Chapter 80
The people he needed to save lacked everything. He could only start from the basics: food, clothing, shelter, and transport.
“Food.”
He wrote the first word in his notebook, followed by: medicine, warm clothing, travel tools, and production/living supplies.
Tools for production and daily life were essential. Jiang Jitang couldn’t justify only preparing enough supplies for their journey while ignoring how these people would live afterward.
Not to mention—if they were going to open up new land—knives, axes, and saws were necessities, right?
If they hunted animals, then scissors and sewing needles would be needed too, right?
“170,000.”
Only 170,000 yuan to support more than five hundred people. A single misstep could cost a fragile life.
If it weren’t for Jiang Jitang having already witnessed countless life-and-death situations, the pressure alone would have crushed him.
Now, it was time to test the strength of his entire network.
First, let start by choosing transportation
Animal-powered, electric, and fuel-powered vehicles were all unsuitable. Jiang Jitang’s top choice was the human-powered tricycle—small, adaptable to all terrains, flexible, and multipurpose.
It could carry luggage, transport those who couldn’t walk, and was very suitable for traveling across the northern wilderness. The right transportation could reduce a three-month journey to two months—or even less.
And most importantly—it was cheap.
The lowest price was 500 yuan; second-hand ones were 40% off.
He checked the list of recycling-station owners. After asking around, three of them confirmed they currently had human-powered tricycles.
After comparing prices, quantities, and conditions, Jiang Jitang chose one particular seller—Boss Zhang.
Boss Zhang specialized in second-hand transport vehicles and had a good reputation in the industry. His tricycles were converted from passenger tricycles confiscated by the transport department—cheap source, cheap resale, large stock, price negotiable.
“Alright, let’s settle on you.”
He circled “Boss Zhang – tricycles” on his notebook.
Transportation settled. Next—outdoor survival tools.
These had to be reliable. If something broke halfway, people could die. Jiang Jitang thought hard—what supplier was more reliable than those who did government procurement? If they dared to sell to the government, their quality had to be solid.
“Sister Xia, does our department have vendors who supply labor-protection gear or militia equipment? Not the ones with connections—I want reliable sellers. Do we have their quotations?”
Sister Xia didn’t know why he was asking, but didn’t question it. “We do. Plenty of vendors submit quotes. We don’t order much, but wait—I’ll gather it.”
“Could you send me their item lists, with prices and contact numbers? Preferably sellers located in this city—I need them urgently.”
She agreed. “Since you’re the deputy minister, shouldn’t you use internal pricing?” Government procurement prices were lower than vendor quotes—almost cost price.
But Jiang Jitang shook his head. His courier career would be long; he refused to use special privileges unless absolutely necessary. If he used them for five hundred people today, what about the future—five thousand? Fifty thousand?
“Private matter. Won’t use any official quota. Sorry to trouble you.”
“I’ve been too free anyway,” she joked.
Soon the supply lists arrived, and he began adding vendors one by one.
The vendors were all polite. They had already been notified: “public rules apply, no special favors,” but the hidden message was obvious—don’t cheat him, but no need to give him extra benefits either.
“I’m just a private buyer, not using government identity. Quantity won’t be huge.”
He allowed Sister Xia to help not for special treatment, but to ensure smooth transactions and lowest possible prices. Even if they weren’t procurement prices, they would still be much cheaper than market prices.
Every penny mattered.
Jiang Jitang then start contacting the outdoor-gear supplier and began cross-checking items with his list.
“Hard-shell jackets are great for outdoor use—waterproof, warm, easy to move in—but too expensive. I can split them into waterproof hooded raincoats + fleece liners. That works.”
Winter meant snow. Snow melted by body heat would soak clothes if they weren’t waterproof—misery.
His first choice was winter military coats, but those were only suitable for the coldest months, whereas the Sala tribe would depart in late autumn and walk three months into deep winter.
In comparison, the detachable raincoat + fleece combination had a longer usable period.
Raincoat style: long, reaching a grown man’s calf.
Three-layer waterproofing.
Reflective strips.
High collar.
Two large pockets.
Price: 26 yuan.
Amazing deal.
He contacted the supplier.
“500 long raincoats, model XJ090—300 XL, 200 L. 500 × 26.”
“No can do. We don’t earn from government deals—it’s all reputation. I can do 32. Wholesale is 38, minimum 1000 pieces.” The boss didn’t give special treatment—business was business.
“Boss, no sincerity. I’ll pick them up myself—saving you delivery costs. 28. Final offer. If not, I’ll look elsewhere.”
Silence…
At least counteroffer! If he didn’t respond, how could Jiang Jitang continue?
“Alright, alright—28.5? Adding 0.5 per piece is already 250 extra. Small profit, quick turnover.”
Jiang Jitang pinched his nose and slunk back.
Embarrassing? Who cared. Not like they’d meet again.
In the end they settled at 28.8 each—negotiated literally one cent at a time.
“Arrange the stock. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“Waterproof jacket, 28.8 x 500 mm, totaling 14,400 yuan.” He wrote the first line in his notebook. As the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning, but now that he’s started, things won’t be difficult anymore.
Next up is the fleece lining. It may not look thick, but its warmth is certified. Winter uniforms in various middle schools all have fleece linings.
Jiang Jitang found the ugliest one, probably because it was too ugly to be chosen, but the price was really attractive.
Black stand-up collar fleece lining, thickened version, with metal zipper, priced at 22 yuan per piece.
“Boss, hope business is booming! Do you have stock for model SY8901?” Jiang Jitang contacted a shop owner who specialized in warm clothing.
“Yes, we do.”
He ran a hand through his hair and perked up.
Bargaining time.
“Boss, for this fleece—300 pieces in XL, 200 pieces in L—what’s your lowest price?”
“I’ll give you the wholesale price for 10,000 pieces—26 yuan.”
“24.”
“Alright.”
“…” Looks like they really weren’t selling well—definitely stuck in storage. Jiang Jitang coughed and shamelessly asked, “How about 22.5?”
Now it was the boss’s turn to be speechless. This kid had no sense of honor—after agreeing on a price, he still pushed lower?
“That’s already the lowest.”
“You’ll still make money, boss—just a tiny bit less,” he continued bargaining brazenly.
But since the boss had already stated a fixed price, he refused to lower it further. However, after enduring Jiang Jitang’s relentless pestering, he agreed to throw in 500 pairs of thick cotton socks with minor defects.
Fleece liners: 24 × 500, totaling 12,000 yuan.
Bonus: 500 pairs of thick cotton socks, free size, slightly defective.
Waterproof jackets, fleece liners… As time passed, the list on Jiang Jitang’s paper grew longer and longer. He had already refilled his water cup twice, yet his throat still felt dry.
It must have been a psychological feeling, because his body’s time was frozen.
Jiang Jitang didn’t care about the discomfort. Every line he wrote was a fortress he conquered.
Double-layer safety gloves—canvas inside, anti-slip latex coating outside, strong and durable. Quoted price: 1.2 yuan ? final price 1.35. Total: 675 yuan.
Anti-slip cotton shoes—lined and thickened with a waterproof outer layer. Quoted price: 15 yuan ? final price 15.8 yuan. Sizes 37, 38, 39, 41, 42—100 pairs each. Total: 7,900 yuan.
Three-kilogram quilts—chemical fiber stuffing, dark blue cotton exterior, single-person size. Quoted price: 13.5 yuan ? final price 15 yuan. Total: 7,500 yuan.
“Basic winter supplies all purchased.” He checked off Warm Clothing and wrote down 42,475 yuan.
Not every negotiation went smoothly, but Jiang Jitang had thick skin. With so many suppliers on his list, if one didn’t work out, he could always switch to another and eventually buy everything at his target price.
Next were camping or outdoor survival items, but there weren’t many listed. Makes sense—military procurement would handle such things more often.
He planned to buy whatever he could, then make up the rest.
This budget was truly dazzling—he had never fought such a wealthy battle before.
Jiang Jitang scanned downward and immediately spotted the portable cot tent.
An ultra-light military-green cot tent, consisting of a camp bed and a tent.
The camp bed stood 36 cm off the ground and could support the weight of two adults, though only one could sleep on it. On top was a double-layer alloy-frame tent—waterproof canvas outside, insect-proof black mesh inside.
The advantages were clear: a flat sleeping surface, lifted from the ground for insect and moisture protection, and prevention of tent fabric being torn by rocks or branches.
The Sara people would depart in late autumn and travel for three months, spending most of the journey in winter. Sleeping outdoors in such weather was basically courting death. Sleeping directly on the ground was even worse.
Elevated, lightweight camp beds were perfect for them, and adding a tent for wind and insect protection was another layer of safety.
The only problem: each set cost 580 yuan.
Too expensive!
The gear was excellent, but the price was really high.
If he bought these cot tents, he probably wouldn’t have enough for other necessities. Realizing this, Jiang Jitang could only sigh at the tents.
“Wait… what if I buy them separately?” A sudden idea struck him.
He quickly found the camp bed section, which listed seven or eight options. Jiang Jitang located the cheapest one—and also the smallest in size.
The black camp bed was 68 cm wide and 190 cm long. Easy to fold and unfold, built with square-tube framing and double-layer Oxford cloth—sturdy and durable. The quoted price was 66 yuan.
To be honest, it wasn’t expensive at all, but he still had to haggle.
“Boss, hope business is booming. What’s the lowest price you can give me for camp bed model TR07?”
“How many do you want?”
“Four hundred.”
“For 400 units, the lowest I can go is 72 yuan. This model sells pretty well.”
Meaning—he wasn’t worried about demand, so no bargaining.
But Jiang Jitang wasn’t just anyone. From the moment he learned to talk, he had learned to use an innocent face to fool street vendors—better at bargaining than most adults.
“Isn’t that just your standard wholesale price? You’re showing no sincerity at all. I don’t need shipping, and I’m not the picky kind. At the very least, save me the shipping cost. 68 yuan.”
“That’s already the discounted price for orders of 1,000 units. Fine, fine, I’ll take a step back—70.”
Jiang Jitang still wasn’t satisfied. He wore the boss down for a long time, until the price finally dropped to 68.8. Hard to say whether the man gave in because he was annoyed or because he didn’t want to offend him—so he simply agreed.
Now that the camp beds were settled, he flipped back to search for tents.
Buying perfectly matching ones was unlikely, but he could buy large tents and place the camp beds inside. Jiang Jitang found an automatic pop-up camping tent.
It measured 2 meters × 2 meters, had double doors, could house three to four people, weighed 2.5 kg, and folded down to just 70 cm high.
The materials weren’t as good as the previous option, but everything necessary was included. Reinforced ABS poles capable of withstanding level-5 winds. The outer layer was silver-coated fabric—sunproof and waterproof. The bottom was Oxford cloth—strong and durable. Mesh screens for ventilation and insect protection. Came with eight stakes and four wind ropes.
Most importantly, the price—71 yuan.
Where else could he find such a bargain?
“Hello boss, the ST69 double tent—no moisture-proof pad—200 × 73. Any chance?”
“200 × 75,” the boss answered crisply, tossing out numbers.
“200 × 73.6. Let’s be friends.”
“200 × 73.8. That’s cost price, can’t make me lose money.”
“Deal, thanks. Throw in some spare parts for me.”
Camp beds: 400 × 68.8 = 27,520 yuan.
Double tents: 200 × 73.8 = 14,760 yuan.
Expensive, but unavoidable. Winter cold, outdoor sleeping, a three-month journey—sleeping conditions and wind and cold protection were critical.
Water purification tablets: 99 tablets per bottle, one tablet purifies 1 liter of water. Quoted 8 yuan ? final price 8.6. One hundred bottles.
Camp cooking pots: oxidized aluminum, 2.1 L capacity, with tripod hanger. Quoted 42 to final 45. One hundred sets.
Hand-crank flashlights: no extra functions. Quoted 15 to final 16. One hundred units.
Outdoor aluminum mess kits and aluminum canteens: quoted 15.5 to final 16.5. Five hundred sets.
Lastly, multifunction military shovels—hardened steel, five-section handles equipped with fire starter, tactical knife, survival whistle, fish spearhead. The shovel itself had serrated edge and wire cutter, with a survival hammer at the end.
Usable for digging soil, chopping trees, sawing wood, fire starting, cutting meat, signaling for help, spearing fish, and defending against enemies.
The price was lovely. Quoted 25 to final 25.8. Two hundred sets.
“Basic camping items complete.” He checked off Camping Equipment and wrote down 62,650 yuan—this included the camp beds and tents.
Adding the clothing he bought earlier, he had already spent 105,125 yuan, leaving only 64,875. Of this, 30,000 was reserved for tricycles, 20,000 for food, and 10,000 for medicine and daily necessities.
“And I still have 17,000 worth of extra gift credit,” Jiang Jitang calculated as his mental abacus clattered away. “For five hundred people, essential survival supplies… this might be doable. Maybe I’ll even have enough left to prepare items for the kids.”
He wrote down a few more items: baby food, children’s nutritional supplements, women’s hygiene products.
