Chapter 10: Still an Exorbitant Profit

Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Still an Exorbitant Profit

Agricultural irrigation systems fell under the category of agricultural water conservancy and hydropower. So, all he had to do was recruit an agricultural water conservancy and hydropower engineer from the game, and they would be able to build the system.

Then he could have Liu De and the others assist with the labor, while he paid for the materials.

With that thought, he returned to the prefabricated building and directly tapped the option to recruit an agricultural water conservancy and hydropower engineer.

The game system notification sounded again:

[Congratulations, you have spent 8,500 yuan to recruit an agricultural water conservancy and hydropower engineer for a one-month employment term. The agricultural water conservancy and hydropower engineer is now manifesting...]

Along with the notification, his phone chimed with a text alert:

"Card ending in ***: 8,500 yuan paid to China Merchants Bank on June 7, 10:30. Remaining balance: 97,457.52 yuan."

A ball of light appeared before him once more, materializing into a middle-aged man.

The man had a laptop bag slung over his shoulder, and his attire was clearly different from Liu De and the others.

On the desk, another flash of light produced a contract.

"Boss, I’ve been working in agricultural water conservancy and hydropower engineering for over ten years. I definitely won’t let you down!" the middle-aged man assured Zhang Lin the moment he materialized.

Zhang Lin nodded and picked up the contract to look it over.

The man’s name was Guo Zhen, and according to the copy of his ID card, he was from a remote place called Shangzhai Village.

’The system gave him a real-world identity again.’

Seeing this, he opened the 2,000-acre map of the farm on his computer, beckoned Guo Zhen over, and pointed to the 500-acre area designated for the rapeseed Flower Sea. "Go take a look at this area. We’re developing it into a rapeseed Flower Sea and need an automatic irrigation system. See what needs to be done!"

"Yes, Boss. This is my specialty!" Guo Zhen replied, then immediately left the prefabricated building without another wasted word.

The employees recruited through the game were always so decisive and resolute—true people of action.

’This was the kind of employee every boss loved.’

Next, he turned his attention to the other level-up reward, the one he had been eagerly anticipating.

A new wholesale product had been added: Sunshine Rose grapes. Just like the honey peaches at the start, the daily limit was 500 jin!

The Sunshine Rose was a type of fruit that the Chinese people had brought from the heavens down to earth.

Previously, when you mentioned Sunshine Rose grapes, most people considered them a luxury item because they initially sold for as high as 600 yuan per jin.

Some people would even show off a single bunch of Sunshine Rose grapes on their Friends Circle, as if to broadcast their superiority. ’I can afford this astronomically priced fruit. Can the rest of you on my Friends Circle?’

Back then, the Japanese made a killing in China with these Sunshine Rose grapes. They even boasted that they were a grape most Chinese people couldn’t afford, exclusively targeting the high-end market.

Seeing how proud the Japanese were, the Chinese people couldn’t stand for it. Soon, after large-scale domestic research and cultivation, the Sunshine Rose had become a common fruit by this year. In You City, the market price was 15 yuan per jin.

There were news reports that Sunshine Rose growers in Japan were crying their eyes out.

However, due to the environment of their original production area in Japan, the flavor and texture of their grapes were indeed slightly better than the domestic ones. The imported variety could still sell for 150 yuan per jin, and the target audience was, naturally, the same people who used to pay 600 yuan per jin and post about it on their Friends Circle.

After all, the flavor and texture were genuinely better, and it allowed them to maintain their sense of superiority, right? They weren’t even afraid of potential nuclear radiation.

An ordinary person, even if the imported ones tasted slightly better, wouldn’t spend ten times the price for that small difference in flavor and texture.

Opening the wholesale market interface, Zhang Lin saw the information for the Sunshine Rose grapes:

1. Sunshine Rose (Quality 1), Wholesale Price: 6 yuan/jin, Available Wholesale Quantity: 500 jin/day.

Clearly, like the honey peaches, the Sunshine Rose grapes had a "Quality 1" suffix. ’Their quality must be comparable,’ he thought.

The wholesale price of 6 yuan was also far below the market rate.

He didn’t hesitate and tapped "Wholesale."

[Congratulations, you have spent 3,000 yuan to wholesale 500 jin of Sunshine Rose (Quality 1). The Sunshine Rose (Quality 1) have been manifested and stored in the warehouse. You can view them by opening the warehouse!]

"Card ending in ***: ...paid 3,000 yuan on June 7. Remaining balance: 94,457.52 yuan."

Following the game system’s prompt, Zhang Lin left the prefabricated building and headed straight for the warehouse.

As soon as he entered the warehouse, his eyes were met with basket after basket of vibrant green Sunshine Rose grapes. Their color was clearly excellent, and every single grape was perfectly plump.

He stepped forward, picked up a bunch, and saw the item description:

[Sunshine Rose: Quality 1].

[Description: Though not imported, they are a product of the game. The flavor is superb, making them the finest of all Sunshine Rose grapes. Deliciousness +1, Sweetness +1, Texture +1.]

Just like the honey peaches, these game-wholesaled Sunshine Rose grapes also had the attributes of Deliciousness +1, Sweetness +1, and Texture +1.

Moreover, the description made it clear that their flavor was definitely better than the ones imported from Japan.

Zhang Lin was a hands-on kind of person, so he eagerly popped a Sunshine Rose grape into his mouth and bit down.

Instantly, juice burst into his mouth. The grape was tender, succulent, enticingly sweet, and fragrant.

One word: delicious!

Two words: super delicious!

The description certainly hadn’t lied to him.

He had tried the imported Sunshine Rose grapes from the market before. While their flavor and texture were a bit better than the ordinary ones, they couldn’t even compare to these from the game’s wholesale.

Therefore, just like the honey peaches, he wouldn’t have any trouble selling these game-wholesaled Sunshine Rose grapes.

The only question now was how much to sell them for.

’According to his own thinking, he naturally wanted to sell them for a higher price than the Japanese ones, because the ones from the game were genuinely tastier.’

But he faced the same problem as before: domestic market pricing regulations were based on domestic prices, not imported ones. Selling at an exorbitant price would trigger a price review, which would require him to cooperate with an audit of his pricing data.

Zhang Lin really wanted to complain about this. ’Aren’t they just making things difficult?’

However, this regulation existed to maintain social stability, protect the interests of the general public, and prevent unscrupulous individuals and foreign agents from disrupting the market.

So, he could only blame himself for not having the confidence to face a data audit.

As for recklessly selling at a high price, he had no such intention. Although he could earn more that way, if he drew attention to himself, he’d be done for.

Especially since there were so many jealous people out there these days!

In the current situation, it was better to earn less and play it safe.

Still, this made pricing a headache. He had no choice but to go online and check the market prices.

Aside from the imported ones, there were also branded domestic Sunshine Rose grapes, like Xianqi, Longshan, and so on, whose prices were higher than the unbranded ones.

If he based his pricing on these branded Sunshine Rose grapes, selling them at a market price of 40 yuan per jin shouldn’t be a problem and wouldn’t trigger the regulation.

’Forty yuan it is, then.’ At that price, 500 jin a day would bring in 20,000 yuan. After deducting the 3,000 yuan wholesale cost, the profit would be 17,000 yuan.

That was still an insane 666% profit.

Besides, he might even be able to undercut the Japanese imported Sunshine Rose grapes.

Once the game’s wholesale quantity increased, and people discovered that the imported Sunshine Rose grapes they bought for 150 yuan a jin weren’t even as good as these domestic ones at 40 yuan a jin—and that the difference was huge—would anyone still buy the ones imported from Japan?

When that time came, the Sunshine Rose growers in Japan would be crying their eyes out all over again.