The Xinfa Market is an hour and a half drive from here, so it must have been fate that we bumped into each other.
Old Hong smiled憨厚ly: "My family also owns a grain store here, so I came here to take care of some business."
Zuo Ling chimed in, "You're really capable, your business is all over Kyoto!"
Old Hong waved his hand: "Not at all, not at all, just earning a little money through hard work. Does the young lady still need to buy grain?"
Zuo Ling had too much money and hadn't originally planned to buy grain in Kyoto. Since the supply was being delivered to her door, she shouldn't waste it.
Changing the subject:
"Yes, I want to stock up on some cheap new rice. I need a large quantity. Do you have any in stock?"
The cheapest rice in Zuo Ling Space costs a little over 3 yuan per kilogram.
In the apocalypse, having food at all is a blessing. Nobody cares how much you paid for it; most people care about the weight, not the price per unit.
For example, tell us how much rice a pound of meat can be exchanged for, rather than which type of rice a pound of meat can be exchanged for, or how much rice a pound of meat can be exchanged for.
Zuo Ling wanted to hoard some cheap rice to exchange with others or to curry favor.
She is rich, and she wants to maximize her profits.
Upon hearing that the quantity was large, Old Hong's cloudy eyes lit up.
"What a coincidence! I just got a new batch of rice. Why don't you come over and take a look?"
The two left without hesitation.
Zuo Ling followed behind Lao Hong's van in his van.
After glancing at Zuo Ling's cargo, Lao Hong remained silent, assuming that Zuo Ling's statement about a large quantity meant buying a whole cargo.
It's not far from the farmers' market, just over half an hour's drive away.
The warehouse was converted from village land; it consists of rows of steel-framed houses that are neat, bright, and spacious.
There are many vehicles coming and going, either delivering goods or hauling cargo, and there are surveillance cameras and security guards everywhere.
Zuo Ling asked Lao Hong, "Is the gatekeeper from the village?"
"Yes, it's in the village. We pay a management fee, and someone manages our entry and exit, which saves us a lot of trouble."
Old Hong rented a warehouse in the middle; there were more than a dozen rooms in a row, each estimated to be no less than 2,000 square meters.
Opening one of the compartments, you can see neatly stacked 50-jin (25 catties) bags of rice, almost reaching the top.
"How much is there in total? I'll buy it all. What's the price? You don't need to deliver it; I'll send my own truck to pick it up."
For a big boss with the means to do good deeds, this little bit of rice is nothing; Lao Hong wasn't surprised at all.
Holding up one finger: "1,000 tons, 3.6 million, that's 1.8 yuan per jin."
"Is all the rice new? I don't want the old rice."
"Don't worry, young lady. In our line of work, unless we're hoarding goods and waiting for prices to go up, we generally don't have old rice. Old rice is either in the hands of small vendors or ordinary people. We don't have that kind of stuff, and if we did, we would have sold it off long ago."
Zuo Ling: "..."
Old Hong's words were harsh, but upon reflection, they made a lot of sense.
Her and Zheng Ming's little family often stocked up on discounted supermarket goods and had eaten a lot of rice from previous years.
Older people love to hoard goods more than young people; as soon as they hear about a discount, they run faster than rabbits.
If this continues, how can we avoid having unsold inventory?
The rice was stacked very neatly and counted quickly; 1000 tons, not a single pound missing.
A dozen or so bags were randomly sampled for inspection. In the countryside, when harvesting grain, Zuo Ling would still distinguish between new and old rice.
After testing, the rice was brand new and there were no problems.
He took 36 stacks of 1,000-yuan bills from the cargo box and handed them to Lao Hong.
"Leave me the warehouse key, and take it away within two days."
There were many vehicles coming and going from the warehouse. The gatekeeper was from the village. She and Lao Hong exchanged money for goods, and no one cared how the goods were taken away.
It's like having the darkest spot under the lamp.
Old Hong accepted it with a smile: "The young lady is straightforward."
After counting the money, Lao Hong went to the gatekeeper's office to get Zuo Ling a pass to leave.
After hesitating for a moment, he asked again:
"Young lady, do you still want rice? There are 10,000 tons of rice. I'm hesitating whether to take it or not. If you can eat some of it, I'll take it and give it to you for 1.75 yuan per jin. How about that?"
Zuo Ling was worried about not being able to spend the money: "Sure, I'd give you 10,000 tons, no problem."
Old Hong never expected Zuo Ling to have such a big appetite.
He said seriously, "Miss, I'm not joking. 35 million is no small sum."
“If you have it now, I’ll take it now,” Zuo Ling said calmly.
After hesitating for a moment, I kindly offer this reminder:
"Uncle Hong, we've done business twice already. Let me give you a heads-up: don't sell all the rice you have. The price might go up in the future."
Zuo Ling was already being very kind by subtly reminding him, rather than telling him the truth.
Old Hong narrowed his eyes: "What do you mean? Rice prices are going up? What news did you get, young lady?"
Going back several generations, the Hong family had been in the grain and oil business. Few things in the grain and oil industry could escape the Hong family's notice.
He didn't get any news at all. Where did Zuo Ling get her information?
Zuo Ling shook her head: "Believe it or not is up to you. If you lose money, don't blame it on me."
That's enough. Old Hong is a grain merchant. If he can't survive in the apocalypse, then no one else has a chance.
Old Hong's expression was inscrutable. After a long silence, he said:
“Give the girl 8,000 tons. I’ll listen to her and keep 2,000 tons for now. I won’t take the deposit from her. Call me in three days.”
See, that's what businessmen are like. He's clearly short on funds and wants Zuo Ling to help him out, but he manages to make it sound like Zuo Ling is taking advantage of him.
Zuo Ling smiled and took out two stacks of thousand-yuan bills:
"I can't accept that. Uncle Hong, please keep the deposit safe. Once the goods are inspected, don't bring back any old rice, or I won't stand for it."
200,000 is not much compared to the total payment of 28 million, but it shows Zuo Ling's sincerity.
Old Hong's chrysanthemum-like face instantly lit up: "Don't worry, girl, I guarantee it's all new rice. If you accept the old rice, I'll eat it right in front of you."
A deal worth tens of millions of yuan was settled in the middle of a conversation.
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