Chapter 21: The Sea Urchins Sell Like Hotcakes

It was getting dark, which made it difficult to work, so Zeng Yan decided to give her new home a thorough cleaning the next day. After a simple dinner of mushroom-scented rice noodles, she quickly posted the video she had recorded yesterday of her foraging for sea urchins.

She also pinned a comment, telling everyone that fresh, wild “horse-dung” sea urchins were now available in her shop.

Horse-dung sea urchins were a valuable and expensive variety due to their high nutritional value. In high-end Japanese restaurants, they were often sold by the piece. While they couldn’t compare to the exorbitant price of a Hokkaido sea urchin, which could cost 800 yuan, a good-looking wild horse-dung sea urchin could still fetch 100 yuan.

Zeng Yan’s present-day was her hometown, so she decided to give her fellow countrymen a discount, pricing them at 70 yuan each.

As expected, the comments section was not harmonious, with a lot of people scolding her.

“You made such a big fuss just to sell sea urchins? Some people are crazy when it comes to selling things.”

“These days, even AI can create a fake person. Don’t believe in one-shot videos. It’s easy to fake things. There’s no such thing as time travel or a second chance at life! Friends, we’ve all been fooled by someone trying to sell us stuff!”

Another “expert” chimed in, “All the scenes about the past were just a setup for this foraging video! This is the most conniving foraging video I’ve ever seen.”

“Such a hoax! Not only are you playing with my emotions, but you’re also trying to trick me out of my money!”

“If the platform wasn’t involved in this, I’ll go on live and eat poop.”

“Brother Brick 007,” the platform insider from the day before, instantly replied: “If you don’t eat it, you’re a dog!”

No one believed him, even with his aggressive tone. In less than ten minutes, the comments section was filled with a boycott chain that was getting close to 10086.

But for every person who was against it, there was someone who was tempted.

Boss Ling was distracted at a dinner party, watching Zeng Yan’s new video. This big foodie was captivated by the rich, orange, five-star roe sacs of the horse-dung sea urchin. When he compared it to the scrawny sea urchin on the sashimi platter in front of him, his dish instantly became unappetizing.

On a whim, Boss Ling clicked “buy” and entered the address of the private dining room he was in. He didn’t care if it was real or fake; he just wanted to give it a try.

Less than a minute after he placed the order, there was a “ding-dong” at the door. The server opened it and found a neatly packaged insulated box sitting there. She had no idea who had put it there. The server was a little confused, peering down the hall, which was completely empty. The delivery person was so fast! She picked up the box and turned around, asking, “Did someone order a flash delivery? The recipient is ‘Grandpa in Winter’.”

“Oh my god!” Boss Ling jumped out of his chair in shock. His eyes wide, he exclaimed, “This delivery speed! Not even a rocket is that fast!”

“Brothers, today is the day we witness a miracle!”

Without waiting for the server, Boss Ling excitedly tore into the box himself, his hands trembling so much that he almost cut himself with the scissors.

The sea urchins were exquisitely packaged. The biodegradable vacuum bags were filled with fresh seawater, which anyone who loved seafood knew was the best way to preserve sea urchins.

His friends were stunned. “Where did you get these sea urchins?”

The sea urchins delivered by flash delivery were a dark green color. Although they weren’t big, they felt heavy in his hand. Boss Ling quickly pried one open, and sure enough, just like in the photos, the orange gonads were so full they looked like they were about to overflow.

He had bought them based on the number of people at the table, so each of the ten people got one. Some people added wasabi, vinegar, and lemon, while others, like Boss Ling, ate it without anything.

The creamy substance was cool and smooth in his mouth. At first, it had a rich, buttery flavor similar to an egg yolk, but it finished with a hint of sweetness. It was not overpowering but rich and mellow, leaving a delicious, lingering taste. This was what a top-grade delicacy from the sea should taste like.

Boss Ling was almost in tears. “I’ve been eating sea urchins for years for nothing.”

The food connoisseurs at the table nodded in agreement. “The freshness of this sea urchin is one thing, but it’s definitely pure wild-caught. Wild horse-dung sea urchins are almost endangered. Ling, you sly old dog, where did you find such a good source?”

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“I’ll tell you later,” Boss Ling said, snapping out of his daze. He quickly tried to order more, but in the short time he’d been eating, the sea urchins in the shop were already sold out, not a single spine left!

The comments section exploded again. The people who were boycotting the sea urchins were long gone, replaced by people posting photos of their purchases, exclaiming in shock at the system’s incredible delivery speed.

“From now on, anyone who says ‘Big Boss Gui Qu Lai Xi’ is a scammer, I’ll fight them.”

“This is what real express delivery looks like! Boss, please accept my kneeling.”

“It’s not realistic, but I’m beyond thinking. Damn, these sea urchins are so good they make you faint!”

“They’re not fishy or salty. They melt in your mouth. I’ve never had sea urchin this delicious in my life. A big kiss to you, boss! (heart hands)”

“There’s no gasoline smell or weird aftertaste, just the fresh scent of the ocean. I believe it! These sea urchins are definitely from the pristine ocean of the 1960s. The boss didn’t lie to us!”

“I’m in the restaurant business. The quality and freshness make a huge difference in the taste of sea urchins. These are a top-tier product, so smooth and sweet, even smoother than foie gras. The boss is a good and honest vendor. 70 yuan for one is truly not expensive. Boss, restock soon! I want to buy them in bulk!!!”

The distance from a scammer to a “Big Boss” was just one horse-dung sea urchin.

Zeng Yan stood in her storage space, witnessing the entire process of the system conjuring up packaging boxes out of thin air and then delivering them in a flash. As expected of a higher-dimensional technology, it was amazing. The system was the real boss.

But when she saw the balance in her account, Zeng Yan’s face immediately turned green. She took back half her praise. The system was great, but it was also a real jerk…

The stingy system had charged her a 30% service fee. She had sold 308 sea urchins for a total of 21,560 yuan, and more than 6,000 had been taken. This rotten system was all about the money—charging her to time-travel and charging a fortune for delivery.

Zeng Yan consoled herself. The high price had its reasons; the service was excellent. Besides, the sea urchins had no cost, so the remaining 15,092 yuan was pure profit.

Happily, she spun around in her space a few times. She finally had money! Big Boss Yan was about to go on a shopping spree.

She was in need of everything: a dozen pure white cotton underwear sets; a stash of unscented face wash, shampoo, conditioner, face cream, and laundry detergent; as well as sunscreen, face masks, hand masks, body scrub, and body lotion. She couldn’t let her quest for beautiful, white skin be abandoned.

She also needed to buy vitamins and calcium tablets to help her body. This body was malnourished, and relying solely on a good diet wasn’t enough. She needed to combine food and supplements. The only downside was that while the platform had a wide variety of goods, most of the medicines were health supplements, and other medications weren’t for sale. She’d have to use her small first-aid kit sparingly.

The platform had a farmer-support program and was never short on fresh produce. Zeng Yan was tired of eating rice noodles, so she chose the highest-quality items: lots of vegetables and fruits, fresh black pork, free-range chicken, beef, and lamb. Since she had a storage space that was better than a refrigerator, she didn’t have to worry about the ingredients spoiling.

She also restocked her missing seasonings and kitchenware, bought daily necessities like eggs and milk, and even stored some baking ingredients.

Zeng Yan didn’t add any new items to the little house she lived in. Even though she was living in seclusion, she still needed to be cautious. New items would be difficult to explain, and she could only buy things from the local supply and department stores. So she would have to continue to wear her threadbare pants.

Earning money was easy, but spending it was even easier. The more than 10,000 yuan was quickly spent. Fortunately, the system didn’t charge a service fee for buying things. Zeng Yan stopped shopping, her craving not yet satisfied. She could earn more money, and she could buy the rest of her items tomorrow.

After adding the items to her cart, Zeng Yan was a little worried about the delivery address. She couldn’t just write “Next to the old lighthouse in Xiangyang Brigade,” right?

The system was incredibly thoughtful. Zeng Yan saw a string of scrambled characters automatically appear in the delivery address field.

…Okay, fine.