Chapter 289 Good news.

Ivy stood at the entrance and watched them for a moment before raising her voice.

"Everyone, calm down."

The crowd gradually quieted, and all eyes turned toward her.

"These clothes will be sold at affordable prices," Ivy announced. "Nobody is allowed to hoard them, and nobody is allowed to resell them at a higher price. Is that understood?"

A few people exchanged surprised glances.

Affordable prices?

In the current world, clothing had practically become a luxury. Most survivors had been wearing the same clothes for weeks, sometimes even months, because there was no way to replace them once they became worn out.

They certainly hadn’t expected Ivy to sell them clothes, especially since she had already provided them with some clothing for free before leaving for the mission.

However, looking at the quality of the clothes stacked before them, they realized that there was no way these could simply be given away for free.

The coats were thick and warm, while the sweaters, trousers, and children’s clothing were all in excellent condition.

With temperatures continuing to fall, a thick coat could mean the difference between surviving the night and freezing to death.

Ivy knew that perfectly well, and that was precisely why she had no intention of exploiting the survivors.

"These clothes were brought back for everyone," she continued. "Each person can purchase what they actually need. Families with children will be given priority when buying children’s clothing. I don’t want anyone buying more than they need simply because the prices are cheap."

A wave of relief swept through the crowd.

"Thank you, Commander!"

"Thank you so much, Commander!"

"I thought I’d never be able to afford another coat for my son."

The gratitude in their voices was unmistakable.

People quickly lined up in an orderly fashion as Erick and Darren took charge of distributing the clothing.

Some survivors bought thick coats, while others chose sweaters, trousers, and other warm clothing. Parents carefully selected clothes for their children, their faces filled with gratitude as they compared the different sizes.

Because Ivy had deliberately kept the prices low, almost every survivor could afford at least a few outfits.

Even those who did little work in the base could still purchase the clothes they needed with the supplies or resources they had managed to earn.

For the first time in a long while, many of them felt as though the harsh conditions of the apocalypse had eased, even if only slightly.

Meanwhile, Erick and Darren continued handling the distribution, making sure everyone received what they had paid for and that nobody attempted to hoard the clothing.

"You have a message, Commander."

Ivy turned at the sound of Elliot’s voice.

He approached her with a piece of paper in his hand, his expression carrying a hint of curiosity.

"Huh? A message? From who?"

Ivy raised an eyebrow as she reached out and collected the envelope from him. She quickly opened it, only to find a letter from Dawn Base.

Elliot glanced at her curiously.

"And what does it say, Commander? I just found the letter inside the mailbox outside."

Ivy lowered her gaze and scanned the contents of the letter.

"It’s from Anya of Dawn Base."

"It’s been a while," Ivy murmured under her breath.

She continued reading.

The letter stated that Dawn Base was willing to participate in the counterattack against the monsters.

A faint smile appeared on Ivy’s lips.

It was good news.

Very good news, in fact.

But at the same time, it was also somewhat disappointing.

Despite sending messages to every base she knew about the counterattack...with Erick helping her spread the information....Dawn Base was the only one that had officially written back to confirm its willingness to join.

Ivy had expected more bases to respond by now.

After all, if they wanted to survive the apocalypse, they couldn’t continue fighting alone.

Just then....

Ping!

The sudden notification from her phone caught Ivy’s attention.

She immediately pulled it out and glanced at the screen and the moment she saw the caller ID, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes in irritation but still she picked up.

It was Richard also known as Antelope from Antelope Base.

Although she knew just how corrupt Richard and the people of Antelope Base could be, she didn’t care about that at the moment.

What mattered was cooperation.

She needed every base she could convince to work together for the counterattack.

"Hello?"

"Are you still bent on this counterattack?"

Richard’s mocking voice came through the phone, followed by a scoff.

"I already told you I don’t agree with this shit. It’s a complete waste of time."

Ivy’s eyebrows immediately knitted together.

"If you’re not interested in it, then why the fuck did you call me?"

Her voice carried a hint of irritation as she stared at the phone.

She had barely finished speaking when Richard chuckled.

"Of course, there’s another reason why I called you."

Ivy’s expression changed slightly.

"And what exactly is it?"

Her eyes narrowed, and her voice turned cold.

"It better be something good....something I actually want to listen to. Otherwise, you’re really going to regret calling me today."

There was a clear threat beneath her words.

For a moment, silence fell on the other end of the line.

Then Richard laughed softly.

"Relax. I think you’ll be very interested in what I have to say."