"Thanks for earlier." Tang Tuoguan spoke calmly as he handed her a sheet of paper, the edges crisp and white against his steady fingers. "I have organized a set of data. I hope it helps."
"Hm?" Jing Shu took the paper, her fingers brushing the cool surface. She was unsure what he meant by such a sudden gesture.
Seeing her confusion, the young man kept his expression perfectly flat while he explained, "Hello, my name is Tang Tuoguan. Wherever there is a market, there are merchants. I'm one of the new professions that popped up in the apocalypse. People call us buyers."
He adjusted his glasses, the light from the 3D screen reflecting off the lenses. "Our usual business includes buying low and selling high, purchasing goods for clients, haggling, appraising prices and items, and collecting valuable things from all over the world. If you ever need a specific or special item, you can contact me. I can find the source for you."
After he finished, Tang Tuoguan added, "Anything." For some reason, the word carried a weight that sounded impressively bold in the quiet booth.
Jing Shu nodded in sudden understanding. Collecting rare goods from around the world sounded like a monumental task, and his supply channels seemed solid if he could navigate the current chaos. Still, that name, Tuoguan, did it imply something specific? She glanced at the plain-looking young man again. This merchant was a little too calm, his heart rate seemingly undisturbed by the frantic trading around them. Couldn't he really make money with such a detached attitude?
She lowered her head to look at the data, the ink still smelling faintly of a recent print. Tang Tuoguan stood beside her and explained, "Not everything at the Trading Hall is priced reasonably. These items here are overpriced, marked up for those with more credits than sense. The second half lists items that are priced fairly and worth buying. If you have the funds, I suggest buying everything on that list. You can treat it as an early investment."
Jing Shu scanned the sheet. It was a masterpiece of organization, listing the Trading Hall's items, original prices, suggested fluctuation ranges, predicted prices, and historical price points. The details were meticulous, mapped out in a way that made the market's hidden patterns visible.
Not only that, it even included the prices offered by today's sellers. It was obvious he had compiled this on the spot, his observations translating into cold hard numbers in real time. The biggest demand lists and the predicted prices were all clearly written in the margins.
What impressed Jing Shu the most was that it was handwritten. Every number and table was neat and precise, the characters perfectly formed and aligned as if they had been printed by a high-end machine. A quick glance was enough to absorb all the information. He had even included every note she might need for the various categories. It was a true foolproof data sheet.
Tang Tuoguan was certainly living up to his name.
Jing Shu flipped the page and saw the predicted rankings for today's "Most Anticipated Items." The top three categories were tobacco, alcohol, and tea.
It showed that the wealthy in this apocalypse weren't lacking basic food. After filling their stomachs, what they craved were comforts and old habits. These items wouldn't be the easiest to move in any crowd.
Tang Tuoguan explained, "Most anticipated items are the easiest to move. They have been well preserved in airtight containers, so a lot still exist in private collections. As long as the price is reasonable, someone will buy. Forget about trying to pick up bargains in this category; that's impossible. But their advantage is stable prices and stable supply channels."
The most in-demand items were live poultry, seasonings, and top-tier ingredients.
Tang Tuoguan continued, "The most in-demand list shows what is currently most scarce. Based on supply principles, once these appear, their prices will shoot up and keep rising. I saw the items you are selling. If nothing unexpected happens, you will get a great price. Congratulations in advance. But I suggest swapping some income for live poultry and premium ingredients. These will get rarer and rarer as the environment degrades."
"Thanks." Jing Shu smiled as she mentally sorted out what she wanted to buy, her list growing longer.
"Alright, esteemed members, the voting results are out. Please look at the big screen. Let's check out today's most anticipated new products!" Fatty Wang's voice boomed from the stage, sounding genuinely excited. The screen transitioned and a virtual 3D scene appeared, showing dozens of beams of light shooting up from the floor plan. Each beam represented a vendor, and all of them were selling tobacco.
"That's right, today's most anticipated item is still tobacco. These vendors brought brands like Zhonghua cigarettes, and even handmade cigars. Their quality has been verified by our professionals. Alright, there isn't much stock, so go ahead and trade directly. After sixty seconds, the trading channels will lock. Anything priced under the market rate will be bought out at the minimum price by the eighth floor Exchange." Fatty Wang announced, his hand sweeping across the air.
The eighth floor Trading Hall's method was honestly genius. Anything priced below market value got purchased instantly by the house. This guaranteed almost everything sold out while preventing price crashes. It massively increased the flow of goods in the market and kept the Exchange profitable through its own reserves.
Once sellers had money, they would start buying things from other booths. When trade flowed, the market lived.
Just like Tang Tuoguan said, the dozen vendors sold tobacco at different prices. A single carton of soft Zhonghua had already reached tens of thousands of virtual coins, yet the "Sold" icon flickered over it immediately.
The trading mode was fascinating to watch. Everyone keyed in their minimum prices on their handheld devices. All kinds of tobacco were quickly assigned values by the central system. Even the homemade cigars ended up with finalized prices that appeared in glowing gold text. Once people reached a consensus, no one raised bids anymore.
After sixty seconds, every tobacco product sold out. Jing Shu clicked her tongue and shook her head at the sheer speed of the transactions. If Grandpa Jing knew the cigars he liked could be traded for thousands of worm patties and hundreds of steamed buns, what would he think?
The second most anticipated item appeared on the 3D map, and just as Tang Tuoguan predicted, it was alcohol. All kinds were available, from ordinary spirits to rare vintages in dusty bottles. Jing Shu wasn't interested though. Grandpa Jing and Jing An only drank occasionally, so their demand wasn't high.
Plus, she still had plenty of turtle-snake wine at home that they had brewed for rheumatism, and she had brought back tons of red wine from her trip to America.
Tang Tuoguan made his move. The alcohol market was incredibly tricky, with prices fluctuating based on brand prestige. As he operated the bidding system, his fingers moving with a light tapping sound, he said, "Buying alcohol is like buying property. You buy when prices go up, not when they fall. Don't touch watery red wines. Old brands have higher collectible value. Investing depends on taste and popularity."
Jing Shu blinked and nodded. She only cared about useful supplies and top-tier ingredients for the apocalypse.
"I'm investing in you." Tang Tuoguan's fingers tapped rapidly as he placed several bids on the screen. Some alcohols were ignored completely, while others were fiercely contested by wealthy bidders.
"Huh?" Jing Shu blinked, confused by his statement. He continued, "Your items won't show up on the Most Anticipated or Most In-Demand lists yet. If I'm right, they will appear last."
"Hm? Why?"
"That's an internal, unspoken rule of the Trading Hall. On one hand, they see your goods are scarce and want to reduce competition, so they bury your listing for a while. On the other hand, the Trading Hall prefers showing top-tier goods last. Think about it. People who already spent all their money, or temporarily don't have enough, will borrow from the Exchange. Once they borrow, they will owe interest. One side wants to reduce competition, the other wants interest revenue. Neither wants premium goods to appear too early."
Jing Shu's eyes lit up. So her goods were the real highlight today? They would sell for a great price because people would be desperate? Wait, she came to sweep the place clean of supplies. Selling was supposed to be the side task.
===
AND WE'RE OFF! A brand new year has officially begun, and what better way to launch it than with a new chapter for my favorite readers? Woooo! 🎇
As you read this, whether it's with your morning coffee or curled up later, I just want to take a moment to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for reading, for commenting, for sticking around on this journey, and for spending your precious time with me and this story. Spending this time with you all is the highlight of my writing day.
So, for this sparkling new year, I'm wishing you one packed with laughter that makes your stomach hurt, adventures that get your heart pumping, and a healthy dose of delightful mischief. May your days be endlessly bright, your hearts always warm, and your path dotted with wonderful, happy surprises. May it be a story you love living.
Thanks for being the most awesome, hype-worthy crew. Sticking with this story is the coolest gift, and I'm so excited to keep going with you all. Let's make this year legendary! Cheers to you, and Happy New Year! ✨❤️🥂
—Your translator,
Reiya (ฅ'ω'ฅ)]