Chapter 267 I Picked Up Trash on the Battlefield of National Fortune 23
The Serbian representative immediately stood up, adjusted his glasses, and revealed a sharp gaze behind the lenses.
"Comrade Vasily, you can't say that. Who hasn't suffered losses on the battlefield? Our warriors of the Sel Kingdom are also shedding blood! These medicines should be distributed fairly!"
"Yes! Fair distribution!"
"Our Pakistani friends need it too!"
In an instant, the previously harmonious meeting room became tense and hostile because of these dozens of bottles of golden potion.
Everyone stared at the medicine with red eyes, as if it were not medicine, but the lifeline of their country's future.
"Everyone, everyone, please calm down."
Jiang Zhe raised his hand and pressed it down. His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone.
He glanced around before slowly speaking.
"I understand how everyone feels."
"This batch of goods was indeed hard-won; there are only so many high-grade medical drugs in total."
He pointed to the dozens of bottles of medicine.
“Giving it all to the Bear Kingdom would be unfair to the other allies, but if it's divided equally, with each country receiving a few bottles, it won't have a decisive effect.”
Vasily's heavy breathing was particularly clear in the quiet room. He didn't speak, but his fists were clenched tightly.
Jiang Zhe smiled and looked at Vasily.
"Here's what we'll do, Vasily. Of these fifty bottles, twenty will go to your Bear Country, and the remaining thirty will be divided among the other families."
This plan eased Vasily's tensions and made it more acceptable to the others for the time being.
“However,” Jiang Zhe’s tone shifted, his expression turning serious.
"I hope you all understand one thing."
Everyone perked up their ears.
“These medicines are not in unlimited supply,” Jiang Zhe said in a low voice. “Our ‘channels’ have a limited capacity.”
He looked at everyone and said, "As you can see, the merchant at the flea market always brings out very little stock. This is the limit we can get."
"Therefore, I hope that after you go back, you will restrain yourselves and buy the potions from the official store if necessary."
The Serbian representative frowned: "Jiang, why is that? Why buy the expensive one when there's a cheaper option available?"
"For safety reasons," Jiang Zhe said, emphasizing each word.
"Think about it, if everyone in the market only uses this cheap potion, and the official store can't sell a single bottle of potion, what will the main system think?"
He tapped the table lightly: "They will investigate thoroughly, find this 'loophole,' and then plug it."
"At that time, let alone high-level potions, we won't even be able to see stamina potions worth 20 points anymore. Everyone will have to go back and buy the official, overpriced goods."
Everyone understood what Jiang Zhe meant.
Vasily's mind, which had been clouded by excitement, calmed down, and a layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
That's right. If they kill this goose that lays golden eggs, they'll really have nothing left.
“I understand.” Vasily nodded heavily. “When I get back, I will order that the procurement plan proceed as usual. These medicines will be used as internal resources and awarded to those who need them.”
“We are too,” the other representatives echoed.
They all knew in their hearts that the little bit they received today was not even enough to fill a tooth gap for the huge number of players in their respective countries.
For real daily expenses, you'll have to rely on the official store.
"Okay." Jiang Zhe nodded in satisfaction: "Since everyone has reached a consensus, let's calculate how much you will need next time."
"I tried my best to negotiate with that 'boss'."
...
Inside the small room, Zhou Jue sat cross-legged on the hard bed.
On the virtual screen of the wristband, a string of numbers flashed.
[Points: 68365]
It's still too slow. Even including the 400 bottles of medicine given to Lao Jiang, the total is just over six figures.
"Brother Tong, block out all external interference."
"Alright, host! You can go into seclusion without worry! I'll go dig in our backyard and see what good stuff I can find!"
After the system's voice disappeared, Zhou Jue closed his eyes.
A vast amount of knowledge about "alchemy" flashed through her mind.
The dismantling of matter, the recombination of energy, the engraving of runes...
She no longer simply memorized, but immersed her consciousness into it, using invisible hands in the spiritual world to repeatedly simulate the construction of energy circuits and feel the subtle changes when different materials were fused together.
Time flies by when you're focused.
When Zhou Jue opened his eyes again, it was already dawn outside the window.
She had thoroughly grasped the theoretical knowledge and even applied it to other situations, deducing several new possibilities.
But theory is just theory. She opened the system store and began searching for the tools she needed for practice.
[Beginner Alchemy Lab Table: 8000 points]
[Miniature Energy Furnace: 5000 points]
[Rune Etching Pen (Apprentice Edition): 3000 points]
The series of prices made Zhou Jue frown.
A basic set of equipment requires 16,000 points.
Too expensive.
She switched to the internal employee forum to see if there were any secondhand items.
As soon as I clicked on it, a red post immediately caught my eye.
[Title: Shocking! Unscrupulous merchants maliciously disrupt the market, and the management office turns a blind eye! Where is justice?!]
The poster was none other than Pharmacist-44.
Zhou Jue clicked on it, and inside was No. 44's tearful accusation, which detailed how Zhou Jue used "malicious low prices" to steal his business and how he used loopholes in the rules to escape punishment.
She scrolled down through the comments.
[Repairman-258: Laugh, I'm in a hurry!]
[Chef-111: Sunflower seeds, peanuts, and bottled water are available in the front row. Those watching the show, please sit here.]
[Guardian-9527: To be honest, selling a bottle for 80 points is a bit of a rip-off.]
[Miner-333: So, is that 1024 potion really that good? I'll buy some next time.]
...
Apart from a few NPCs who were also high-priced potion merchants echoing the sentiment, everyone else was just watching the drama unfold.
It seems that my small-scale actions have not been able to truly shake the economic foundation of the entire system, and naturally will not attract the attention of higher-ups.
Zhou Jue felt relieved.
Just then, a golden banner suddenly popped up at the top of the forum, covering all the posts.
[System Announcement: The first 'Endless Space' Auction will be held in seven days in the central city of 'Nexus'. All registered players and NPCs are welcome to participate in the bidding or submit items for auction.]
The announcement immediately set the entire forum ablaze.
"The auction! It's finally here!"
"I have an heirloom B-grade weapon, it's a bit damaged, I wonder if I can sell it for a good price?"
"Don't even think about it, upstairs. At an auction of this level, anything without Grade A items is simply not worthy of being considered."
"We can only observe the world of the big shots."
An auction? Zhou Jue's eyes lit up. Accumulating points through daily sales was too slow. An auction was the best opportunity to achieve a leap in points.
Ordinary medicines won't do; we need something truly groundbreaking.
Alchemy was imperative! Remembering the expensive equipment, she gritted her teeth and prepared to go back and buy it; you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub.
Just as she was about to leave the forum, a new post was bumped up on the homepage of the forum's trading section.
[Title: [Barter] I'm done! Alchemy is a money pit! Full set of equipment and materials, just trading for potions!]
Zhou Jue's finger stopped; she quickly clicked on the post.
The poster was an NPC named "Craftsman-88". The post was simple but full of resentment.
"I declare that alchemy is a scam! I've read the textbook a hundred times, but failed ten times in a row! All the materials and points I painstakingly collected have gone down the drain! I quit!"
"I read Pharmacist-44's post, and I think he makes a lot of sense. Selling medicine is the answer! I'm going to switch careers and sell medicine too!"
"I'm selling my entire set of alchemy equipment (90% new lab bench, furnace, etching pen), plus a bunch of basic alchemy materials I have left! No points required! Just potions! Any kind of potion will do, I'll trade with whoever offers the most!"
There are already quite a few replies below the post.
"Brother, I have five bottles here, wanna trade?"
"I have eight bottles! Sell them to me!"
"I'll offer ten stamina potions from the official store!"
Craftsman-88 quickly replied below: "Is there anyone who offers a higher price? I bought this at a high price!"
Zhou Jue looked at the screen and almost burst out laughing; it was exactly what he wanted.
She could even picture the craftsman-88 cursing and slamming the furnace while browsing the forum, and then, after seeing post #44, suddenly realizing the truth and deciding to abandon the darkness and embrace the light.
Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately switched identities. A dark brown robe enveloped her, the number on her chest changed to 1024, and the identity on her bracelet also changed accordingly.
She clicked on Craftsman-88's avatar and opened a private chat window.
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