abcnovels
Chapter 322
Chapter 322
Chapter 322 - Fake
?The next morning, Su Ming rose early and checked on the fields. The rice stalks had grown significantly, and he anticipated the harvest in just forty hours. Afterward, he visited the breeding zone to provide food and water.
Driving directly to the seafood market, Su Ming parked right at the entrance and stepped out into the briny scent of the sea. He resolved to cultivate fish, as crabs proved too unruly. Back in his hometown, no one dared to raise fish in the rice paddies for fear they'd vanish—not due to theft, but because of the numerous predators. But with the System's assistance, Su Ming had no such concerns.
Activating his scanner, he browsed the market until a stall with plump, large carp caught his eye. After scanning, the results showed: Domestic carp, quality: excellent.
“Do you want to buy some fish?” asked the stall owner, a portly middle-aged man dressed in shorts, with a towel draped over his neck. He was in the midst of gutting a fish but paused to warmly welcome Su Ming.
“Yes,” Su Ming replied with a smile. “How much for this carp?”
“This carp is exceptionally large and well-fed. I assure you, there's no better carp in the market,” the owner boasted. “Naturally, the price is a bit higher. While others sell for six yuan per catty, ours are eight yuan per catty.”
The price seemed fair, especially given the impressive size of the carp, each weighing over ten catties, with gleaming scales and a golden belly. Clearly, they were well-cared-for.
“I'll take 500 fish,” Su Ming declared.
“500 fish?” The owner was taken aback by the size of the order—a major customer indeed!
“Alright!” he agreed eagerly, setting aside his current task.
A nearby customer frowned in displeasure, prompting Su Ming to say, “There's no rush. Finish up with his order first.”
“Sure thing!” The owner nodded with enthusiasm and quickly set to work cleaning the fish for the waiting customer.
He approached Su Ming and rubbed his hands together, smiling.
“I don't have that many fish on hand, but I've got plenty in stock. Just give me an address, and I'll ship them over to you.”
“Sure.”
Su Ming pondered for a moment before agreeing.
He then provided an address.
The boss was taken aback upon seeing it.
The address Su Ming had given was in the downtown area.
He surmised that there must be a banquet happening there.
Only someone of significance could host such a grand event. He assumed Su Ming was likely an assistant to a chef.
The boss silently snickered to himself.
A chance to make a profit had presented itself.
Once Su Ming had purchased the carp, he drove straight back home.
He cleaned the breeding zone and straightened up the yard.
A car pulled up at the gate.
The boss stepped out, looking confused.
He had expected to arrive at a skyscraper or perhaps a hotel service entrance, but instead, he was at a gate.
“You've arrived.”
Just then, Su Ming emerged, beaming.
The boss paused, taking in his surroundings.
The property was expansive.
But it was all wheat fields.
This wasn't a place for raising fish.
“Boss, do you have everything?” Su Ming asked.
“Rest assured, all 500 fish are here,” the boss replied cheerfully, opening the rear door of his vehicle.
“Okay.”
Su Ming nodded.
Out of the blue.
“Master, Yuvyuv alerts you that the fish quality has changed,” Yuvyuv's voice echoed in Su Ming's mind.
Su Ming paused, slightly bewildered.
He activated his scanner for a quick look.
Domestic carp, quality: poor.
Yet, he struggled to discern any difference.
To him, they seemed identical to the ones he had seen earlier.
“Boss, there seems to be a mistake,” Su Ming said calmly. “I can't accept these fish.”
The boss was instantly alarmed.
These carp had been raised on a special diet.
To the naked eye, they appeared indistinguishable from the previous batch.
It was nearly impossible to spot any discrepancy.
He had assumed that Su Ming, being young, would not notice any difference.
He had brought this batch of carp, each costing 5 yuan, expecting to make a hefty profit.
With each fish weighing at least 15 catties and a total of 500 fish, he stood to make a margin of 22,500 yuan.
This wasn't an insignificant sum.
He had assumed Su Ming was just a small fry.
Having been in the market for many years, he was convinced that buyers like Su Ming wouldn't fuss over the quality of the fish.
Besides, hardly anyone could spot the difference in this batch of carp.
He had expected to turn a hefty profit.
Yet, Su Ming had noticed the discrepancy.
He was utterly perplexed.
However, he couldn't own up to it.
“What are you implying? You asked for 500 fish, and I went out of my way to ensure I had them ready for you. Are you saying you don't want the fish I've painstakingly transported here?”
The boss glared, his brow furrowed as he raised his voice.
Su Ming offered a slight smile.
He casually scratched his ear.
“If the fish are subpar, naturally I'd refuse them.”
“I don't care!”
The boss scoffed, “Listen, unless you cough up 5000 yuan, you're going to face consequences!”