Producing Quality 2 watermelons in bulk and selling them at the price of imported specialty watermelons was a good idea. But right now, he only had a few Quality 2 watermelons, and he'd already eaten one.
So for now, he had to focus on the business at hand. At the very least, he needed to pay off his family's debts, save for a down payment on a house so his mother could live more comfortably, and then bring Moqing home openly so they could live together.
Thinking of that, Qin Lin went up behind Zhao Moqing and wrapped his arms around her waist. His hands began to wander, too. "Moqing, how about we don't go home tonight?"
How could Zhao Moqing not know what he meant? She gave him a coy look. "If I spend the night away, my mom will know I'm with you, won't she? Then she'll nag me again."
Qin Lin sighed. "Then what are we supposed to do? I've been holding back for so long."
"Hmph!" Zhao Moqing caught his wandering hand and gave a soft huff. "I'll call home and say I'm having dinner out with my coworkers. I'll tell them I'll be back late?"
"Good idea. I'll book a room." Qin Lin skillfully pulled out his phone and booked a room with a big bathtub and a big bed at the East City Grand Hotel.
He wasn't booking a room with a small bathtub or a small bed.
They'd already gotten their marriage certificate, yet they still had to carry on like they were having an affair. Wasn't it hard enough?
After booking the room, he took out his wallet and checked the two condoms he had left. They'd be enough.
"Mom, don't worry. I'm not with him. I know. I won't let him take advantage of me!" Zhao Moqing repeatedly assured her mother over the phone before hanging up. Then she took Qin Lin's arm and said, "See? My mom watches you like a hawk... Maybe we should just tell our families? I want to live with you every day."
"Give me a little time." Qin Lin hurried to stop Zhao Moqing from acting on impulse.
If they told their families now, neither family would take it well.
His mother would be happy, but she'd also feel guilty. Zhao Moqing's parents would be upset and regretful. Even if they eventually accepted it, the two families' relationship would grow strained, and the matter would remain a thorn in their sides.
The average price for a home in Youcheng County was 12,000 yuan per square meter. A 100-square-meter home, with all the fees and taxes, would cost around 1.3 million yuan. The down payment would be about 400,000 yuan, and with renovations, he'd need to prepare more than 600,000.
Before, he hadn't had the confidence to pull it off. But now, if he expanded his business and made sure he sold all the watermelons from his 24 plots each day, he could earn that much in just two months.
If his Game Character leveled up and he could unlock more plots, he'd earn it even faster.
Then he could bring Moqing home openly and give her a wonderful surprise. He'd also have something to show her parents, and the two families could celebrate together. Wouldn't that be better?
"Okay, I'll listen to you. Let's go," Zhao Moqing said with a bright smile and a nod.
She had never doubted Qin Lin. He was the man she'd chosen. Even if, in the end, telling their families was still their only option, she was willing to choose him.
The East City Grand Hotel was the biggest hotel in Youcheng County. It was right by a riverside park and offered a beautiful night view.
But when a man and a woman checked into a hotel together, who would be thinking about the night view?
After registering at the front desk and getting their room key, Qin Lin led Zhao Moqing into the elevator and upstairs. As soon as they entered the room and locked the door, he eagerly began removing Moqing's defenses, then led her straight to the big bathtub.
Only after he was satisfied did Qin Lin lead Zhao Moqing out of the hotel. They went to a night-market food stall and ate something before he took her home.
After saying goodbye to Zhao Moqing, Qin Lin returned home and looked at the game screen in his mind.
While he and Zhao Moqing had been going at it in the hotel, he'd gotten notifications that weeds and bugs had appeared in the game. At the time, he hadn't been able to deal with them.
The next morning, he got up.
The watermelons in all 24 plots had ripened again.
Qin Lin controlled the Game Character to harvest them and put them in the storage room. Then he cleared away the wilted vines and planted new seeds, so another batch would ripen that evening.
With the batch that had ripened the previous evening, there were now two batches of watermelons in the storage room.
He locked the door.
He entered the game.
As soon as he arrived in the storage room, he saw a mountain of watermelons.
Seedless Watermelon: 836 (Quality 1)
Seedless Watermelon: 7 (Quality 2)
There were 843 watermelons in the two batches, and seven of them had once again separated out as Quality 2.
He exited the game, casually ate a bowl of rice porridge, then headed to the warehouse. It took him some time to move all 843 watermelons from the game into the real world. Then he took another video and sent it to the WeChat group.
A moment later, Liu Dasheng and the other shop owners began popping up. But they were all people who'd already bought from him, and there were no new orders.
Aside from selling fruit, most of the people in the group sold vegetables, seafood, and the like. Their potential for buying was limited.
After tallying things up, he saw that they'd ordered quite a few today: 411 watermelons.
Qin Lin hurriedly loaded them onto his vehicle and spent three hours delivering them in several trips, one shop at a time. In the end, he'd delivered 4,521 jin and earned 6,781 yuan.
However, when he returned to the warehouse, 422 watermelons were still left. Another batch of more than 400 would ripen that afternoon, so he had to find a new sales channel.
He already had a target in mind: Darunfa Supermarket at Oriental Commercial Plaza.
Oriental Commercial Plaza was the busiest area in Youcheng County. It had the biggest parking lot, and its commercial buildings were packed with all kinds of shops. Bars, KTVs, cinemas... It had everything for eating, drinking, and having fun.
Darunfa Supermarket occupied the best spot on the first floor. It was large, had clearly organized sections, and drew more customers than any other supermarket in Youcheng County.
The combined watermelon sales of Liu Dasheng's fruit shops might not even match those of Darunfa Supermarket's produce section.
Qin Lin hurriedly grabbed two watermelons, hopped on his little electric scooter, and rode to Darunfa Supermarket.
Now, he needed to figure out how to get his watermelons into the supermarket.
He'd already learned that besides its dedicated bidding process, Darunfa Supermarket also occasionally bought stock at "discounted" prices.
Naturally, there were strings attached.
When he arrived at the office area of Darunfa Supermarket, Qin Lin slipped a pack of cigarettes to the security guard and asked where the purchasing manager's office was.
With the cigarettes in his pocket, the guard was very helpful. He even helped Qin Lin carry one of the watermelons to Manager Chen's office in the purchasing department.
The security guard had seen plenty of people coming to see the purchasing department. They all had the same goal. Manager Chen had also told him to take such people straight to his office.
Manager Chen was a fat, middle-aged man with a potbelly and a greasy air about him. After learning why Qin Lin had come, he pretended to carefully inspect the two melons Qin Lin had brought. "They look good. These are fine watermelons."
"Manager Chen, do you think they can be sold in the supermarket?" Qin Lin asked.
Manager Chen immediately put on a troubled expression. "Xiao Qin, you know there are plenty of fruit and vegetable suppliers coming to see me every day. I already work with someone else. Business has to be done with integrity."
"..." Qin Lin knew this was where the real business began. If Manager Chen really cared about integrity, he wouldn't have said so much. He replied at once, "Manager Chen, the supermarket needs to make a profit too, right? The wholesale price outside is 1.5 yuan per jin. I can give you a discount and charge 1.3."
Manager Chen still looked troubled. "Xiao Qin, you know how difficult my position is!"
Qin Lin understood perfectly well. He smiled again. "Manager Chen, then I'll give you another discount: 1.2 yuan per jin. I have to make something too, don't I?"
He knew only he could afford to cut the price this much. After all, he was getting the watermelons for free.
Manager Chen smiled. "Xiao Qin, since you're so sincere, our supermarket will take your watermelons. But put 1.4 yuan per jin on the wholesale invoice."
"Don't worry, Manager Chen. I understand." Qin Lin smiled, though he was grumbling to himself.
He already knew this trick. At 1.4 yuan per jin, the price was still ten cents below the usual wholesale rate, which gave the supermarket an explanation. As for the twenty cents per jin in between, it went into Manager Chen's pocket.
Don't be fooled by the fact that it was only twenty cents per jin. What if he sold 5,000 jin a day? That would be 1,000 yuan a day, or 30,000 yuan a month.
And that was just one kind of watermelon. Think of all the other kinds of fruit in the whole supermarket. If he took a little cut from each, how much could Manager Chen skim in a month?
What a damn...
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