EBE Chapter 136 Selling Rice
Chapter 136 Selling Rice
Even a hero can be brought down by a mere penny. They needed far more than just a penny, though they had a considerable amount of supplies. The problem, however, was what to trade with.
Tea is definitely not something that can be traded. Based on Kukoc's description, tea might drive people in this world crazy.
They could never fully trust human nature; Kukoc knew of tea's existence because they were initially unaware of its importance.
Now that they know, they certainly want to know that the fewer people who know this thing originated from them, the better. They don't yet have enough power to protect their rights. However, letting Kukoc know seems to be a fortunate accident.
Judging from the attitude of the base gatekeepers and the black market gatekeepers towards him, he didn't seem as weak as he had portrayed himself to be.
People like them, who guard the gates, are usually very familiar with the power dynamics of a place. They know exactly who they can't afford to offend and who they can "talk to."
Yufei and Lei Jun analyzed that, judging from the gatekeepers' attitude towards Kukoc, they felt he belonged to the category of people they couldn't afford to offend. Therefore, they concluded that Kukoc actually held a certain position within the base.
Kukoc definitely wants something from them now, and he'll certainly help cover up their affairs.
Furthermore, he seemed to imbue their origins with a sense of awe, as if they came from a legendary realm, thus maintaining a kind of reverence that they could exploit.
They could use Kukochi as a spokesperson and pursue a high-end sales strategy; there's no need for them to come here to make money.
Therefore, tea is not suitable to be sold on the black market today; now only refined rice, compressed biscuits, or...
Yufei and her friends had just looked around, and they didn't seem to see anyone selling rice, one of the staple foods for humans on Earth.
For safety's sake, they inquired with Kukochi about his knowledge of rice. Fortunately, rice existed in their world, though it was extremely scarce and controlled by the people of Sector A.
They found an area, spread out a piece of burlap they had gotten from Kukoch, and took out nearly 10 kilograms of rice from Ray's backpack.
Based on the black market price of rice in Area A at 10,000 Dawn Coins per kilogram, they also inquired with Kukochi about shops selling anti-radiation clothing.
They went inside and took a look. The anti-radiation suits were divided into several grades. The low-grade ones were suitable for use in low-radiation areas near the base and cost around 3000 Dawn Coins. The mid-grade ones were further divided into several higher grades, and then there were high-grade ones, some costing over a million coins per set.
They say it costs millions for a set, and it can protect against radiation from the center of pollution sources. Kukochi said that in the center of pollutants, there are some plants that mutate in that high radiation environment and possess purifying and enhancing abilities.
Some animals have already undergone advanced evolution within those high-radiation sources, forming energy crystals within their bodies.
These energy crystals actually had a calming effect on them, just like the tea Yufei gave them. However, all the animals were extremely powerful, and it was only by chance that they captured an animal cub, which made them aware of this.
But that was all the crystal core they obtained that time. Later, in order to obtain crystal cores again, they invented that advanced anti-radiation suit.
However, they hadn't gained any advantage from those animals over the years, and instead suffered countless deaths, so they shifted their focus to the plants, which allowed them to regain their confidence.
Over such a long period, nurtured by those plants, their overall strength has increased significantly, which is why the price of these high-end anti-radiation suits has remained consistently high.
Yufei was very clear that she wanted to buy her friend the anti-radiation suits that cost nearly ten thousand yuan a set. Although they couldn't be worn deep into high-radiation areas, they would be more than enough to cope with their current situation in the wild.
When they placed the white rice on the linen, it attracted the attention of those around them. Compared to the mutated rice of this world, Yufei's rice was much smaller and much more translucent.
"Boss, how much is this per pound?" A tall, thin man with a middle parting and dressed differently from the D and C sections that Kukochi had taken them to, somewhat resembling the attire of the British Empire on Earth, made him appear more shrewd.
"Same price, one pound of Dawn Coins," Lei Jun replied.
"Boss, this rice... seems a bit underdeveloped! I don't even know if it will affect the taste. How about 50,000 yuan for 10 jin?" This person tried to bargain with Lei Jun.
Yufei didn't believe that the food produced on her Blue Star was inferior to the rice from this wasteland world, a food desert, especially since this rice was the finest rice from their Great Xia Dynasty.
She decisively shook her head at Lei Jun, indicating her disagreement! Lei Jun didn't even need to consult Yufei; he directly rejected the person's request.
After several rounds of bargaining, the man probably didn't expect these people to be so stubborn, refusing to budge an inch, as stubborn as businessmen.
Yufei, having been in business for many years, certainly knew that sometimes offering discounts could boost sales, but this only worked if there was competition between them.
This is their first time selling products from their Great Xia, and she doesn't want to give in on the first try; she wants them to have a good first impression of her as easy to talk to.
She had confidence in their Daxia products, especially after tasting the barbecue and drinks that Kukoc took them to, which Kukoc said was the best barbecue restaurant they had ever been to.
Even in many areas of Zone A, they were inferior, which gave Yufei a general idea of their level.
After several rounds of negotiation with the tall, thin man, Lei Jun realized even more clearly that even though they firmly stated they would not budge on the price...
The man patiently negotiated with them, making Lei Jun realize that rice was very important to them, far more important than they had imagined.
In the end, the man bought their rice at the original price, paying 50,000 yuan for 5 jin (2.5 catties). He was furious but also somewhat helpless.
He was simply warning them that if their malnourished rice didn't work, he would drag them out even if they ran to the ends of the earth, to show them the consequences of deceiving him.
What effect? The three of them turned to look at Kukoch, who remained nonchalant, thinking to himself, "If they can produce such exquisite items as tea, then this… hmm… this rice that looks a bit lacking in nutrition must be a new variety they've cultivated."
The effect is definitely much better than that tiny grain of rice grown in the wild, no bigger than a fingertip. Therefore, Kukoc looked at the three of them with complete trust, his expression saying, "I believe your product will be even better; I have faith in you."