Matrix Survival: I Get A Random Chest Every Day-Chapter 900 - 637: The Catfish Effect

The market prices in each street district of the Outer City vary for various reasons.

In some districts, weapons are more expensive, in others, armor is pricier, and in yet others, medicines cost more...

This led to the emergence of a profession in the early days known as "street district trading guilds."

The main business was buying and reselling goods.

However, when teleportation gate costs increased, the profits from trading dwindled, leading to the gradual disappearance of this unique profession.

Some well-connected trading guilds could obtain teleportation discounts from familiar teleportation gate receptionists, allowing them to transport goods across districts more cheaply than others and forming businesses with similar operations dedicated to transporting goods across street districts.

The most prominent among them was Kangaroo Express, which Li Zheng had previously encountered.

In the top fifty street districts, due to the large number of residents venturing into the Wilderness for missions, the demand for resources that enhance abilities is enormous. Although crops that can develop Genetic Abilities are not favored by certain races, they are highly sought after by most residents.

Take Menghua Pavilion, for example; Huaxiangyu delivers tens of thousands of Intermediate and High Tier crops to dozens of shops in street district No. 7 every month.

Even with such a large transaction volume, there are times when demand exceeds supply.

Occasionally, when the terminal issues mandatory tasks, stores dealing in crops are completely sold out.

Therefore, the demand for Cultivation Liquid, which can speed up crop growth, is much higher compared to other districts, causing prices to soar. The market price is now 50% higher than what Kota paid initially!

Kang'er bought Intermediate Cultivation Liquid from Li Zheng at a 30% discount, approximately 1,050 White Crystal Coins per 100 milliliters. This was a discount negotiated by the Kota brothers with the black market from the original price of 1,500, which should actually cost 2,000 White Crystal Coins per 100 milliliters without the discount.

The enhanced Intermediate Cultivation Liquid, naturally priced higher than the regular version, costs between 3,000 and 4,000 White Crystal Coins if based on the prices in Kang'er's street district.

In street district No. 7, prices are even higher, so Li Zheng's price for Menghua Pavilion is 5,500 White Crystal Coins for 100 milliliters of enhanced Intermediate Cultivation Liquid!

"If your order is large enough, I can offer you a discount from this price, only 5,000 White Crystal Coins per 100 milliliters," Li Zheng readily proposed his target price.

This price could buy Advanced Cultivation Liquid in district No. 950. (Which is actually Kang'er's street district; I had previously confused it and kept referring to it as No. 902.)

After calculating, Huaxiangyu found the offer reasonable and agreed without bargaining: "Okay, at 100 milliliters per batch, give me 100,000 batches first."

For every 100 milliliters of Cultivation Liquid, the effect duration varies depending on the Tier of the crop being cultivated.

The higher the crop Tier, the more easily the liquid is absorbed, significantly shortening the duration.

Menghua Pavilion's business is extensive, with just a glance, Li Zheng noted more than ten thousand crops being cultivated.

In comparison, these 100,000 batches of Cultivation Liquid seem more like samples for Huaxiangyu to test the effect rather than a formal order.

However, for Li Zheng, it already counted as a super business deal.

Closing this deal would allow him to directly purchase the Black Dragon Spear!

"The quantity is quite large; my stock is insufficient and will require some time to deliver." Li Zheng smiled wryly, surprised by the appetite of the first botanical garden he approached. He initially thought he would need to visit several more, but it appears fulfilling Menghua Pavilion's order alone would keep him busy.

Stock shortages are normal; even Menghua Pavilion doesn't keep an inventory of all flower-type crops. District stores often place orders first, and only then does she start planting and cultivating. Once the product is available, it's delivered.

Huaxiangyu asked, "How soon can you deliver?"

"Within ten days." Li Zheng considered this, noting that although gathering necessary raw materials would take time, the actual production of the Cultivation Liquid was not time-consuming: "I can deliver in batches within ten days, ensuring you won't be delayed in using it."

"Ten days..." Menghua Pavilion's current orders aren't urgent, and this batch of Cultivation Liquid is intended for competitive bidding against other botanical gardens, so Huaxiangyu nodded decisively: "Ten days is fine, but I can only pay a tenth of the deposit initially. As each batch is delivered, payments will be made proportionally until the full amount is paid."

"No problem." Li Zheng smiled and extended his hand: "Pleasure doing business with you."

Understanding his gesture, Huaxiangyu shook his hand, smiling gently: "Pleasure doing business with you."

With the business settled, the two drafted a contract on the spot, checking for any missing or ambiguous terms before signing, which finalized the transaction.

The total amount was 50,000 Red Crystal Coins, with a tenth being 5,000, which was a trivial amount for Huaxiangyu. After signing the contract, she transferred the amount to Li Zheng without a second thought.

Receiving the payment, Li Zheng was in a great mood, happily noting his inscription card's balance finally exceeded four digits (in Red Crystal Coins, as converting it to White Crystal Coins would result in too long a number), counting it over several times before putting the card away.

"By the way," Li Zheng remembered something, "I heard in other districts that crops capable of developing Genetic Abilities are monopolized by laboratories. Why does the Garden Master have so many Flame Flowers?"

The Kang'er Botanical Garden only operates delicious fruits; as for genetic ability-related crops, there isn't a single one.

At the time, the old Vine Race Kang'er had already told Li Zheng, genetic ability crops are controlled by labs, and the botanical garden doesn't have the qualifications to operate them.

"It's very simple." Hua Xiangyu pointed to a table not far away, which has the business license provided by the terminal when the botanical garden was registered: "Because Menghua Pavilion holds dual qualifications for both the botanical garden and flower crop laboratory, I can also operate elite genetic ability crops here."

Li Zheng suddenly realized, Hua Xiangyu had mentioned not long ago that Flame Flower is a new breed she developed.

This detail already revealed that Menghua Pavilion holds laboratory qualifications at the same time, and yet he didn't notice.

He then asked, "The Garden Master previously mentioned that No. 4 Street used to be a settlement for the Celestial Net Race, if the terminal hadn't allocated No. 4 Street to the Water Blue Star players, what would happen?"

"You Water Blue Star players haven't entered the Outer City in large numbers, yet you managed to get such a leading numbered exclusive street, such good luck!"

Speaking of this matter, Hua Xiangyu looked emotional: "Back when the Butterfly Flower Race entered the Outer City, the terminal only allocated a street number that was very far back to us. After one month of exclusivity, almost no other residents wanted to settle there; it nearly turned into Ghost Street.

Later, our race relied on our talent for flower crop cultivation, starting from scratch, moved into streets with more advanced numbering, and the terminal-allocated residence even became the largest flower cultivation base in the entire Outer City.

And I... it was then that I saved up some money, slowly developed, and eventually settled in No. 7 Street, expanding Menghua Pavilion to its current scale."

Li Zheng nodded thoughtfully, meaning the terminal's allocation of No. 4 Street to them effectively saved Water Blue Star players the trouble of climbing up.

Directly reaching the top dream district sought after by most Outer City residents.

"Where did the original residents of No. 4 Street go after they were evacuated?" Li Zheng asked, "Did the terminal pay a substantial price for this?"

Hua Xiangyu: "The previous residents of No. 4 Street should have been relocated by the terminal to some idly numbered streets at the back, and indeed, the terminal had to provide some compensation for dispersing No. 4 Street residents, like refunding part of their housing purchase expenses."

The number of people living in a district is unknown, even just the dispersal fees, Li Zheng couldn't imagine what astronomical numbers they amounted to.

Estimating that only the terminal of the entire Outer City would have such vast resources to execute such a thing.

Hua Xiangyu looked at Li Zheng's complexion and continued, "Are you worried that those evacuated residents might come back someday to cause you trouble?"

Li Zheng nodded: "Indeed, there's such a concern."

After all, the terminal's actions bear resemblance to forced demolition, and if he himself were forcibly dispersed, he would feel some resentment.

"You don't have to worry about these." Hua Xiangyu said: "Previously, similar occurrences happened periodically, usually a certain race must make substantial contributions to the Outer City to reside in a numbered leading street.

Alternatively, residents of highly numbered streets with low contributions would be moved to the rear.

However, ever since the Outer City residents started to collectively slack off, the overall layout of the Outer City hasn't changed in a long time. This time No. 4 Street being demoted marks the first appearance of change."

"Do low contributions lead to demotion to the back streets?" Li Zheng pondered: "Does this imply that the Celestial Net Race in No. 4 Street was evacuated because their contribution didn't match their status?"

"That's one way to interpret it." Hua Xiangyu nodded: "Actually, the situation on No. 4 Street didn't justify retaining that position for quite some time, but the top fifty streets got used to the current arrangement, unwilling to submit qualification verification to the terminal."

Upon saying this, she suddenly recalled something, mused, "The Outer City residents have been less enthusiastic year by year, maybe the terminal allocating No. 4 Street to you serves another purpose."

Another purpose?

Li Zheng was briefly stunned and then understood: "Darn, Carpe Effect?"

He once heard a story, people from a certain country loved eating sardines, especially live ones.

The market price of live fish is considerably higher than dead ones, so fishermen always sought ways to keep sardines alive until reaching the port.

However, despite all efforts, most sardines still suffocated and died midway. But one ship's captain managed to keep most sardines alive till reaching the port.

The captain strictly kept his secret, and when he passed away, the mystery was finally revealed.

It turns out that the captain placed a catfish, which primarily feeds on fish, into the tank filled with sardines.

After the catfish entered the tank, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar environment, it swam everywhere. Sardines got very nervous upon seeing the catfish, darting left and right, dodging and accelerating their swimming. Thus, the oxygen deficiency problem solved itself, and the sardines wouldn't die.

As a result, the lively sardines hopped and skipped back to the port.

And the Water Blue Star players are the terminal's catfish thrown into the sardine group!