Chapter 315: Thriving Business
Ling Tianji was furious and shouted, “What are you doing?! Do you still want to run over and question that young lady? Cause another disturbance?! Do you even realize where you are? This is Xindu! If you still want to participate in this trade fair, then stay put. If not, close your shop and get out!”
The people from Dingnan looked displeased but quieted down significantly.
Jiao Qing’s husband also stopped in his tracks.
Getting kicked out of the trade fair now would ruin Dingnan’s reputation even further.
Ling Tianji stormed off in frustration and ordered Zhuo Ercheng to find the culprit behind all this as soon as possible and punish them severely to set an example. Otherwise, every participant would think they could run wild in Xindu, causing chaos.
Zhuo Ercheng’s eyes flickered. The culprit…
At 10 a.m., the trade fair officially opened. The citizens of Xindu, who had long heard about it, had already lined up outside the entrance.
Every year, the people of Xindu were enthusiastic about the trade fair because it was an opportunity to buy rare goods from various bases. Even if they didn’t plan to buy anything, they still wanted to check it out.
In the queue stood an inconspicuous family of three.
The mother was holding her son’s hand while talking on the communicator, sounding rather annoyed:
“I saw the photos of Dongyang School. Okay, okay, it does look good. If you want Rui’er to study there, I have no objections. But persuading me again and again to send Rui’er’s cousin there too—don’t you think that’s a bit…?”
A bit ridiculous.
But remembering that the person on the other end of the call was her younger sister—who had been brainwashed by Taoyang—she held back her words.
“Sis! I’m serious! While Dongyang School still has space, you should apply for housing in Taoyang as soon as possible and get Rui’er’s cousin enrolled. Xindu may be more developed in many aspects, but it’s not as safe as Taoyang. And life in Taoyang is just as good—if not better—than in Xindu—”
Before she could finish, the mother hung up.
Her son tilted his head arrogantly. “Was that Auntie again?”
She frowned and sighed. “Your aunt is obsessed. Every time she talks to me, she brings up Taoyang. I’m starting to think Taoyang is some sort of brainwashing cult…”
Her son nodded vigorously. “Li Ruili called me too. She said one of her classmates, Shi Ziyue, knows the boss of Taoyang. Apparently, the boss is only a few years older than us and super capable.”
The mother’s head buzzed.
A teenage boss?
Either Li Ruili was lying, or Taoyang was even more ridiculous than she had imagined.
She couldn’t help but warn, “Taotao, even though Ruili is your cousin and you used to be close, she’s lost her mind now. Don’t listen to her nonsense too much, or she’ll brainwash you too.”
Her son lifted his chin. “I just treat it as a joke. She even claimed their school has vending machines that sell balanced meals for just 60 federation coins. That’s impossible! We don’t even have those in Xindu, so how could Dongyang? And even if they did, no business would sell meals that cheap unless they were running a charity.”
Hearing this, the mother felt reassured and proud. Her son was smart and clear-headed.
She patted his shoulder. “Alright, alright. I believe you. We’re about to enter the trade fair. There will be a lot of people, so stick close to us.”
As they moved in with the crowd, they noticed that people were rushing toward a particular area.
The mother initially planned to browse each stall in order, but curiosity got the better of her. She stopped a passerby and asked, “Why is everyone heading that way?”
The hurried passerby replied, “The other shops are just like last year—nothing special. But this year, a new vendor called Taoyang joined the fair, selling all sorts of things—fresh fruits, iced drinks, cooked meals, and even daily necessities! You’ll see when you get there. Hurry and line up! Supplies are limited!”
The passerby quickly rushed off.
The mother turned to her husband. “Did they just say a new vendor called… what?”
Her husband, looking equally confused, replied uncertainly, “Taoyang?”
She frowned, then looked at her son.
Taotao scratched his head. “I heard Taoyang too.”
She groaned. “This is crazy. We’ve heard my sister talk about Taoyang so much that we’re hallucinating now.”
Her husband pulled her along. “Let’s go check it out. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.”
They followed the crowd and soon found that the line was so long that they couldn’t even see what Taoyang’s store looked like.
The mother clicked her tongue. “This is ridiculous.”
Just then, Taotao suddenly shouted, “Mom! Look at their lunchboxes!”
The couple followed his gaze and saw people leaving Taoyang’s store carrying large bags in one hand and stacks of neatly packed lunchboxes in the other.
Taotao’s voice cracked. “These are exactly like the ones Li Ruili sent me pictures of!”
The mother reached out to stop one of the customers. “Excuse me… can I see what dishes are inside?”
The customer happily showed her.
“Mushroom chicken, assorted beef stir-fry, and stir-fried green beans with pork…”
Taotao was stunned. “Li Ruili was telling the truth…”
The couple was also in shock.
*
Taoyang’s convenience store business was booming beyond Su Tao’s expectations.
By 3 p.m., they had completely sold out of stock, even though the shelves had been fully stocked that morning.
Outside, the line still stretched endlessly.
People who had been waiting all afternoon were outraged when they heard everything was sold out. It took Ma Dapao’s thick skin and smooth talking to calm the crowd, assuring them that the store would continue operating for the next two days.
After closing, Qian Rongrong quickly calculated the day’s earnings—a staggering 4.8 million federation coins.
Additionally, several wealthy customers, upon learning that they could place orders online, immediately paid for membership.
They also received 36 crystal cores.
Ma Dapao clicked his tongue as he reviewed the sales log. “Looking at the prices here compared to Panliu Mountain, boss, you’re practically running a charity.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
If the boss wanted to make money quickly, they could just raise Taoyang’s prices and rent. People would still pay.
But they didn’t do that. It wasn’t about squeezing profits—it was about genuinely building a livable place for everyone.
After a long day, the team sat together in the air-conditioned shop, eating instant noodles.
Minister Xu walked in, seeing the empty shelves and the exhausted but satisfied crew. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Business is booming, huh?”
Su Tao put down her noodles and invited him, “Minister Xu, have you eaten? Join us!”
Ma Dapao, ever quick, dragged over a chair and prepared another bowl of instant noodles.
Minister Xu didn’t stand on ceremony. He sat down, placing his communicator on the table while chatting with Su Tao.
Su Tao casually glanced at his screen and noticed the lock screen—a rough doodle featuring a rabbit, a red hat, and playing cards…
