Chapter 314: The Extravagant Taoyang
Su Tao was busy arranging products in the temporary trading store they had rented when she heard the commotion in the distance. However, she didn’t pay much attention and continued organizing things in an orderly manner.
This trading area was actually set up in an open space beneath the exhibition hall, covering more than 5,000 square meters. Over seventy stores of varying sizes had been built overnight.
Most of the stores were allocated to large and small bases participating in the Alliance Summit, while the remaining ones were rented out.
Ma Dapao had managed to secure a store in a prime location—near the main entrance and at a corner, ensuring much higher foot traffic than regular spots. Most importantly, he hadn’t spent a single penny on it. He had relied entirely on connections he had made over the past few days and sheer audacity.
Not only that, but he had also somehow acquired a mobile generator, allowing the store’s refrigerators and freezers to function properly.
Upon hearing that Taoyang had secured a store, Ding Heyu immediately came over to greet them and see if they needed any help.
But the moment he arrived, he was shocked to see a large crowd gathered around Taoyang’s store.
At first, he thought something had happened. But after pushing his way through the crowd, he was even more startled.
Taoyang had placed not one, not two, but five large freezers along the left wall of their store!
Each one was stocked full of colorful, diverse, and refreshing ice drinks.
Just then, Su Tao walked out with a large sun umbrella. Seeing Ding Heyu, she smiled and nodded.
“Mayor Ding, were you looking for me?”
“I just came to check on you all. I was going to ask if you needed any help, but it looks like you’ve got everything under control. Consider this just a friendly visit.”
Ding Heyu helped her position the umbrella properly and then glanced at the five freezers with admiration.
“When the trading event officially opens, I suggest you station a few strong men at your entrance to maintain order. Otherwise, you’re bound to run into trouble.”
“Thanks for the reminder, Mayor Ding. Why don’t you come inside? It’s too hot out here.”
As soon as Ding Heyu stepped inside, he was greeted by a refreshing blast of cool air. A quick glance around, and he spotted two standing air conditioners installed in the corners of the store.
As expected of Taoyang…
Ding Heyu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.
It wasn’t that Wutai couldn’t afford air conditioners—they could. But nobody would go through the trouble of hauling them all the way to a trade fair. Everyone simply accepted that enduring the heat was part of the experience. Why waste the effort?
But Taoyang? Taoyang never seemed to care about such concerns. No matter where they went, they ensured they had a cool, comfortable environment, good food, and quality rest.
What was this called? Wealth? No—resources and power, allowing them to act however they pleased!
They simply did whatever made them the most comfortable.
Lin Fangzhi noticed Ding Heyu and put down what he was doing to greet him. “Mayor Ding, what would you like to drink? It’s on me.”
He gestured toward the menu board behind him.
Next to the cash register, they had set up a separate milk tea station based on Zheng Xing’s design. It featured homemade iced drinks, and Lin Fangzhi was currently acting as the milk tea barista.
Ding Heyu glanced at the menu, feeling overwhelmed by the number of options.
He chuckled. “I’ve been to so many trade fairs, and most stores just display their base’s specialty products and start selling. But you guys? You’ve practically set up a fully stocked convenience store from before the apocalypse.”
Hearing this, Qian Rongrong, who was wiping down the counter, grinned.
“That’s exactly what we modeled our store after! Our little planner in Taoyang came up with the idea.”
She pointed at Zheng Xing, who was stocking the shelves.
Zheng Xing blushed slightly. “I discussed it with my teacher beforehand. The fact that we achieved 85% similarity to a real convenience store is all thanks to my teacher.”
Ding Heyu sincerely praised him, “Taoyang is full of talented people.”
Seeing that Ding Heyu hadn’t decided on a drink yet, Lin Fangzhi made the decision for him.
“I’ll get you a Kumquat Fizz.”
The kumquats were fresh—one of the many fruits cultivated by Wu Zhen recently, along with blueberries, cherry tomatoes, and mulberries.
Some of the fruits were used in drinks, while others were packaged and stored in refrigerated cabinets for direct sale.
Lin Fangzhi carefully sliced a kumquat and placed it in a cup, then poured in Sprite, added ice cubes, and handed it to Ding Heyu.
Curious, Ding Heyu asked, “What’s that machine?”
“A commercial ice maker,” Lin Fangzhi replied concisely.
“…Do you sell them?”
“Nope.” Taoyang rarely sold their machines—only food and drinks.
Ding Heyu sighed internally, turning into a lemon of envy.
No wonder his boss, Mayor Ren, wanted to monopolize Taoyang’s goods.
They just had too many incredible things!
After downing the Kumquat Fizz in one go, Ding Heyu felt utterly refreshed. His mood lifted, and he couldn’t resist shopping.
He ended up buying half a freezer’s worth of ice cream, over thirty kilograms of fruit, and—thanks to his “Static” ability—had no worries about spoilage.
Before leaving, he gave Lin Fangzhi’s fruit tea a glowing review.
Encouraged by the praise, Lin Fangzhi immediately doubled all the prices on the menu. The cheapest homemade drink now started at 800 Federal Coins per cup.
The cost of ingredients was actually quite low—mostly just bottled water, soft drinks, ice, and fruit.
Once the store was fully stocked and Su Tao finished checking everything, she was very satisfied. Now, all that was left was to wait for the trade fair to open to the public.
While Taoyang remained well-organized, Dingnan’s store was in complete chaos.
Old Master Kong, who had caused a scene earlier, bolted as soon as he saw Ling Tianshi approaching with his team.
The people from Dingnan were furious, especially Jiao Qing’s husband. His wife had been missing for an entire day, and now she was linked to that sleazy old man, Kong.
It was ruining Dingnan’s reputation.
He wanted Ling Tianshi to help find her—after all, she had disappeared in Xindu’s territory.
But Ling Tianshi was already seething. Minister Xu hadn’t said anything outright, but he had deliberately avoided the commotion and gone elsewhere, which was enough to make Ling Tianshi lose face.
And now, Dingnan had the nerve to demand answers from him?!
With a cold expression, Ling Tianshi said, “Old Hu, the man who just left was Minister Xu from Changjing. With the mess you’ve made today and the rumors about your wife preying on young girls, how do you think Changjing will view Dingnan now?”
“This is absolutely false! Who is this young girl? Bring her here and let’s clear this up!”
The people from Dingnan immediately latched onto the idea.
“Yes! Why should we take Old Kong’s word for it? He says our Madam did something—do we just believe him? This could be an outright setup!”
Ling Tianshi suppressed his anger and turned to Zhuo Ercheng. “Who is the girl in question?”
Zhuo Ercheng pieced together the clues and reached an obvious conclusion.
“If I’m not mistaken, it should be Miss Su from Taoyang. Madam Jiao likely tried to lure her into the room where Old Kong was waiting under the pretense of changing clothes. But something must have gone wrong—Madam Jiao disappeared, and Miss Su escaped unscathed.”
Hearing this, Old Hu immediately turned toward Taoyang, feeling certain that his wife’s disappearance was somehow connected to this Miss Su.
