novelraw Chapter 782: Is Heaven trying to make me rich?
Chapter 782: Is Heaven trying to make me rich?
"The lamb chops are fatty and lean, interspersed with no tendons. The texture is soft, and they are juicy and tender. Make them into French-style lamb chops for me. The brisket cartilage is for braised pilaf, using our Wu City carrots and raisins for a lamb pilaf that’s rich yet not greasy. The lamb belly should be stewed clear; the meat is slightly firm, offering a fatty, deep, and aromatic taste. The lamb tail, pan-fried until fragrant. The rump, which has more fat than lean, should be braised and then made into grilled skewers."
Su Malie prattled on about more than a dozen other ways to prepare it, each method making one’s mouth water.
Jing Shu listened from the side, swallowing her saliva. In the past, when she ate lamb, it was mostly whole roasted, stewed, or stir-fried. The preparations were rather rough; it had never been so meticulously detailed before.
Jing Shu immediately raised her hand. "That one... count me in!" She then contributed another sheep, asking Su Malie’s Michelin chef to prepare an identical set for her, which she could take on the road to savor slowly.
"No problem!"
Jing Shu had the sheep, and Su Malie had the chef; the two hit it off instantly.
The old butler smiled dotingly. "Alright, alright, we’ll prepare a special meal for the young lady exactly as requested. We’ll use the remaining large bones to make soup with radishes for the guests at the banquet, and add minced meat pilaf and stir-fried lamb offal to the menu. Jing Shu, dear, you can take your portion to go. How does that sound?"
"Hmm! I hope everything goes smoothly at the banquet later and I can not only meet but exceed my goals!" Su Malie wished.
"You’re sure to have your wishes fulfilled."
...
The Yun Gui Flower Food Festival began. It was organized exactly like the buffets before the apocalypse: tables lined up in a row displayed delicacies from across the country, with stacks of plates underneath. If you wanted something, you would pass your plate over, and a server would serve you... hmm, about a chopstick-full.
Of course, more items were served in individual portions: bowls of yogurt, small platters of fruit, and plates of Peking duck the size of fingernails. This included dishes of Lanzhou beef noodles without beef, Shaanxi lamb soup pita without lamb, tiny Yun Gui Flower Cakes, thinly sliced baked salt chicken, Ningbo sweet dumplings served individually, and Xinjiang cut cakes weighed by the gram.
The only generous display was the large round table in the center area, piled conspicuously high with a mountain of crayfish.
Not many people attended, fewer than sixty in total. Everyone was well-mannered; there was no scrambling. People chatted jovially, savoring each flavor. HMM... If not for the somewhat loud slurping of crayfish, Jing Shu would have almost believed it.
Most people were full and satisfied after eating. Even Yun Siniang let out a contented burp. Afterward, she managed to eat two more bowls of lamb soup and slurp down over thirty crayfish, remarking that this year’s portions were the most generous yet. Yet Jing Shu had only had a bit of Jiang Jiang to tide her over. Oh well, I can still enjoy the private kitchen’s full lamb feast later...
The resource exchange conference was also drawing to a close. Jing Shu had been eavesdropping for a long while but hadn’t found any decent resources for exchange. Other companies were willing to trade for cigarettes, but either their offered prices were too low, or they proposed resources that the Cigarette Factory couldn’t use at all.
It turned out the Cigarette Factory’s cost-effectiveness was low. The ruthless boss would rather buy more low-priced food and essential survival supplies than exchange them for cigarettes.
Meanwhile, Su Malie’s petroleum resources also encountered a minor issue.
Petroleum is a high-end, essential, and highly sought-after resource. Previously, petroleum by-products were widely used and inexpensive. But now? With people struggling even to afford food and overall production lagging, there were fewer buyers, and the prices weren’t cheap.
"So now, to buy petroleum, one must also purchase the not-so-cheap by-products?"
"When you buy fuel, you must also buy 10% of petroleum by-products."
Everyone whispered amongst themselves. Some were angry but too afraid to speak out. Someone suggested that the fuel price could rise but asked if they could buy fewer by-products.
After lazily stating the rules, Su Malie discussed purchasing a few lambs, piglets, and calves with Jing Shu, paying no heed to whether everyone agreed or not. The terms were just that—if you don’t buy, I won’t sell. The petroleum wouldn’t spoil anyway.
"SIGH, it’s just that we’ve accumulated too many by-products over the years, and the warehouse can hardly fit them all. My old man came up with the idea of bundling some to sell off in exchange for some resources. Now, that task has fallen to me; he says it’s the first test in taking over the company.
"As long as I can sell one-tenth of the inventory, I’ll complete the task. If I sell one-fifth, they’ll promote me to Vice General Manager. SIGH, I’ve been to two cities and have only managed to sell one percent."
Poor Su Malie. Dammit, Su Malie is rich. How is she poor?
Jing Shu couldn’t help asking, "What can these by-products be used for? Are they really useless in the apocalypse?"
Jing Shu wondered if she could snag a bargain.
Su Malie shrugged helplessly. "In the past, they had many uses, but now we can’t afford them. Lubricants and paraffin oils, for example, can be used as soap materials; those are at least somewhat useful. But things like asphalt for paving, or olefins and aromatics for making plastics, synthetic fibers, and synthetic rubber? Very few can afford those now."
Oh... then it doesn’t seem to concern me.
Finally, someone came to trade. They not only bought a substantial amount of fuel but also purchased all the accompanying Polypropylene.
"This boss must be rich," Jing Shu said. Others were gritting their teeth, wanting to bargain, but this person said nothing.
Su Malie then said, "This person’s family owns metal mines, so they consume a lot of fuel. Plus, their factory workshops are incredibly dusty. They’re buying the Polypropylene to make a batch of filter masks and protective face shields for the workers. Otherwise, the workers wouldn’t last long before kicking the bucket."
"Oh... wait, filter masks?" Jing Shu suddenly exclaimed.
"Yes, why? What’s up?" asked Su Malie, noticing her strong reaction.
"Polypropylene is used for masks? Or does it have something to do with masks? So, is Polypropylene a petroleum by-product?" Jing Shu was excited, firing off several questions in quick succession.
Su Malie, not understanding Jing Shu’s excitement, explained, "Olefins, a by-product of petroleum, are refined to produce Polypropylene, or PP plastic. This is the main material for meltblown cloth. Meltblown cloth, in turn, is the primary raw material for filter masks. That’s the connection."
Rounding things off, Polypropylene is essentially the main raw material for masks. And Su Malie’s warehouses are overflowing with it! Holy smokes, was this the heavens’ way of letting me get rich? To think that as an underachiever, being less educated had its downsides. Su Malie, such a big shot with mask raw materials, was right in front of me, and I hadn’t even realized it!
She knew that after this year, the entire country would be enveloped in a vile stench—a mixture of rotten eggs left out for a hundred days and the smell of farts from a hundred days of constipation. The odor would be suffocating and somewhat toxic, and she had only prepared enough protective gas masks in her space for her own family.
Although, after smelling it for a while—ugh—you get used to it. But still!! Before, I was insignificant and my ability was limited. But now, since I know in advance, shouldn’t I prepare early for next year’s disaster?
Jing Shu swallowed hard and said, "This time when you go back, you might become Vice General Manager straight away."