CHAPTER 130: WE DON’T HAVE MIDDLEMEN MAKING A MARGIN

Indeed, he was Qian Duoduo from the rumors, identifiable not only by his upside-down beard but also by the patina-covered walnuts he rolled in his hand.

Observing his skilled maneuvers and nimble joints, Jing Shu knew this man must have toyed with many things before. She wondered if he might do the same with anything—or anyone—that caught his disfavor.

Only then did Qian Duoduo shift his gaze to Jing Shu, a satisfied expression appearing on his face. At least she was dressed cleanly; he wouldn’t dare eat food made by someone who smelled.

With a friendly smile, Qian Duoduo said, "Thank you for your efforts. This must be Miss Jing, right? I’ve heard your ice cream is delicious, so I specifically asked Minister Niu to invite you here. However, my son is allergic to some additives, so we need to test the ingredients first."

Jing Shu nodded. They say the richer a person is, the more they fear death and the more cautious they become. His caution was justified; after all, he was likely worried about poisoning, harmful additives, or unhealthy ingredients added for taste.

"Miss Jing, rest assured, whether we can use your ice cream or not, I will give you a satisfactory response."

Surely extravagant.

Jing Shu took out the beautiful vial of ice cream from the insulated case and handed it to the inspector. A man dressed in a white coat and wearing a mask took it for examination.

"Please wait a moment." One second Qian Duoduo’s inverted beard was angled in a 60-degree smile. The next, his expression became stern. With a mere gesture, four bodyguards subdued three frightened individuals on the ground, the trio pleading non-stop.

With one hand rolling walnuts and the other pointing at the group, Qian Duoduo declared, "I, Mr. Qian, might be called a fool for my wealth, but I acknowledge premium prices for quality goods. One of you had an additive ten times over the limit, one used ingredients expired by six months, and another tried to pass off something with poppy in it..."

His tone grew increasingly sinister as he added, "You’re trying to catch a big fish with a long line, huh? Poppies are not something just anyone can possess..."

Jing Shu squinted. So, Qian Duoduo had been duped before; no wonder he was so cautious.

In a low voice, Niu Mou said to Jing Shu, "This research institute was funded by Mr. Qian, mainly to help him test the composition of various things."

"Awesome." ’Tall trees catch much wind,’ as the saying goes, and that perfectly described Qian Duoduo. With someone like him around, no matter how I behaved, I wouldn’t be conspicuous. Too bad I didn’t know his trajectory in my previous life.

Eventually, Qian Duoduo, growing impatient, gave his bodyguards a look, and they dragged the crying trio away. Perhaps because there were outsiders present, they didn’t resort to any rough techniques.

"Sorry to have made a scene," Qian Duoduo said, offering a smile that was both awkward and polite. "I heard that Miss Jing makes her natural ice cream from milk, so there shouldn’t be so many questionable ingredients, right?"

This was the perfect moment to make her claims.

"The ’questionable’ ingredients I add are all beneficial to the body," Jing Shu replied with a slight smile. She had previously worried about how to exaggerate the life-extending benefits of her ice cream. Now, with Qian Duoduo having someone to test it, it was like an assist delivered right to her.

Qian Duoduo appeared utterly disbelieving but said, "Oh, I’m really looking forward to it."

So perfunctory.

「...」

"What did you say? Say it again?" Qian Duoduo picked at his ear, doubting he had heard correctly.

"No other additives, purely natural food—it perfectly retains all its nutrients, something other ice creams don’t offer. It contains... In a nutshell, eating 100 grams of this ice cream is equivalent to consuming the calcium, rich proteins, minerals, and lecithin found in one egg and 200 grams of milk combined. Lecithin, in particular, supports brain health and intelligence, and it can play a significant role in your son’s recovery. Naturally absorbed protein and lecithin are much more effective than injections, and we’ve verified this three times over without error."

The walnut in Qian Duoduo’s hand CLATTERED to the ground as he exclaimed excitedly, "Say that again?!"

The inspector repeated it earnestly. Qian Duoduo rose and paced back and forth. "Good, good! I never thought this method would actually work. That kid refuses to eat eggs or drink milk... Excellent! By the way, how does it taste?"

"It’s fantastic."

Overcome with excitement, Qian Duoduo came over to shake hands with Niu Mou, then turned to Jing Shu and said eagerly, "You’ve added all the good stuff! No matter the cost, I must have this ice cream. Come on, everyone, try it."

The inspector served some in paper cups for himself, Qian Duoduo, the two remaining bodyguards, Niu Mou, and Jing Shu.

Upon swallowing a spoonful, Qian Duoduo’s eyes lit up. Enjoying ice cream in such hot weather made him feel so refreshed he nearly bubbled with pleasure, and he gave a thumbs-up. This is truly delicious ice cream! What I’ve eaten before was fit for dogs!

My silly son will surely love this flavor!

After their first spoonful, everyone felt as if they had entered a cool ice cellar, sighing in satisfaction as if they had reached the pinnacle of life.

"I’ll take this canister. Name your price," Qian Duoduo said.

Despite Qian Duoduo’s aggressive front and pretense of playing the fool, his approach was shrewd. It was how he gauged people. He wanted to see how this person in front of him would set the price: whether she would make an outrageous demand for a one-off deal or use it as a pretext to do him a favor and have him owe her one.

"I want diesel fuel," replied Jing Shu, deftly passing the ball back. "Mr. Qian, you decide how much diesel this canister is worth. If the price is right, I think there could be more deals in the future." She insinuated that she could reject the offer if it wasn’t satisfactory.

Picking up the walnut, Qian Duoduo mused, "Water is incredibly scarce now, and your ice cream is made from scarce ingredients like pure milk and eggs, not to mention the unique processing technique and the retention of rich nutrients; it’s quite valuable. But did you know that from one ton of crude oil, only 480 liters of diesel and 310 liters of petrol can be extracted? And now labor costs, including board, have increased a hundredfold. So, based on value and scarcity, one liter of this ice cream is clearly worth 100 liters of diesel. However, I am willing to trade at three times that rate. How do you feel about that, Miss Jing?"

One kilogram of ice cream for 300 kilograms of diesel fuel... Imagine, I consume this much ice cream almost daily! Who knows how many tons of oil I’ve effectively eaten by now.

Qian Duoduo was indeed sincere. Who knew if he could still afford such luxury in a few years when oil became even scarcer? Those with their own resources truly lived differently.

Jing Shu’s smile widened as she nodded generously. "Deal."

Both parties showed their satisfaction with the price. Qian Duoduo wasn’t short on oil; what he valued was Jing Shu’s attitude.

This time, a 5-liter deal for ice cream got Jing Shu 1.5 tons of diesel. Compared to a previous exchange where one pig was traded for 1 ton of diesel and 5 tons of water, this was a much better bargain.

It reminded Jing Shu of a saying: "We cut out the middleman, so it’s cheaper."

Until the very end, Jing Shu never saw the mansion belonging to Qian Duoduo, the richest man in West Mountain, nor did she meet the landowner’s silly son face to face, which was somewhat regrettable. However, Minister Niu did reveal quite a bit of information.