Chapter 5: The Rice Mill
Just minutes after leaving the 4S dealership, Su Mo’s phone rang. She saw it was Su Hao and answered, “Mo Mo, weren’t you home for lunch?”
A warm, worried voice came through the phone. Su Mo’s heart warmed, “I came out for some fresh air, Big Brother, don’t worry.”
“You’re not fully recovered yet. Go home and rest early,” Su Hao said, though he didn’t object to her going out, he still gave her some advice.
“Big Brother, don’t worry. I’ll be back soon; I won’t be out too late,” Su Mo reassured him, knowing his concern.
Su Hao continued to urge her to return home early and stay safe, and Su Mo responded accordingly.
After hanging up, she checked the time: it was already 2 PM. Considering she only had a little over fifty million left, she sighed; money really was a good thing.
Her stomach rumbled; she was hungry. She found a quiet place to eat.
Su Mo chose a place that wasn’t high-end but had a pleasant atmosphere. She sat by a window, ordered some food, and started checking some information on her phone.
Suddenly, a quiet conversation from a nearby table caught her attention.
“Hey, did you hear? A rice mill in the west of the city went bankrupt and is selling off its stock at a low price,” a middle-aged man said to another.
“I heard, but the competition is fierce, and their price is high. No one will buy it,” the other man replied, shaking his head.
“Exactly. They won’t sell the rice separately; you have to buy the entire mill. There’s so much stock; it’s at least tens of millions. Who would do that?” the middle-aged man sighed, explaining that he had planned to buy some rice but the mill wouldn’t sell in smaller quantities.
Su Mo perked up at their conversation. It was like finding a treasure unexpectedly.
She stood up and approached the two men, “Excuse me, sirs, is it true what you were saying? That a rice mill is being sold?”
The two men were surprised to be approached by a young girl. Seeing that she was quite pretty, they answered, despite their confusion, “Yes.”
“Could you tell me the address? I’d like to go take a look and buy some rice,” Su Mo said innocently.
“Young lady, they don’t sell retail; it’s no use going there,” the other middle-aged man said kindly, seeing her innocent expression.
“That’s alright; I just want to take a look,” Su Mo smiled, inwardly thinking that she was actually going to buy the mill.
The man nodded and gave Su Mo the address, and both men left soon after.
Su Mo memorized the address and checked the location on her phone. It wasn’t far, about a half-hour away. She decided to go immediately.
After quickly finishing her meal, Su Mo put on her backpack and took a taxi to the rice mill.
After paying and getting out of the car, she saw that the location was quite remote, with a few houses nearby and a tall iron gate, seemingly enclosed. She checked the location on her phone; it was the right place.
Su Mo went closer and saw a notice on the gate advertising the sale of the mill, including a phone number.
The gate was closed. Even with her spatial storage, she couldn’t get in. She took out her phone and dialed the number.
After a couple of rings, a tired-sounding middle-aged man answered, “Hello?”
“Hello, is this Mr. Guo?” Su Mo asked.
There was a moment of silence. Mr. Guo hadn’t expected a young girl to call. He responded, “Yes, who is this?”
“Mr. Guo, I understand you have a rice mill for sale in the west of the city, and I’ve decided to buy it. Are you available to meet?” Su Mo stated her purpose directly.
Guo Ming hesitated but said, “Yes, where are you now?”
“I’m outside your rice mill,” Su Mo replied simply.
Guo Ming perked up. Although he initially doubted the girl’s intentions, her presence at the gate convinced him of her sincerity. “Please wait a moment; I’ll open the gate for you.”
In the spacious office, Su Mo sat quietly on a leather sofa while Guo Ming brought her a glass of water.
“Thank you,” Su Mo politely accepted it.
Guo Ming sat down, examining the girl. He was surprised he hadn’t chased her away; she looked only sixteen or seventeen.
He then said seriously, “Miss Su, to be honest, I urgently need money. If it weren’t for my son’s gambling debts, I wouldn’t be selling this mill.”
Su Mo was surprised to hear the reason. She nodded, “How much rice does the mill have, Mr. Guo?”
This was her main concern; the size of the mill was irrelevant compared to the rice.
Guo Ming answered without hesitation, “200 tons. Normally, it’s over 500 tons, but I’ve sold some since I planned to sell the mill and haven’t restocked.”
Su Mo was overjoyed. 200 tons was enough rice for twenty people for thirty years. Acquiring it would significantly improve her chances of survival during the apocalypse.
Controlling her excitement, Su Mo asked, “Mr. Guo, what’s your asking price?”
Guo Ming was surprised by her directness, “200 tons of rice at the minimum market price is 1.5 million, plus the mill itself. My asking price is 2 million.”
Su Mo readily agreed, “Agreed, but I’d also like to ask for your help.”
Guo Ming was relieved; his wife would finally be safe. He smiled and said, “Miss Su, please tell me, anything within my ability, I will do.”
“It’s not a big deal. I’m new to this business and don’t have supply channels. I’d like you to collect more grain for me—as much as possible.”
Money would be useless in the apocalypse. Her spatial storage could hold any inanimate object indefinitely without spoilage, eliminating the need for personal cultivation.
Guo Ming immediately nodded, “No problem, but rice doesn’t keep for long; it needs to be sold quickly. Unsold stock is problematic.”
“Don’t worry, I have channels. I’ll sell a batch every two weeks. Just collect as much as you can,” Su Mo suggested, understanding that keeping so much rice might be suspicious.
After discussing other details, Su Mo transferred twenty million to Guo Ming’s account—two million for the mill and its stock, and eighteen million for the grain acquisition in the following month.
By the time they finished, it was 5 PM. Guo Ming offered Su Mo a ride, and she accepted.
Back in A City, Su Mo asked Guo Ming to stop near her house. As she was getting out, she suddenly remembered something, “Uncle Guo, it’s getting colder now, and there’s a flu going around. If you can, keep some extra food at home, just in case.”
Guo Ming was surprised by her words, sensing a hidden meaning. He nodded.
Su Mo smiled faintly, then turned to walk home. She had said what she needed to; the rest was up to them. She wasn’t God; she couldn’t save the whole world.