Actually, the commission Li Xiang was taking was on the low side.

The commission for selling coffee via livestream typically ranges from 20% to 40%. The specific rate can vary depending on the brand, the streamer’s influence, and the terms of the partnership. For instance, domestic brands usually require a commission starting at 40%, whereas foreign brands start at 20%.

This is because domestic products have lower costs and, naturally, are relatively cheaper.

Li Xiang was just starting out, and he wouldn’t act like some of those unscrupulous streamers who take a 70% or 80% commission. There was one infamous case of a streamer selling a 79-yuan eyebrow pencil and making 63 yuan on each sale, who then had the audacity to complain that her viewers weren’t working hard enough and needed to reflect on why their salaries hadn’t increased for years.

A lot of the time, it’s not that people aren’t trying hard enough; it’s a problem with the system, with the environment. It’s a societal issue, not an individual one.

’The powers that be have you pinned down. They’ve already calculated exactly how much you can earn and how much you can spend. No matter how hard you try, it’s basically impossible to break through that ceiling without a special opportunity or a powerful benefactor.’

’Big data, macroeconomics, control, harvesting... it’s a deep rabbit hole.’

Coffee is inherently a high-profit product. And since He Zhixiang’s brand was a startup, he was willing to offer a better deal. Compared to other coffees of similar quality on the market, his product was a good value for the price.

Even so, since the coffee was shipped directly from the plantation without a lot of middlemen taking a cut, Li Xiang could take a 25% commission while He Zhixiang still turned a hefty profit.

He Zhixiang was a man of his word. The money, including the prior advertising and appearance fees, was transferred to Li Xiang’s account right after the livestream ended.

Li Xiang felt the partnership had been very pleasant. Before he left, He Zhixiang came to see him off, had his driver help with the luggage, and arranged for the car to take Li Xiang straight home.

The resort was located halfway up a mountain. From the balcony, you could see slopes covered in coffee trees. Li Xiang had a good feeling about He Zhixiang and couldn’t help but ask, "Are your coffee trees cold-resistant?"

He Zhixiang paused, then nodded. "They’re decent. They can handle a degree or two below zero without any issues."

Li Xiang gazed toward the horizon, pondering for a moment before giving a warning. "This winter might be different. I have a feeling there’s going to be a massive snowstorm. The temperature could drop to ten-something degrees below zero. You should prepare your coffee trees for the cold."

Coffee trees are tropical plants, with an ideal average growing temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius. While they have some cold tolerance, they are definitely not frost-proof. If the trees were damaged or killed by frost, next year’s harvest would naturally be ruined. And it’s not easy to grow a coffee tree; it takes about three to five years from planting to bearing fruit.

"Are you serious?" He Zhixiang’s eyes widened in disbelief. As much as he trusted Li Xiang, he thought this was just nonsense. He couldn’t help but point and argue, "Bro, do you know about our province’s kapok flowers? See? That patch of red over there."

In a corner of the hotel grounds, a grove of kapok trees was in full, dazzling bloom, their vibrant red blossoms creating an enchanting spectacle that looked like a cloud of fire.

Seeing Li Xiang nod, He Zhixiang continued, "In other places, kapok trees might bloom between March and May. But here, it’s like spring year-round. They start blooming in November and keep going until March. And you’re telling me a temperate place like this is going to get a massive snowstorm with temperatures ten-something degrees below zero? It’s not that I don’t trust you, bro, but how am I supposed to believe that?"

"Sigh..." Li Xiang let out a soft sigh and smiled. "Just think of it as a joke, then."

He had expected as much. ’No one would believe me.’

’I’ve thought about warning the government or the military, telling them to prepare in advance, but it’s clearly not the right time. Forget mentioning the Apocalypse; no one would even believe me about the snowstorm.’

"I’m heading out. Let’s keep in touch. It’s been a pleasure working with you!" Li Xiang said, shaking his hand.

"Yeah, it’s been a pleasure. We’ve got a long road ahead of us; we’re good brothers now." He Zhixiang shook his hand and then gave Li Xiang a hug, feeling his solid muscles with a pang of envy.

’I should really start working out,’ he thought. This layer of fat not only meant several of his health metrics were out of range during his physicals, but it also really affected his image. Although at his level, while not exactly a tycoon, he certainly didn’t have a shortage of beautiful women.

...

After returning home, Li Xiang rested for a night. The next day, he rode his three-wheeled motorbike into the county town to purchase supplies and prepare to hole up for the winter.

When he got to the food market, he passed the stalls selling live chickens, ducks, and geese. He used his "Mutant Creature Identification Function" to scan them, but none of them had Extraordinary potential. ’I’ll have to check the zoo or a pet market when I have time,’ he thought.

He figured there were probably far more potential Mutated Creatures in the wild, but unfortunately, the animals were too wary and wouldn’t let him get close.

’My aura is probably too strong now,’ he mused. ’I should see if I can exchange for some kind of aura-concealing Magic Skill. It would make it easier to move around in the future.’

Li Xiang bought fifty-five pounds of pork—including shoulder, loin, and belly, all good, fresh cuts that the butcher said were from a pig slaughtered that morning. He also bought twenty-two pounds of ribs, twenty-two pounds of beef, six pig’s trotters, and various seasonings: broad bean paste, oyster sauce, vinegar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, and braising spice packets.

As for garlic, cilantro, chili peppers, and chili sauce, he had plenty at home and didn’t need to buy any.

He bought a full fifty bags of salt, each one weighing 500 grams. The shop owner must have thought he was preparing for a huge banquet.

He also bought thirty-three pounds of soybeans and five-and-a-half pounds of food-grade gypsum powder.

He planned on making his own tofu at home. ’On a snowy day, a simmering pot of tofu with pickled vegetables, meatballs, napa cabbage, and vermicelli noodles... there’s nothing more delicious.’

The gypsum powder he bought wasn’t industrial grade; it was labeled as a food additive compliant with national standard GB1886.6, with the chemical composition of calcium sulfate.

Tofu making is divided into "northern" and "southern" styles, though this distinction refers to the production method, not geography.

The "southern style" uses food-grade gypsum as a coagulant, while the "northern style" uses brine. There’s also silken tofu, which is made using a Japanese method that uses glucono delta-lactone (GDL) as a coagulant.

The textures of these types of tofu are naturally quite different. Southern-style tofu was Li Xiang’s favorite because it’s more delicate and smooth, while northern-style tofu is relatively coarse and firm.

His grandmother was getting older and hadn’t planted any soybeans this year, which was why he had none at home. Li Xiang planned to plant some next year. Soybeans fix nitrogen, which is good for the soil.

Legumes, especially soybeans, work in symbiosis with bacteria (rhizobia) on their roots to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can absorb. This process not only provides ample nutrition for the soybean plant itself but also "stores" nitrogen in the soil for other plants to use, thereby improving the land’s fertility.

Simply put, planting soybeans is like automatically applying nitrogen fertilizer to the soil.