Chapter 423.1: We Sell Standards!

Ideal City.

In front of a spacious door, Ample Time stopped, glanced at the envelope in his hand, took out a card, and swiped it on the door. A blue ripple spread along the lock, and with a click, the door opened inwards.

What came into view was a broad reception room with a black, white, and gray checkered carpet, furnished with several sofas, and a minimalist yet impressive decor that definitely bore the hallmark of the Enterprise’s style. In their crowded city, space itself was a luxury.

A woman in her mid-twenties was sitting on the sofa in the center of the room. She wore a silver coat, and the greatest impression she gave were her beautiful long legs and her delicate face with neatly arched eyebrows.

Those eyebrows were like soft crescent moons, but they couldn’t hide the spirited look in her eyes, and the lively spark in them. Most attendees at the event that evening were high society members of Ideal City.

From the aura she exuded, Ample Time could tell that she was at the very least, a wealthy lady.

"Hello, Ms. Li Shuyue, sorry to have kept you waiting." Regardless, as a guest, Ample Time courteously started the conversation.

The woman on the sofa gestured for him to sit, speaking in a pleasant voice, "No need for such formality, warrior of the New Alliance, I am the one who has rudely disturbed your rest. Please, feel free to sit."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Ample Time smiled lightly and chose a sofa that was neither too close nor too far away.

As soon as he took his seat, an attendant served tea.

The misty vapor carried a subtle fragrance, light yet soothingly comfortable. They exchanged pleasantries for a while, touching only on trivial matters.

Interestingly, Ample Time felt that unlike the rich young ladies on the dance floor, her sparkling gaze held no adulation or curiosity. Rather, it seemed more encouraging, urging him to continue speaking.

Was it to assess the worthiness of investing in the New Alliance?

Thinking of the possibility, Ample Time spiritedly let go of everything holding him back, and began to enthusiastically promote everything from the New Alliance’s development to individuals within it. For instance, Teng Teng’s Hut was praised as an artistic masterpiece.

Yaya, a usually idle perception type T0 monster-level player, was lauded as a dedicated artisan pursuing the perfect mushroom dish. Tomato Eggs were turned into a culinary heritage with 888 lost recipes, and Irene became an explorer of edible alien species.

Even the unreliable asshole, Mosquito, was touted as a rocket scientist dreaming of exploring the stars.

As for their administrator... He didn’t need to be promoted. Riding on the mighty Deathclaw, Neeko, clad in his azure exoframe, he was a shining star as he pierced through the dark clouds of barbarianism. His figure was all about charisma. It was said that Ideal City already had a film studio planning to make a movie based on him.

Ample Time even wondered if their administrator was aware of it.

Naturally, Ample Time felt no guilt bullshitting a citizen of Ideal City. After all, they were 3,000 kilometers away. It was unlikely everyone would go there out of curiosity.

"Wait, what about those lost 888 recipes?" After listening for a while, Li Shuyue seemed particularly interested about it and curiously inquired.

Ample Time responded with a smile, "That’s a lot to cover, and I can't explain it all at once. Just like the items that appeared at the recent auction, many are related to those recipes in some way."

"Including this?"

As she spoke, Li Shuyue reached into a drawer on the side table and pulled out a packet of instant noodles. A curious light flashed in her eyes. Looking at the packet of instant noodles in her hands, Ample Time’s expression changed slightly. "

Uh...

Well, Mosquito made that...”

Li Shuyue frowned. "But isn’t he supposed to be dreaming of becoming a rocket scientist to the Kuiper Belt?"

Ample Time hurriedly explained, "That’s just a hobby of his. While his main focus is on rockets, he occasionally comes up with some odd items, like what you have there."

Oops, maybe I went too far with the boasting.

However, Li Shuyue seemed not to notice any flaws in the story, merely pondering silently before softly expressing her amazement, "Incredible. It seems that the rumor isn’t without basis."

Ample Time paused and a look of confusion appeared on his face. "Rumor? What rumor?"

"People on the Endpoint Cloud speculate that the ancestors of Shelter 404 were all artists," Li Shuyue said with a smile. "At first, I was skeptical, but now I’m convinced."

Ample Time choked on his saliva as soon as she spoke. "Though I don’t know where you heard that rumor, it’s not entirely wrong! We indeed inherited some special things from the Federation Era, especially on the cultural level."

Li Shuyue’s eyes brightened at his revelation.

However, Ample Time could feel that she didn’t fully believe his words. But... Did it really matter if she believed him?

The corners of his mouth curled up in a subtle smile. He had anticipated her skepticism.

If she truly believed half of what he said... It would be rather daring of her.

Seeming to have grasped the information she sought, Li Shuyue suddenly changed her expression to a serious one. "Let me reintroduce myself. I am the CEO of Moonlike Group, here’s my business card."

Her slender fingertips swiped through the air, and a pale blue holographic window floated up to Ample Time from the pristine white coffee table. Taking it as just a special effect of the game, Ample Time took the hologram in front of him without showing any surprise.

But he soon realized he understood nothing on the business card, being completely unfamiliar with Ideal City.

Moonlike Group?

Isn’t there only five major corporations in Ideal City?

"My company is a subsidiary of Ideal Corporation, primarily engaged in food sales and processing related industries." Watching Ample Time who looked absorbed in the business card, Li Shuyue continued in her melodious voice, "To be honest, this is the first time I've seen such interesting products. Although not very healthy and not very long-lasting, they taste surprisingly good. How did you come up with these novel cooking methods?"

Ample Time’s expression turned subtly awkward, and after a moment’s thought, he made up a plausible explanation. "For us, dining is part of our culture. Eating is not just about fulfilling nutritional needs but also about satisfying our soul."

"That sounds very interesting," Li Shuyue said with interest.

"I’ve researched historical documents, and similar culinary techniques have appeared in history, but they were gradually replaced by scientific ideas in the early Prosperity Era, and subsequent dietary concepts, as you describe, merely fulfilled nutritional needs."

"Perhaps because people after the Prosperity Era were satisfied, they no longer needed to satisfy themselves by sacrificing health or other aspects. Of course, that’s just my speculation."

Ample Time had spoken off the cuff, but Li Shuyue seemed thoughtful and nodded. "That’s an interesting perspective, and it might just be as you say."

"Maybe, but I'm certainly no expert." Taking a sip of tea, Ample Time spoke casually.

"But you seem knowledgeable. I heard from your ambassador that you are not only a soldier but also responsible for promoting the products of the New Alliance." Li Shuyue finally got to the point. "Are you interested in a collaboration?"

So this was her goal!

Hearing Li Shuyue’s words, Ample Time’s face lit up with a pleasant smile. Wasn’t that what he had been waiting for? "Of course, we are here to work together. How would you like to proceed?"

Without wasting more time, Li Shuyue got straight to the point. "According to our market research, we believe the next six months will be the best window for New Alliance products to enter Ideal City. The residents here are very interested in your cultural products, and I think food would be a good entry point."

"We can offer two methods. The first is for you to handle production and transportation, and we take care of sales. The second is for us to form a joint venture. You provide the personnel and technology, especially the relevant food recipes, and we provide the funding and premises for local production and sales in Ideal City."

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Quietly listening to the detailed descriptions of both plans, Ample Time nodded lightly. "No problem, we can provide everything you mentioned."

Li Shuyue was pleased but did not show it on her face, only smiling gracefully.

However, just as she was about to move the conversation to the contract, the man across from her suddenly changed the topic. "However, compared to the two plans you’ve offered, I have a better proposal. Would you be interested?"

She felt as though a bucket of cold water doused her excitement but she eventually raised her eyebrows curiously. "Oh?"

To be honest, she didn’t expect a businessman from a technologically backward survivor settlement to have any innovative ideas. But... She might as well hear what he had to say.

Unbothered by her skeptical look, Ample Time cleared his throat and began his pitch. "Whether exporting products or starting to export recipes, neither really aligns with our interest in maximizing benefits, as frankly, those recipes aren’t that hard to figure out. If our products really sell out in Ideal City, it won’t take two days before your competitors could use your sales data to create a more market-appropriate competitive product."

Li Shuyue responded immediately. "Don’t worry about that, we have a comprehensive patent law, and we also have our own R&D labs that will improve recipes based on market feedback and consumer responses. As long as we do it faster and better than our competitors, there’s no need to worry about being replaced."

Ample Time nodded and cut to the chase. "Of course, you make a good point, but let’s hypothesize that if the subsequent recipes are completed at Moonlike Group, would they still be relevant to our joint venture?"

Li Shuyue's face showed a hint of surprise, and her spirited eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh? Are you worried we won’t keep our word?"

Ample Time spoke in a gentle voice. "Of course not, it’s just a reasonable assumption. You have a technological edge and know the local market and rules better than we do, and could fully maximize benefits within the framework of the rules. Honestly, if there’s a dispute over the contract, I really wouldn’t be confident about winning against you."

Li Shuyue suddenly snapped impatiently, "So what’s your proposal?"

"Shipping cheap consumer goods with expensive transportation isn’t practical, and the recipes themselves aren’t that valuable. We don’t plan to export products or recipes, but standards instead."

"Standards?"

Seeing the hesitant Li Shuyue, Ample Time nodded firmly. "Yes."

Li Shuyue frowned. "Can you explain a bit more?"

"More specifically, it’s about telling stories."

Watching her bewildered expression, Ample Time smiled and launched into his well-prepared spiel. "Take Nuka Cola, for example. It really isn’t technically complex, but it sells better in Boulder Town than other brands because the our administrator publicly recommended it as an alternative to alcohol. Also, since all the awakeners in the New Alliance are drinking it. Those mercenaries think, maybe if they drink it, they can awaken too."

"Or take fried chicken for example. It’s even easier to make, but if we wanted, we can make a batch of fried chicken that could wipe out a division of the Army tomorrow! What I mean is a brigade of 10,000. Or... Take that packet of instant noodles in your hand, although honestly, I don’t really like them, but if we need, they can also become our military rations. Once we do that, they’ll sell out on Endpoint Cloud. Do you understand what I’m saying?"

Listening to Ample Time's vivid description, Li Shuyue was intrigued by the man before her.