Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the Prosperity Commercial Building.
Fang Ping’s brow was furrowed. No one knew what was going on in his mind.
Beside him, Li Chengze was also rather nervous, and afraid to speak.
Fang Ping was currently considering what Li Chengze had just said.
Ever since Distance Ltd had taken over the Rising East Company, its fast food outlets were now to be found in almost every normal higher education institutions in the university city.
Although they did not earn much, their business was still expanding quite extensively.
On the food delivery side of the business, Distance Ltd had signed contracts with a couple more delivery companies, contracting out select districts.
After more than half a year of development, Distance Ltd had expanded in scope. The variety of businesses under their belt had increased too.
Despite all that, Fang Ping had yet to see an increase in his Wealth.
How, exactly, did the system calculate his wealth?
His net assets?
If the system saw it as a measure of his wealth, then it made sense, as Distance Ltd’s current value had not exceeded the sum Fang Ping had invested in the company. Distance Ltd in its present state would definitely be valued less than 15 million, which was about the sum Fang Ping had put into it.
If the above was indeed so, then earning wealth was extremely hard. The system would not deliberately make everything so difficult, would it?
If the system was not calculating his Wealth according to his net assets, then it must be calculating Wealth according to public listed value.
Simply put, Wealth was calculated either at its market value if it was publicly listed, or its estimated value if it was not.
Would the public listed value of Distance Ltd be above 15 million?
After an extended silence, Fang Ping rapped the table lightly with his knuckles before saying, “Distance Ltd is doing well in the F&B industry. Has anyone expressed interest in financing that aspect of things?”
“Financing?” Li Chengze thought for a while before shaking his head. “No, but a corporation has shown interest in purchasing the business.”
“How much did the other party offer?”
“10 million!” Fang Ping snorted. After a while, he said, “If there’s a party interested in financing, go ahead and proceed with negotiations. See how much they estimate our business to be worth.”
He now suspected that his Wealth was not increasing because there had been no proper estimation of the actual value of his company.
After some consideration, Fang Ping added, “Actually, I’ve discovered that the easiest way to earn money in today’s world is through martial arts.”
Martial artists were pretty rich, all things considered!
They earned a lot of money fast and were willing to shell out large amounts of it.
“I discovered another problem when I was in Sun City,” Fang Ping mused, “Martial artists tend to find it hard to spend their money if they live in small cities like Sun City.
“If they want to buy some pills, they have to go into larger cities, or to the center of the province.
“What if we find a way to set up an e-commerce store on the Internet? How do you think that would do?”
E-commerce was still a relatively recent business, and there were no professional e-commerce stores geared solely at martial artists.
Pills and weaponry were expensive, though, and martial artists still did not trust online shopping enough to buy such important items through the Internet.
Li Chengze shook his head at Fang Ping’s idea. “It’s too difficult! And we... We aren’t qualified to do that.”
Even if Fang Ping was now at Rank-2, the very thought of a lower-ranked martial artist like himself starting an e-commerce store was ludicrous.
Aside from the difficulty of locating the proper channels, the specialized courier services required for delivering expensive cargo costing millions were simply not available, not with the current delivery companies.
Without martial artists heading the team, the delivery process would also be extremely dangerous.
The world was not short of rogue martial artists willing to risk their lives for easy money and crime that paid.
Fang Ping massaged his forehead and sighed quietly. “If we manage to pull this off, we’ll definitely earn both money and reputation, as we’ll have a monopoly on the resources necessary for martial artists’ cultivation...”
Needless to say, this online method would be the choice of most martial artists in future, once it gained public acceptance.
Physical stores and e-commerce platforms operated along the same lines. If Fang Ping could successfully set up an e-commerce store, he would be the main distributor of resources. The profit he would earn, not to mention the impact of his venture, would be immeasurable.
Of course, a lot more was required for this to be possible, and Fang Ping did not currently have the necessary qualifications to proceed any further.
Platforms like Raccoon had probably considered the market for martial artists as well but the difficulties presented caused the idea to be abandoned. The monopoly of resources, for one, was a very big issue—the production of pills and weaponry were all monopolized.
However...there might still be hope.
Fang Ping said, suddenly, “Say, what if I was to create a platform like this in MCMAU? We’ll put the items sold in the logistics department on the Internet for students, who’ll pay for them with credits.
“With this, the students won’t always need to run to the logistics department for what they need. Besides, the logistics department may be in the school but some students are off-campus more often. They have to return to campus every time they need to exchange their credits for resources, which is a hassle.
“Do you think people would accept something like this?”
Li Chengze stared blankly at Fang Ping for a while. He then asked timidly, “Where... Where will the profit be, then?”
Fang Ping’s eyes began to light up. He said, “Number one—this is a way we can mobilize the resources in MCMAU. When consumerism through the Internet becomes second nature, I’ll be able to mobilize those resources more thoroughly.
“Number two— there’ll be profit, regardless. We’ve increased MCMAU’s productivity by freeing up the middle and higher-ranked instructors in charge of managing the department.
“If we request for a shipment of bulk resources, can those resources be sold cheaper? Of course they can! We’ll still earn some profit when we sell them. The only thing is...”
The only concern was that MCMAU would not be willing to assign this market to a student. If he made a mistake, the loss would be huge.
Fang Ping’s plan was to give it a try in MCMAU, then expand his business when he had the ability and the know-how.
First, he would start small-scale in MCMAU, then expand to include all the martial arts universities in Magic City. After that, he could branch out to every other martial arts university outside of Magic City, and finally to all martial artists and even civilians!
Fang Ping paused before continuing, “Our delivery and F&B services can also be selectively geared toward martial artists.
“Although food is free of charge in martial arts universities, for the most part, it’s all normal food items.
“What do you think of developing a high-end F&B market that specifically targets martial artists?
“Most martial artists don’t like to waste time. Sometimes when they’re really focused on cultivating, they won’t be bothered to go out in search of food.
“Those who have the money take Vitality Pills as a substitute. Those who don’t have much take Blood-nourishing Pills instead.
“If we can pioneer high-end Vitality-boosting F&B delivery aimed at martial artists...frankly, these are all rich people. Spendthrifts.
“They won’t even blink an eye if we charge 100 bucks for each delivery. They can relax, cultivate and enjoy delicious food, all delivered right to their doorstep. It’s loads better than just taking pills...”
The more Fang Ping talked about it, the more doable it seemed.
He himself could not be bothered to go to the cafeteria sometimes during cultivation, as he found the trip a hassle.
He could not possibly rely on pills or his Wealth to replenish his Vitality all the time, though; all humans needed food and drink.
If someone could deliver food to him, he definitely would not mind paying a delivery fee, that wasn’t even an issue.
To rich people, what was a mere 100 bucks?
There were difficulties in implementing this plan, though. First of all, most people were not authorized to enter the dormitory area on campus. Negotiating for permission to do so would be very troublesome.
Secondly, the owners of upscale restaurants had their sights set extremely high. Negotiating a working relationship with them would be a hassle, too.
All of this boiled down to Fang Ping’s current powerlessness – he was only a Rank-2 martial artist.
Someone like him would find it hard to venture into an industry that serviced martial artists.
Things would be much smoother if he was a Grandmaster; he would have a much freer hand to proceed in certain matters.
He rapped on the table again, gritting his teeth. “I’ll discuss this with MCMAU. This might be doable. If it isn’t, we’ll give up on this for now and target civilians.
“If we can target the martial arts community though, everything will be different!”
Sino Nation invested far too much money in martial artists—countless billions, even trillions.
If there were a million martial artists in the country, and a martial artist spent ten thousand yuan, the entire community would spend a billion yuan in total. Certainly the average martial artist spent more than ten thousand yuan a year!
This was not just a million-dollar market—it was easily a trillion-dollar market, at the very least.
Fang Ping could earn a plentiful sum just by taking a minuscule piece of the proverbial cake.
The fundamental issue now was this––he was too weak. He did not yet have the right to take a piece for himself.
Li Chengze was not an expert on martial arts-related affairs, but after consideration, he pointed out, “Mr. Fang, if you really want to capitalize on martial artists, we... We’ll have to prepare for the hiring of martial artists.
“But the expenditure would be...too high!”
If the company really wanted to start a business catering to martial artists, they could not proceed when Fang Ping was the only martial artist in the company.
The gap between martial artists and civilians was huge.
Without a martial artist representing the company in the negotiation process, even the smallest expansion was not possible.
Fang Ping already had his hands full with cultivating; he had no time to get involved in other matters.
“You’re right...but it’s a matter for future consideration. It’ll have to wait until I can actually negotiate something.”
Fang Ping was not sure if his idea would be approved.
The powerhouses in MCMAU might look down on such matters, but they probably would not allow a student to handle something like that either.
Granted, he would not need much to test his plan out on campus; he would only need to hire some civilians to run errands on his behalf.
“You keep on doing what you’re doing,” he told Li Chengze, “Also, remember what I said about the development of a mobile app. The country has already approved a 3G network, and some companies are already developing 3G smartphones...
“The expansion of our business must go on as well. We need to cover the university city at least. It’s been over half a year, and we haven’t even taken over a district...
“If the company is short of funds, you can take out a loan, or let me know.
“Our priority is speed, especially in the first stages of business...”
Fang Ping felt impatient. By next month, his wealth might be completely depleted. How could he continue his cultivation if he did not earn money somehow?
He was without the financial support of his family. Could he risk his life again and again in missions just for measly rewards?
...
After reminding Li Chengze of some other matters and asking the other man to help him purchase a car, Fang Ping left with a headache. However, the dream of being a two-way merchant—no, the most successful distributor in the martial arts community—remained in his mind.
He had toyed with this idea very early on. At the time though, he was only a civilian and could merely fantasize about it.
Now he was already a Rank-2 martial artist, and would probably advance to Rank-3 soon. He was still weak, but that did not mean he had no hope at all.
...
After returning to campus, Fang Ping gave the matter some consideration. He then paid a visit to the logistics department, which was not very busy as school had not yet started.
Old Man Li was still dozing off on the counter. When he saw Fang Ping come in, he asked, “Why are you here again, boy?”
“Instructor Li, how could you say something like that? I’m here for a chat with you.”
Old Man Li snorted, “Haha... Quit loitering around if you don’t have business here!”
Fang Ping did not take offense. He seated himself by the counter without further ado, then asked, “Instructor Li, the logistics department of our school is quite busy, isn’t it?”
“It’s all right.”
“A powerhouse like you sent here to be a salesman—that’s a terrible downgrade.
“There are quite a lot of martial artists here besides you, and they have to do 24-hour shifts. That really limits the amount of time all those middle and higher-ranked martial artists can use to train. That’s such a waste, don’t you think?”
Fang Ping sounded as if he was indignant on their behalf. As the department’s clientele were all martial artists, civilians might not qualified enough to deal with them. Not only that, some students came only to ask questions, not to exchange their credits for resources. It was indeed a waste of time.
Old Man Li gave him a glare and remained quiet. What nonsense! Part of the school’s resources was stored here. What if they were stolen because there were no powerhouses to man the department?
Although everyone here was a student at MCMAU and definitely would not have the courage to commit such an act, the school was not about to make it easier for them do so, if they were so inclined.
If an outsider managed to slip in and steal something from the department, it would be even more mortifying.
Fang Ping continued, “Instructor, in my opinion, the mission counters on the third floor are a good idea. You can sign up for missions online now.
“Has the school considered the possibility of constructing an online platform that handles the redeeming of pills and weaponry? That way, a huge amount of manpower and funds can be conserved...”
“Eh? Constructing an online platform...” Old Man Li looked startled.
“Yes, lots of civilians buy stuff on e-commerce platforms now. It’s convenient and quick. Shouldn’t martial artists keep up with the times too?”
Old Man Li wrinkled his brow. “This is different, the objects we’re talking about are too valuable...”
“It’s the same, actually,” Fang Ping told him, “There’s not too much of a difference. Martial artists are also people. They want transactions to be simpler and faster as well.
“Some of our seniors are stationed elsewhere, and they have to come back here every time they want to redeem some pills. It’s way too troublesome.
“Instructor, I have a small business of my own. I’m quite adept at running errands for other people.
“If I construct an online platform for the school and help solve some of these problems, both entirely free of charge, do you think the school would support this project?”
“Eh?” Old Man Li’s eyes glittered for a second. He stared hard at Fang Ping for a while before laughing abruptly and saying, “Boy, you’re not the sort of person who’d work for free. Constructing an online platform and running errands for free...no, that doesn’t ring true.
“I think you’ve set your sights on the school’s resources. Are you planning to make a run for it after you’ve earned a hefty sum?”
“Instructor, what are you saying?” Fang Ping protested indignantly, “Do I look like someone who has the nerve to do that? There are several Grandmasters in here. I won’t dare do that unless I wanted to die.
“Instructor, I’m serious. I’ll construct a platform for the school free of charge.
“I won’t use up any of the instructors’ time either. Students won’t have to visit the department in the future, because they can redeem the items they need from the platform.
“For my part, I’ll come to pick up the resources from campus when I get an order and deliver them to the customers.
“Of course, I won’t be able to make the delivery if the locations are too far from here, but the expansion will happen eventually.
“The school won’t need to spend a single cent or use any manpower. I’ll be responsible for everything!
“Of course, I’ll collect a delivery fee of about 100 bucks from the students. That’s not too high, is it?
“That will be a burden off the instructors’ backs, and the students will find everything more convenient too. I don’t think anyone will mind paying that small sum.
“Instructor, I come from an average family. I can only rely on myself to think of ways to earn money...
“I will be in charge of compensation too. If the item is lost on my part, I’ll compensate in full. With that, both the school and the students won’t need to worry about any risks...”
E-commerce was a fairly recent business, and the older generation of martial artists knew close to nothing about the intricacies of it.
Old Man Li thought on Fang Ping’s words. Based on what he said, there really seemed to be a great many advantages and hardly any disadvantages.
Instructor workload would be reduced, investment of manpower and funds would be reduced, and everything would be more convenient for the students...
Would the boy do all that only for a measly delivery fee, though?
Fang Ping had promised to compensate for any losses. That meant that if he lost anything due to his own lack of ability, the school would not need to take responsibility either.
All that thinking was beginning to give Old Man Li a headache. He asked, “Can you even afford it? You need to be aware that students in MCMAU aren’t limited to the ones on campus. You can deliver some items around campus maybe, but once outsiders find out you’re delivering pills and weaponry, there’ll definitely be some who have bad intentions.”
“Instructor, we’ll be doing this on campus in the early stages,” Fang Ping reassured Old Man Li, “For deliveries outside campus, I’ll hire some martial artists when I’m able, and they can make the delivery.
“Actually, I don’t think the risk is as big as you think. Martial artists are all elites. How many middle-ranked martial artists would risk their lives for such a crime if the profits don’t run into the billions? Even lower-ranked martial artists won’t do anything if the items aren’t worth millions at least.
“We won’t take on expensive orders in the early stages. The risk will be smaller this way.”
Old Man Li’s interest was finally piqued. He still had some reservations, though, asking suspiciously, “You really aren’t thinking of making a run for it when you get your hands on those pills?”
Fang Ping pleaded innocence, “Instructor, am I crazy? I’m MCMAU’s student prodigy. Why would I do something as idiotic as that?
“I only want to make some money out of delivery fees. This is mostly grunt work, anyway, there’s not much for me to earn.
“I have to manage the platform, too.
“Of course, the school can develop something like this by themselves, but it’s really not appropriate to the instructors’ statuses as martial artists.
“The school should support poor students like me who want to start their own businesses. Instructor, do you think the school will agree to this?”
“Quit mentioning your poverty all the time!”
Old Man Li rolled his eyes. If this boy was considered poor, there would be very few poor people in the world indeed.
How many pills had he redeemed? How much had he earned from selling them?
Now here he was, complaining that he was poor!
After a moment’s consideration, Old Man Li spoke, “It might not be impossible if you really want to do this, but...”
Fang Ping’s face lit up with anticipation.
“But, you’re still not powerful enough, unless...” Old Man Li paused.
“Unless what?”
“Unless you ask your instructor to serve as your guarantor and take responsibility for any loss of property. You can’t do it yourself. You think I don’t know how much you have?
“Your instructor is another story entirely. She’s rich. If you really do run off halfway, the school can make her compensate for everything.
“Besides, the school’s all tied up dealing with the Catacombs. If you really want to do this, they won’t make it difficult for you.
“One other thing,” Old Man Li cautioned, “If you want to make deliveries, you’ll have to let outsiders into the school. That’s a bit of an issue.
“If any problems come up, you’ll be the one to take responsibility and your instructor too. Is Lu Fengrou be willing to be your guarantor? If you can convince her to help you, I can talk to the school about this.”
“I have to find someone to be my guarantor?” Fang Ping felt a headache coming on. Would Lu Fengrou be willing to do it?
He could not be certain of that!
If Fang Ping ran away with the pills after getting a large order, the school would lose billions.
On the other hand, this sort of transaction was practiced by many people and was not just a one-time occurrence.
Old Man Li thought for a while and said, “Oh, if the school does agree to this, they will probably want to supervise the proceedings alongside you. They’ll assign someone to this. Don’t go thinking it’s something wonderful...”
“It’s not an issue, really.”
At that moment, Fang Ping could hardly care less. He directed a flattering grin at the other man. “Instructor Li, do you think that this will be approved? Or will the school choose to develop something like this by themselves instead?”
“If you haven’t mentioned it, the school might do it when they think of it,” Old Man Li told him. “But if you bring it up to them, the school won’t compete with you for it. You must have the chops for it, though. MCMAU’s policy always favors the capable students. The better you are, the more you can earn.”
“Can I trouble you to help me keep an eye on this? I’ll visit my instructor now...”
Fang Ping departed in a hurry after those words.
Old Man Li experienced a host of mixed emotions as Fang Ping disappeared quickly from sight. The boy was quite ingenious, but it might not necessarily be a good thing. A diversion of his attention to other things might be detrimental to his cultivation.
On the other hand, if he could not earn money that way, he would have to go on missions. Either way, it would take up time.
If he really did succeed in earning money, however, such things would no longer be considered a barrier.
MCMAU only had a limited number of students, though, and not everyone would redeem their items daily. How many orders could Fang Ping possibly receive?
If he took one or two hundred orders, all with a delivery fee of a hundred yuan, the most he could earn in a day was about ten thousand yuan. He would have to deduct overhead costs, too. Could he really earn money that way?
Old Man Li had serious doubts about the matter. If Fang Ping ever lost anything, he would have the devil to pay in compensation.
“Oh well, forget it. Young people have tons of ideas, let them deal with the complications.”
Old Man Li shook his head and lay down for another nap.