"Alright, let's down this glass of Apocalypse Red Rose and kick off today's party. Everyone, enjoy yourselves."
It felt more like a networking event than a party. Once Fatty Wang finished his toast, the atmosphere warmed up fast. Most people were snacking while scrolling through the new listings for the trade fair, checking out any interesting items, everyone's request lists, and the current purchase prices.
High-demand items kept climbing in price, while anything oversupplied dropped quickly.
On top of that, Jing Shu found she could check the trade fair's inventory directly.
The experience hit her like online shopping back in the old days. She felt so overwhelmed she almost teared up. She never thought she'd see a screen full of beautiful, neatly organized goods in the apocalypse. For a moment, she truly felt like life had gone back to normal.
But it wasn't the same as real online shopping. For example, food only had two categories now: organic and regular. Organic food came with so many extra zeroes behind the price tag that even someone as wealthy as Jing Shu couldn't help blinking. Still, she had to admit that expensive things really did have a reason to be expensive.
A tiny box of premium black truffles cost two hundred thousand. A box of white truffles went for three hundred thousand per half kilo. A single premium Arus muskmelon cost a hundred thousand. Grade 9 ribeye cost a hundred thousand per half kilo, and a small box of Shangri-La matsutake mushrooms cost a hundred thousand too.
Jing Shu admitted it. She was tempted. The good stuff from the capital really exceeded her expectations. Some items she'd never even eaten. That Arus melon, for example. In Wu City there were plenty of Hami melons, and she even grew a batch in her Rubik's Cube Space.
But they turned out too sweet, and her family didn't like eating them. So she made most of them into dried melon slices and kept them cold. They sat on the villa's coffee table as snacks.
Not just melon slices. There were also raisins, dried apples, dried peaches, dried kiwis, and banana chips. Since she had too many, no one appreciated them much anymore.
Still, she'd never tried this cute little premium melon before.
The next category was "Others," a complete mix of everything. She skimmed through the price list. Most of the prices were reasonable and matched market value. But with supply and demand the way they were, everything kept rising.
The further the apocalypse dragged on, the more these luxuries would skyrocket, just like real estate used to. No matter the era, rich people were never short on money. The only thing they lacked was access to good stuff.
And those without money couldn't afford anything.
In her previous life, Jing Shu didn't understand why anyone would spend thousands of virtual coins on worthless snacks. Now she understood. When your expenses were just a drop in the bucket compared to what you had, then buying anything felt like spending a single cent. And the difference between one cent and ten cents didn't matter.
If you'd spend a cent on a steamed bun, you'd also spend ten cents on abalone and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
While she was fully absorbed in browsing the capital's treasures, the mother and son beside her reached toward the snacks belonging to the expressionless young man sitting next to them.
The brat quickly devoured everything the young man had. When he didn't react, the woman grew bolder and started sweeping all the banana chips and the communal peanuts and sunflower seeds into her bag. The once-full table was wiped clean.
If she'd had a container, she probably would've taken the complimentary red wine too. Only after clearing the table did she drink the wine one sip at a time and crack sunflower seeds with satisfaction. After a while she muttered, "These are kinda tough. Bet they've been sitting around too long. When will the sun come back? Damn apocalypse."
The supervisor Wang mentioned earlier, Xiao Zhang, noticed the empty table and quickly brought two more portions over. He set them in front of Jing Shu.
"Miss Jing, this is the 648 Deluxe Set from Mister Wang. Please enjoy."
"Thank Mister Wang for me," she said with a smile.
"Tch. Which old fox is pulling tricks again? I used to get these too," the woman muttered with envy and a hint of jealousy. She nudged her brat.
The brat saw the steaming meat patties and immediately reached out. Based on his freeloading experience, no adult could beat his speed. As long as he got the food into his mouth first, adults wouldn't take it back. His mom always said everyone here was some big shot, all obsessed with saving face, and no one would scold a kid for grabbing food.
Too bad Jing Shu was faster.
She reached out, scooped up both portions, shoved them into a black bag, and tossed it to Tank. "Take this home for your sister."
Tank gave her a shy grin, grateful. He and his sister had already discussed giving her a big gift before she left.
The brat froze, furious. The woman rolled her eyes at Jing Shu, then glanced at Tank. He looked strong but simple. She wondered if she could cozy up to him. With her skills, maybe she could reel him in.
Jing Shu didn't indulge people like her. Right in front of the brat, she pulled out a pack of crispy noodles, crushed it with a clean snap, sprinkled the fragrant seasoning powder, and let the smell drift. The brat's mouth watered on the spot. This was divine. It smelled incredible.
"Crunch crunch."
Jing Shu quickly shared the crispy noodles with Tank. Then she pulled out a small jar of peach preserves she'd just traded for, popped it open with a crisp click, and let the sweet peach aroma fill the air.
The brat burst into tears. "I want some, I want some!"
The woman tugged him close and whispered, "I got you a bunch of sunflower seeds. We'll eat those at home."
Jing Shu downed the sweet, icy syrup in a single sip and sighed. "That's amazing."
The brat finally broke down completely and howled, drawing quite a few stares until their table became the center of attention.
The woman shot Jing Shu a spiteful glare. She knew Jing Shu had done it on purpose. "You wait. Your name's Miss Jing, right? Fine." She spat out the threat and dragged her wailing child away.
They left in complete disgrace.
The air around Jing Shu's booth felt fresher instantly. The expressionless young man finally spoke. "She's a famous socialite in the capital. Be careful for the next few days."
Jing Shu blinked. "A socialite? That kind?" But to be fair, Madam Luo's figure really was something. Everything she should have, she had, and everything she shouldn't, she didn't.
The young man nodded. "Yeah. Rumor says she has ties with more than fifty high-ranking figures."
"Impressive. The upper circle really is messy." Jing Shu shook her head. She wasn't bothered though. It wasn't like the woman was some big boss. Pillow talk had its power, but in the apocalypse, what really mattered wasn't physical strength. It was personal capability.
And there was an old saying that fit perfectly. Even a long whip couldn't hit something far out of reach.