Chapter 12 - Salt

Wu Ye wondered why the stall owner changed his mind. He was about to argue, but Ji Yun pulled him back and looked around furtively. He then gave his address to the stall owner, and made an appointment for the evening. Wu Ye was not a fool. There should be something going on here. Sure enough, the stall owner put the tablet away as soon as they left.

It was only when they were in a secluded place did Ji Yun explain things to him, and made Wu Ye understand just what had happened.

In addition to Lan Cheng's income tax and rent tax being expensive, business tax here was also quite heavy. Transactions in the trading area could only be settled using the temporary ID card. When a transaction is successful, the money would be deposited into a business owner's temporary card account. Lan Cheng base tax system would be automatically notified of this transaction and would deduct the corresponding tax accordingly. That is, if the transaction happened using the ID card.

Another important point was the fact that taxes in Lan Cheng were set differently depending upon the volume of transaction and the type of objects being traded. Truth is, electronic products from this place were not as expensive as Wu Ye thought. It's now the apocalypse age. Before the apocalypse, these electronic gadgets where necessities to humans. After the apocalypse, however, how could these useless things compare to precious food and weapons?

This electronic product was one of the cheaper items in the trading area, with a tax rate of only 20%, which is nothing compared to the 35% tax on food and weapons, and a 50% tax on 'luxury goods' such as salt and cigarettes. Small business owners and stall vendors wouldn't let go of any opportunity to earn even half a crystal nucleus. This is why some vendors who secretly evade paying their taxes. Just like that stall owner, he wouldn't talk to interested buyers in trading areas. Instead, he would arrange to meet them at their homes and trade with real gold and silver to avoid the base's tax system. This way, both sides could benefit.

Of course, these schemes did not escape the watchful eyes of Lan Cheng base managers. They had drafted regulations that would exact severe punishments to people caught engaging in these ploys. When caught, the upper management would seize both seller and buyer's properties, and both parties would be driven out of the Lan Cheng base.

But, no matter how heavy the punishment was, the taxes imposed on trading transactions were exorbitantly high that some business owners would rather risk getting caught out of desperation. After all, water that is too clear has few fish in it*. Which inspector in the trading area does not want to live a better life? As long as it was not too much, they would open one eye and close the other.

T/N: Water that is too clear has few fish meant you can't expect everyone to be squeaky clean.

Since, this particular stall owner dared to 'solicit' customers in broad daylight, and the patrol guards were ignoring his section, there was no doubt he was covered by someone.

Ji Yun had moved and lived in Lan Cheng base for nearly a year. He was already aware of the twists and turns in this place.

After this encounter, Wu Ye took a stroll around the entire Lan Cheng base trading area, accompanied by Ji Yun. This leisurely walk was a great eye-opener for Wu Ye. He could not help but associate these excessive prices to his pithole of a system.

As they walked, Ji Yun bought some potatoes and hollow cabbages for dinner. While he was doing that, Wu Ye noticed that a noisy group of people gathering outside one of the small shops in the trading area.

"What's going on over there?" Wu Ye curiously asked Ji Yun who had finished buying.

Ji Yun's face slightly changed when he saw the area Wu Ye was asking about, and said, "That is the only salt shop in Lan Cheng base. That shop is owned by the top people in the base. There must be something wrong over there, let's go and have a look."

If he was unaware of things, Ji Yun would not be surprised. But once he discovered it, he was completely taken aback. The price of salt was already expensive in the first place, but now, it actually rose to double its original price! 10 grams of salt was now sold for 10 grams of gold*!

Note: *10g of gold = 2 crystal nuclei

How much is 10 grams of salt?

A beer cap has a salt content of around 3.5 grams. While a diet with a salt intake of 3 grams per day is already considered 'salt-free', a person's daily salt requirement is around 4 to 6 grams a day. According to Chinese cooking habits, people from the south, who prefer light tastes, eat about 8 grams of salt a day. On the other hand, people from the north, who prefer rich tastes, eat almost double the amount of salt. Not to mention, diet standards set a minimum intake of 360 grams of salt for a family of three. Convert this to grade 1 crystal nucleus, and a family would need to spend 72 crystal nuclei. Convert this to gold, and a family would need to spend 360 grams of gold. By increasing the price like this, wasn't this pushing ordinary people to death?

However, this was the terrible truth about monopoly. The seller had the final say on the price. In this apocalyptic world, monopoly was linked with power and strength, and they could do nothing about it. Soon, the patrol officers of the trading area came and directly shot at the most troublesome protesters, and everyone stopped with their protests right away.

Most people were still hopeful that the price of salt would be lowered had they protested enough, yet nothing happened, so they left frustrated. A few of them had already seen the bottom of their salt tanks and couldn't afford to buy salt at its newly imposed price. Only those who were strong didn't care for the rising price.

Wu Ye is the only anomaly here.

His first reaction was That goddamn salt was worth so much more than gold! His next reaction was Sell! Wealth! Now!

The price of the system unreasonable. Among the things that could fill the stomach, the cheapest ones were the low-level nutrients, which could be exchanged for 5 points and 1 first-grade crystal nucleus. While other vegetables, fruits, grains, and meat were more or less cheaper compared to the ones sold at the trading area, the points needed to buy them with were more expensive than the nutrients. This was why Wu Ye could only eat nutrients before.

But there were always exceptions to everything. Wu Ye just realized that his system sold something much cheaper than what was sold at the trading area — salt.

How cheap is it in comparison? With 10 points and 2 nuclei, you get 1000 grams of salt. At the current market price, for every 1000 grams of salt sold, he could earn 198 first-grade nuclei! It was like picking up gold for no effort at all! If he sold salt five or six times, he would be able to strengthen his genes up to 100%. And if he sold salt several more times, he could save up enough nuclei to go home!

A meat pie just fell from the heavens and hit Wu Ye hard, it made him dizzy to even pay attention to the riot just now.

"Boss, I guess the price of salt will go up in two days. Help me carry the food while I go buy some." Thankfully Qin Wuhua left him some crystal nuclei today. After all, Ji Yun's own crystal nuclei had been spent on yesterday's dinner. From what Qin Quhua had given him, he was left with some dozens after he had bought some vegetables just now. Now, he would have to use the rest to buy some salt before the price rose again.

Ji Yun shouted at Wu Ye several times before Wu Ye broke away from his trance. He looked at the salt shop with a complicated look and said, "You don't have to. We'll go back first."

"But…" The excuse that was given for this price hike was that the heavy rains blocked salt deliveries, and that the capital was short on salt supply. Ji Yun knew how the Lan Cheng base policy makers operate. Whether the excuse was true or false, they should never miss any chance to save money.

"No buts. You'll understand when we get back."

Ji Yun suddenly recalled the time at the farmhouse when Wu Ye traded more than 200 grams of salt for canned pork. Did it mean the boss still had salt in his hand?

Back in the slum area, Wu Ye slipped back home. After paying for taxes yesterday, he still had 20 first-grade crystal left and 118 points. Using the necessary nuclei and points, he traded for 10 kilos of salt with the system. After the transaction, he looked pleased at the 20 bags of salt stacked neatly on the bed – so pleased that he wanted to roll on the bed a few more times.

He poked out his head and shouted next door. "Ji Yun, come here! I have something to tell you!"

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute!" Ji Yun handed the dishes to Professor Li, went to Wu Ye, and inquired, "What's the matter, boss?"

"Come in." Wu Ye invited Ji Yun into the house and pointed at the things on the bed. "Do you have any way to help me sell these things?" Although Lan Cheng base had a monopoly on the sale of salt, some people in the trading area would sometimes sell it at a much cheaper price than the official store. When those cheaper salt were discovered, they were immediately bought by people, but that was only for a limited amount. Since that was the case, it would not have any impact on the official store's salt price in the end. This clearly showed how salt was a monopoly product and not a prohibited one.

While Ji Yun had guessed that Wu Ye might have some salt on hand, he had never dreamt that he had so much. Holding a bag of salt, he was stupefied and asked, "Are all of these salt?"

"Yes, the quality is guaranteed."

"Boss, pinch me. I'm not dreaming, am I?" Ji Yun asked as he couldn't believe what he saw.

"Grow up." Wu Ye stared at him, and said, " You haven't answered whether you knew of any channels to help me sell these things.." Wu Ye said. He, of course, was not aiming to sell his salt in the trading area, where the taxes would leave him like selling pork at the price of a cabbage. If he truly sold these salt in the trading area, how would he earn?

Ji Yun shook his head. "Boss, I know of a few people like Ou Chen, but those guys are dubious and unreliable. If we chanced upon a snitch, we'd be likely be eaten clean with nothing left, not even our life." Ou Chen is the tablet seller from this morning and he along with some other sellers were all covered by someone from above so patrol guards wouldn't touch them. Which one of them were not corrupt? If they knew they had so much salt in their hands, the would definitely collude with one another to eat them up. Should they try evading taxes just like those hawkers? It's impossible! Were those patrol guards there just for decoration?

"What should I do?" Wu Ye's sprightly mood was already half-extinguished.

"Why don't we wait until Qin-ge comes back so we could discuss this with him?"

"Wait for me to discuss what matter?" Qin Wuhua suddenly pushed the door open, his face covered with dust and zombie pus, and fatigue was evident between his brows.

"You're back." While Wu Ye welcomed him, Ji Yun had already brought a chair for Qin Wuhua, fixed a glass of cooled boiled water, and served it respectfully into his hand.

T/N: Is Ji Yun the wife of Qin Wuhua or Wu Ye?! Fight Wu Ye! Don't be defeated by Ji Yun! Protect your Gong, don't let him be snatched away!!

Qin Wuhua was really thirsty so he drank all the boiled water in two gulps, as his probing eyes looked at Wu Ye.

Wu Ye explained about the rising price of salt and then put the ten packs of salt in front of Qin Wuhua. "How do you think we could sell these?"

"Why don't you take it outside Lan Cheng base and sell it there?" To quickly familiarize himself with Lan Cheng base and its neighborhood, Qin Wuhua registered to be a qualified zombie hunter at the Zombie Hunters Union, and formed a temporary team to do a small task outside the base. While doing their task, he saw one team member exchanging goods in private. He had a hunch it was to avoid paying trade taxes.

Seeing that Wu Ye was still confused, Qin Wuhua said, "When I leave for the mission tomorrow, I will exchange the salt with the other zombie hunters."

Aside from gold and crystal nuclei, food and salt were hard currencies among the zombie hunters, with some preferring to trade for the latter than the former.

While Wu Ye was still a bit reluctant to kill zombies, he knew he needed to earn points on top of crystal nuclei if he wanted to go home. And the only way to get points is to go out and killed a zombie. So even if he didn't want to, he had to go out and kill zombies.

"I'll come with you tomorrow." Wu Ye said.

For a moment, Qin Wuhua was silent until he said, "good." It was better to teach a man to fish than to fish for him. In this light, it would be both protection and reward for Wu Ye not to be enclosed in the safe zone, but be trained as a strong reliable man instead. This way, even when he faced desperate situations, he would still be able to fight for himself. After all, in this apocalypse, how long could one keep his promise to protect another person?

"Boss, Qin-ge, I'll join you."

Qin Wuhua gently hummed, handed a bag of crystal nuclei to Ji Yun, and said, "Go get three silencers, buy as many bullets as you can, rent a pickup truck, and fill the tank with petrol. Tomorrow will be a big day."

Ji Yun peered into the cloth bag full of red shimmering crystal nuclei. He took a deep breath and patted his chest to assure them, "I will go right away! I know of someone who could get us these goods at 20% discount."

After Jin Yun left, Qin Wuhua went inside the simple bathroom behind a curtain to take a bath. When he finished, he came out in a clean pair of trousers and left his upper body bare.

Those pects, those abs, that V-line, and even the scars left on his body looked hot and tempting. Just seeing that body just drove Wu Ye into indescribable waves of emotions, that even envy and hatred could not explain.

"… Put on your clothes. You look indecent."

His sour tone made Qin Wuhua break into an amused smile. He took a black vest and put in on his body. However, the elastic tight vest highlighted his good figure even more that Wu Ye could only curse inside. Goddamnit! How come he looked even sexier now than when he was naked?

Second Young Master Wu's distracted brain couldn't process the view of Qin Wuhua's body, so he averted his gaze to the bag of salt on his hand and asked, "You don't wonder where I got these salt?" Ji Yun did not know what was in his backpack. But Qin Wuhua helped him pack his backpack, and he knew its contents more than anyone else.

"Curious." Qin Wuhua nodded truthfully. "But everyone has his own secrets. You don't have to tell me or anyone else about it. In this apocalypse, don't trust anyone, including me."

T/N: OMG, you make my heart bleed Qin Wuhua! Your little 'shou' should trust you! He is your future WIFE for god 's sake!!!