Chapter 214: Five Major Forces (Exclusively Published on Jinjiang Literature City)
There were five groups of people who came in total.
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow when he saw the number.
So many factions vying for power? This place looks much more chaotic than the two bases we visited before.
Each group had six or seven people, which added up to quite a lot.
The five groups of people were separated by a distance, indicating that their relationship was not very harmonious.
Their gazes fell on the safe house villa behind Lu Xuan, their expressions a mixture of astonishment and disbelief.
Some of them hadn't seen the house when they were wandering around the area yesterday, and others had passed by it an hour earlier without noticing anything unusual.
In less than an hour, an exquisite three-story building rose from the ground.
Is this some kind of ghost?
Some sharp-eyed people noticed that the house had glass windows, and were secretly amazed.
A group of people stood and watched for a while before walking over to Lu Xuan, their gazes filled with scrutiny and a hint of examination.
Lu Xuan observed the reactions of the surrounding disaster victims upon seeing these people and noticed that they would consciously make way for them, but their faces did not show excessive fear, which gave him a general idea of what was going on.
The group consisting entirely of strong, burly men was the first to approach.
The man with the scar near his eye, who was in the lead, glanced at the pot of dumpling soup that was now just at the bottom and asked, "Only dumpling soup? Is there anything else to eat?"
Lu Xuan: "Rice, flour, salt, sugar, chicken, duck, fish, meat, abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, medicine, weapons—as long as you can afford the price, we have everything you need."
Everyone: ? ? ?
"Having everything..." That sounds a bit too much like an overstatement.
However... the eyes of the people from several factions couldn't help but flicker with suspicion.
Medicine? Weapons? And salt? These are good things.
The various factions exchanged glances. After a moment, the faction consisting entirely of women stepped forward. The beautiful woman at the head of the group chuckled and asked, "Young man, are you here to do business? Are you alone?"
Lu Xuan said, "We are indeed here to do business."
The woman glanced at the house behind and said, "Is your goods in the house behind?"
Lu Xuan touched the ring on his index finger. "Keep it with you at all times."
woman:"?"
Others: "?"
They glanced around Lu Xuan instinctively, but apart from an empty iron pot in front of him, there was nothing else.
Someone said unhappily, "Kid, are you kidding us?!"
The scarred man frowned slightly.
Lu Xuan did not answer, but simply put the empty iron pot back into his spatial storage, and then waved his hand as he had done in Luochuan, taking out several bags of rice, flour, salt, and sugar.
Everyone present, whether they were disaster victims or members of the five factions, was startled by his action of collecting supplies.
Everyone's expression changed drastically as they quickly retreated, while angry shouts came one after another from the five major forces.
"What kind of monster are you!?"
What did you just do!?
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Didn't you suspect I didn't have any supplies?"
The implication was that he was just showing them.
Others: "..."
Under their surprised and uncertain gazes, Lu Xuan opened the bags in front of him to show them what was inside.
The unprocessed brown rice and flour, along with the stark white salt, instantly dazzled everyone's eyes.
Lu Xuan said, "You don't need to care who I am or whether I'm a prodigy. Just tell me if you need supplies. If not, I can leave here and find another place to trade. It won't affect me."
The five factions fell silent for a moment.
They were not entirely at ease with Lu Xuan's background and circumstances, but they certainly wanted the supplies.
After a moment's thought, the scholar's faction said, "Why don't we find another place to discuss this in detail?"
Lu Xuan: "We can talk at my house."
Your home?
The five major powers glanced at the house behind them.
Lu Xuan: "However, it can't hold more than a few dozen people. Each faction that wants to trade can send two people together."
The five major powers immediately became somewhat wary.
But then I thought, this is their own territory. Even if this kid is hiding someone in his house, with so many people outside, are they afraid he'll run away?
...
A moment later, in the living room on the first floor of the villa.
"So soft! So comfortable!"
"What kind of chair is this? I've never seen anything like it before?"
The five people from different factions were amazed by the soft, springy feel of the sofa, their eyes sparkling with wonder.
Lu Xuan then took out several fruit platters, as well as fried small fish, beef jerky, meat jerky and candied fruit, and other tempting snacks, along with drinks such as milk tea, fruit wine and liquor.
Lu Xuan said, "Let's talk while we eat."
The five forces: "..."
They're throwing so many precious supplies at us right off the bat. Are they sure this isn't a deliberate attempt to intimidate us?
Being blatantly ostentatious on their own turf left the group feeling somewhat uneasy, but the aroma of the food still lingered...
Well, since they've already gone out of their way to treat us, let's eat something first.
Since we're on our own turf, why should we worry about not having a chance to cause trouble?
Soon, the only sounds in the living room were the smacking and munching of food.
In the blink of an eye, the snacks on the table were all gone by the ten people.
Lu Xuan, without changing his expression, took out a batch of identical snacks.
Having already eaten their fill and satisfied their cravings, the five factions moved much more slowly this time, and finally had time to talk.
Yu Niangzi wiped her greasy mouth with a handkerchief and said casually, "In this year's harvest, to be able to produce such delicious and fresh fruit, young man, you are very generous."
The other foods are certainly not bad either, but with some effort, we can certainly get them.
The fruits that Lu Xuan brought out were not only large and sweet, but also included many kinds that he had never seen before or had only heard of.
This is not something an ordinary person could produce.
The scarred man, Qiu Qi, went even further, asking, "Can we trade alcohol?"
The scholar Meng Xia said, "The beef jerky and milk tea taste good, and we are very interested."
Lu Xuan said, "We can trade anything. You can bring any supplies you need."
Looking at the middle-aged, pot-bellied man who resembled a businessman, Du Chenghai asked, "Are you sure you can produce all the supplies you mentioned before?"
Lu Xuan: "Of course."
Another young man, Hua San, dressed in tattered clothes but not looking thin, said, "We need food and salt!"
Meng Xia said, "We need it too."
Other factions also quickly expressed their opinions.
Food and salt are the most important supplies; who doesn't need them?
Lu Xuan asked, "There's a limit to the amount of grain that can be sold, and the specific amount will be allocated based on the total population. How many people are there here in total?"
The five factions paused slightly, their gazes sweeping towards Meng Xia, who said, "Currently, there are approximately 32,000 survivors."
Lu Xuan was a little surprised.
This county town is not small compared to Yangshan County, so how come its population is less than half of Yangshan's?
Lu Xuan said, "As for this population, I can provide 50,000 catties of grain."
"What!?" Everyone was shocked.
so much! ?
They thought Lu Xuan would be lucky to have a few thousand catties of grain, but he actually had fifty thousand catties?
Hua San immediately said, "We want 20,000 jin!"
The other four faction leaders, still in shock, glared at him with displeasure. "Your faction alone demands 20,000 jin? Aren't you afraid of choking yourselves to death?"
"Hey, you surnamed Hua, don't be too greedy."
If he really gets 20,000 jin, wouldn't they only get a few thousand jin? As several forces on equal footing, they certainly couldn't agree to that.
Hua San snorted, "Who told you not to speak first? Isn't it first-come, first-served when it comes to supplies?"
Qiu Qi sneered, "First come, first served was the rule before the famine started. Now, whoever has the bigger fist gets to decide."
Du Chenghai said, "It also depends on how many people you have. I have a lot of young and strong men on my side who have big appetites and their needs are not small."
Lady Yu said leisurely, "What are you talking about? Who has less need?"
The group of people were all unwilling to concede to each other, and the argument seemed to be escalating.
Lu Xuan said, "Besides grain, there are other foods that can fill your stomachs. You can choose whichever you prefer."
He then took out the nutritional supplements and gave one to each of them to try.
The results of the tasting were, naturally, as astonishing as those of the previous two gathering places.
Although the nutrient solution tasted unremarkable, it had the advantage of a long shelf life and was not prone to spoilage. The five leaders' eyes revealed a clear determination to obtain it.
But they still didn't want to miss out on the food, so the commotion quickly started again.
Lu Xuan: "..."
These people are really good at arguing.
It appears that the relationships between the various factions are not harmonious.
But since they've only talked the talk and no one's actually walking the walk, it shouldn't be too bad.
[I was even more surprised that there was a faction led by a woman. It seems like there aren't any truly disgusting factions in this area like Feng Hu or that old geezer from the county government.]
The five factions argued for almost fifteen minutes before reaching a consensus.
Each family receives 10,000 units of grain, which is divided equally so that no one is at a disadvantage.
Regarding the nutrient solution, Meng Xia asked Lu Xuan, "How much can the nutrient solution provide?"
This time, Lu Xuan didn't directly say there was no limit, but only said, "You can first tell me the quantity you want."
Hua San opened his mouth again, wanting to speak first, but Qiu Qi asked, "How do we exchange the nutrient solutions? How much will they cost?"
Hua San swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue. Oh right, she hadn't even asked the price yet.
Although their Beggars' Sect does have a large number of members and great needs, if the other party asks for an exorbitant price, they may not be able to afford too many supplies.
Lu Xuan said, "One pound of grain can be exchanged for ten vials of nutritional supplements."
Du Chenghai frowned. "You want food?"
But they also want food.
If both sides use grain for settlement, how can a transaction be conducted?
The others were also somewhat confused.
Lu Xuan said, "You can pay back the debt after you have grown the grain."
A glint flashed in Du Chenghai's eyes. "You mean you can buy on credit?"
Everyone else was astonished; such a good thing really happened?!
Lu Xuan seemed oblivious to the surprise in their eyes, nodding and saying, "So there's no need to worry about not being able to pay. Just tell us what supplies you need."
The five people exchanged glances, but none of them asked, "Aren't you worried that we can't afford to pay back?"
They were overjoyed that Lu Xuan was willing to accept this approach.
Even if they really can't pay it back in the future, it will be Lu Xuan who will have a headache.
Meng Xia hesitated slightly, but ultimately ignored the question and only confirmed with Lu Xuan: "If we need tens of thousands, or even more, can you provide them?"
Lu Xuan nodded: "Okay."
The five major powers were surprised but also relieved, and quickly reported their numbers.
Du Chenghai, Hua San, and Qiu Qi directly reported 500,000 units.
Meng Xia and the beautiful woman Yu Niangzi originally wanted 300,000, but upon hearing their demand, they simply increased it to the same amount.
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Given your population size, you probably don't need this much, right? If this transaction is completed, I'll come back in less than two months."
In other words, two months' worth of supplies should be enough.
Du Chenghai smiled like Maitreya Buddha, "We'll talk about the next deal next time."
Who knows if Lu Xuan will really come next time? Of course we should stockpile as much as possible, since they don't actually have to bring out any food, it's like they're coming for free.
The nutrients are so effective that if the weather is better this year and we can reconnect with other cities, we might be able to sell them for a high price and make a fortune to make up for last year's losses and allow them to make a comeback.
Not only nutritional supplements, but when it came to salt and sugar, the amount they requested was not much less than that in Yangshan County, and the amount of sugar was even more than double, with each household requesting 5,000 jin.
Reporting out the items one by one was too troublesome, so Lu Xuan simply took out several samples of all available materials, including high-tech products, and let them choose.
The process of explaining the purpose was similar to before, but the five major powers reacted with significantly more excitement than Liu Wenchi and other officials.
The crowd, who were initially overjoyed by the food and nutrients, suddenly realized that the food was just an appetizer, and these were the main course!
The reason why Lu Xuan could produce things out of thin air was also reasonably explained.
Lu Xuan also explained the yield of the mutated seeds and the condition of the greenhouse.
The five major powers then realized why he dared to allow them to buy on credit; it turned out he truly had the confidence.
They didn't intend to default on their debts; they were naturally eager to obtain a stable long-term income from their land while making the transaction.
Without much hesitation, the group eagerly placed their order.
The total order included 250,000 doses of medicine, 5,000 bio-suits, tens of thousands of melee weapons, as well as communication devices, space devices, hoverboards, refrigerators, air conditioners, various small appliances, self-heating blankets...
Compared to the more pragmatic Yangshan County and Luochuan, these forces are clearly enjoying themselves more.
Besides necessities, many of Lu Xuan's best-kept sofas, bedding, furniture, children's remote-controlled toys, and cosmetic sets were also ordered.
The greenhouse is the same size as Yangshan County, covering 5,000 mu. However, in addition to the essential air conditioning and plant nutrient solution, the five major players also placed a lot of orders for plant protection machines and herbicides that Yangshan and Luochuan were reluctant to buy.
Even after Lu Xuan calculated the accounts and told them that, according to their spending habits, half of the harvest from each greenhouse would have to be used to pay off debts, they still didn't care at all.
The viewers in the live stream couldn't understand how people who had been tormented by the disaster for more than half a year could still be so lacking in crisis awareness. Didn't they think about saving some supplies for a rainy day? They weren't even the streamers; where did they get the confidence to be so extravagant?
Lu Xuan was very familiar with this mentality.
Because most people in the end times share a similar mindset.
It's not that I don't think about the future, it's just that I enjoy the present more.
No one knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first, so naturally we should enjoy each day as it comes and have fun first.
After discerning the lifestyles of these groups, Lu Xuan produced goods that he had not traded with the previous two bases.
Holographic helmet.
The five factions were initially confused when they learned about the use of the holographic helmet.
Being able to enter another world and play an immersive game is something they've never experienced before and can hardly imagine.
It wasn't until Lu Xuan took out a few helmets and let them experience them firsthand that they truly got excited.
"This thing is so interesting! I want it!" Hua San looked at the holographic helmet with extreme excitement.
Du Chenghai held the holographic helmet as if it were a rare treasure, unable to put it down.
If we could sell this to the wealthy areas of Jiangnan or take it to the capital, wouldn't we make a fortune?
If handled properly, it might even be possible to be granted the title of Imperial Merchant!
The key point is that Lu Xuan's offer was not high at all!
A few hundred kilograms of mutated grain can be exchanged for one, which is clearly the cheapest price imaginable!
This time, Meng Xia finally couldn't help but ask Lu Xuan, "Young Master Lu, isn't this price a bit too low? Now that the disaster is over, once communication between various places is restored, the value of this item will surely be immeasurable."
Lu Xuan said, "The disaster will not end for another four years, and I can't wait that long."
The excited crowd froze, looking up in astonishment.
"What did you say, four years?"
"You mean, there will be another disaster like last year this year?"
Qiu Qi's gaze was sharp, and his tone was urgent: "How did you know?"
Yu Niangzi, Hua San, Du Chenghai, and others all frowned.
Lu Xuan said, "I naturally have my own methods. You can choose to believe me or not."
The group remained stunned for a long time without reacting.
Lu Xuan asked, "So, do we still need to buy the holographic helmet? Or do we need more of the other supplies?"
The five men muttered some curses under their breath, then quickly and firmly declared, "Buy! Why wouldn't we buy!"
They bought the items even before they knew the disaster would continue. They knew the disaster would return, and although it's unclear if that's true, if it is, the later it goes, the harder it will be to survive, and they'll need ways to vent their frustrations.
Fighting or indulging in women can both be ways to vent one's frustrations, but a holographic helmet is clearly more suitable.
The five factions each ordered a thousand helmets, mostly basic models, with only about a hundred custom models and about twenty top-of-the-line models.
Including other supplies, the final total transaction amount exceeded that of Yangshan County by hundreds of thousands of kilograms.
Because the five factions are not one entity, and each faction has its own separate contract, the amount of supplies required by each faction varies.
After signing the agreement, the leaders urged Lu Xuan to quickly take out the supplies, especially the communication device and the spatial ring.
I couldn't wait to start using it as soon as I got my hands on it.
After exchanging contact numbers, Hua San shouted into the communicator, "Can you hear me?"
The others, only a few meters away: "..." What do you think?
Hua San didn't care at all; after finishing the voice call, he dialed a video call.
Seeing their faces displayed on the communication screen, they almost grinned from ear to ear, and kissed the communicator several times with obvious affection.
Others didn't react as dramatically as him, but the fondness in their eyes was equally undisguised, and they had no intention of hiding it.
Afterwards, Lu Xuan took out the other supplies and told them to keep them safe.
Du Chenghai reminded Lu Xuan, "Brother Lu, please don't sell these supplies to anyone else."
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow. What did that mean?
Hua San corrected him: "To be precise, we shouldn't sell to individuals, since we need to make a profit from these supplies."
What does it mean to make money from supplies?
Aren't they buying so many supplies to provide for the disaster victims they're sheltering?
Lu Xuan understood immediately. "They are not the government. Even if they collect some protection money to shelter the disaster victims, it doesn't mean they will distribute the supplies for free like Old Master Chen and Prefect Liu."
This means these forces are essentially preparing to act as middlemen, treating him like a wholesaler, and profiting from the price difference for the disaster victims.
Meng Xia was worried that his displeasure would affect the next transaction, so she reassured him, "Besides the five of us, there are many other small forces in the outer city. After they receive the news, they will definitely also come to Young Master Lu to trade goods. They will not let you suffer a loss."
Compared to buying supplies piecemeal from disaster victims, trading with powerful forces is definitely more profitable and easier.
Lu Xuan seemed to be thinking, "These supplies you bought aren't for all the disaster victims?"
Yu Niangzi gave a charming smile: "We don't have that much power. The total number of people under our five territories is only 16,000 or 17,000, which is only half of the disaster victims in the city."
Lu Xuan: Is half of it already the largest force?
Lu Xuan: "Are there many small factions in the city?"
Hua Sandao said, "Because small forces are subject to frequent changes and often break up, it's impossible to determine the exact number, but there should be fifty or sixty of them in total, big and small."
Lu Xuan: "..."
Live stream viewers: ???
So many powerful factions, big and small, in one place? What's going on in this place?
Lu Xuan's curiosity was piqued by their words, so he asked about the specific lifestyle of the settlement.
The five factions had just completed a big deal and were all very friendly to Lu Xuan, so they naturally didn't mind telling him about it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com