Chapter 167: Food? Isn't this a profit‑free deal?

"Tie Geda, you're saying there is a Human Clan that needs 100 tons each of Black Iron Ore, Bronze Ore, and Silver Ore? Are you sure you didn't mishear?"

"Dwarf King—Tie Huzi, after hearing Tie Geda's report, was stunned for a while and asked in disbelief:"

"Moreover, he obviously emphasized the words 'Human Clan' and '100 tons'."

"In his view, this is absolutely impossible."

"His status is higher than Tie Geda's, and his knowledge of the world's current situation and the people he has contacted is also greater than Tie Geda's."

"He has also had considerable contact with the Human Clan, and moreover he is a high-ranking official of the state."

"According to his knowledge, among the Human Clan, there are hardly any people skilled in forging, and they routinely trade hundreds of tons of ore—how could they possibly digest that?"

"More importantly, in this transaction there is also Transcendent Second Rank bronze ore and Transcendent Third Tier silver ore, each in the amount of 100 tons."

"Let alone using them, across the entire Human Clan there is not a single person capable of melting Transcendent Second Rank and Transcendent Third Tier ores."

"The reason he can be so certain is simple: for the Dwarf Clan to melt Transcendent Second Rank ore, they still need to go through considerable effort."

"As for Third Tier ore, even the Dwarf Clan cannot melt it at all; they can only look on helplessly."

"Therefore, even if the Dwarf Clan can extract Transcendent Third Tier materials, they can only barely forge Transcendent Second Rank weapons."

"If it's about other aspects, Tie Huzi believes the Dwarf Clan still has a significant gap compared to other races."

"But when it comes to forging alone, Tie Huzi dares to pound his chest and guarantee that the Dwarf Clan is absolutely a top-tier race in the world!"

"Even ores that they themselves cannot use are even more impossible for the Human Clan to make use of."

"Therefore, Tie Huzi maintains a serious skeptical attitude toward the deal Tie Geda mentioned."

"Surely the person named Su Hao doesn't intend to buy these ores just to have them as a decoration, right?"

"\"Lord Tie Huzi, I can swear on strong liquor that the deal proposed by Su Hao is indeed like this. \""

"\"Although I also find this deal hard to believe, I have met Su Hao before; he is a powerful expert and has subdued a Flower Spirit Elf tribe. \""

"\"If we can really establish trade with him, even without such a large share, I feel we could alleviate part of the food crisis. \""

"Actually, to be honest, regarding the deal proposed by Su Hao, Tie Geda also remains skeptical."

"There's no way; this share is simply too large."

"Moreover, with Transcendent Second Rank and Transcendent Third Tier ores, he doesn't think Su Hao can use that much."

"At the same time, he doesn't think Su Hao can produce the corresponding trade goods."

"However, at the trade fair earlier, Su Hao gave Tie Geda a huge shock."

"Furthermore, the Flower Spirit Elf Clan's talent for planting is what led him, even if he thinks Su Hao cannot complete such a huge transaction, to still choose to contact Tie Huzi."

"Upon hearing that Su Hao had subdued the Flower Spirit Elf, Tie Huzi, just like Tie Geda, instantly stopped caring whether Su Hao would secure 300 tons of ore."

"Any force that possesses the Flower Spirit Elf, as long as it can establish trade relations with them, can to some extent alleviate the food crisis."

"Moreover, what the Dwarf Clan excels at, besides forging equipment, is mining."

"In Tie Huzi's view, even if Su Hao truly needs that much ore, the Dwarf Clan's stockpile is more than enough: \"You know the value of Black Iron Ore, Bronze Ore, and Silver Ore; first go and talk to Su Hao, prioritize food as the trade material, second is weapons that enhance combat power; once you have preliminary results, then report back to me. \""

"\"If we can really obtain enough food through this transaction, you will be a great hero of our Dwarf Clan, and from now on we will never be without your strong liquor. \""

"\"Lord Tie Huzi, please rest assured, I know what to do. \""

"Tie Geda replied in a sentence, then immediately hung up the phone; while letting out a sigh of relief, his eyes involuntarily showed a hint of anticipation. To the Dwarves, strong liquor is the best reward, and anyone who can provide strong liquor to the Dwarf Clan is their best friend."

"Unfortunately, since the Strange Descent, Tie Geda has hardly had any strong liquor to drink."

"According to his understanding of the Flower Spirit Elf Clan, as long as there is sufficient energy and a suitable environment for plant growth, some fast-growing plants could possibly fully mature in just one night."

"Since Su Hao can propose a transaction of such enormous quantity, he undoubtedly does not lack energy."

"\"I also don't know whether Su Hao's territory has any areas not infected by the ominous curse, suitable for plant growth. \""

"Tie Geda took a deep breath, then immediately dialed Su Hao's phone."

"Beep beep beep—! After waiting about ten seconds, Su Hao's voice came from the other end of the line."

"\"How is it? Is the Dwarf King interested in this transaction? \""

"\"Lord Tie Huzi is very interested in the transaction you proposed; we Dwarf Clan have all the black iron ore, bronze ore, and silver ore you need, in sufficient quantities—we just don't know what you want to use for trade. \""

"\"That's exactly what I wanted to say; I also don't like beating around the bush. If you have any needs, just bring them up—as long as the price is right, there's nothing we can't do. \""

"Su Hao gave a slight smile, then threw the question back."

"He seeks to purchase these ores for the purpose of refining robots and energy weapons."

"As long as the other side doesn't demand an exorbitant price, he has no possibility of incurring a loss."

"If the transaction goes smoothly, it could even use robots or energy weapons to conduct the trade, which would amount to a profit‑free deal."

"\"Good! Since you, Su Hao, are so straightforward, I won't haggle either. Lord Tie Huzi said that for this transaction we will prioritize trading food, a large amount of food, and secondarily Transcendent Weapons. \""

"\"Food... \""

"Upon hearing the other party's trade request, Su Hao involuntarily blinked in surprise; he had not imagined that such a vast amount of Transcendent ore would be met with a proposal to trade using food."

"But after a moment's thought, he felt it was reasonable and appropriate."

"After all, following the Strange Descent, other people's sanctuaries, if they lack Su Hao's ability to cleanse the land of ominous curses, find it extremely difficult to cultivate plants on a large scale."

"Unable to grow plants, food will only dwindle with consumption, eventually leading to a grain crisis—especially for a large clan like the Dwarves, this is all the more true."

"\"If trading food can get us these materials, that's just too damn profitable. \""

"On Su Hao's territory, there are truly many things that can accelerate plant growth."

"Even Transcendent First Rank plants need no more than a single night to fully mature."

"If ordinary crops like rice and potatoes are planted, their growth speed is simply ridiculously fast."

"Using these free foods to trade Transcendent ore—this is truly a profit‑free deal, isn't it?"

"If in the future we can obtain a certain Transcendent plant with enormous yield that can serve as everyday food, then the speed of acquiring food will become even faster."

"Let alone trading a few hundred tons, even several thousand tons would probably not be a problem."

"\"Perhaps by synthesizing ordinary rice and potatoes, we could obtain a high‑yield Transcendent plant. \""

Su Hao stroked his chin, deciding to wait until he got back to try it.

(End of chapter)