NOVPUBChapter 50: Chapter 50 Bulk Trade-In
Chapter 50 -50 Bulk Trade-In
When Shi Liang saw that there was no one else in front of him, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng stepped forward.
Shi Liang, seeing the two, couldn’t keep his mouth shut from excitement, though it was hidden under a scarf and others couldn’t see: “The distinguished guests have arrived. I was wondering if you weren’t coming at all?”
Gu Pan said, “How could that be? We just thought that since there wasn’t much time, the prices of gold and rice wouldn’t change much, so we didn’t come.”
“The changes have been huge,” Shi Liang said, shaking his head constantly as it was clear what this meant for them all. “Now 100 grams of gold can only buy one kilogram of rice. That bracelet weighing 50 grams just got half a kilogram of rice. It’s dropping too fast.”
Lu Ruisheng asked, “What about the prices of other things?”
Shi Liang replied, “Around here, we’re all small traders. It’s good enough that we can exchange for food. We don’t have many other demands. But if you have good items, I can take you to meet my elder brother.”
Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng had thought of this before because the traders were not competing with each other and were very orderly, which meant that someone was controlling the situation.
However, the two of them didn’t want to attract too much attention now, so Gu Pan said, “We have some connections for other things, but we still need time to negotiate. How much can you handle on your own? How many kilograms of rice?”
If the items were numerous, they would have to deal directly with Shi Liang’s superiors, which would not be as simple as now and might attract unwanted attention, risking their neighbors and associates.
So for now, they still didn’t want to reveal too much, continuing with small exchanges which would add up over time, especially since this wasn’t their only trading site.
Shi Liang stretched out his hand: “Thirty kilograms. Any more and I’ll have to discuss with higher-ups.”
Gu Pan said, “We brought twenty kilograms. Can we trade now?”
Capping it directly could raise suspicions. They wanted to maintain a connection with Shi Liang, who had saved them in the past. This lifetime, if possible, they didn’t want Shi Liang’s wife to die either, so twenty kilograms was just right.
Shi Liang, unaware of their thoughts and pleased about exchanging for twenty kilograms of rice, rubbed his hands together: “I always say you two are people of great wealth. Such generous spending!”
Afterwards, he whispered to them, “It’s still better to keep some food for yourselves, it’s getting harder to buy by the day.”
Lu Ruisheng whispered in Shi Liang’s ear, “We have other sources, we won’t starve.”
Shi Liang nodded happily, “Alright, alright. Then wait here for me for twenty minutes, I’ll be back soon.” He couldn’t carry so much gold on him, he had to go to his place to get it.
Gu Pan responded, “Sure, take your time, we’ll catch up on more news here.”
Shi Liang happily ran off to get the gold for the exchange.
Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng looked around the area, which mainly consisted of trading gold for food, as most everyday people were struggling for livelihoods.
A few minutes later, Shi Liang returned with two kilograms of gold.
After checking to ensure there was no problem with the goods, the transaction was completed. Now, gold wasn’t as valuable as they’d thought—staying alive was what truly mattered.
Shi Liang was overjoyed, as this day’s trade was equivalent to ten days’ work ordinarily, and the price of rice was rising daily.
He continuously thanked Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng: “The two of you are my living Gods of Wealth. In the future, if you have anything, make sure to find me. I guarantee the best market price.”
Listening to Shi Liang’s effusive praise, Gu Pan smiled and nodded, “Yes, we’ll come again.”
After bidding farewell to Shi Liang, the two rode away on a snowmobile.
Once they were in a secluded place, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng entered the Space with the gold. The gold disappeared, and time increased by 20 minutes. They were still 8 hours and 3 minutes short of filling up the time.
Changing their clothes, they went to other exchange points. Now that they knew the exchange rates and the maximum immediate transaction each vendor could handle, it was much more convenient.
Reaching a trading point far from the city center, they exchanged another twenty kilograms. Thirty kilograms would attract too much attention, so twenty kilograms was just perfect.
Afterwards, they exchanged twenty kilograms at two other locations. Now having visited all four trading points in the city, they knew them well.
Each transaction increased their time by 20 minutes. These four exchanges had added a total of one hour and twenty minutes. Now they lacked only 7 hours and 13 minutes to fill the Space’s time.
They planned to come out every few days for more exchanges, keeping a low profile while continuing the trades, ensuring they’d fill the time before heading to the base safely.
Before, they hadn’t anticipated that the exchange rate between gold and food would drop so quickly. In the past, Gu Pan did not like wearing jewelry, except for a pendant left by her grandmother, so she hadn’t traded much in gold.
Gu Pan was curious; if the time were filled and they added more gold, would there be another miracle, or would it only store? Of course, they’d find out after it was full.
On their way home, they encountered people collecting protection fees in the community, but it wasn’t their concern at the moment since someone on the third floor was with the group. They knew about Gu Pan’s and Lu Ruisheng’s capabilities, including their medical skills. Honestly, at a time like this, most people wouldn’t want to offend a doctor in case they needed one someday.
Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng wouldn’t meddle in others’ affairs as long as their own territory was undisturbed. All was well.
In the evening, Gu Pan took out grilled fish, side dishes, rice, cheese potatoes, blueberry yams, and pure juice from the Space, celebrating the additional one hour and twenty minutes they’d gained that day.
They weren’t drinking alcohol since they couldn’t be sure of their safety every day, especially given people like Li Dong nearby, so they remained highly vigilant at night.
Soon, they heard that Li Dong’s group had grown significantly, starting with more than thirty people—much larger than previous groups.
However, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng didn’t care about these developments as long as they weren’t troubled. They continued daily training and searching for resources. Now they targeted pharmacies and supermarkets for unwanted items, especially after Lu Ruisheng told Cheng Yang that if the apocalypse continued for many years, contraceptives would become a precious resource, prompting the young man to start collecting them vigorously.
Of course, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng also collected these items actively. Their Space didn’t expire, and after three years, these would become the scarcest luxury goods, even as bases started cultivating vegetables and animals, alleviating food shortages, but not for these non-renewable essentials.
Perhaps some others foresaw this, but now thinking too far ahead didn’t help; dealing with daily sustenance was the critical issue.
