“Is that Mr. Yuan Yang?”
“Yeah, supposedly he's the brother-in-law of a high-ranking logistics officer on the front lines. Money flows like water with him.”
“Huh?”
“Really. If you don't believe me, just think about it. How long has he been in Zhirong City, and how much grain has he bought already?”
“True, but how come I haven't seen any trucks hauling it away?”
“Are you crazy? This is wartime. A convoy of trucks would be way too obvious. He's definitely using some transcendent item to secretly transport the grain away.”
“Right, right, that makes sense.”
Inside the restaurant, a few people were stealing glances at Yin Yang.
Not far away, several members of prominent local families were also observing him.
Who wouldn't want to get on the good side of someone with both background and wealth?
Yin Yang, however, seemed completely oblivious. He ate happily, and only after clearing every plate did he wipe his mouth and wave over a waiter.
“Check, please.”
“Sir, your total is two thousand three hundred.”
Yin Yang opened his wallet, pulled out some cash, and handed it to the waiter.
“Keep the change as a tip. Also, please tell the chef that the beef stew was delicious.”
As he spoke, Yin Yang stood up and walked out of the restaurant, accompanied by the waiter.
This behavior made the local elites a bit suspicious.
His manners were fine, but two things felt off.
First, he used cash.
If he really belonged to a prominent family, someone else would handle the bill, or he would simply use a card. How many of them would actually use cash?
In today's society, there were usually only two types of people who carried large amounts of cash on them for long periods.
Those who frequently needed cash—such as fence operators dealing in stolen goods or laundered money.
Or those who had been traumatized by poverty, for whom only cold, hard cash could provide a sense of security.
This was the first detail that felt out of place.
Second, he ate way too cleanly!
Not a single scrap was left.
This was also wrong. Prominent families sought to 'savor delicacies'; eating just a little bit of everything was their custom.
But someone like Yin Yang, who cleared his plates just to get full, did not fit the mold of an elite.
From this, it was clear that even if he had some status, he was nothing more than an upstart or someone riding on another's coattails. He definitely didn't come from old money.
Thinking back to the rumor that he was the brother-in-law of a frontline military officer, the persona fit perfectly!
However, this inevitably made some self-important nobles look down on him, deciding he wasn't worthy of marriage alliances.
Yin Yang walked out of the restaurant, rubbing his stomach as his mind raced.
“I can't just keep spending without earning. That's a recipe for disaster.”
Most of the money Yin Yang used to open the shop and buy grain had been 'generously donated' by human traffickers.
He had to admit, those traffickers were incredibly wealthy—so much so that Yin Yang had no trouble buying potion ingredients.
But even a mountain of gold would run dry if constantly mined. Now that Yin Yang was continuously turning that cash into grain, his funds were visibly dwindling.
This lack of funds made Yin Yang feel quite insecure.
So, he decided to look for more human traffickers. He refused to believe Great Qi didn't have any.
If he found a couple of traffickers and killed them, he was sure they would be more than willing—post-mortem, of course—to tell him where they had hidden their life savings.
The next morning, some of the suppliers arriving at the acquisition station found a notice posted on the door.
Out for delivery. Business will resume in seven days!
The suppliers didn't think much of it. They weren't worried about the boss running away with their money either; after all, he had never owed them a single cent. Every transaction was settled on the spot.
However, the 'prominent families' thought even less of Yin Yang now.
After all, for a business of this scale to not even have a single accountant made it look highly unprofessional.
Seven days later, Yin Yang returned. He reopened his doors to buy grain and daily necessities—taking as much as they could bring!
During the seven days he was away, the warehouses in Zhirong City had nearly filled to capacity.
Many people had driven over from the surrounding areas just for him. Since his price was ten percent higher than the market rate, they could still make a tidy profit even after factoring in transportation costs.
The loaders outside were thrilled. They worked with incredible enthusiasm, eventually setting up a three-shift rotation to unload cargo twenty-four hours a day.
Yin Yang stood to the side, checking the goods and paying in cash on the spot. Drivers, suppliers, and loaders alike were all absolutely delighted.
Because they were making good money, they were more willing to spend on food, which even boosted the business of the small restaurants near the entrance.
Yin Yang settled in like this. He never hired any employees, choosing to handle everything personally.
Another month passed in this manner.
During this time, Great Wei won victory after victory, reclaiming all of its lost territory.
Subsequently, the monarchs of both sides stepped forward and signed a peace treaty.
A war that should have been long and drawn-out came to a hasty conclusion.
The battlefield gained tens of thousands of lost souls, many vacant seats opened up in the imperial court, and various interests were redistributed.
Other than that, it was as if nothing had happened.
The war was over.
Grain prices began to fall. The merchants of Zhirong City turned their attention to the Yuan Yang Acquisition Station, only to find that it was still buying grain and daily necessities as if completely unaffected by the war's end.
Furthermore, the buying price was still ten percent higher than the market rate!
This led quite a few local families to wonder what he was actually doing with all that grain, and whether he had some other hidden identity.
Meanwhile, the subject of their speculation, Yin Yang, was currently conducting a job interview.
...
Yin Yang stared dumbfounded at the report in his hands. He looked up at the person opposite him, then looked back down at the report.
The man opposite him pushed up his glasses and said with absolute confidence:
“Well? What do you think?”
“With just a little research funding, I'm confident I can make this a reality!”
“When that time comes, why would you even need to buy grain? You'll be able to grow whatever you want yourself!”
Hearing this, Yin Yang looked at him again and said,
“Are you sure this research can succeed?”
“Of course. With a few more trials, success is guaranteed.”
Yin Yang let out a long breath and said,
“Mr. Xu, I think I finally understand why you're a wanted man.”
The bespectacled man opposite him instantly tensed up, looking at Yin Yang with deep wariness.
Yin Yang, however, acted as if he hadn't noticed a thing.
“Xu Le, Farmer pathway Sequence 7, Farm Overseer.”
“The closed-door disciple of the Dean of the Great Qi Agricultural Institute. Expelled in September of last year, and wanted by Great Qi authorities in October of the same year.”
Hearing this, Xu Le grew even more alert. His eyes darted around, searching for an escape route.
Yin Yang placed the proposal onto his desk and said,
“I was a bit curious before. How could someone with such a bright future get expelled?”
“Isn't the Farmer pathway just about farming? How big of a mistake could you possibly make?”
“It wasn't until I read your report today that I realized I knew absolutely nothing about the Farmer pathway.”
Xu Le stood up with a start. But before he could make a move, a cold claw rested against his neck.
It was Canned Food!
Canned Food was also Sequence 7 now.
If they fought, the one surviving would definitely be Canned Food!
Xu Le froze in place. Yin Yang let out a sigh.
“Growing humans... isn't that a bit too wild?”
Rate on N.U.
