Chapter 15: Bountiful Resources!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In addition to barbecuing it, Ed had also prepared a pot of boiled corn.

This method of cooking the corn was very simple. He simply had to peel off the outer husk before placing the corn into boiling water. Because it was already sweet on its own, he did not need to add any other seasonings.

Ed carefully controlled the intensity of the fire on the grill. It could not be either too big or too small. Otherwise, the texture of the roasted corn would be unsatisfactory. Uneven heating would also cause it to burn black. These were all factors that would affect the texture of the food.

This time, Ed did not only prepare portions for himself and Little Treasure. Instead, he made a little more. The extra food, of course, was to be sold on the trading interface later. 

There was a reason why he was spending so much extra time and effort to prepare them. Cooked corn would be able to sell for more than if it was raw, which was reasonable. After all, it would be able to be eaten immediately after a buyer had gotten their hands on it, as opposed to raw corn, which would have to be cooked. In a sense, the buyer would also be saving a considerable amount of time and cost.

Ed had thought about all of this before he had even started cooking. Everything was for profit. After all, what was the point of wasting time?

“It smells so good!”

The roasted corn was ready. Each ear had received approximately the same amount of heat, and none of them had burnt black.

Bringing a stalk to his mouth, Ed blew on it, cooling it down to prevent it from burning his mouth when he ate it. He pinched a few kernels before handing it to Little Treasure.

The squirrel was almost drooling in hunger.

Squeak!

It didn’t care if it was hot or not. Filling its mouth, it began to chew.

It seemed to be showing a very human expression: enjoyment!

Yes, Ed was almost certain it was an expression of pure enjoyment. He had grown to realize that the more expressive Little Treasure was, the more delicious the food. After all, the taste buds of animals could better distinguish taste than humans.

He threw Little Treasure a few more kernels of corn before he himself began to eat.

The texture was just right, not too hard or soft. It didn’t stick to his teeth, either. It was very delicious!

Ed evaluated the roasted corn.

The man and the squirrel ate well.

Soon, the rest of the corn was divided up.

With the rich aroma still reverberating in his taste buds, a message appeared in Ed’s mind.

[ Cooked Corn: Contains rich nutrients. The aroma is rich and the taste is excellent. Eating it can increase one’s strength. ]

Ed hadn’t expected that a simple ear of corn could increase one’s strength. Cooked corn seemed to include both the types that Ed had made, roasted and boiled.

However, it was worth noting that it wouldn’t increase one’s strength to only eat a small portion of corn. The effect would only appear after eating the whole cob.

Just like when he had eaten the forest chicken, Ed could clearly feel that his body’s strength had increased a lot compared to before. He knew that it would definitely come in useful one day in the future.

He was referring to the moment when the survivors would meet each other. Over the allocation of resources, there would definitely be endless disputes.

Ed enjoyed the boiled and barbecued corn, as well as the juicy apples, before burping contentedly.

Little Treasure could not eat anymore either. It sprawled on the ground, mimicking Ed as it rubbed his small belly.

After having eaten and drank his fill, it was time to get down to business.

Ed opened the chat interface, sending out a short message.

“Selling roasted and boiled corn.”

It was a short message, but it caused a huge uproar.

“D*mn, this must be that chicken dude!”

“What chicken dude… it’s the Beggar Chicken Dude!”

“Oh my god, he’s starting to sell corn, but I’m still gnawing on tree bark!”

“What kind of monster is this? He has chicken meat in the front and fruit in the back!”

“Boss, do you need a footrest? I can do it!”

One message after another flooded the screen.

“There’s also boiled corn. How much water does it take to boil a pot of corn?!”

“I’m so thirsty every day. Boss, you’re already living so extravagantly that you can boil corn in water!”

“I think the water used to boil corn can be used to take a bath.”

“Boss, what’s the price?”

“Regardless of the price, I want to get it. I really don’t want to eat tree bark anymore!”

Watching the chaos, Ed did not immediately send out a reply.

Hunger marketing. If he waited a little longer, his profits would double.

If he were to send out a message immediately, in their eyes, they would definitely think that Ed was not lacking in supply, so their willingness to pay would be lower.

His business mind was on full display at the moment.

Two minutes passed.

Ed opened the chat interface again, sending out his price demand.

“One-half of the corn can be exchanged for: wood x100, leaf x100, metal x5, plastic x5, glass x5, stone x50, cloth x100.

“As long as you have at least two of the items mentioned above, you may contact me privately to trade. Of course, just like before, you may also use special items to trade.”

Ed had thought for a moment before deciding to add the second line. Otherwise, such a huge demand would have scared off too many people.

Similarly, the price of one-half of an apple was the same. 

Even so, many of them were still scared off. Although only two of any listed item was needed, to most of the current survivors, it was still a considerable amount of resources.

Moreover, it was only for half a portion. How could that be enough to eat?

“Boss, let’s go cheaper. How can we have so many resources on us?”

“The price is ridiculously expensive, and it’s only half!”

“Bro, lower the price a little. Maybe we’ll meet again. Let’s do each other a good deed.”

“Don’t buy it, let’s see what he’ll do!”

Despite the outcry, Ed did not lower his asking price.

After all, who could resist the temptation of delicious food, especially at night, when people were most prone to hunger?

Five minutes passed.

Just as he thought, he had received more than a dozen requests for trade.

As long as they met his requirements, he agreed to the trades. Even if they were a bit lower, but not too far off from what he had asked for, he would accept the other party’s trade request.

In a short while, all of the apples and corn that had been on his trading list were sold out.

Of course, he had only put a small amount of them on the shelves. He hadn’t stocked all his goods at once.

For hunger marketing, it was necessary to keep people interested over time.

Ed understood this principle.

He began to count the resources obtained from the trades.

3800 wood, 3800 leaves, 1800 cloth strips, 1000 stones, 150 metal sheets, and 150 plastic.