Director Wang was montarily uncertain. He leaned over and whispered for quite so ti before managing to say with an awkward yet polite smile, "May I ask, Miss Jing, what are the contents of this box...?"
What a rare sight indeed.
Ugh, I’ve lived so long and yet I’ve never seen anything like this. How embarrassing.
It’s not that I haven’t seen it before, just that I’m not sure... How can one be certain just by its appearance? Fatty Wang rationalized.
Jing Shu was pleased to take out one of the boxes. She had to thank Mr. Jing’s excellent craftsmanship. Before leaving for the Imperial Capital, Jing Shu had been pondering what valuable items to bring. These could be used to forge connections or facilitate easy transactions should any incidents arise. It was like how the older generations always thought of sewing Silver and gold into their underwear before leaving ho—life-saving funds.
After much thought, Jing Shu decided to bring so Dried Blood Mushrooms that had been professionally processed.
Mr. Jing had said at the ti, "As the saying goes, ’Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse.’ A good item needs proper presentation. Look at those cultivated ginseng; they co in boxes worth tens of thousands, looking very impressive. We can’t fall behind."
So, Mr. Jing worked for several days and nights to craft ten exquisite boxes from Sandalwood and mounted the Blood Mushrooms with gold threads.
The product’s quality imdiately soared to an unbelievable level. The Blood Mushrooms now had an appearance similar to dried Shiitake Mushrooms, but their color had turned a deep, blood-black. If she hadn’t known, Jing Shu wouldn’t have recognized them as Blood Mushrooms.
"Yes, these are Blood Mushrooms, comparable to Lingzhi. I’ve just given them a special treatnt, but rest assured, their nutritional value is fully intact," Jing Shu explained.
Director Wang looked as if he had an epiphany. "I knew it! Fresh Blood Mushrooms are in high demand around here. Those things can only be found underwater, and ever since last year’s earthquake, they have beco increasingly scarce. This year, not a single one has been seen. It’s just that we have never seen Dried Blood Mushrooms because..."
At that point, Director Wang gave an embarrassed chuckle. "These are highly sought after, rare, and difficult to preserve. Once dug up, they’re snatched up imdiately."
Who on earth would save them for New Year’s, let alone dry them?
"Director Wang, these Dried Blood Mushrooms are huge, much bigger than any we’ve seen before."
"That’s why I didn’t dare to believe it at first," Director Wang said, rubbing his hands sowhat sheepishly. "I thought it was sothing fake made from sweet potato flour, like counterfeit sea cucumbers. This is incredibly precious, but how do we appraise..."
Before he could finish, Jing Shu took out the remaining half of a Blood Mushroom from her pocket. "The usual procedure: sample slices for tasting. The items for sale will undergo final appraisal at the point of sale."
Tan Ke then said incredulously, "Goodness, so the mushroom we ate yesterday was a Blood Mushroom! No wonder it was so fragrant and delicious..."
Hearing this, Director Wang and the others nearly choked with envy, all staring at the clueless oaf.
The Dried Blood Mushroom was quickly authenticated. It was hailed as one of the most precious top-tier ingredients of the apocalypse, an elusive item whose price had skyrocketed upon its first appearance.
Back then, a single Blood Mushroom could be exchanged for a house—sothing a person could barely afford even if they worked for three years without eating or drinking.
Transactions were limited back then because Blood Mushrooms were difficult to preserve, necessitating quick sales. This had resulted in a one-year absence from the market, with long queues forming at the Exchange’s demand boards, and prices soaring competitively. Now, they had reached the astronomical price of 100,000 coins per mushroom.
Director Wang rapidly comnced the final pricing and grading:
"Based on quality, considering all aspects of nutrition and the data on the Blood Mushroom’s specific health benefits—such as prolonging life, boosting immunity, and replenishing vital energy—it exceeds the data from previous assessnts. Therefore, we grade it as ’Special Grade Plus.’
"In terms of size and weight, these Dried Blood Mushrooms will expand significantly after rehydration, so we’ve decided to sell them by the gram as the base unit for sale.
"Considering storage duration, the shelf life of Dried Blood Mushrooms is undoubtedly longer, which multiplies their collectible value several tis over.
"Therefore, we’ve tentatively valued these Blood Mushrooms at upwards of five million Virtual Coins."
Even as Fatty Wang articulated these words, he found it hard to believe himself. The Exchange saw a daily turnover of tens of millions in Virtual Coins; he was accustod to seeing valuable items. But this ti, sothing felt out of control, for the woman before him created a strange illusion.
Special honey, top-quality Blood Mushrooms—these were items usually sold by the gram or individually. When had they beco so common as to be sold by the kilogram, or ten at a ti?
"So, my net worth is acceptable now, yes? May I go in?" Jing Shu asked. She truly wasn’t afraid of the Blood Mushrooms’ exposure; she could use Qian Duoduo as a shield.
In fact, Jing Shu had already made arrangents with Qian Duoduo. Should anyone covet the Blood Mushrooms, Qian Duoduo would surely step in as a middleman to sell them. This opportunity was actually quite good.
From then on, Jing Shu could quietly count her money in the background. Qian Duoduo, already a prominent figure accustod to attracting attention, wouldn’t mind the added exposure from handling a few more valuable items.
"No, no problem at all."
In Jing Shu’s hand was a digital card showing a balance of 10,000,000 Trading Coins. With this, Jing Shu could freely buy things now and settle up after selling her goods, much like a credit account. She just needed to settle the balance before leaving.
Director Wang hastily processed the paperwork. After it was done, he personally and eagerly escorted Jing Shu to the true eighth floor.
This caused a series of surprised glances around them.
"It’s been a while since we’ve seen Fatty Wang kiss up to soone like this."
"There must be so quality goods involved."
"I’ll quickly call Lao Liu over to watch the show."
In the elevator, Jing Shu suddenly asked, "Director Wang, if I want to sell all my goods for a large amount of Trading Coins today, would it cause any issues?"
"There will absolutely be no price drops due to a large volu of high-quality items appearing at once. Please rest assured, Miss Jing. If the price is reasonable, our Exchange will also purchase them. In fact, half of the items you will see at today’s Exchange were actually acquired by us."
"Moreover, the eighth-floor Exchange isn’t just for online transactions; it’s also connected to offline big data systems. I’ve already sent out mber notifications. Those who can’t make it can use Virtual Coins to bid directly online. You can rest assured about the prices," Director Wang said, a confident air about him as if he had just donned sunglasses with his own the music playing.
"Impressive. Old ginger is indeed spicier," Jing Shu said, giving a thumbs-up.
Right, this ans the Exchange will have lots of good stuff, doesn’t it? Whether it’s expensive or not doesn’t matter; I’m loaded now. For Jing Shu, money was rely a string of numbers.
Jing Shu was escorted to the eighth floor, into the central hall of the Exchange. The lights shone brightly, and the scene was bustling with excitent. It was the most reminiscent of pre-apocalyptic life that Jing Shu had seen since the apocalypse began.
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