Qi Xu stepped on the accelerator, waiting for the green light, then floored it and sped through the intersection!
After parking the car by the roadside, Qi Xu deliberately pinned both his work badge and the Fox Family’s exclusive VIP card to his chest.
Confidently, he pushed open the station’s door!
Then... a foul, stinking odor assaulted his senses, yet Qi Xu grinned so wide it almost looked deranged—until he caught himself and toned it down a little.
At the entrance stood a working monster—a flying duck with wings several times larger than its body. Just as it was about to extend a wing to demand payment from Qi Xu, it suddenly caught sight of his gleaming work badge.
With a disappointed sigh, it said, "Oh, no cargo delivery today?"
Qi Xu had no idea what it meant but played it cool and nodded. "Just here to pick something up."
"Go on, go on. I thought those foolish humans were coming. Got my hopes up for nothing, thought I’d make some money."
Seizing the opportunity, Qi Xu pulled out a Survival Coin and tossed it to the duck, which had landed on the ground. Despite its oversized wings, the duck was nimble—with a swift flick, it tucked the coin against its chest.
"Take it. Don’t bother me. I’ve got things to do."
"Sure thing, sure thing! Quack quack quack! Thought you were a newbie, but turns out you’re a big shot!"
Qi Xu gave a cold, dignified nod and strode inside with an air of authority.
Before him lay the same mountain of garbage as before...
But this time, Qi Xu wasn’t in a hurry. With his work badge, he felt bolder and ventured further in.
Last time, without the badge, all he’d seen was the trash heap. Now, he discovered something new.
Behind the garbage stood a row of small sheds, where a two-meter-tall rat was busy sorting the waste.
"Hey, this is my work area."
The rat eyed Qi Xu warily, as if fearing he’d come to steal its job. These days, finding work wasn’t easy—even if it stank, it still put food on the table.
Once again, Qi Xu relied on the power of money and tossed the rat a Survival Coin.
Instantly, the rat’s demeanor changed as if meeting a savior. "Honorable boss! What can I do for you?"
"I’m just looking for something. Stay out of my way."
"Absolutely! Boss, take your time!"
Qi Xu glanced at the signs hanging over the shed doors and couldn’t suppress his grin.
"Near-Expired Section," "Food Section," "Discarded Tools Section," "Daily Necessities Section," "Scrapped Vehicles Section"...
Qi Xu first pushed open the door to the Near-Expired Section—the same shed where the rat had been working.
The moment he saw what was inside, his legs nearly gave out. The room was lined with shelves, each stacked with all sorts of items.
[Curry-Flavored Toast: Expires in 3 days. Who even invented this flavor? No one’s buying it.]
As soon as Qi Xu picked it up, the price automatically appeared: 5 slices per pack, 100 packs per set, and a whole set cost just 1 Survival Coin...
Without hesitation, Qi Xu bought five sets. These would sell like hotcakes in the chat hall.
This time, he didn’t plan to overcharge—just one material per pack would do.
After monster attacks, natural disasters, or other special events, resources on the streets always surged. The recent sudden scarcity of food was no exception.
Qi Xu hoped more people would survive. Only if others lived could they keep trading with him—and he could keep profiting.
After scanning the shelves, he focused only on the cheapest items.
[Chili Sauce: Expires in 9 days. Extra spicy, S Province-style. You’ve been warned.] 1 Survival Coin per set, 50 bottles per set, 220g per bottle.
[Canned Meat: Expires in 6 days. Normal flavor, but the cans are dented or scratched due to a transport accident.] 1 Survival Coin per set, 50 cans per set.
[Oat Pure Milk: Expires in 4 days. Sugar-free, low-fat—perfect for dieters. Shake well before drinking due to sediment.] 1 Survival Coin per set, 50 cartons per set.
For these, Qi Xu bought two sets each.
The rest were too outrageous to consider. Just their names screamed "culinary disaster."
For example: [Slime Noodles Handmade by Slugs], [Strawberry-Flavored Instant Noodles], [Wasabi-Spicy Sweet Orange Mini Cakes], [Vinegar-Flavored Pure Milk].
Despite their terrifying descriptions, they weren’t cheap—still 1 Survival Coin per set, but with only single-digit quantities per set.
Qi Xu had no interest in testing these extreme flavors. Clearly, there was a reason they were near-expired and unsellable.
Just as he was about to leave, though, he spotted a large box by the door—not yet shelved or even priced.
The first box contained 300 cartons of Tesu Pure Milk. Qi Xu reached for it, but his hand wouldn’t go in.
[Unprocessed item. Not yet available for sale.]
Qi Xu opened the door and saw the rat still sitting by the trash pile, grinning foolishly at its Survival Coin. He beckoned it over.
"Coming, boss! What do you need?"
Pointing at the milk, Qi Xu said, "Set a price. I’m taking all of it."
He tossed another Survival Coin at the rat.
The rat couldn’t believe its luck—twice in one day! It pretended to inspect the milk and said, "This stuff isn’t even shelf-worthy. I was gonna take it out back for disposal. How about you help me move it?"
With that, it slapped a "DESTROY" label on the box.
Qi Xu was stunned. Was this even allowed? Suddenly, he regretted spending so much. He gave the rat a thumbs-up. "You’re something else."
Without hesitation, Qi Xu took the milk and asked, "Got anything else like this?"
The rat hesitated, then nodded and scurried off, returning with a cart full of Braised Beef Instant Noodles—easily over a thousand cups, with 25 days left before expiration.
Perhaps sensing Qi Xu’s interest, the rat proactively stuck a "DESTROY" label on the cart and flashed an obsequious smile.
Qi Xu was at a loss for words. Luck? Divine favor? None of it compared to the power of his work badge.
The King of Scrap was unstoppable—no matter the place or era!
Extremely satisfied, Qi Xu pocketed the thousand cups of noodles.
As for the "Food Section" next door, Qi Xu didn’t even dare open the door. The stench seeping through was already on par with an old man’s unwashed feet after 800 years...
........
