Chapter 49 The 1st Batch of Vegetable Trading
Chapter 49 The First Vegetable Transaction
"You guys are really free."
It was rare that Wang Jianguo was not sleeping at this time.
As a former steel plant director who manages a shelter for more than 2000 people, he has countless things to worry about every day.
After so many days, especially watching the supplies in the warehouse decrease little by little, he has already been a little exhausted. And he is not online now for chatting.
"If anyone has fresh vegetables, can you sell me some?"
"I want to use it to boost morale in the shelter."
Not every shelter has the ability to grow its own vegetables.
Not to mention that in the underground world, the electricity needed to maintain the plant growth lights is a considerable burden for an average shelter.
There may not be enough shelter to provide even the most basic planting space.
For underground shelters where every inch of land is valuable, the same resources should be used to cultivate more efficient foods, such as voles, earthworms, mushrooms, etc. instead of growing vegetables.
What's more, there are quite a few shelters that cannot even support the breeding of voles and earthworms.
They survive solely on food and canned food stockpiled before the apocalypse, hoping that the surface environment will return to normal in the near future.
“Vegetables are hard to deal with.”
"I have a few kilograms of fresh cabbage here. Do you want some, Lao Wang? Just exchange it for a 50A battery."
A director of the shelter who was somewhat familiar with Wang Jianguo spoke to him half-jokingly.
"50a battery, why don't you go grab it."
Wang Jianguo was so angry that he almost jumped up and down. Even if fresh vegetables were rare in the current environment, it was impossible to sell them at such a high price.
A large-capacity battery can save your life at a critical moment. Even the dumbest person would not give it away just for a few bites of food.
“I have some lettuce to sell, too.”
"One pound of lettuce for ten pounds of cement, or anything else."
Su Wu, who was peeking at the screen, interrupted at the right time.
"Really?"
"Brother Su, how much do you have? When I first built the shelter, I had a lot of cement left over."
Su Wu’s words made Wang Jianguo’s eyes light up.
Wherever a shelter is built, there must be some cement left over.
Unlike the official need to open deep shelters, these ordinary shelters usually do not have the ability to continue large-scale construction projects in the end times.
Many people don't mind giving up some of the cement that they can't use much at the moment in exchange for precious fresh vegetables.
"About 70 to kilograms, and we can produce about kilograms every day in the future."
Su Wu made a rough estimate and gave a number.
In his hydroponic farm, the lettuce, which has the shortest growth cycle, has been mature for some time, and many of the lettuce leaves have grown quite large.
By picking only the outermost leaves and keeping the heart of the vegetable, about 70 kilograms of fresh leaves can be produced every day.
"so much."
"Then I'll exchange 100 kilograms first. By the way, do you still want the steel?"
Wang Jianguo was very tempted by the idea of five or six hundred kilograms of lettuce. However, this was a luxury item in the end times. It was ok to eat it occasionally to try it out, but it would be a waste of money to eat it as a meal.
After suppressing his impulse, Wang Jianguo rationally calculated his own cement inventory and carefully gave a transaction amount.
"We also buy steel, but the price is not that high. One pound of lettuce can be exchanged for ten pounds of steel." Compared with the huge shortage of cement, Su Wu's demand for steel is not that urgent.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that the urban area of Jianghe City was reduced to ruins after a storm.
When the city buildings were intact, it was difficult to start with clear property rights. Now most buildings have collapsed into ruins, home appliances, air conditioners, etc. are scattered all over the ground, and a large number of family cars have been crushed into discus. Many can be said to have become ownerless.
In this case, Su Wu only needs to return to his old job and act as a rag picker again, and he will not lack metal income for a long time in the future.
"Is that so? Then I'll just use cement instead."
"I remember you have a self-driving truck over there. Could you please help deliver the stuff over? The shipping fee is negotiable."
There were no specially modified vehicles in Wang Jianguo's shelter. With the current surface temperature of over 70 degrees, it would be very risky to send people out. Therefore, he would rather pay an extra shipping fee than pick up the goods himself.
"That's fine. The shipping fee will be based on the price of 10 kilograms of lettuce."
Su Wu had no objection. After all, someone had to be responsible for the transportation. If he took it over, he could make some extra money.
And just when Su Wu and Wang Jianguo were discussing.
The lettuce production revealed in their conversation, the relatively low selling price, and the all-in-one paid delivery service attracted the attention of many night owls.
The rich second-generation Mr. Zhuang was the first one who couldn't help but jump out.
"I also want 50 kilograms of lettuce, and I'll pay with cement."
"We can continue to cooperate for a long time and buy a batch every two weeks."
One doesn’t know how to cherish something until one loses it. Mr. Zhuang’s desire for fresh vegetables now is no less than his desire for delicacies from land and sea.
"I want to order 20 kilograms. Can I pay with liquor?"
Another less familiar director of a private shelter chose to use liquor, which is almost a universal currency, for exchange.
It’s not that his shelter was short of cement, but there wasn’t much left, and in case he might need it in the future, he didn’t want to trade it.
In the end times, many things may seem insignificant, but if they are not there when they are needed, it may cause unacceptable huge losses.
Therefore, basically all private shelter owners who want to maintain the shelter for a long time must learn to be a qualified hoarder.
"It's all right. If you're interested, you can leave your address and transaction amount in a private message."
“I will start delivering goods after the city roads are thoroughly cleared the day after tomorrow.”
Su Wu accepted all offers. For him, selling vegetables was almost a zero-cost business. As long as it could be used to exchange for resources, it was a profit no matter how much.
Then just over half an hour passed.
Su Wu received inquiries and transaction applications from seven or eight shelters.
Not only were all the 500 to 600 kilograms of inventory cleared out, but the production for the next week was also booked.
During the transaction, through casual chatting, Su Wu gradually grasped the current status of many private shelters.
I have a clearer overall understanding of this world that has just entered the end of the world.
At present, the surface environment is indeed very harsh, and the living conditions in the underground shelters are far less comfortable than before the end of the world. But when it comes to survival pressure, for most people, there is actually not much.
The abundant materials and production technology inherited from the industrial age ensure that almost everyone will not face a major food crisis for at least the next one to two years.
Maybe you don’t have enough to eat, or maybe you don’t eat well. But in the most extreme cases, even if you have a few bottles of vitamin tablets and a dozen bags of vacuum-packed rice, it is enough for a person to survive for a long time without lack of nutrition.
Of course, the fact that there is no shortage of materials does not mean that there is no problem with distribution.
If a manager who controls most of the resources of a shelter is greedy and stingy enough, it is not impossible for people to starve to death in his shelter.
(End of this chapter)