Chapter 113
After the terms were finalized, Hong Li ordered a guard to bring over five sacks of soybeans from the warehouse.
“Each sack weighs one hundred pounds. You can check if you’d like,” Hong Li offered.
Tang Yu’an used his identification skill on each sack. By checking the identification fee for each, he could roughly estimate the value, and thus confirm the weight consistency of the bags.
Finally, he nodded to Zhou Qi.
Hong Li watched the silent exchange between the two boys, a bit puzzled. Could An’An really tell the exact weight of the goods just by looking?
With Tang Yu’an’s signal, Zhou Qi turned to Hong Li and said, “We’ll accept these 500 pounds of soybeans as a deposit and will deliver fifty pounds of salt in return.”
Hong Li felt something was odd in the way he phrased it, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint what.
After going over it a few times in her head and ensuring there was no hidden trap in the wording, she nodded. “Yes, that sounds correct.”
As soon as she agreed, Tang Yu’an received a system notification.
[Shop Manager ‘Zhou Qi’ has completed a profitable transaction with a returning customer: +12,500 points, +1 XP.]
Tang Yu’an clenched his fists, his breath catching.
Each pound of soybeans and coarse sea salt was worth 25 points, making 500 pounds of soybeans worth a total of 12,500 points.
Through a clever turn of phrase, Brother Zhou had secured over 12,000 points without actually needing to spend 1,250 points on the salt cost yet!
In fact, they could leave with the points right now if they wanted—but of course, they wouldn’t.
As Hong Li had mentioned, they both wanted a long-term arrangement.
“The salt is at our store. We’ll go get it now,” Zhou Qi said.
Hong Li offered to send a guard to fetch it, but Zhou Qi declined. “No one but us can access the salt.”
Recalling the “salt merchant” who had twice vanished from under watchful eyes, the guard Hei Xiong nodded knowingly.
Hong Li also understood the implication.
“All right, I’ll let you make the trip.”
“No trouble at all.”
Zhou Qi and Tang Yu’an left the Guard Post, with Hei Xiong, at Hong Li’s signal, escorting them back to the store.
When Hei Xiong followed them inside, they didn’t stop him, heading directly toward the back room.
Hei Xiong kept a close eye on them. He was sure that from the time they’d left the room to now, no one had entered—or at least his men assured him of that.
The two boys made no move to hide anything, though as they entered the back room, Hei Xiong felt it would be rude to follow.
He stood at the doorway, peering in.
The room was small, and he could see the entire space at a glance—empty.
“Is the salt merchant not here yet? Should we wait for him?” Hei Xiong couldn’t resist asking.
“He’s already here,” Tang Yu’an replied, pointing to a corner of the room. “Look.”
Hei Xiong looked over, only to see an empty corner—nothing there.
He glanced back at Tang Yu’an, about to question him, when he caught something in his peripheral vision.
Jerking his gaze back to the corner, Hei Xiong saw a large ceramic jar that hadn’t been there moments ago.
But it was empty just now!
He gaped in shock. “When… How did he…?”
“He’s already left,” Tang Yu’an said casually, moving toward the jar.
This jar of salt had, of course, been placed there via Tang Yu’an’s Remote Retrieval skill, directly in front of Hei Xiong’s eyes. As for the jar itself, Brother Zhou had prepared it in advance.
Though a bit rough around the edges, the jar was sturdy enough.
Tang Yu’an struggled to drag the jar toward the door.
Snapping out of his shock, Hei Xiong rushed over. “Let me carry it! No need for you to tire yourself out!”
Seeing this much salt only increased his respect for the two boys.
“Thank you very much.”
“No trouble at all.” Hei Xiong easily lifted the jar. “Let’s head back to the Guard Post—the Mountain Lord is still waiting for us.”
“Sounds good.”
Back at the Guard Post, Hei Xiong placed the fifty-pound jar of salt in front of Hong Li and leaned close, quietly recounting what he’d just witnessed.
Hong Li’s eyes glinted with interest. She glanced at the salt jar, then back at Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi.
“That friend of yours… quite impressive!” she remarked. “If there’s ever a chance, would you mind introducing us?”
Tang Yu’an smiled and nodded, though he knew it was unlikely.
“Sister Hong Li, you should inspect the salt as well,” he suggested, pointing to the jar.
Hong Li nodded and had the salt poured out.
The salt Tang Yu’an had acquired from Little Hai Lan was unrefined and slightly yellow, with bits of impurities mixed in.
Yet, Hong Li looked at the salt with satisfaction. After all, it was quite similar to the quality of salt Jin Fu had been supplying.
“This is great! I’m very pleased,” Hong Li said. “As for the remaining 500 pounds, I’ll be able to get that to you in five days.”
“No problem.” Tang Yu’an agreed readily.
Since he was the one who accepted the terms, the system marked it as a “loss-making transaction” and granted him another point of experience.
At that moment, Hong Li glanced at the five sacks of soybeans and said, “I have one more request.”
“Please, go ahead,” Zhou Qi replied.
“Please refrain from selling these soybeans to people in Jufeng Town for the time being,” Hong Li requested.
Zhou Qi didn’t immediately agree but instead asked, “May I know the reason?”
After a brief pause, Hong Li decided to be open. “There are a few people in town who don’t exactly see eye-to-eye with me. If soybean seeds were to end up in their hands, it could work against me.”
Hearing this, Tang Yu’an was a bit surprised; he had assumed Hong Li controlled all of Jufeng Town. It seemed he didn’t know as much about the town as he thought.
Zhou Qi, on the other hand, nodded. “So, as long as we don’t sell the seeds, we’re free to sell processed soy products?”
“Soy products?” Hong Li asked, looking intrigued.
Tang Yu’an was about to say something but stopped when Zhou Qi held up a hand, a warm smile on his face. “Knowledge also comes at a cost.”
Reflecting on his earlier miscalculation with the pricing, Zhou Qi wasn’t about to give away more information for free.
Hong Li raised an eyebrow, thought it over, and nodded. “Fair point.”
She dropped the topic, evidently not too concerned about soy products. For now, she was more focused on ensuring her people had enough to eat; the quality of their meals would only become a priority when her storage rooms were overflowing with food.
Zhou Qi, understanding that this wasn’t the time to push the subject, also fell silent.
Sensing a lull in the conversation, Tang Yu’an quickly interjected, “Sister Hong Li, we’re planning to set up a shop in Jufeng Town. Do we need any permits or formalities?”
Hong Li’s smile returned. “No need for such formalities between us.”
She asked, “What do you plan to sell?”
“Primarily salt, for now,” Tang Yu’an answered honestly.
His response left Hong Li momentarily stunned. “You still have more salt?”
After just trading a hundred pounds with her, these two boys had more salt on hand and planned to sell it in Jufeng Town?
“Yes.” Tang Yu’an nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Of course, their supply of low-quality sea salt was limited, with only a few pounds remaining, which would require another trade with Little Hai Lan. But they still had a full jar of medium-grade salt, and, needless to say, the high-grade refined salt could be exchanged indefinitely.
Seeing Hong Li’s reaction, Zhou Qi’s thoughts shifted. After a moment, he said, “In fact, trading every two months is a bit too infrequent for us.”
He frowned, then continued seriously, “Our friend is looking to establish relationships with larger-volume buyers.”
Implying that, if not for their current rapport, Hong Li’s purchase quantity wouldn’t meet their standards.
Hong Li couldn’t help but widen her eyes slightly.
Barely keeping her tone in check, she asked, “So, what trading frequency are you hoping for?”
“Preferably once a month,” Zhou Qi said calmly.
If they could trade monthly, bringing in 25,000 points and a thousand pounds of soybeans, then the terms he had set would be acceptable. Otherwise, he might need to increase his price in two months.
Hong Li’s breathing quickened.
A hundred pounds of salt could last the barracks three months, so monthly trades seemed excessive. But then again, with a strategic resource like salt, who wouldn’t want to stockpile more if possible?
She didn’t yet fully trust these two boys.
This was only their first deal, and they didn’t live in Jufeng Town. Who knew if they’d even show up two months from now?
If she severed her ties with Jin Fu over this arrangement and then their supply chain failed, she’d be in serious trouble.
She never expected that they would consider her purchases insufficient!
Suddenly, a thought crossed Hong Li’s mind, and she narrowed her eyes. “So you’re considering finding other buyers as well?”
If they could supply a hundred pounds of salt a month, even if she couldn’t handle it all, someone else in the area surely could.
Zhou Qi’s face brightened, and he asked with anticipation, “Sister Hong Li, do you have any buyers you could introduce to us?”
Hong Li froze momentarily.
In Jufeng Town, only her rivals could consume that much salt in one go, so naturally, she had no intention of introducing them to Zhou Qi and Tang Yu’an!
“I’ll take that hundred pounds of salt myself!” she declared with a wave of her hand. “Our arrangement is now set to once a month.”
Trading five days’ worth of soybean production for salt each month was within her acceptable range and wouldn’t hinder her future plans. With an ample stock of salt and food, she could grow her forces and support more people. Once she eliminated those few old thorns in her side, Jufeng Mountain would be hers entirely. Would Jin Fu even dare make demands then?
If this new salt supplier proved reliable, she might even consider getting rid of Jin Fu altogether.
Feeling optimistic about the future, Hong Li’s spirits lifted.
Tang Yu’an, too, was thrilled to hear that their deal was now monthly. This was the start of steady income—over 20,000 points each month!
However, though points were no longer an issue, they still needed to raise the store’s popularity by trading with the town’s residents.
With this in mind, Tang Yu’an reached into his backpack—really his personal storage—and pulled out four bundles, each containing one hundred black-gold salt notes, and handed them to Hong Li.
Hong Li looked at the notes curiously.
Running her fingers over one, she remarked, “This material is unusual.”
“Yes, these are our store’s salt notes,” Tang Yu’an explained. “They’re highly durable and resistant to fire and water.”
He continued, “With these salt notes, anyone can redeem salt at our store—one note for a small scoop. For today only, each person is limited to redeeming three notes before nightfall.”
“Sister Hong Li, could you help us distribute these notes to the guards?” he asked with a smile. “It’s a grand opening offer, and we hope they’ll keep an eye out for our little shop.”
This move wasn’t just about raising popularity points but also about building goodwill. While the guards treated them well due to the Mountain Lord’s command, it was better to earn the guards’ genuine respect and support for smoother business dealings in Jufeng Town.
This kind of social savvy was something Tang Yu’an had picked up naturally over the years.
Hong Li listened to his request and initially felt wary. But looking into Tang Yu’an’s clear, innocent eyes, she wondered if she might be overthinking things. With the resources these two boys seemed to have, they likely had no interest in meddling with Jufeng Town’s power struggles.
After all, this was just a small market town.
“All right.”
Hong Li handed the four bundles of salt notes to Hei Xiong, instructing him to distribute them among the guards.
After Hei Xiong left, she couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have more of these salt notes?”
Not having lived in the pre-apocalyptic world, Hong Li didn’t immediately see the resemblance to money like Old Li and his peers might have. Instead, she was simply intrigued by the quality of the notes.
The notes were durable, resistant to fire and water, and using such high-quality material just for salt tickets seemed extravagant.
“We do,” Tang Yu’an replied. “But they’ll need to be exchanged for something of equal value.”
Hong Li frowned in confusion.
“So, you mean I can trade something for these notes, and then use them to trade back for salt?”
Tang Yu’an nodded.
“Then why go through the hassle? Why not just trade for salt directly?” Hong Li asked, puzzled.
“There’s a benefit,” Tang Yu’an explained. “Suppose someone collects twenty wild vegetables today and has ten leftovers after meeting their needs. Instead of letting those extras spoil, they could exchange them for salt notes.”
“Salt notes won’t rot like wild vegetables, nor do they require moisture protection like salt, so they can be stored long-term.”
Hong Li nodded, though she still wasn’t entirely convinced about using such good material for notes.
Then she heard Tang Yu’an continue, “Let’s say they don’t need salt anytime soon—they can trade their notes with other customers for goods, say, a ceramic jar.”
“A customer who trades a jar for notes can later exchange those notes for salt at our store. This way, they don’t have to carry fragile jars around; they just need the notes.”
This explanation caught Hong Li’s interest.
While the items in these trades remained the same, using the notes simplified things in many ways.
“So, if I have surplus goods, I could exchange them for notes and then redeem salt when I need it?” Hong Li mused. Given the durability of these notes, they were indeed easier to store.
“Correct!” Tang Yu’an said with a smile. “Sister Hong Li, would you like to make a trade?”
Hong Li was nearly ready to agree.
But at the last moment, she hesitated, realizing a critical point—could they really guarantee salt for every note indefinitely? And could she rely on these two young traders long-term?
For now, she couldn’t fully trust them. What if they disappeared after a few trades? She’d be left with a stack of worthless notes.
So…
“Let’s start small. I’ll take two bundles,” Hong Li finally decided, naming a quantity she could afford to lose if things went south. “I’ll distribute these to my people, and they can redeem them at your shop, right?”
“Of course!” Tang Yu’an replied. “From now on, our redemption rules are two notes minimum, with a three-redemption limit per person per day.”
“Fair enough.”
Zhou Qi then took out two bundles of salt notes, totaling two hundred, and traded them with Hong Li for sixty wild vegetables.
[Shop Manager ‘Zhou Qi’ has completed a profitable transaction: +400 points, +1 XP.]
Hong Li then instructed her guards to bring the five sacks of soybeans and the sixty wild vegetables to Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi’s shop.
The procession naturally caught the attention of the townspeople along the way.
However, with the guards present, people only dared to watch from a distance, whispering amongst themselves, too cautious to get any closer.
Once the 500 pounds of soybeans and 60 wild vegetables had been moved to the back room and the guards had left, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi closed the door and burst into delighted laughter under the protection of the Shadow Umbrella.
“Yes! We’re back up to over 13,000 points! We’ve got enough to unlock the protective barrier’s guest-accomodation function!”
Tang Yu’an bounced up and down with excitement, his eyes practically shining as he looked at Zhou Qi with admiration.
“Brother Qi, you’re amazing!”
Seeing Tang Yu’an’s infectious joy, Zhou Qi couldn’t help but smile, though he quickly pressed his lips back into a neutral expression. “I under-sold it a bit just now. I probably could have pushed for a bit more.”
“No worries! Small profits, quick turnover, right?” Tang Yu’an said, trying to cheer him up. “Besides, this way we’re building a good relationship with Sister Hong Li, and that’ll make it easier for us to do business in Jufeng Town in the future.”
Though they’d saved Chi Hao, Hong Li hadn’t been directly involved in that favor. How long could such a tenuous connection last?
But now, it’s different. By cooperating with Hong Li, they had established a mutually beneficial, long-term partnership, which would bring only advantages for both sides.
“Sister Hong Li’s just getting started,” Tang Yu’an continued, analyzing their situation. “If we give her some leeway now, she can grow stronger faster. And that means our future deals with her will only get bigger!”
“This trade really helped us out in a pinch,” Tang Yu’an added happily.
Hong Li might be in the early stages of her operations, but so were they. This injection of funds was a big deal at this stage!
In a world as harsh as this, it wasn’t easy to find a trustworthy, long-term partner.
Having witnessed the darker side of the apocalyptic world, Tang Yu’an understood the value of their arrangement. Though their time with Hong Li had been brief, her management style resonated with him.
Tang Yu’an felt confident their partnership with Hong Li would continue to flourish!
Watching Tang Yu’an’s cheerful demeanor, Zhou Qi’s earlier dissatisfaction with the negotiation’s outcome faded, and a smile returned to his face.
“You’re absolutely right.”
Zhou Qi placed a hand on Tang Yu’an’s shoulder, his gaze both encouraging and gentle. “We need to keep looking further ahead.”
Tang Yu’an chuckled. “Which is why I’m glad we didn’t hire Sister Hong Li as an employee back then!”
If they’d recruited her, they wouldn’t have had this profitable deal today.
Zhou Qi nodded. Considering Hong Li’s position, it was clear that while she had power and resources, a leader like her couldn’t be expected to engage in daily transactions herself.
“What should we do with these soybeans?” Tang Yu’an asked, glancing at the 500 pounds of soybeans. “Should we transfer them to the warehouse?”
Zhou Qi thought for a moment, then nodded. “If anyone asks, we’ll say Uncle Tang arranged it.”
Tang Yu’an laughed. “If Dad finds out, I wonder what he’ll think!”
At the mention of his family, Tang Yu’an suddenly fell silent.
Zhou Qi sighed inwardly, knowing family was still a sensitive topic. He gave Tang Yu’an’s hair a comforting ruffle, then transported the five sacks of soybeans to the Peaceful General Store, while Tang Yu’an, after collecting himself, stored the 60 wild vegetables in his personal storage.
Just as they finished, a knock came at the door.
Outside stood a few guards, their faces showing a friendly smile as they held up two black-gold salt notes each—the ones Hei Xiong had just distributed per Hong Li’s instructions.
With over a hundred guards at the Guard Post, each ordinary guard had received two notes, while the remaining notes were divided among the squad captains.
Tang Yu’an quickly put on a welcoming smile. “Yes, you can exchange them for salt! Just give me a moment to find a table.”
“A table? What kind do you need? We’ll get you one!”
Soon, with the help of the guards, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi set up a table outside the store’s entrance, placing a jar of salt on it.
“Please line up one at a time,” Tang Yu’an said, maintaining order while Zhou Qi handled the transactions.
Zhou Qi had prepared a new salt spoon for this purpose—a one-gram scoop, smaller and more manageable than the ten-gram one.
Though the profit from each transaction was small, it would quickly boost the store’s popularity.
Tang Yu’an also noticed that although these guards had already become repeat customers through Xiao Cao’s efforts, each transaction at Store No. 1 still increased their popularity by two points—one for the sale, and an additional point likely for it being their first “purchase” at Store No. 1.
As evening fell, a total of 36 guards had come by, comprising six squads. The remaining guards were unable to attend due to duty shifts.
For Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, this turnout was more than enough.
Those 36 guards brought a total of 72 popularity points to Store No. 1, meeting their target!
With that, Tang Yu’an leveled up Store No. 1.
Upgrading a branch was simpler than upgrading the main store, with no choice of upgrade path. After deducting 500 points, Store No. 1 reached Lv1.
Upon reaching Lv1, new options were unlocked for the store’s “flooring” and “walls.”
But instead of exploring these, Tang Yu’an opened the upgrade interface for the protective barrier.
[Would you like to spend 2,000 points and 200 popularity points to upgrade “Peaceful General Store No. 1 – Protective Barrier” and unlock the guest-accomodation function?]
Tang Yu’an clicked “Yes.”
[Deduction successful!]
[Feature unlocked. A new “Guest Accomodation List” section has been added. Details can be viewed on the main page.]
Tang Yu’an quickly navigated to the new interface and entered the management panel for Store No. 1. The screen displayed two columns: the left side was currently empty, while the right side listed all the customers he had traded with so far.
Relieved to see a search function, he quickly located Granny Guo and Kang Kang and successfully added them to the guest-accomodation list for Store No. 1.
Next, he reopened the 3D map and extended the protective barrier’s coverage to its maximum range.
With Tang Yu’an’s adjustments, the protective barrier at Store No. 1 in the distant Desolate City rapidly expanded. Originally concealing only the top two floors, the barrier now enveloped the entire building, along with its surrounding walls, hiding everything seamlessly into the night.
Outside Store No. 1, a pair of blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness, their owner carefully approaching the building.
The creature had caught the scent of flesh emanating from inside, and the hunger it felt was making its jaws drip with saliva. It had finally found a gap in the wall and was just about to squeeze through when… the building before it vanished without a trace!
As it froze in bewilderment, an arrow shot out of thin air, striking it directly. The beast yelped in pain, charging toward the source of the arrow—only to slam into an invisible barrier.
“Thwip!”
Old Li fired another arrow, hitting the barely visible outline of the beast. He scratched his head, somewhat perplexed by how easy the fight was turning out to be.
