Chapter 162 - 108: Shock
Peng Jialiang polished off the last of the pasta on his plate in a few quick bites, then turned to the still-dazed Chen Haoyu. "Hurry up and eat. We’re going across the way when you’re done."
"Mmph..." Chen Haoyu wolfed down his food, nearly choking. He frantically pounded his chest as he twisted open a bottle of water and took a huge gulp. "Whew... I almost choked to death! Brother Liang, what’s the rush?"
Before he could finish his sentence, Peng Jialiang was already pulling him over to the agricultural products section across the way.
They stepped into the agricultural products section.
The first thing they saw was a row of tea seed oil packaged in red wine bottles. The labels read, "Hailufeng First-Press Tea Seed Oil," and a sign next to them said, "Pre-sale Samples."
Peng Jialiang’s attention, however, wasn’t on the tea seed oil. It was on the White Truffles at the neighboring booth.
The White Truffles were packed in small boxes. Each one was about the size of a tennis ball and bore a label that read, "Hailufeng Select White Truffle." But the sign on the display read, "This product is available for sale. Orders welcome."
"Holy crap, they’re real White Truffles! There must be dozens of kilos here, right?" Chen Haoyu leaned over, eyes wide, staring at the boxes of White Truffles on the display stand.
The shrewd Peng Jialiang, however, wasted no time marveling. He went straight to a salesperson who was presenting the products and started asking questions.
"Excuse me, how much are these White Truffles?"
Seeing someone actively inquire about the price, an intern from the sales department quickly pulled out a brochure and handed it over. "Hello, sir. This is our promotional brochure for the White Truffles. For our Select White Truffles, the price is 3,000 yuan per kilogram. If it’s for personal consumption, I’d recommend you consider our small-bulb White Truffles over here. They’re only 1,000 yuan per kilogram."
Peng Jialiang turned to look at these "small-bulb" White Truffles. They were simply smaller specimens, about the size of ping-pong balls.
"Are the two types of White Truffle the same?"
"They’re the same variety. It’s just that the ones that were undernourished during their growth are classified as ’small-bulb.’ You can smell for yourself." The intern took a small knife, cut a thin slice from both a large and a small truffle, and handed the samples to Peng Jialiang.
Peng Jialiang held them to his nose and sniffed carefully. Sure enough, there was no significant difference in their aroma.
Perhaps worried the customers still had doubts, the sales intern then used a shaver to grate some truffle over fried eggs that were already prepared nearby. "Gentlemen, please have a taste. The flavor profile is actually quite similar for both."
Chen Haoyu, who had already been feasting with his eyes, snatched a piece of the truffle-covered fried egg and popped it into his mouth in a flash. He chewed and exclaimed, "Delicious! The White Truffle flavor is so intense."
Peng Jialiang chuckled and shook his head. He also picked up a piece of egg, savored it for a moment, then took a sip of water to rinse his mouth before trying the egg from the other plate.
"The taste really is almost identical."
"I’m glad you like it." The sales intern’s pitch became even more enthusiastic. "If you purchase now, we’ll include a complimentary electric truffle grinder."
"One moment. I need to discuss something with my friend."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he pulled Chen Haoyu away from the booth, much to the sales intern’s exasperated look.
The two of them went over to a flower bed behind the display booth.
He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby.
Only then did Peng Jialiang speak. "Haoyu, you said you were looking for a way to make money. Well, this is it."
"The White Truffles? You mean be a middleman?" Chen Haoyu was quick on the uptake.
"Of course we’ll be middlemen. But we need to target the right market. This kind of deal will probably only last a few months, and we’ll have to control the volume. If we’re lucky, we can make at least a few million." Peng Jialiang’s voice grew excited.
Although both of them came from wealthy families, neither was in line to be the heir. They were on the fringes, so to speak. If they were content to just drift through life, they’d certainly never have to worry about their basic needs.
But who wants to live a life of mediocrity?
"Brother Liang, what’s the plan?" Chen Haoyu couldn’t help but get excited too. Earning your own money felt completely different from getting handouts from family.
To put it scientifically, the amount of dopamine produced by the two actions was on a completely different scale.
You might be happy at first with the money your family gives you, but over time, you start to take it for granted. Eventually, the feeling becomes dull and unsatisfying.
But earning your own money provides a sense of accomplishment and self-worth that creates a continuous stream of dopamine.
Peng Jialiang’s expression grew more focused. "Forget the domestic market. I have a classmate in Great Britain whose family runs a high-end Western restaurant. I’ll partner with him, sell him the White Truffles, and we’ll profit directly from the markup."
"But at 3,000 yuan per kilogram... I’ve only got a little over a million on me. That won’t buy very much!"
"Idiot. The select ones are too expensive. The real money is in the lower-grade ones. I’ve seen the White Truffles they use in those Western restaurants—the ping-pong-ball-sized ones are already considered premium. We’ll split up. I’ll contact my classmate in Britain. Doesn’t your dad have an old army buddy who’s in the import-export business? Get in touch with him and see if he’ll work with us."
After discussing for half an hour, they split up to get to work.
That initial information advantage truly held the potential for significant profit.
That was why their window of opportunity would only last for the first few months.
Just as the two of them left, a pair of backpackers also arrived at the exhibition area in Ciyun Mountain Park.
Judging by the professional live-streaming equipment they were carrying, they were clearly vloggers specializing in travel videos. And at that very moment, they were live.