Food Frenzy (3)
While diligently researching information, I muttered quietly from the security room.
"Whoa... this is insane..."
What I was reading were posts about what people in the outside world—especially those I'd invited as members—were eating to survive.
Of course, the contents were beyond imagination.
"Whoa, they're really compressing cockroaches to eat? Making canned rat meat?"
"Holy shit, fuck..."
I've been living way too comfortably.
"Tch, but damn, I pulled the aggro perfectly."
No matter how confident I am it'll sell, investigating customer needs is the basic virtue of any merchant.
Every time I hit refresh, dozens of posts flooded in.
The two were carrying on a healthy, constructive, and dry debate.
"These guys are still arguing..."
And the level of conversation was pretty high.
As a 10-year gallery veteran, my instincts screamed.
"Now's the time."
With everyone's expectations peaked, this was the perfect moment to open the new product slot.
Reward 2: Slot Expansion Ticket x1
"Expand the slot first."
Using the expansion ticket created an empty spot in the pre-open shop UI.
Heh. Now, what to put in this empty slot?
"Still, Mild Tuna Can seems perfect, right?"
I planned to slot the unlocked tuna can right there. Seeing the gallery folks surviving on rat meat cans or rotten corn made a corner of my heart uneasy. Plus, this was personally important too.
"This... this... how much will it fetch...?"
Strictly speaking, this was the first food item after water. I had no idea how the System would price it.
"Can't see the price until I register it..."
Blind registration could make life hell. So, please, high price.
"If it's 10 stones or some shit... my living corner gets farther and cheapskate gets closer..."
Steeling my trembling heart, I shouted.
"Alright...!! Upload!!!"
"40 Magic Stones...?"
Holy shit!!!! Double the water price!!!!
"Kekekeke this is it!!!"
At that moment, ecstasy filled Shin-soo's eyes.
Mad posts suddenly flooded the gallery.
"Aaaahhh!!!"
The moment they checked, a scream echoed from the round table of the food cartel dominating Orange Zone commerce.
"Tuna can!!!! Why canned of all things!!!!!"
Kim Sajang, boss of the rat meat can cartel, bashed his head on the table sobbing.
"K-Kim Sajang... you okay?"
"Fuck!!! It's over!! My rat meat cans are done for!!!"
Before the tuna appeared, they'd rushed a meeting right after the shop announced food update.
"You all gonna sit quiet like dumbasses...? We need countermeasures... something!!"
"Countermeasures? Fuck, what countermeasures! System announcing food! Actual food!"
"System's sold pre-apoc water so far. Obvious it'll be pre-apoc food this time..."
"B-But our food has demand too..."
"Demand? Chem-soaked rat cans gonna compete with System's pre-apoc food? Our stuff's all defective trash from the start...!"
After long debate, they realized no answer. Food was as essential as water in apocalypse, but they just monopolized and jacked prices. They knew their garbage couldn't match pre-apoc stuff best.
In a lawless world, no merchant fattening on others' starvation was innocent. Oasis wasn't unique; food cartel manipulated supply too, letting people die for profit.
So they knew exactly what System food meant for them.
Their sole countermeasure: one desperate prayer.
'Pls not cans...!'
'Pls not pet food...!'
'Pls not seaweed noodles...!'
'Pls not Bug Blocks...!'
Ironically praying to the System that'd doom them—for food not overlapping their monopolies.
And fate struck: gallery confirmed, canned merchant's doom sealed.
"Kuhuhu... what do I live on now...!!"
Ignoring Kim Sajang's blood tears, pet food and Bug Block merchants wiped cold sweat, sighing relief.
"Phewww... fuck, scared me."
"Lucky. System only hit cans."
Pet food boss Park Sajang gulped shitwater with shaky hands.
"Sorry for Kim Sajang... but we live. Plus think: week and half from first water to this food update?"
"Yeah..."
"Update cycle speeding, but still over a week till next! Rice, noodles, feed, blocks safe for now!"
Seaweed noodle and Bug Block merchants nodded furiously.
"Drop prices quick, sell cheap!"
"Yes...!"
Thoroughly unscrupulous, but their situational awareness and self-objectivity blindingly fast.
'Shop's tuna only 100 now... like Odasu, it'll balloon to 700 soon.'
'Remember... remember Oasis guild wiped trying to monopolize water...'
Fighting System shop trend was suicide.
Suddenly.
"Damn... can't live like this..."
Rat meat boss, collapsed wailing, slowly lifted his head. Tear-soaked eyes flashed resolute, sinister light.
The vibe jolted others to their feet.
"W-What, rebelling against System...!"
"Crazy?! Forgot how Oasis vanished?! Die alone!"
"Don't drag the cartel!!"
But ignoring pleas, Kim Sajang donned coat coldly, stood. Cold smile like warrior prepping counterstrike.
"Y-You'll see."
"...!!!"
"Even if sky falls, there's a hole to rise through; path to live always exists... watch."
Leaving heroic silhouette, Kim Sajang left the table.
As Kim Sajang left, a post hit the gallery.
"Pfft..."
Laughter burst from my mouth at the same time.