this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!
“This is the logistics director and the deputy leader of our base. And this is the boss of the hotpot restaurant I told you about,” Xu Yan introduced them.
“Hello, come in and have a seat,” Jiang Ci smiled at them.
The captain of the Blaze Squad looked to be in her twenties, very beautiful, with a streak of red on her forehead, as if painted on, adding a touch of mystique to her pretty face.
“Hello, Boss. I’m Zhong Xiaofeng, the captain of the Blaze Squad and also deputy leader of Crimson Base,” the woman smiled back at Jiang Ci, very politely.
“I’m Wang Jun, the logistics director of Crimson Base,” the tall, muscular man with a stern face extended his hand to Jiang Ci.
“Earlier, we bought a few bottles of mineral water here. After taking them back, we happened to have them tested. The water is exceptionally clean, completely free of virus contamination, and even contains many minerals beneficial to the human body. After the base leader found out, he sent Sister Xiaofeng and Brother Jun with us to discuss the possibility of buying some mineral water to take back,” Zhou Lin explained.
“Sure, how much do you want to buy?” Jiang Ci didn’t hesitate at all when it came to opportunities to earn crystal cores.
“Can we buy it by the box? If so, how many bottles are in a box?” Wang Jun asked after some thought.
The system quickly answered the question in Jiang Ci’s mind after Wang Jun finished speaking.
So, Jiang Ci almost immediately replied, “Yes, one box contains a hundred bottles. Since we sell them at a very low price—two first-level crystal cores per bottle—there’s no discount for buying by the case.”
“Such cheap water. Boss, are you sure you won’t lose money?” Zhong Xiaofeng asked.
Jiang Ci shook her head, “No, it’s all about small profits with quick turnover.”
Zhong Xiaofeng gave her a thumbs-up. Water like this was something everyone would fight over. Even if the price were doubled or tripled, no one would complain.
She must have met a good person, Zhong Xiaofeng thought, her gaze toward Jiang Ci growing even softer.
“We’ll take five hundred boxes. How long will it take to prepare them? We’ll bring a larger truck to transport them,” Wang Jun calculated the price in his mind. Even without a discount, it was still very cheap.
“They’re ready anytime. Our inventory is ample,” Jiang Ci replied. As long as she had the points, she could provide not just five hundred boxes, but even fifty thousand boxes immediately.
Jiang Ci did the math in her head. Five hundred boxes would cost one fifth-level crystal core, which was equivalent to one hundred thousand points.
This was a big client. Jiang Ci felt pleased. Selling water was so profitable—she could definitely develop this business further in the future.
Hearing Jiang Ci’s words, Wang Jun’s serious face finally broke into a smile, “That’s great. Let’s go now.”
“What’s the rush? Let’s eat something. We’re at a hotpot restaurant, after all. I’ve heard Zhou Lin rave about it all the time, and now’s the perfect time to try it,” Zhong Xiaofeng said.
Seeing that Zhong Xiaofeng had already taken a seat, Wang Jun frowned and stood at the door for a while before reluctantly sitting down beside her.
Zhou Lin and the others were already eager to start, as they had spotted something they hadn’t seen before—slices of fatty beef and pork belly.
Ever since their first time eating hotpot, they had been asking Jiang Ci when there would be meat. Now, it was finally here. Just seeing the names of those ingredients made their mouths involuntarily water.
“There’s fatty beef and pork belly?!” Zhong Xiaofeng had thought the hotpot restaurant was already quite unique, but she hadn’t expected to see these long-lost ingredients.
“Before, there were only potato slices. Now, we finally have meat,” Gu Qi chimed in from the side.
“Order away. Today, we’re going all out. We’re doing work for the base, so the meal will be reimbursed by the base,” Zhong Xiaofeng declared with a wave of her hand.
Zhou Lin and the other two cheered, immediately ordering thirty plates of fatty beef and thirty plates of pork belly, along with ten plates of potato slices as a token gesture, and rice for five people.
Jiang Ci did the math. The total cost would be one fourth-level crystal core and four third-level crystal cores, amounting to fourteen thousand points.
With meat, vegetables, and rice, a meal costing one fourth-level crystal core and four third-level crystal cores was well worth it.
Zhong Xiaofeng glanced at Wang Jun, tilting her head slightly to signal him to pay. Without hesitation, Wang Jun reached into his bag and pulled out the crystal cores.
Jiang Ci noticed that the bags used by survivors in the apocalypse to carry crystal cores were quite special. They looked small but could hold a lot, and they weren’t heavy to carry.
The exterior had some natural patterns; apparently they were made from the hides of high-level mutated beasts.
Because of the unique nature of the mutated beasts, which possessed abilities beyond those naturally found in the beast, such extraordinary bags could be crafted.
Seeing Jiang Ci’s keen interest, the system mentioned that if they encountered high-level mutated beasts in the future, it could help make even more beautiful bags.
Jiang Ci’s eyes immediately lit up. She could make a few more and take them back for her mother.
While Jiang Ci was cutting vegetables, she received the system’s assurance. By now, she had become quite skilled at slicing potatoes, with each piece nearly identical in size and thickness.
The pork belly, like the fatty beef, was frozen and then sliced to the appropriate thickness using a manual meat slicer.
The boy named Xiao Yu had been lingering at the kitchen door, wanting to help but unsure if he could enter.
When Jiang Ci noticed him, she waved him in to help peel potatoes. There were no secrets in the kitchen—the meat came from the freezer, and the potatoes were in a burlap sack.
Xiao Yu’s eyes brightened, and he entered, sitting on a small stool and diligently peeling potatoes without letting his eyes wander.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
As the ingredients were brought out one by one, Zhong Xiaofeng and Wang Jun couldn’t take their eyes off them, not even blinking.
“Boss, can we buy these ingredients?” Wang Jun couldn’t help but ask.
“Sorry, but we can’t sell ingredients in large quantities right now,” Jiang Ci replied without hesitation.
The system had already made it clear that everything else could be sold in bulk, but not the ingredients. After all, the hotpot restaurant relied on them to earn crystal cores. If the ingredients were sold off in large quantities, the restaurant would lose its purpose.
Wang Jun’s face showed clear disappointment, though it was somewhat expected.
“It’s cold! The fridge here still works? And how are the slices cut so thin?” Zhong Xiaofeng, who was usually glamorous and alluring, had now turned into a curious child, asking questions with every new item that was brought out.
As the hotpot broth began to boil, the aroma of the ingredients blended together, even drawing in Wang Jun, who had been focused on his mission.
“Let’s eat, the beef slices are ready,” Gu Qi called out, already reaching his chopsticks into the pot.
The dishes at the hotpot restaurant were generous—each slice of beef and pork belly was almost as big as a person’s face. Taking a bite was incredibly satisfying.
“Oh my god, this is so delicious,” Zhong Xiaofeng exclaimed with delight.
But no one chimed in; everyone was too focused on eating. Seeing the ingredients in the pot rapidly disappearing, Zhong Xiaofeng also stopped talking.
The sixty plates of meat were devoured in no time, and the five of them were clearly still craving more. However, remembering their mission, they decided to stop.
Just as Zhong Xiaofeng was about to get up and leave, she saw Wang Jun, who was usually rigid and only concerned about the base and his mission, suddenly pull out a few more crystal cores from his bag: “Boss, bring us twenty more plates of fatty beef and twenty plates of pork belly.”
Zhong Xiaofeng’s eyes widened as she looked at Wang Jun in surprise, as if seeing him for the first time.
Wang Jun glanced around, noticing the identical expressions on the other four faces, and raised an eyebrow slightly. “What? If we’re going to eat, we might as well enjoy to our heart’s content.”
Gu Qi, Xu Yan, and the others clapped enthusiastically, cheering, “Brother Jun, you’re the best!”
Zhong Xiaofeng propped her chin on her hand, looking at Wang Jun with a meaningful smile.
The moment their eyes met, Wang Jun’s dark complexion turned red as he stammered, “What are you looking at?”
“I didn’t expect even you to have this side,” she teased.
Wang Jun coughed and turned his face away, but the blush on his cheeks lingered.
By the time the five of them finished the first round of dishes, Jiang Ci had already received five compliments, with her task progress jumping to (33/50).
When the second round of dishes arrived, the survivors immediately dumped them all into the pot.
After a few dunks in the boiling broth, the meat had just changed color when the survivors eagerly reached in with their chopsticks.
“Boss, have you considered joining our Crimson Base? We could give you a private villa and crystal core subsidies,” Zhong Xiaofeng said to Jiang Ci, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Jiang Ci waved her hand. “No, I have this big restaurant to take care of. You’re welcome to come and eat anytime you want.”
Jiang Ci’s response was expected, so Zhong Xiaofeng wasn’t too disappointed. However, it gave her more motivation to earn crystal cores. She decided she would recommend the place to her friends and the base leader when she got back, so they could come together next time.
The remaining broth was divided among them, each taking a bowl of rice. They even finished the ginger slices and scallions, which, though not as flavorful, were still nostalgic flavours they hadn’t experienced in ten years.
After finishing their meal, they hurriedly left, as they still needed to return and bring the truck over. Before leaving, Wang Jun gave Jiang Ci a fourth-level crystal core as a deposit. They would exchange it for a fifth-level crystal core after receiving all the water.
Watching them leave, Jiang Ci went to the warehouse. The space here wasn’t large, probably only enough to hold about fifty boxes.
Jiang Ci closed the door and then opened her personal panel. On it, there was a small cart-like symbol, which was her supply channel.
After clicking on the cart symbol, a variety of agricultural products, meats, and other goods appeared before her. However, at the moment, she could only purchase the items unlocked in the hotpot restaurant.
Jiang Ci found the mineral water, priced at 10 points per box. Other items were also priced low, but the quality of the ingredients was the best Jiang Ci had ever seen.
The system told her that in the future, her hotpot restaurant in the real world could also use this channel for supplies.
This news was excellent for Jiang Ci, as it meant her startup costs would be much lower than others, and the financial pressure on her wouldn’t be as heavy.
So, even though she knew it was a clearly a tempting piece of bait, Jiang Ci still decided to latch onto it firmly.
She first exchanged for fifty boxes of mineral water, instantly filling the small warehouse to the brim.
