Chapter 34: Getting Something for Nothing
"Brother, you're asking the right person. I happen to have an orchard at home. What kind of fruit are you looking for?"
Li Yi wasn't surprised by this response. He had already known about the orchard before traveling back in time. In addition, he was aware of the heavy losses this year's natural disasters had caused to the owner's family.
Since fate had brought them together, Li Yi decided to help him. This was the main reason he had chosen to stay at this hotel.
Although Li Yi had known about the situation at the boss's house for some time, he couldn't hide his excitement when he heard the news. He immediately replied, "That's great! We need apples, a lot of apples!"
When the boss heard this, his eyes immediately lit up. He quickly said, "I've already arranged for the apple business. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
Li Yi then asked, "Brother Xia, do you have apples available at home?"
"Brother Li Yi, I have 20 acres of orchard with an annual output of around 60,000 kilograms of apples."
"What's the price?"
"To be honest, we've had a bumper harvest this year, but the price is much lower than in previous years," Xia Xun explained.
"How much is the market price per catty? What price are you planning to sell them for?" Li Yi asked.
"The market price is currently six cents per catty, and it's still falling. If you need a large quantity, I can offer them to you for three cents per catty!" Xia Xun said, his tone showing his helplessness. The apple price had dropped significantly this year, and it had reached the lowest point for fruit farmers.
Although three cents per catty wasn't much, it was better than letting the apples rot on the branches.
Li Yi, however, was thrilled by the price of three cents. Even though he knew apples were cheap this year, with street vendors in Jiangcheng selling them for only eight to ten cents per catty, the wholesale price of three cents per catty still astonished him.
"Brother Xia, I'll take all your apples. Also, please contact a few other suppliers for more."
"How much do you want?"
"The more the better. At least 500,000 catties!"
"Five hundred thousand catties?" Xia Xun's expression was filled with shock. He looked at Li Yi and his group, confused and surprised. They were just young people in their late teens or early twenties, and it was hard to believe that they could afford such a huge amount.
"Yes, five hundred thousand catties," Li Yi confirmed.
Xia Xun's eyes widened. The demand for such a large quantity truly surprised him. Moreover, even at three cents per catty, the total cost would still be fifteen thousand yuan.
"Brother, this is no small order..." Xia Xun said, hesitant.
Li Yi, fully aware of Xia Xun's skepticism, remained calm. He opened his handbag and pulled out a stack of documents.
Handing the papers to Xia Xun, Li Yi said, "Don't worry, Brother Xia. As long as the apples meet the quality standards, we can sign a purchase contract immediately. We'll pay a deposit, but we won't transport the apples immediately. The fruit will remain with you, and once the goods are transported, we'll pay the full amount."
Xia Xun took the contract, examined it carefully, and noticed the official stamp of the Jiangnan Provincial Meat Factory. He nodded and said, "Alright, that works. As for the quality, you don't need to worry. I'll take you to the orchard tomorrow, and you can inspect them yourself."
"Perfect, it's settled then!"
In the stunned eyes of Wei Sanpao and the others, Li Yi had completed a transaction worth fifteen thousand yuan in just a few minutes, using only a few contracts obtained from seemingly unknown sources.
For them, this was an impressive feat. However, Li Yi was surprisingly calm about the whole process, showing no excitement at all. It was as if he had expected all of this to happen.
In reality, this wasn't much for someone like Li Yi, who had once owned hundreds of billions in assets. A transaction of fifteen thousand yuan was insignificant in comparison.
As for the process, it was nothing but basic manipulation for someone like Li Yi. After all, in the future, real estate companies deal with projects worth tens of billions, and this deal was only a fraction of that.
Despite the low financial stakes, Li Yi was still pleased. The transaction had been finalized, and the plan he had been preparing for days was now set in motion.
If everything went according to plan, and with the price of apples rising over time, Li Yi would make a profit of over ten times the original cost, even if he sold them at the same price of three cents per catty.
This was no longer just about making money; it felt more like an effortless windfall.
Back in the room, Wei Sanpao spoke up in awe, "Brother, you're incredible. You got everything sorted out so quickly!"
"It's nothing special. Just basic manipulation," Li Yi responded calmly.
"Brother, where did you get the factory's contract? I saw the official stamp on it."
"I made it myself."
"I made it myself?" Wei Sanpao and the others were stunned. Li Yi had made the contract himself?
"Yes, I drafted the terms of the contract and used a carving tool to make the stamp. It's that simple," Li Yi explained casually.
"Brother Yi, have you thought about what to do if the apples can't be sold?" Wei Sanpao asked, still worried.
Li Yi smiled confidently. "Don't worry. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility. The reason I brought you out was to give you some experience. You don't need to worry about the rest. I'll handle everything."
"But..." Wei Sanpao started to protest.
"Alright, enough talking. It's late. Go back to your rooms and get some rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day!" Li Yi ordered, cutting off the conversation.
Seeing that Li Yi had given the command to disperse, Wei Sanpao and the others didn't argue and returned to their respective rooms.