Chapter 55:

The communication signal beeped multiple times and almost crashed.

Yun Shan waited for a while before opening and checking each one.

Villas, apartment buildings, cash, jewelry, antiques, artworks, game points, in-game lands… The offers were diverse and varied.

Yun Shan’s task was to select one person from among them as the trading partner.

As she scrolled through the messages, a sudden one popped up— “Big Boss: You anticipated today’s situation, that’s why you rejected the brewing proposal, right?”

It was from Bai Shenghua.

Yun Shan didn’t answer the question but instead asked, “What about you? Did you not realize that using grain for brewing would lead to a food shortage crisis, and now you’re trapped?”

Bai Shenghua knew full well that the brewing trend would cause a food shortage. He had even planned to use this opportunity to make money from selling alcohol first and then from selling grain later. However, while his plan sounded good, it had backfired during implementation, leaving him in a tight spot.

Yun Shan: “I’m just cautious, I don’t do reckless things.”

Yun Shan: “Can you not afford to play?”

Upon seeing the last sentence, Bai Shenghua was taken aback.

If everything had gone according to plan, the outcome should have been him initiating the brewing trend and then smoothly profiting from it. Currently, he had a large stock of grain in the warehouse, waiting for others to come and actively buy it.

— Just like Yun Shan at this moment.

If someone was dissatisfied, he could display the calm of a victor and casually say, “If you’re willing to bet, you must be willing to lose.”

In this world, everyone had to rely on their own means to compete.

The fantasy scenario was beautiful, but unfortunately, he had lost. Despite selling the alcohol and having a lot of game points, he couldn’t acquire enough grain. These days felt like being choked, making everything inconvenient.

Yun Shan: “I already told you before the pub opened that I wouldn’t make this money, and I advised you not to either.”

“Someone had once tried to stop you, but unfortunately, once you were determined, no one could hold you back.”

“Now that things have come to this, let’s accept the outcome.”

If you win, you naturally bask in glory, but if you lose… at least you shouldn’t lose your composure.

Bai Shenghua smiled bitterly.

This world is indeed realistic, when you lose, you can only lie flat and accept ridicule.

He could have been the winner in this situation.

Leaving aside the sudden policy changes, had NPC merchants’ rice not been bought by someone else during the brewing process, and had he been more cautious and left a portion of grain as daily expenses, his situation would definitely not have been so passive.

In the end, he was overconfident, thinking that he could control the game with his abilities, not realizing that there are too many variables in life. No matter when, one should always leave themselves a way out.

“I was careless,” Bai Shenghua finally admitted to his own missteps, “If only I had been more cautious from the start.”

Yun Shan was puzzled at this, “Couldn’t you have done a different kind of business?”

Bai Shenghua’s response was plain and unadorned, “It’s a highly profitable industry, so naturally, I hoped to make money from it.”

“Couldn’t you have ventured into another business?”

“…Do you think everyone is like you, casually coming up with an improved recipe, producing the product, and instantly selling it out? For ordinary players, making money isn’t that easy.”

Yun Shan fell silent.

Bai Shenghua continued, “Originally, I was thinking of making money, acquiring assets, expanding my influence, and then, when the game company held its next event, using my game foundation to obtain a few registration codes. This thing is suitable for gifting or personal use, and now it’s all ruined.”

Yun Shan sighed inwardly, thinking that Bai Shenghua was indeed talented.

If it hadn’t been for Lu Ming’s severe measures and multiple blockades, he had a good chance of pulling it off.

But it was just bad luck, fate plays tricks on people.

“Group leader, you’re selling yourself short as a professional player,” Bai Shenghua suddenly felt a surge of emotion, “If you were in business, you’d surely be thriving.”

“Being a professional player isn’t bad,” Yun Shan replied, “The most important thing is it’s easy, earning a fixed amount every month.”

Earning 100,000 game points each month equates to 7 million in cash, so what more could one ask for?

While a landlady would still have to contact tenants and collect rent, for her, it was automatic payment from NPCs, with funds deposited promptly at the beginning of each month.

Bai Shenghua remained silent.

People have their own aspirations.

***

2:00 PM, in the Pay-to-Win game group.

Yun Shan promptly announced, “Current highest bid: A standalone villa in area xx. @everyone”

Then she reposted the auction message, “Selling 5000 pounds of rice, price to be negotiated privately. Before midnight tonight, whoever offers the highest price, I will sell the grain to them. @everyone”

“Look at you, ruthless. When it comes to making money and stirring up trouble, I only bow to the group leader.”

“Country Bumpkin: So that’s how this auction works. I’ve learned something.”

“Distressed: Group leader, you have no mercy.”

True warriors never look back at explosions.

After sending the message, Yun Shan disregarded the beeping communication signal and put on her holographic helmet to log into the game.

In reality, she had far more than 5000 pounds of rice stockpiled, but she had already made distribution plans early in the morning.

A portion of the rice was taken to auction to the Pay-to-Win game group to improve the standard of living.

Another portion was used to exchange for in-game land, with the aim to conquer the entire East District in one go.

Besides, a sufficient amount had to be kept aside for feeding the Battle pet.

“It’s not that easy to play the game well,” Yun Shan lamented as the group’s leader.

***

“Killing bandits can earn us grain, brothers, charge!”

A large group of players rushed out of the camp, their momentum suggesting they were about to take down the bandit’s lair in one fell swoop.

Having been disappointed by Bai Shenghua’s empty promises several times, Hong Rui had lost all hope in him. After some calculation, he decided to find a way to buy grain himself.

Owning several plots of land, Hong Rui planned to sell a portion of it to tide over the difficulties. However, he intended to consult widely on the price, aiming to sell at a higher price.

He first went to the mission hall.

Seeing someone offering to buy land, he specifically asked an NPC for contact information.

“I have three ordinary residential properties with perpetual ownership and a commercial property with seven months of remaining usage rights. How much grain can I get for them?” he inquired.

The NPC he was dealing with was called “Chief Zuo.” Shortly after receiving the message, he responded, but the offered price was heartbreakingly low.

Unwilling to just sell off the properties at that rate, Hong Rui went elsewhere to inquire about the price.

He arrived at a pawnshop. It was a place where items could be traded for game points or rice.

To his disappointment, the offer was even lower than that of “Chief Zuo.”

Just as he was feeling despondent, a friend messaged him, “Are you planning to buy grain?”

Hong Rui’s spirits lifted, “Yes! Do you have a lead?”

“I know a rice merchant named ‘Boss You’ who has quite a bit of stored grain. His prices are higher than others. If you’re interested, you can go and check it out,” his friend replied, providing the coordinates.

Hong Rui asked, “How much higher?”

“Um, slightly higher,” his friend replied with a hint of resignation. “During special times, food is more precious than gold. Try to understand.”

Hong Rui: …How is he still raising prices so exorbitantly?

“That’s just how things are, you have to accept it,” his friend advised him to be more open-minded. “When the harvest comes at the end of December, things will get better.”

Hong Rui wanted to stubbornly refuse. However, reality dictated that he honestly noted down the address his friend had given him and resigned himself to visiting.

Boss You truly lived up to his reputation as a far-sighted rice merchant. He lived in a mansion, enjoyed lavish food and drinks, and was surrounded by numerous servants who ushered in and entertained his guests.

Seeing the queue of people waiting to conduct business, Hong Rui suddenly lost his confidence—he felt that the prices were too low and suspected that the influx of visitors might be overwhelming the grain stock.

He just needed a slightly higher price than the market rate to avoid ending up with properties that he couldn’t sell.

When it was Hong Rui’s turn, a servant guided him inside, where he saw an NPC sitting upright in a chair.

It was an adult male, wearing a silver mask that covered the upper half of his face, making it difficult to ascertain his exact age. His ID above his head read “Boss You.”

Hong Rui asked for the price as usual.

Boss You stated a figure that was indeed higher than what Chief Zuo and the pawnshop had offered.

In desperate times, everyone with grain wanted to buy at a lower price, so finding someone relatively fair in negotiations was not easy.

Tired of the back-and-forth, Hong Rui decided to stop struggling and agreed to the deal.

After reaching an agreement, Boss You arranged for the transfer of ownership, while Hong Rui called his subordinates to help transport the grain.

Once the transaction was completed, Hong Rui left with his subordinates, satisfied, carrying three carts filled with rice.

Boss You, looking at the title deed, couldn’t help but smile with a hint of satisfaction.

***

Night fell.

“Chief Zuo” and “Boss You” gathered together to report their progress to the lord.

Chief Zuo was the first to speak, “Our people are spread across over ten locations and are smoothly acquiring land, herbs, and Battle pet at almost the same price. We’ve already reclaimed a fair amount of land.”

Boss You added, “Compared to other places, rice merchant Boss You’s higher pricing has made our business particularly good these days. After some time, we’ll be able to distribute a considerable amount of grain from the warehouse.”

Chief Zuo continued, “Most residents have the habit of hoarding grain, so the food shortage isn’t severe. As a backup, even those without hoarded grain can join the labor team to earn some food. The current situation is relatively stable.”

Lu Ming remarked, “For the time being.”

Zuo Xin and You Yi exchanged a glance.

Zuo Xin, daringly, inquired, “Are you worried about the ice rain in December?”

Rain during the early growth stage allows for replanting, but as the harvest nears, it can directly lead to reduced yields. In severe cases like ice rain, a complete loss of crops is not out of the question.

Lu Ming remained silent, pondering.

You Yi took the initiative to report, “We’ve already instructed people to set up shelters and ice rain protection nets. Most of the work is completed. Even if there’s a sudden ice rainstorm, the crops won’t suffer severe damage.”

Besides, even if this season’s crops were completely destroyed, there was enough stored grain in the warehouse to support them until the next harvest.

After a long pause, Lu Ming finally spoke, “Continue with the recovery and ice rain protection work as planned, and prioritize the bandit suppression. We cannot allow banditry to run rampant.”

“Understood,” Left responded earnestly.

“We didn’t intend to starve them in the camp. Why would they choose to become bandits rather than live peacefully in the camp?” Zuo Xin was genuinely perplexed.

“Not everyone can regain their composure and start a new life after falling from a high position,” You Yi told him. “It’s not surprising for resentment to drive people to do anything.”

“There are three to four hundred people voluntarily serving as bandits. It’s hard to believe that every single one of them holds a grudge,” Zuo Xin expressed his disbelief.

“Some are simply impressionable and lack independent thinking, following others at the slightest instigation,” Lu Ming said.

“That’s just plain foolish,” Zuo Xin sighed.

“If the majority were intelligent, how could land recovery be so easy?” You Yi remarked.

“…” Zuo Xin found it inexplicably logical and couldn’t refute it.

“Everyone must take responsibility for their decisions. If it poses a threat to the camp’s safety, they should bear the corresponding consequences,” Lu Ming said calmly.

Zuo Xin and You Yi nodded in understanding.

***

“Current highest bid: A standalone villa in area xx, plus 1 million in cash. @everyone”

“Current highest bid: A residential building in area xx. @everyone”

“Current highest bid: An office building in the commercial street in area xx. @everyone”

Every two hours, Yun Shan promptly announced the latest bids, making her intentions quite clear. A group of onlookers followed suit, stirring up the atmosphere.

“Group leader, you’re amazing, I’ve already said I’m tired.”

“If I remember correctly, isn’t a single office building in commercial street xx worth tens of millions? Group leader, you can just lie back and collect rent as a landlady from now on!”

“I knew the bosses were wealthy, but I never knew you were that wealthy. Slowly zoning out. emoji”

“Being a professional player is so promising! It has rekindled my love for the game.”

…

The group chat was buzzing with over 999 messages until midnight.

At midnight, Yun Shan made her final announcement, “A standalone villa in area xx and an office building in commercial street xx. 5000 pounds of rice have been sold. Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation.”

Immediately, someone requested that the group leader hold a second auction as soon as possible. They were ready with cash and assets to participate at any time.

Yun Shan promptly closed the communication signal, slept soundly that night, and even dreamt of counting money…