Li Ba, a graduate of Huaxia Agricultural University, was the sales manager at a well-known seed company in Wucheng before the apocalypse. When the apocalypse struck and order collapsed, the naturally timid Li Ba faced life-and-death situations and managed to scrape by and survive. By chance, he set aside the rules of post-apocalyptic survival to save a grandfather and his granddaughter, and in return, he received a magical bracelet. The bracelet contained a universe within—a plot of land, a stone trough brimming with spring water, and a Tower—all of which opened up a mysterious realm for him. What to do when food runs out? “My Fengshou Group has mountains of grain—I’ll trade it for crystal cores and jade!” Li Ba declared arrogantly. What to do when zombies attack the city? “The mutated plants cultivated by ‘Lord Ba’ can withstand a tide of a million zombies!” Li Ba said with absolute confidence. What if you’re not an Evolver and someone challenges you to a one-on-one duel? “I’ve got talismanic soldiers guarding me. Anyone who dares challenge me will get beaten so badly, even their own mother won’t recognize them!” said Li Ba, his bald head revealing a menacing expression as he spoke viciously. Using the mysterious space and his expertise, Li Ba cultivated crops and tended fields, determined to become a major farmer in the world of *Horse Herding* and pursue a happy life in the post-apocalyptic world.
Chapter 47: Cooperation
Three days after the supply store opened, sales had reached nearly 50,000 jin in grain coupons, with a net profit of over 40,000. Most of the profit came from the supplies Li Ba had stockpiled beforehand, as well as the soaring sales of bean sprouts. The profit margin on the goods resold from Luo Jianguo was kept very low to attract customers. By the early morning of the fourth day, as soon as the store opened, a long line of people had already formed outside. Customer enthusiasm remained undiminished, with most coming to buy bean sprouts. At two jin of grain coupons per jin, they were fresh, delicious, and offered excellent value for the price. With Zhou Yan in charge of growing and selling the bean sprouts, there was ample manpower, and production surged. Aside from the opening night, when Li Ba used his bracelet’s storage space to grow a batch of bean sprouts, Zhou Yan arranged for large plastic basins to be set up not only in her own Villa but also in the two Villas she had lent to Li Ba. Operating on a two-day cycle, daily output soared to as much as 2,000 jin of bean sprouts. Of course, Li Ba secretly arranged for the water used to soak the bean sprouts. Each Villa had a water tank on the roof. Once filled, Li Ba would mix in the appropriate amount of Spatial Spring Water and instruct Zhou Yan to use the water from the tanks for irrigation. He explained that this was a specially formulated nutrient solution for soaking bean sprouts. As long as it meant making money and producing large quantities of bean sprouts, Zhou Yan did exactly as Li Ba instructed, acting like a docile young woman who obeyed his every word. They produced 2,000 jin of bean sprouts daily, requiring 200 jin of beans, which quickly depleted Li Ba’s stockpile. The beans grown on the plot within the bracelet’s spatial pocket alone were no longer enough to meet the demand for bean sprouts. As a result, Li Ba began purchasing large quantities from the market. Moreover, despite the daily increase in output, demand still outstripped supply. From the very first day Harvest Trading Company opened, it had already made a name for itself in the settlement. Setting aside the disruptions caused by Li Chao and his group, Harvest Trading Company’s fair prices and its flagship fresh bean sprout products had already caught the attention of many hotels and shops in the city. On the second day after opening, several major hotels in the city made a special trip to the store to purchase bean sprouts. Among them was the Jiuding Grand Hotel, which had given business cards to the Da Fang and Xiao Fang brothers that day. The quantities these hotels demanded were staggering—they asked for 500 jin per day. In the end, Huo Xuan used insufficient production as an excuse to cut the supply in half. Even so, the daily output of bean sprouts still couldn’t keep up with demand. If not for his reservations, Li Ba would certainly have gone all out in producing bean sprouts. Upon further reflection, however, he realized that expanding his operations too rapidly before he had firmly established himself would bring nothing but harm. Would anyone in the settlement be interested in his method of making bean sprouts? The answer was a definite yes. If it were merely some minor faction coveting the bean sprout recipe, Li Ba wouldn’t have been afraid. With two powerhouses like Shitou Feng Xiaoyang and Luo Jianguo’s network of connections, even if such factions had the desire, they wouldn’t have the guts to act on it. What he feared was government intervention, forcing him to hand over the bean sprout recipe—that would be a real problem. This was Li Ba’s main concern—and the primary reason he dared not increase his bean sprout production. The post-apocalyptic world is fraught with danger at every turn. Opening a shop and selling bean sprouts… By the time he took this step, Li Ba had already weighed the pros and cons and assessed the risks. For him, soaking the bean sprouts in Spirit Spring water that had been diluted with other liquids carried a certain risk. But it was a risk he could manage. Even if the settlement authorities really did have their eyes on the bean sprout recipe, he had a way to handle it. However, Li Ba hadn’t expected the settlement authorities to send someone over so quickly. And they were two old acquaintances, no less. In his office. Li Ba extended his right hand, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk. He frowned as he looked at the two beautiful women sitting across from him, lost in thought. These two beautiful women were, of course, Han Xue and Ding Qianqian. They had come to visit today and, upon arriving, got straight to the point, asking to learn Li Ba’s method for growing bean sprouts. “May I ask, are you representing the settlement authorities… or are you simply interested in this on a personal basis?” After a moment’s consideration—he already had a plan in mind—Li Ba asked with a smile. “Both,” Han Xue replied. Her voice was clear and pleasant, and her delicate features—in stark contrast to Zhou Yan’s mature sensuality—exuded an innocent, ethereal charm and an outstanding aura, embodying a unique kind of beauty. “What if I refuse?” Li Ba chuckled, his gaze fixed on them, and said slowly, “Of course, you two are both esteemed Evolvers and high-ranking officials. If you were to use coercive measures to force me to hand over my research findings—well, I suppose I’d have no choice but to comply.” “Manager Li, that’s absolutely not what we mean!” Ding Qianqian hurriedly clarified. “Don’t think we’re anything like you!” Han Xue chimed in, making her stance clear while taking a dig at Li Ba. That’s good! Hearing this, Li Ba felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. He knew these two women’s personalities better than anyone. Ding Qianqian was just a little girl who harbored no ill will toward anyone—let alone him. As for Han Xue… she was haughty and possessed a strong sense of justice. In Li Ba’s words, she was a self-important, pretentious woman. She wouldn’t stoop to compromising her dignity just for a bean sprout recipe. “Qianqian, let’s go!” The fatso wasn’t having it. Han Xue didn’t want to stick around either, having to look at that guy’s sleazy, chubby face. She motioned for Ding Qianqian to leave. “Hold on! Let’s chat a little more!” Just as they were about to leave, Li Ba refused to let them go. He stood up, grinning, and said, “You must have transplanted my bean sprouts and found that they’re hardy and have a short growth cycle—that’s why you came to see me, right?” “Mm-hmm.” Han Xue and Ding Qianqian nodded. Though they didn’t say it out loud, they were secretly quite impressed by Li Ba’s analytical skills. “Although I can’t tell you how to grow bean sprouts, we can work together!” With that, Li Ba revealed his true intentions. Faced with the prospect of profit, he temporarily set aside his previous grievances with Han Xue. “Collaborate?” Ding Qianqian’s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly asked, “How would we collaborate?” “I can supply bean sprouts—five hundred jin a day.” Li Ba held up five fingers and said with a smile, “You can take them back to transplant and grow. At a conservative estimate… 500 jin of bean sprouts will yield you more than ten times that amount of beans. This is a surefire deal where you can’t lose.” Hearing this, both Han Xue and Ding Qianqian felt a stir of interest. “Let’s sign the contract!” Han Xue uttered those three words without a moment’s hesitation. The contract was quickly drafted in duplicate. Han Xue glanced at her copy and immediately furrowed her delicate brows: “Your bean sprouts retail for two jin of grain coupons per jin—why are you charging us five jin of grain coupons per jin?” Ding Qianqian was also a bit displeased; she pouted and said, “Manager Li, you’re really heartless!” “That was an oversight on my part. Thanks to the reminder from these two beauties, I guarantee that starting tomorrow, two jin of grain coupons will only buy rootless bean sprouts. As for the ones with roots… they’ll all be seven jin of grain coupons per jin!” Li Ba’s chubby face broke into a sly, fox-like grin. When you put it that way, he was actually giving them a discount! “When it comes to business, no one can beat you!” Han Xue muttered under her breath. The words came straight from the heart; though she disliked Li Ba, she had to admit that when it came to marketing, he was an absolute genius. “You flatter me! Li Ba offered a few insincere words of modesty. Once the contract was signed, he held out his hand and said with a smile, “Here’s to a fruitful partnership!” Han Xue had no intention of shaking his hand and pretended not to hear him. Seeing this, Ding Qianqian quickly stepped in to smooth things over. She took Li Ba’s hand and said, “Let’s have a great partnership!” “Qianqian really knows how to behave—unlike certain people!” Li Ba shrugged. “Qianqian, let’s go… Remember, deliver the goods on time tomorrow.” Han Xue gave Li Ba a cold look and motioned for Ding Qianqian to leave. “Have a good day… I won’t see you off!” Out of politeness—or perhaps because of the food coupons—Li Ba walked them to the door. As they were parting, he pulled Ding Qianqian aside and said a few words to her. Ding Qianqian thought for a moment, then nodded. “Qianqian, what did that man… say to you?” On the bustling street, Han Xue and Ding Qianqian—two beautiful women in military uniforms—walked side by side, chatting quietly from time to time. “Oh, Manager Li asked me to get him some lab equipment. He said he needs it for research—to try cultivating new grain varieties!” “Did you agree to it?” “No! Our Research Institute is severely short on lab equipment—I wouldn’t agree to that so easily. I just said… I’d see what I could do!” “Just give it to him!” “Axue, you…” “Don’t get the wrong idea! I’m not a fan of Li Ba as a person, but I have to admit that when it comes to professional knowledge, he’s better than both of us… Maybe he really can develop grain varieties suitable for cultivation in the post-apocalyptic world. For the sake of humanity’s survival, I’ll support him!”
