Chapter 1538: Chapter 1537: The Unscrupulous rchant
Ling Feng felt speechless upon seeing the plaque and store na.
The shop owner was truly arrogant. While most people keep their wealth hidden, he seed to wish everyone knew how rich he was.
His money was clearly earned from price gouging, exploiting all the mushroom gatherers in the village, yet he showed no restraint!
As they reached the entrance, Chen Fei stepped into the shop, and Ling Feng followed her in.
In the glass display case, so dried mushrooms were placed inside as samples. Ling Feng glanced at them and then called out loudly, "Is anyone here?"
"Who is it?"
A man’s voice sounded, and he soon walked out from the back.
It was a balding man around fifty years old, with a ring of gray hair around his forehead.
"I wanted to ask if there’s any matsutake here, I’d like to buy so." Ling Feng said.
The man didn’t look at him but instead looked at Chen Fei, then broke into a broad smile: "If I’m not mistaken, you must be Director Chen?"
"Yes, that’s !"
Chen Fei had co to the countryside for poverty alleviation, and while ordinary people might not know it, soone of status in the village like Cheng Shu had heard about it.
With the woman’s deanor and appearance, it was clear she didn’t co from the village, so Cheng Shu imdiately thought of Director Chen from the Public Security Bureau.
Once he got confirmation from Chen Fei, Cheng Shu was overjoyed, quickly saying: "Director Chen’s visit brings such honor to my little shop!"
"No need for the formalities. We’re here to buy matsutake. Do you have any?" Chen Fei asked calmly.
"Yes, we do!"
Cheng Shu chuckled, quickly opened a box under the counter, and took out two dark red mushrooms.
After being dried, these matsutakes were a bit wrinkled, but their appearance was still quite good.
Chen Fei took them in her hand and then asked, "How much?"
"No need to talk about money. Consider them as gifts from
to Director Chen. Normally I don’t even get a chance to see you at the bureau!" Cheng Shu laughed.
Chen Fei frowned slightly and then said, "If you don’t take my money, I can’t accept them. That wouldn’t be right. Tell , how much?"
"These two would usually sell for eight hundred, but since the director wants them, let’s say five hundred!" Cheng Shu laughed.
Ling Feng and Chen Fei exchanged a glance, secretly shocked.
Were two dried matsutakes really worth so much?
Even with a discount, five hundred was still quite a lot!
So Ling Feng couldn’t help but ask, "What kind of price is this? Are you aligning with international markets or what? How much did you pay to acquire them?"
"I paid over five hundred when I bought them!"
Cheng Shu glanced at him and imdiately replied.
Ling Feng made a sound of acknowledgnt and then nodded, "Alright, can’t expect the boss to lose money, right?"
With that, he took out six one-hundred-yuan bills and placed them on the counter.
Seeing the cash, Cheng Shu didn’t engage in any further pretenses and cheerfully accepted the money.
Ling Feng and Chen Fei didn’t linger long, turning to leave.
Just as they reached the entrance, a car stopped, catching their attention.
As the driver got out, Ling Feng glanced at him and froze upon seeing the man was short with a wide-legged walk.
Seeing this, Chen Fei softly asked, "What’s the matter?"
"That guy looks like he’s from Dongying!" Ling Feng said.
"Oh?"
Chen Fei turned to look, but the man had already entered the shop, and she only caught a glimpse of his back.
"Let’s go. We can talk in the car."
Ling Feng took her hand, and they headed back to the village governnt office.
As they walked, Ling Feng’s Divine Sense focused on Cheng Shu’s place.
The man, around thirty years old, entered the shop, and Cheng Shu eagerly greeted him, "Mr. Matsumoto, what brings you here?"
"I ca to check things out and discuss sothing with you."
Matsumoto’s face was full of arrogance. He didn’t spare Cheng Shu a proper glance, heading straight to the room at the back.
Cheng Shu followed, kowtowing relentlessly, looking like a quintessential traitor’s lackey. Ling Feng frowned in disgust!
Matsumoto was already in the room at the back and casually pulled a chair to sit down, speaking harshly: "From now on, you need to lower your buying prices!"
"What?"
Cheng Shu was taken aback but quickly said: "Prices are already quite low. How can they go lower?"
"It’s the company’s policy. You won’t lose your profit margins. Just push the purchase price down, simple as that."
Matsumoto threw a condescending look at Cheng Shu: "Those farrs will be happy with whatever little money they get. Even if you cut the price more, they wouldn’t dare complain. What’s got you so nervous?"
"That’s true."
Cheng Shu gave a sycophantic laugh, sat down and said: "But I’m worried, what if they go sell to soone else?"
"Sell to soone else?"
Matsumoto glanced at him, then sneered: "These people are nothing but scattered sand. Keep an eye on anyone who tries to stir trouble and let
know. I have ways to deal with them!"
"Alright, I understand!"
Cheng Shu nodded and quickly made tea for Matsumoto.
Seeing this, Ling Feng clenched his fist in anger.
However, he didn’t imdiately confront this despicable duo. Once he got in the car, he said directly to Chen Fei: "Let’s head to a village up in the mountains and find out if those two matsutakes were really worth over five hundred when they were sold to Cheng Shu."
"Alright!"
Chen Fei nodded and drove away from the village office, heading towards the mountains.
After a twenty-minute drive, they arrived at a small mountain village by the roadside.
The two got out of the car, and Ling Feng went to a house, where he saw several strings of mushrooms hanging under the eaves, so he asked, "Is anyone ho?"
An elderly, bent man erged from the house, looked at him, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"Sir, do you gather mushrooms here? I have so questions." Ling Feng said with a smile.
"Oh, what do you want to ask?"
The old man, appearing to have so back trouble, walked over with a cane and asked.
"Here are two matsutakes. I want to know if there are others of this quality in the village, and how much they would cost." Ling Feng said.
The old man looked at them and then nodded: "I have so of these at ho. How many do you want?"
Ling Feng felt relieved, not expecting to find so so easily. He quickly asked, "How much do they cost?"
"Sa as the purchase station price, one hundred and fifty per pound!" the old man said.
"What?"
Ling Feng was stunned upon hearing this, then turned to look at Chen Fei.
Chen Fei was also a bit confused and quickly asked, "Sir, can you tell us how much these two in our hand would be worth?"
The old man looked them over and then said: "These are less than half a pound, so about fifty or sixty bucks."
"..."
Both of them were dumbstruck.
Ling Feng quickly asked, "Sir, could you please check again, make sure there’s no mistake? These are matsutakes!"
"I know, but that’s the price. If you think it’s expensive, there’s nothing you can do. That’s the market price. I can’t go any lower!" the old man said.
Ling Feng didn’t say a word, took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a murderous intent rising within him!
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