Chapter Three: The Frenzy of Hoarding Supplies

“Miss Jiang, are you sure you want 200,000 packs of instant noodles? These are all close to expiration!” The factory owner’s voice trembled with disbelief.

Ever since their spokesperson’s scandal broke, the factory had been stuck with massive stockpiles of products. Even at steep discounts, no one dared to take them off their hands.

Time dragged on until the goods neared expiration, and yet, unexpectedly, someone was willing to buy.

Jiang Qiyu nodded, smiling gently. “Two yuan per box. I’ll take as many as you have.”

The owner’s face drained of color, his voice breaking with emotion. “Miss, each box contains 24 packs! That’s less than a dime per pack—you can’t do business like this!”

He’d thought she was a godsend, but it turned out she was taking advantage of their misfortune.

Jiang Qiyu sipped her tea calmly. “Taking your order is risky for me too. You know the market now. Besides, these noodles only have one month left before expiration. If I can’t sell them, they’ll just rot in my hands.”

The owner struggled, trying to raise the price. “This is way too low. Our regular price is 72 yuan per box. How about six yuan a box? Good luck for both of us.”

Jiang Qiyu sighed and stood up. “Then there’s nothing we can do. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance to cooperate next time.”

Seeing her resolve, the owner clenched his teeth and slapped his knee. “If you’re sincere, four yuan is my lowest.”

Jiang Qiyu immediately turned back and agreed readily. “Fine. Have it delivered today.”

The owner was stunned. She agreed so quickly, and he had underquoted the price! But with supply exceeding demand, he had no choice. Better to clear stock early and recover some cash.

Life is tough, he sighed.

“We can deliver, but you cover transport and labor costs. Otherwise, we’ll lose everything.”

Jiang Qiyu nodded in understanding. “No problem.”

Labor costs were already high. Buying at this price was a bargain for her; transport fees were trivial by comparison.

“Do you have other products?” she asked.

The owner’s eyes brightened as he sat up straight, launching into a nonstop sales pitch: “We also have self-heating rice, self-heating hot pot, bread, candy, chocolate... What else do you need?”

Since the spokesperson’s scandal, the brand’s reputation had taken a hit, and almost all their food items were stuck in inventory. They barely had room left for stock, and no one knew how much this young lady could actually take.

Jiang Qiyu waved her hand grandly. “I’ll take them all.”

The owner’s eyes widened in disbelief. “All of it? That’s a lot to sell, isn’t it?”

He immediately regretted the words. It was better to offload stock onto someone else than be stuck with it himself.

Jiang Qiyu smiled faintly. “My friend’s in foreign trade and moves goods quickly. No worries.”

“Well, that’s good, that’s good.” The owner forced a smile, checked the quantities, signed the contract, paid the deposit, and dispatched the stock.

Chocolate: 1,000 boxes. Self-heating rice: 2,500 boxes. Self-heating hot pot: 4,000 boxes. Bread: 2,000 boxes. Candy: 1,000 boxes. Beverages: 10,000 boxes. Electrolyte water: 1,000 boxes...

Though not as abundant or cheap as the instant noodles, these close-to-expiration foods were still excellent value. If rationed properly, these supplies could last a lifetime.

All of it cost just 1.22 million yuan—a steal!

To store the goods conveniently, Jiang Qiyu rented three enormous warehouses nearby and arranged for delivery.

Watching the workers neatly load the cargo onto trucks, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Loading and delivery might take time, so she planned to visit the wholesale market to buy some daily necessities.

“Miss Jiang, does your friend sell anything else besides food?”

Just as Jiang Qiyu was about to leave, she paused and looked sharply at the owner. “My friend runs a wholesale supermarket and buys everything. What else do you have?”

A shadow of worry flickered across the owner’s face. “Not me—it’s my cousin. He sells sanitary pads. Business has been poor, and he’s about to go under with a pile of stock.”

Sanitary pads!

In the apocalypse, such items were priceless. Many women suffered infections or died because they couldn’t get sanitary supplies. The smell of blood could attract zombies, and many survival groups refused to take women for this reason.

Even when some production resumed in the bases, sanitary pads weren’t prioritized, causing prices to skyrocket and supplies to dwindle.

Jiang Qiyu’s eyes lit up. “I’ll take them. Anything else besides sanitary pads?”

The owner thought for a moment. “There are also nighttime pants, tampons, and other assorted items. I’m not very familiar. If you’re interested, I’ll give you his contact.”

“Okay.”

After contacting the owner’s cousin, Jiang Qiyu bought 10,800 boxes of sanitary pads at 12 yuan per box, each containing 12 packs—about one yuan per pack.

She was quite satisfied with the price.

She also cleared out his stock of 5,000 boxes each of nighttime pants and tampons.

The total came to 179,600 yuan.

As before, she arranged for delivery to her warehouses.

Feeling refreshed, Jiang Qiyu paid her deposit and headed straight to the largest wholesale market in the city.

She went on a shopping spree!

Mung beans, red beans, soybeans, black rice, purple rice, Job’s tears—each 100 liters.

Spicy chicken feet, jelly, beef jerky, pork jerky, spicy small fish, konjac snacks—100 boxes each.

Tissues, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shower gel, shampoo, laundry detergent—100 boxes each.

The vendors smiled so broadly their eyes disappeared. Word spread through the market that a wealthy heir with deep pockets had arrived, and everyone hoped Jiang Qiyu would visit their shops next.

Meanwhile, the much-discussed wealthy heir quietly slipped away and entered the vegetable market.

“How much for these chickens?”

An older woman with a dark face grinned. “68 yuan per jin. These are home-raised free-range chickens fed only grain.”

Jiang Qiyu glanced at the dozen or so chickens left. “Okay, I’ll take them all. Can you deliver?”

The woman exclaimed with joy, assuring her, “Of course! That’s a lot to carry. Give me your address, and my husband will deliver.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Qiyu also bought some free-range ducks and geese to raise in her courtyard. They’d lay eggs, and when she craved a feast, she could slaughter a few.

She then bought various fish fingerlings—her empty swimming pool could be turned into a fish pond.

Passing by a calf seller, she casually bought two calves.

After a long day of shopping, her stomach growled. Just as she was about to eat out, a flash of familiar red caught her eye.

Near the stairs beside a tobacco and liquor store stood a tall man in a red leather jacket. Rather than standing out, he bore an air of mystery.

He glanced around, then quickly disappeared up the stairs, leaving two black-clad bodyguards below standing guard.

Though not very close, Jiang Qiyu clearly saw his face as he turned around.

Her pupils contracted sharply—it was him!

The scoundrel who had shoved her into a zombie horde in her past life!

What was he doing here?