Apocalypse Trade Monopoly

Ava kept her head down.

They moved through Level Three fast, weaving between cramped living quarters, makeshift trade stalls, and the watchful eyes of the desperate.

She didn't like it here. Never had.

Too many people packed into one space. Too many ears listening for rumors. Too many hands grabbing for whatever they could take.

Lucas, fortunately, knew better than to draw attention.

He walked beside her, his hoodie pulled low, golden eyes hidden in the shadow of his hood.

A smart move.

Because the last thing they needed was someone recognizing him and asking questions.

Ava exhaled. They just had to get through.

Then—a voice. Too familiar.

"Ava?"

Her steps stuttered.

Her head snapped up.

Shit.

Liam Zheng.

An old scavenging contact. Someone who used to run with her group before she got smart enough to work alone.

And he looked far too happy to see her.

Ava forced a smirk. "Zheng. You're still alive?"

Liam grinned. "Barely. You know how it is."

His eyes flicked to the man beside her.

Lucas didn't stop walking. Didn't slow.

Didn't acknowledge Liam at all.

Ava moved to follow.

But Liam stepped closer.

"You running with a partner now?"

Liam Zheng's gaze flicked over Lucas's hooded figure, sharp and assessing.

Ava kept her face blank. "Something like that."

Liam grinned. "Didn't think you were the type to settle down."

Ava snorted. "Still not."

Her eyes flicked to the crates stacked beside him. New. Unmarked.

He wasn't just scavenging anymore.

He was trading.

Liam caught the look. "Upgraded, Zhang. No more digging through corpses for scraps. I sell to the right people now."

Ava tilted her head. Interesting.

She stepped closer, fingers skimming one of the crates.

Her system activated instantly.

[ SCANNING ITEMS… ]

[ Salvaged Battery Cells – Low Quality ]

[ Old Weapon Parts – Moderate Value ]

[ Unprocessed Mutant Core – HIGH VALUE ]

Ava's fingers twitched.

A mutant core.

Rare. Dangerous. Useful.

She was about to say something—

But Lucas moved first.

Without a word, he pulled a stack of trade tokens from his coat and threw them onto the crate.

Liam blinked. "You didn't even ask for a price."

Lucas didn't even look at him. Didn't pause, didn't hesitate. Just tilted his head slightly, like the question itself was offensive.

"I don't ask. I take."

Liam's grin flickered. "That right?"

Lucas finally glanced up. Not enough for Liam to see his eyes beneath the hoodie, but enough for his amusement to be clear.

"You want to test that theory?"

Liam hesitated. Then—he laughed. "Damn, alright, alright. No need to flex. You've got the cash, I've got the stock."

He gestured toward a smaller crate behind him. "You want to see the real stuff? Or just the garbage out front?"

Ava's system hummed to life the moment Liam moved.

[ NEW ITEMS DETECTED… ]

[ Processing… ]

[ Broken Energy Conduits – Moderate Value ]

[ Damaged Neural Interface Chip – HIGH VALUE ]

[ Salvaged Data Core – ERROR: UNKNOWN FUNCTION ]

Ava's heart kicked up.

Her fingers twitched, already reaching for the data core.

Lucas?

He didn't even blink.

He just grabbed another stack of tokens, flicked them onto the crate without looking.

Liam caught them automatically, staring. "You just buying shit blind?"

Lucas finally turned, voice smooth and flat.

"You said you're a trader, right?"

Liam frowned. "Yeah?"

Lucas shrugged. "Then shut up and take the money."

Liam muttered something under his breath but pocketed the tokens anyway.

Then—he grinned.

"Alright, alright. You wanna throw money around like it's nothing? Let's see if you can handle the good shit."

He grabbed a crate from behind his stall, flipping it open with way too much flair, like he was unveiling some priceless treasure.

Ava's system kicked in immediately.

[ SCANNING NEW ITEMS… ]

[ Refined Alloy Plating – High Durability ]

[ Prototype Energy Cell – Power Stability: 54% ]

[ Mutant Beast Cores – Grade B & Below ]

Ava's eyes locked onto the last one.

Beast cores. Six of them.

Liam noticed her staring and smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, I see that look, Zhang. Impressive, right? Not just anyone can get their hands on beast cores these days. But me?" He tapped his chest. "I make it happen."

Lucas huffed. "Congratulations."

Liam either didn't hear him or didn't care.

"You know, I'm the third biggest trader in Level Three now. Crazy, right? I used to be fighting over rat meat like the rest of the scavengers, and now? Now I'm supplying half of 'em."

Ava crossed her arms. "Third biggest, huh? So who's first and second?"

Liam grinned wider. "Chen's number one, obviously. No one's touching his empire. Second? That bastard Kai—he gets all the high-grade stuff from level one. But me?" He leaned in. "I'm the one who sells to everyone else."

Lucas tilted his head. "What, leftovers?"

Liam laughed, unbothered. "Call it whatever you want, man. Fact is, I got six beast cores sitting right here, and I don't see anyone else in Level Three offering that kind of stock."

He flipped the lid open even further, like he was unveiling some grand prize.

Ava's system flickered.

[ SCANNING BEAST CORES… ]

[ 2x Grade B – Moderate Energy Output ]

[ 4x Grade C – Low Efficiency ]

Lucas barely glanced at them.

Liam, oblivious, kept going.

"You don't even know how hard it is to get these. Takes connections. Takes risk. The last guy who tried to undercut me? Dead in a ditch. And before you ask—no, I didn't kill him. I'm just saying, this business is brutal. You gotta be smart, gotta know when to make the right moves, when to—"

Lucas moved.

Didn't say a word. Didn't negotiate.

Just pulled another stack of tokens from his coat and flicked them onto the crate.

Liam blinked.

"Uh—" He looked at the tokens. Then at Lucas. Then at the tokens again. "You're not even gonna haggle?"

Lucas finally turned his head, voice smooth and flat.

"Should I?"

Liam opened his mouth. Closed it. "I mean… I just thought—"

Lucas tilted his head. "Are you taking the money or not?"

Liam snapped to attention. "Yeah, yeah, of course—"

He shoved the beast cores into a cloth bag, sliding them across the table.

Lucas picked it up, casual, uninterested.

Then, without missing a beat, he turned to Ava.

"Move. The boss is waiting."

Liam watched them go, mouth still half-open, like he was waiting for a conversation that had already ended.

Still trying to figure out who the hell Ava new partner was.

By the time he realized he should've just asked?

They were already gone.