62: Make a profit by stepping on my head?

This sneaky man was Mo Santong, a member of the Materials Group. Members of the Materials Group received a slightly higher allocation of supplies than ordinary Shelter members, which gave him some ideas.

Since the implementation of meal tickets, the warehouse exchange stipulated that each person could only exchange a small quota.

For example, candies, sausages, and compressed biscuits could be exchanged to a certain extent with meal tickets, but each person had a limited quota.

Although the cafeteria provided meals, not everyone could eat their fill.

This man named Mo Santong collected far more meal tickets when distributing supplies than ordinary people.

So he started a business of storing and exchanging tickets; he would have some people use their quota to exchange for food at the materials department, giving them a certain reward.

Or he would use meal tickets stored with him by others for material exchange, and the method of paying interest was also peculiar, using some daily necessities or small snacks like candies.

Since he was very familiar with the material distribution in the warehouse, he knew which materials were relatively scarce.

Furthermore, he would use scarcity to earn price differences or sell at a markup.

Overall, it was speculation and profiteering, all done quietly, without being discovered by others.

It wasn't until Tian Ming finished his meal and stood up that Mo Santong, seeing Tian Ming, quickly clutched his worn bag and scurried away.

Such behavior was clearly abnormal, and Tian Ming also looked puzzled, picking up the walkie-talkie and calling Qiu Wuhui over.

In the lounge of the materials department, Mo Santong was called over.

He saw Tian Ming's cold face and was so scared he didn't utter a sound.

Qiu Wuhui, who was beside him, said, "Boss, this is Mo Santong from Group 5, he's been called over."

Tian Ming nodded and said, "You go out first, I'll talk to him!"

Qiu Wuhui nodded, turned and went out, closing the door.

Tian Ming stood up from his seat, tapping his finger on the table, motioning for Mo Santong to sit opposite him.

"Mo Santong, do you know why I called you here?" Tian Ming asked coldly.

Mo Santong lowered his head, looking very nervous, and he replied softly, "I... I don't know."

Tian Ming sneered, looking at Mo Santong and saying, "You don't know? I think you're feigning ignorance.

You left as soon as you saw me in the cafeteria.

I want to ask, are you doing something improper?"

When Mo Santong heard this, his face instantly turned pale, and he quickly explained, "No, no, no, Boss, you've misunderstood, I haven't done anything improper.

I'm just helping some friends exchange materials and earning a little extra meal tickets, that's all.

I promise, I absolutely have not violated the rules you set in the Shelter."

Upon hearing this, Tian Ming frowned slightly and continued to ask, "Then tell me, how do you help others exchange materials? And what materials do you exchange?"

Mo Santong answered tremblingly, "Because I'm in the Materials Group, my meal tickets are a bit more than ordinary people's, but there's a quota for material exchange, so I use my meal tickets to have those women help me exchange for some snacks and such at the materials department.

They give me their quota, and I use meal tickets to exchange for them.

As for the exchange price, I always calculate it according to the prices in the warehouse, absolutely no markup."

"You mean using their quotas to hoard materials, and then selling them at a markup to those who can't eat their fill?"

Tian Ming finally understood.

This guy was quite clever, actually using this method to earn a price difference.

Mo Santong was very flustered inside; his method was a bit speculative.

However, he was only operating within the rules and had not violated the established regulations for material distribution.

Tian Ming utterly detested this method; Mo Santong's actions disgusted him, much like those who used leverage to speculate in real estate in the past.

The purpose of setting this quota exchange rule was to allow everyone to have some small snacks while working.

The people in the Shelter were generally undernourished, and it was Dr. Wu who suggested that everyone carry some snacks in their pockets.

The weather was so cold, and they had to do heavy work, so they could chew on something when hungry.

Naturally, some people had larger appetites; they did more work and earned more meal tickets, but they were limited by the quota.

With surplus meal tickets, they would naturally buy from him at a markup.

Mo Santong used the meal tickets he earned, like running a bank, to collect more meal tickets through the temptation of interest, thereby obtaining more people's quotas.

It must be said, this person definitely had a business mind, but the method he used was essentially making money by stepping on Tian Ming's head.

Tian Ming's face immediately darkened.

A Shelter of merely over a thousand people was being played by him with a leveraged economy.

Tian Ming said coldly, "You certainly have a business mind, quite good at exploiting loopholes, aren't you?"

Tian Ming's voice carried anger; using his materials to gain personal profit was something he could not tolerate.

In that instant, Tian Ming had an impulse to immediately execute this person.

Mo Santong was scared stiff and immediately knelt on the ground.

Mo Santong repeatedly kowtowed, pleading, "Boss, I know what I'm doing is wrong.

I myself have a large appetite, and it's not just me; many people can't eat their fill.

Actually, I'm just doing this to let those with small appetites give their quotas to those with large appetites.

They earn more, so what's wrong with eating a little more?"

Tian Ming was so angry he laughed, retorting, "So I should thank you for contributing to the Shelter, is that it?"

If such a person didn't seek personal gain, his mind could indeed make the Shelter's material supply and demand more balanced.

But the mistake was that this guy was acting as a middleman and making an exorbitant profit.

If he were to kill him, Tian Ming would truly feel a bit reluctant.

The original intention of issuing meal tickets and material coupons was to establish a small economic system within the Shelter, but this system was certainly full of loopholes.

Mo Santong exploited these loopholes for personal gain; although it infuriated him, he had not overtly violated the Shelter's regulations.

Tian Ming looked at Mo Santong, pondering how to deal with him, but he couldn't make a decision.

Seeing Tian Ming's silence, Mo Santong broke out in a cold sweat; he understood in his heart that what he had done was very serious.

He hadn't overtly broken the rules, but he had exploited rule loopholes for profit, and moreover, he had used the rules set by Tian Ming.

In Tian Ming's Shelter, any behavior that violated the rules would be severely punished; this was universally acknowledged.

"Boss, I'm willing to hand over all my meal tickets, and all the materials I've hoarded, I'll turn them all over to the warehouse.

I will never do this kind of thing again.

Please, Boss, give me another chance."

Tian Ming sat in his chair, arms crossed, silently watching Mo Santong.

After a long while, Tian Ming finally spoke: "Go to Gouzi yourself and get two days in the confinement room.

After you come out, you won't need to stay in the Materials Group anymore; you'll manage the warehouse for me.

Although I'm very angry, your mind is still capable.

As a person, you can be selfish.

But in my Shelter, stepping on my head to earn a price difference, you are the first."

Upon hearing Tian Ming's words, Mo Santong immediately kowtowed in thanks: "Thank you, Boss, thank you! I'll go find Brother Gouzi for my punishment right away."

Tian Ming waved his hand, and Mo Santong immediately left.

Originally, Tian Ming was very angry, but in the end, he thought about it and decided to use this person.

The Shelter didn't look at character; it looked at ability.

There would certainly be many loopholes in the Shelter's management, and this person could find loopholes and also help him patch them.