Shipgirls and Salted Fish Commander, Port Survival Guide

"However, you can still buy a lot of good things in Akashi's little shop. If you encounter any technical problems, asking her might be surprisingly effective." Soon, Hikari composed herself. As a lady, maintaining elegance was a must.

"Oh, what's so good about it?" Ignoring the technical issues, Jing Su was very curious about what this so-called good stuff was that couldn't be traded openly and had to be sold through the black market.

"Hehe, Commander, you should ask Akashi about this yourself," Glorious said mysteriously, her eyes flashing as she glanced at Jing Su.

"?"

After a brief chat, Glorious shifted the topic to medicinal cuisine. "By the way, Commander, didn't you say you were going to make medicinal cuisine to regulate your stomach? I haven't used the kitchen in this house much yet, so I'll leave its first time to you, Commander. I'm sure you won't let it down!"

"Oh, this." Jing Su raised an eyebrow. Something about what she said sounded strange. "It can't be done right now."

"Hey, why is that?"

"What are we going to do without ingredients?" Jing Su pinched Glorious's bridge hard, making Glorious almost jump up.

"Aren't the ones in the refrigerator okay?" Guanghui blushed slightly, somewhat puzzled, not noticing Jing Su's actions towards him.

After seeing Jing Su return, Guanghui thought that the secret base she had prepared might come in handy one day, so she changed her mind and had Little Yellow Chicken transport a large amount of food to the villa. Otherwise, she wouldn't have dragged Jing Su here directly.

The entire villa, apart from lacking any signs of habitation and resembling a show home on display, had everything else that Guanghui could think of prepared.

If it weren't for the limited time, Guanghui would have bought even more clothes and filled the entire wardrobe. The house has four large wardrobes in total, and she's already filled one. She doesn't know how many clothes there are, or if Jingsu will have enough to wear. It would be awkward if she didn't like any of them.

Unexpectedly, the clothes I was most worried about haven't shown any problems yet, but the food I was most confident about has caused a major issue.

"I'm sorry, it won't work." Jing Su shook her head. "Medicinal cuisine is different from ordinary food. We need to prepare some special things, especially for my stomach and intestines. It needs some medicinal herbs to help regulate them. If we don't go to a store to buy these, ordinary people don't need them."

"Oh, what should we do?" Glorious was a little embarrassed. She had carefully invited the Commander to this place, hoping to develop their relationship, but before it even started, this happened.

"It's alright, it's alright, we can still go buy it now. Hehe, Guanghui, it's a good opportunity for you to try my cooking. I'll go buy the ingredients, you can just wander around the room. You don't need to come with me. Otherwise, if such a beautiful woman like you comes out with me, you'll attract attention wherever we go, and I'll get jealous."

"Commander~" Glorious scolded playfully, but still agreed to Jing Su's suggestion, saying, "Be careful, and don't forget, there's a lady waiting for you at home."

This operation was carried out secretly. Going out with Jing Su would be tantamount to openly announcing his coordinates to the other partners, which would ruin all his plans. So going out with her was not a good choice. However, Guang Hui still asked Jing Su to take a little yellow chick with him, which could be used for communication in case of emergency.

"Okay, I'm heading out now~"

Chapter 121 Forced Buying and Selling?

Guanghui checked the room, while Jingsu left the villa alone to go shopping in a nearby commercial street.

This time, he planned to cook something delicious to treat himself, and also thought about whether he should buy a house.

'Does this count as me living off a woman?'

Reaching into his pocket and squeezing the black card inside, Jing Su belatedly realized that he seemed to have suddenly become a rich person.

'Wow, a million! This is the first time I've seen such a huge number since I can remember. I need to pinch myself... Ouch, that hurts a little. It's not a dream!'

Before leaving home, Guanghui had already transferred the black card to his own name. Checking the balance on his phone, he found it to be exactly one million.

My heart is pounding!

The sudden windfall left Jing Su somewhat blank-minded, and before she knew it, she found herself in a shopping mall.

"Bang~"

Lost in thought, Jing Su bumped solidly into the doorplate.

"Ouch~ that hurts a little."

After rubbing her head a few times, Jing Su came to her senses and realized that she was standing at the entrance of a crowded shopping mall.

'Lucky Star Mall? That's a really down-to-earth name~' After glancing at the mall's title a few times, Jing Su smiled wryly and followed the crowd inside.

After standing at the entrance for a while, Jing Su saw many elderly people carrying various fresh vegetables walking out of the mall. From the door numbers, she could also see that there was a traditional Chinese medicine shop inside, which would satisfy all her needs at once.

"A rather luxurious shopping mall."

Luxury was Jing Su's first impression of this shopping mall. Similar to other shopping malls, this Lucky Star Mall was circular in shape with a hollow center. A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling, sparkling brightly. In the center of the first floor, there was a large tree, and several children were playing in the playground under the tree.

As soon as I stepped into the mall, a cool breeze greeted me, a stark contrast to the sweltering heat outside.

"Whoo~"

Jing Su shivered.

Is this store really that luxurious? The air conditioning is on so badly, it's a bit chilly.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the wind, Jing Su stopped and quickened her pace toward her goal.

Generally speaking, the fruits, vegetables and daily necessities in shopping malls are located underground. Taking the elevator, Jing Su followed the elderly men and women to the bustling underground supermarket.

Although it's called a supermarket, it's actually mixed in with some restaurants. People are buying things, eating, chatting in twos and threes, and the noise is constant.

'Wow, these things are a bit too expensive!'

With a clear goal in mind, Jing Su quickly found the fruit and vegetable section and immediately spotted a deserted area. She easily found several brightly colored apples and was just about to buy some to take home with Guanghui in the afternoon when she saw the price. She gasped in shock.

'Fifty yuan each.'

Jing Su looked at it several times to make sure she was right. These apples, regardless of weight or box, were sold individually, and each one cost fifty yuan.

Looking at the small apple in her hand that could be held in one palm, Jing Su decisively threw it back into the basket. It was too expensive. The title said it was imported fruit from xx place. Jing Su was not going to tolerate that. She hadn't noticed it when she put it in the basket. Only after picking it up and examining it carefully did she realize that this lousy imported apple was not even ripe. It was half red and half green and had a strange smell.

Even if she suddenly became rich, she wasn't a fool. Jing Su would never do something like knowingly jumping into a trap.

After all, he was from Guangdong Province in his previous life. He didn't dare to say much about other places, but he was extremely particular about food. In Jing Su's opinion, this apple was definitely a waste of money!

"Hello, sir, you touched this apple just now, didn't you?"

Just as Jing Su was about to look for some cheap and affordable fruit, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Are you talking to me?" Turning her head, she saw a heavily made-up man, about forty years old, with a somewhat plump figure, wearing a red uniform, looking at her with a mocking gaze.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, is there anything I can help you with?" After glancing around a bit, Jing Su noticed the name tag on the man's chest; he was an employee of this supermarket.

"That's right, sir. Since you touched this apple, you have to buy it." He pointed to the apple that Jing Su had just touched and said.

"What kind of logic is this? I only touched it, I didn't pinch or squeeze it, why should I buy it? Is this forced buying and selling?"

"This is the rule, sir. Please don't make things difficult for me, thank you." The staff member bowed slightly, but his tone left no room for refusal.

'Oh my, they're even using moral blackmail now?' Jing Su laughed. She had only ever seen this kind of behavior—forcing you to buy something after just a few touches—in the news before, and she would just glance at it for amusement. She never expected to encounter it herself now that she was in another world.

The staff's actions were actually an attempt to use the fact that they were in a public place with a lot of people watching them to pressure Jing Su into giving in, but unfortunately, Jing Su didn't fall for it.

Jing Su explained it very clearly. At most, he picked up the apple and glanced at it, holding it in his hand for no more than ten seconds. The moment he saw the price, Jing Su put the apple back.

This action has no effect on the apple itself. If you feel it's not clean, just wipe it with a wet wipe. After all, this is an apple, which has its own peel for protection, unlike noodles or barbecue that can be eaten straight from the bag.

If it were something like barbecue skewers, and Jing Su had touched them, and the staff asked her to buy them, she wouldn't refuse, since such things are difficult to clean. But now, with a broken apple, they're trying to pull the same thing on her, so naturally, Jing Su won't agree.

"Regulations? Where are the regulations? All I see is an outrageously expensive price tag, nothing else." Jing Su carefully examined the label on the apple, and after confirming that she hadn't missed any information, she said calmly.

"Sir, this is a special rule for our brand, so it's not written on the sign. However, it is indeed a rule. If you don't believe me, you can ask our manager. Now, please go over there to pay. If you find it troublesome, I can pack it for you first."

After saying that, the staff member was about to put Jing Su's apple into a bag, but their attention was always focused on Jing Su. Years of experience told her that this handsome young man in front of her was very shrewd. If he made any move to stop her, even if he just touched her clothes, she would immediately shout "pervert" to attract everyone's attention.

She refused to believe that a young person could ignore the opinions of the public.

"Heh, do whatever you want. I'm definitely not buying this apple. It's not on the label. As for what you said, who knows if you're just making it up? I even suspect you're a thief who stole clothes and is trying to scam people by wearing work clothes." With that, Jing Su turned and left.

"Oh no! Someone's stealing things! They bought something but didn't pay! Everyone come and see! There's a bad guy!" As soon as Jing Su turned around, the staff member sat on the ground and started throwing a tantrum.

Hearing the shouts, passersby gathered around, surrounding Jing Su and her staff, watching the two with an air of anticipation.

"Oh ho, another unlucky guy. Tsk tsk, he's had bad luck running into that fat woman. He's probably going to have to pay a hefty price now."

Among the crowd, someone who saw the person shouting on the ground said sarcastically.

"Hey, uncle, I'm new here. What's wrong with this fat woman? I think her voice sounds like someone's stealing something. Why isn't anyone catching the thief?"

"Hehe, young man, you look like you've only been here a short time. You don't know, the woman sitting on the ground is a notorious shrew in the neighborhood. She's got a fierce temper, but she has a good son-in-law. He's the manager of this supermarket, so he made her a cashier. Every now and then, she uses her position to act like a scoundrel."

"Oh, what kind of cheating could a cashier possibly do?"

"You don't know this, but the supermarkets in our area operate on a commission system. The more you sell, the higher your commission. This fat woman is using her position to set exorbitant prices for the goods in her area. If she were selling genuine products, it would be fine, but she's only selling ordinary fruits."

Like the apples that handsome young man sold at the beginning—they were clearly just small apples picked up randomly from a nearby stall, unripe and juicy, yet she sold them as imported goods and liked to pressure customers into buying them. Many newcomers have been ripped off by her.

"Ugh, is it really that disgusting? Isn't anyone going to do anything about it?"

"Manage? How? Call the police? Putting aside the fact that the fruit is so expensive, most people who buy it are just curious about what kind of fruit is so expensive. They usually don't buy too much. The amount is not enough to cover the police response. Even if some suckers buy a lot at once, she will use the excuse that those who bought her fruit switched it to cheat her out of her money and act like a rogue."

"Heh, that kind of person is disgusting, but there's nothing she can do about it; she has such a good son-in-law."

"If that's the case, then isn't that young man in trouble?"

"Probably. Originally, because this guy always acted like a scoundrel, not many people went to her stall to buy things. People living nearby all knew about this guy, but there will always be new customers, and there will always be targets for her."

That young man, like you, probably hasn't been here long and doesn't know these things. Heh, that fat woman hasn't made any money in a long time; this time, she's probably going to suffer a minor or major financial loss.

Jing Su overheard the whispers of the people around her. After listening for a while, she noticed that the content of what they were saying was largely the same, mostly negative. A few were asking about the situation, while a few were speaking up for the so-called fat woman. They were speaking loudly and coherently, and were probably all in cahoots.

After getting a general idea of ​​what kind of person this was who was throwing a tantrum in front of her, Jing Su didn't get angry but laughed instead, standing there and watching this person act silly with amusement.

"Everyone, come and judge this! This scoundrel! He buys things but doesn't pay, and he even acts like a hooligan. What kind of world is this? The morals are going downhill! How did your parents raise you? They raised such an ill-mannered brat."

Once the crowd had gathered, the staff member resorted to her usual line, a carefully crafted explanation. No matter how Jing Su responded, she would steer the conversation toward the young man not paying for his purchase.

If Jing Su says he didn't refuse to pay, it means he was indeed buying something, and she'll give him a few more apples to rip him off. If he says he doesn't have any apples on him, she'll say she caught him trying to steal and put the apples back. She'll also say she's specifically adjusted the location of the security cameras in the area, so all they'll see is her shouting a few times and then Jing Su putting the apples back.

This way, it's not just about making a quick buck; the bigger the commotion, the better. Those who said they hadn't bought anything were tricked into becoming bureau chiefs by her using this evidence. At that time, the settlement fee would have been at least ten thousand.

"Finished?" Jing Su asked quietly, her eyes sharp.

People like this, shameless and brazen, are like flies buzzing around everywhere. You can't shoo them away, and you can't kill them without putting in some effort. Even if you do manage to swat them, they're still disgusting.

If the fat woman was just trying to swindle him out of some money, Jing Su would at most consider her crazy, laugh it off, and let it go. After all, once you're bitten by a fly, it won't leave until it bothers you for a while. Just consider it bad luck.

But now, the staff member has steered the conversation towards Jing Su's parents, which crosses Jing Su's bottom line.

Jing Su's relationship with her parents is indeed not very good. They rarely communicate, but that's because of their different life philosophies. Jing Su's parents are more traditional, while Jing Su grew up in an information-saturated online environment. Their ideas clash a lot, so their relationship is naturally not very pleasant. But this does not mean that Jing Su does not respect and love her parents.

"What are you trying to do? Are you trying to be a scoundrel and then won't let me speak?"

The sudden change in Jing Su's demeanor made the staff member's voice tremble slightly, but seeing so many people around, they mustered up their courage and muttered something.

"Someone reported that there was a disturbance here. What's going on?" Amidst the whispers around, a loud, hoarse voice suddenly rang out.

"Hey, good son-in-law, come quick! I've been bullied!" Upon hearing this voice, the fat woman's expression brightened, and she suddenly stood up and shouted loudly.

Then, a man with a height and waist as big as his body and hair as long as the moon squeezed through the crowd, wearing a black suit that looked like it was about to burst out of his skin.

"Everyone disperse, disperse, this is none of your business." As soon as he entered, the manager ordered his men to disperse the crowd. He knew his mother-in-law's personality all too well, or rather, everything his mother-in-law did was authorized by him, since he could reap some benefits from every successful deal.

He had been notified long before the fat woman made her move and had been observing the area. He appeared to be there to maintain order, but in reality, he was there to play the good cop. The fact that the matter hadn't ended for so long meant that they had encountered a tough opponent, which was why he had come over.

"Young man." After the crowd had mostly dispersed, the manager smiled and was about to say something, but upon seeing Jing Su's appearance, his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Boss!?"

Chapter 122 Handling

The office contained two men and one woman.

A man sat in the central chair, and standing in front of him were a man and a woman with thick waists.

"Um, cough cough, Mr. Jing, why didn't you tell me you were coming to our supermarket today? It's made me unable to show you the proper hospitality."

"Hehe, if I were to tell you, wouldn't I be missing out on such a great show? Um, what's your name again?" Jing Su looked at the performance of the two people standing in front of her, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"My name is Chen Xiang, Mr. Jing, you can just call me Xiao Chen, Xiao Chen is fine." Upon hearing Jing Su's words, the man who identified himself as Chen Xiangdong immediately bowed and scraped, his expression almost fawning.

"Where is she?" Jing Su turned her head, her gaze pointing to the staff member who had just thrown a tantrum.

"Boss, my name is Fang Hui. You can call me Aunt Fang, no, no, just Xiao Fang, Xiao Fang is fine." Seeing the topic turn to her, Fang Hui immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Ignoring her trembling legs, she clasped her hands together and said.

"Hehe, you weren't like this just now." Jing Su chuckled at her attitude and said casually.

"It's a misunderstanding, boss, it's all a misunderstanding." Upon hearing Jing Su's words, Fang Hui's face turned deathly pale. She hurriedly explained, "I did it all for the sake of the mall. The area I'm responsible for is in a remote location with no foot traffic. I only stock imported fruits. If they rot, it's a loss for both the supermarket and the mall. I only resorted to this tactic for the sake of the mall's performance. I was blinded by greed for a moment. It was my fault. Boss, please be magnanimous and forgive me."

"Hehe, according to your logic, should I say thank you?" Jing Su glanced at Fang Hui, and before she could continue speaking, she waved her hand and said, "Get out. Hey you, Chen Xiang, right? Go and call the HR manager. I have something to say to him."

"Mr. Jing, please let me explain!"

"What, do I have to go and invite him myself?" Jing Su interrupted Chen Xiangdong, ignoring his explanation.

“Yes, sir!” Gritting his teeth, Chen Xiang’s face darkened, and he nodded in agreement, then left the room with Fang Hui.

After the two left the room, Jing Su sat back in her chair, held her forehead with her hand, exhaled, and sighed.

"Oh my god, I've been swindled out of a fortune and ended up as a shopping mall owner without even realizing it. Who can I complain to?"