers tightened on the crate.

He didn't have to do it.

But he did.

And that was more dangerous than anything he'd bought today.

"You're making waves," Ava muttered as she followed him through the hub.

Lucas smirked. "Making progress, Beauty."

Ava scoffed. "More like making yourself a target."

Lucas stopped at another vendor, examining high-tier weapon mods like he was casually browsing a market stall. "People don't target the smart ones, Beauty. They follow them."

Ava crossed her arms. "You sure about that?"

Lucas's golden eyes flickered with amusement. "Not at all. That's what makes it fun."

Ava muttered a curse under her breath.

William Zhou, silent as ever, carried the previous purchases with zero complaints. Energy cells, encryption keys, modified fuel rods, filtered water units, medical injectors—

Lucas Bai was stockpiling.

And Ava had a sinking feeling why.

Every time he made a trade, he used them.

Every time a seller hesitated—he made sure they accepted.

Ava clenched her jaw. "You're manipulating the market."

Lucas's smirk widened. "Now you get it."

Ava exhaled sharply. "You realize the military is going to notice this, right?"

Lucas shrugged. "That's the point."

Ava blinked. The hell was that supposed to mean?

But before she could demand an explanation, Lucas was already moving again—flashing tokens, sealing deals, changing the game.

And Ava had a feeling the world was about to catch up.

Ava had exactly two priorities when it came to trading—efficiency and survival.

Lucas?

He had none.

Because the moment they hit the vendor stalls, he started picking things at random.

"This," Lucas said, grabbing a high-caliber sniper scope.

"Ten cells," the vendor responded.

Lucas tossed the required energy cells onto the counter without blinking.

Ava barely contained her frustration. "Bai. At least negotiate."

Lucas smirked. "Beauty, I don't negotiate. I buy."

Ava sighed through her nose. Of course he did.

Meanwhile, she had no interest in fancy, overpriced weapons.

She went for broken tech.

Disassembled terminals. Glitching interfaces. Security locks missing their internal drivers.

Stuff nobody else wanted because they didn't know how to fix it.

Ava picked up a malfunctioning biometric lock, turning it over in her hands.

The vendor raised an eyebrow. "That thing's fried. Not worth your time."

Ava ignored him, pulling up her Blueprint System.

[LOCK ANALYSIS…]

[BIOMETRIC MODEL: X-7]

[STATUS: CORRUPTED – 72% REPAIRABLE]

[RECOMMENDED ACTION: INTERNAL RECALIBRATION]

Perfect.

"How much?" she asked.

"Five cells," the vendor scoffed. "Not that you can even use it."

Ava tossed the required energy cells on the counter and grabbed the lock before he could change his mind.

Lucas watched her, golden eyes glinting. "Buying junk again, Beauty?"

Ava shot him a look. "You just bought a sniper scope when you don't even use snipers."

Lucas smiled. "Details."

Ava muttered a very impolite word under her breath.

And then—

She saw him.

A familiar face.

Jessica Tang.

Her stomach dropped.

The last time Ava had seen Jessica was four weeks ago—when she had tried to steal from her.

And now?

Jessica was standing across the trade floor, talking to military personnel.

Ava froze.

Lucas noticed immediately.

His golden eyes flickered, following her gaze. When he saw Jessica, his entire expression shifted.

"Friend of yours?" Lucas murmured, voice too casual.

Ava clenched her jaw. "Used to be."

Lucas tilted his head. "She the kind to hold grudges?"

Ava exhaled slowly. "She's the kind to sell information."

Lucas's smirk faded.

"That's inconvenient," he murmured.

And then—Jessica turned.

Her gaze landed on Ava.

And she smiled.

Not friendly.

Not surprised.

Satisfied.

Ava's blood ran cold.

Lucas shifted slightly, stepping closer to her side. William Zhou was already moving.

Jessica turned back to the military officers. Said something.

One of them nodded.

And just like that—

Ava had a problem.

"Beauty," Lucas murmured, voice low. "I think it's time we leave."

Ava was already moving.