Chapter 611: Chapter 611

"Thank you for earlier," the young man said, handing over a sheet of paper. "This is some data I’ve compiled. I hope it can help you."

"Hmm?" Jing Shu took the paper. What does this mean?

Seeing Jing Shu’s puzzled expression, the young man, still expressionless, explained, "Hello, my name is Tang Tuo. Where there is a market, there are merchants. I am a new profession that emerged after the apocalypse, known as a buyer. My usual business includes buying low and selling high, purchasing goods for people, negotiating prices, assessing item values, and collecting fine goods from all over the world. If you ever need some specific, special products, you can also contact me, and I can source them for you."

After finishing, Tang Tuo added, "Anything at all." There was an inexplicable air of capability about his words.

Jing Shu nodded in understanding. Collecting fine goods from all over the world seemed quite impressive, and Tang Tuo’s sourcing channels also seemed reliable. But his name, ’Tang Tuo,’ does it imply something? Jing Shu glanced at the unassuming young man again. This merchant seems too calm. Is he really making money?

Jing Shu lowered her head to look at the data on the paper, while Tang Tuo explained, "Not all items in the trading center are priced appropriately. The items listed on the first half of the sheet are overpriced. The back half lists items that are priced right and suitable for buying. If you have the capability, I suggest buying them all; you might even consider investing upfront."

Jing Shu saw items from the trading center listed on the paper, along with their original prices, suggested price fluctuations, forecasted prices, and historical prices—all very detailed.

Furthermore, it included the prices of items people were selling today—data Tang Tuo had clearly prepared on the fly. The maximum demand list and estimated prices were also clearly stated.

What impressed Jing Shu the most was that it was handwritten, yet every number and table was as neat as if printed, organized so one could grasp all the information at a glance. Everything was considerately noted down, making it a truly foolproof datasheet.

Tang Tuo, true to his name.

Jing Shu turned the page and saw the rankings forecast for "Most Anticipated Goods for Sale." The top three categories were tobacco, alcohol, and tea.

This showed that the wealthy in the apocalypse didn’t lack food; rather, these were their favorite things after a good meal, likely making them the best-selling items.

Tang Tuo explained, "The ’Most Anticipated Goods for Sale’ are currently the easiest to market because they preserve well and are still plentiful. If priced right, they will sell. It’s impossible to find bargains in this area. Of course, their advantages are stable prices and relatively stable supply routes."

The list for ’Biggest Demand,’ in order, was: live Domestic Poultry, seasonings, and top-tier ingredients.

Tang Tuo continued, "The ’Most Demanded’ list indicates the goods most needed right now. Based on supply and demand, such items, once available, will definitely increase in price and continue to do so. I’ve seen the goods you are selling. They should fetch good prices. I congratulate you in advance. However, I suggest exchanging some of your earnings for live Domestic Poultry and top-tier ingredients, as these will become increasingly scarce."

"Thank you," Jing Shu smiled, already thinking about what to buy.

"Alright, respected members, the voting results are in! Please look at the big screen! Let’s check out today’s most anticipated new goods!" Fatty Wang announced, sounding excited. The screen transitioned. Suddenly, numerous beams of light appeared on a virtual 3D simulated scene. Each beam represented a merchant, all of whom had tobacco for sale.

"Indeed, tobacco remains today’s most anticipated good!" Fatty Wang continued. "The merchants today have brought brands like Zhonghua Cigarette, as well as handmade cigars, all certified by professionals. Alright, there isn’t much stock. Please proceed with the live trade. The trading channels will be locked after 60 seconds, and any items priced below market value at the eighth-floor trading center will be directly bought out at that minimum price."

The method of the eighth-floor trading center was indeed impressive. By buying up all goods priced below market value, they almost guaranteed that every item would sell out. Moreover, this method significantly accelerated the flow of goods in the market, ensuring the trading center’s profitability.

When sellers made money, they would then buy other goods. Once things started flowing, the market came alive.

Just as Tang Tuo had said, the prices of tobacco sold by about a dozen merchants varied. A carton of soft Zhonghua Cigarette reached tens of thousands of Virtual Coins, yet it was quickly snapped up.

The trading model was intriguing. Minimum prices were quickly entered for various tobaccos. Eventually, even homemade cigars had their prices set, and it seemed as if there was an unspoken consensus not to raise the prices any further.

After 60 seconds, all types of tobacco were sold out. Jing Shu clicked her tongue, shaking her head. If Mr. Jing knew his smoked cigars could be exchanged for thousands of Insect Cakes or hundreds of steamed buns, what would he think?

The second most anticipated good was indeed alcohol, as Tang Tuo had predicted. There were all kinds of drinks, from common to high-end. However, Jing Shu was not interested. Aside from Mr. Jing and Mr. Jing occasionally having a few drinks, their household’s demand for alcohol was not high.

Jingshu’s house also had their own Turtle Snake Wine, brewed for preventing rheumatism. Not to mention, she had brought back various red wines from a trip to the United States.

Tang Tuo made his move. The liquor market was indeed deep. As he made his bids, Tang Tuo said, "Buying liquor is like buying property: buy on the rise, not on the fall. For red wine, don’t get involved with those that are mostly ’froth’—meaning, avoid overly common varieties or those with inflated prices without real backing. Older, established brands have greater collection value. Ultimately, investments depend on taste and public appeal."

Jing Shu blinked and nodded. She was only concerned about materials useful in the apocalypse and top-tier ingredients. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝔫𝔢𝔱

"I’m investing in you," Tang Tuo said, his fingers flying across his device as he bid several times. The liquor market was rife with inflated prices and speculation; some wines were completely ignored, while others became highly contested items.

"Huh?" Jing Shu blinked as Tang Tuo added, "Your goods won’t appear on either the ’Most Anticipated’ or the ’Demand’ list. If I’m not mistaken, they will appear at the very end."

"This is an unspoken consensus at the trading center. Firstly, seeing that your goods are in short supply, other sellers want to ’bury’ your items initially to lessen bidding competition. Secondly, it’s also the trading center’s intention to reveal your goods last. Think about it: people who have already spent all their money, or those temporarily short of funds—wouldn’t they be tempted to borrow money to buy? As long as they borrow, interest is generated. Therefore, one side wants to reduce competition, and the other wants to generate interest, so neither wants highly sought-after goods to appear too early."

Jing Shu’s eyes lit up. So, my goods are the main event today? Can they really sell for a good price? Wait a minute, I came here mainly to buy things; selling was just supposed to be a side thing!