"Let's go, I'll take you upstairs to sit for a while, and we can talk as we walk."
After speaking, Zhao Xiaoqing had the driver park the car at the entrance of the Oriental Grand Hotel and led Tang Li upstairs.
The Oriental Grand Hotel had a total of 28 floors.
Only the lower 10 floors had been submerged by the flood and required cleaning. The upper 18 floors were completely intact.
However, the flood had just receded, electricity had not yet been restored, and the elevators had not been cleaned, so they had to take the stairs.
As they went upstairs, Zhao Xiaoqing introduced the material exchange to Tang Li.
These were things Tang Li already knew from her previous life.
The so-called material exchange was a place where the government encouraged those with surplus material allocation coupons to spend.
Here, the government would offer luxury goods, artworks, and collectibles that were very expensive before the apocalypse, clearly marking their prices for people to exchange with material allocation points.
As for the prices, compared to before the apocalypse, they were naturally dirt cheap.
Before the solar storm arrived, no one realized that the catastrophe had begun and the apocalypse had arrived. People still thought it was just rare extreme weather that would recover soon.
Therefore, quite a few people used their material allocation coupons to exchange for these luxury goods, artworks, and collectibles.
But by next year, they would wish they had slapped their own hands for being so foolish at the time.
In addition to these aesthetically pleasing but impractical luxury goods, artworks, and collectibles, the government would also set up various projects to entice people with surplus material allocation coupons to spend.
For example, the government would have highly skilled chefs, masseurs, singers, and dancers provide services for those who enjoyed comfort, all legitimate services, of course.
Another example, when the outside was either extremely hot or extremely cold, the government would provide constant temperature accommodation, with dedicated staff for cleaning, laundry, and delivering three meals a day, making for a very comfortable stay.
This was also why the government chose the Oriental Grand Hotel as the material exchange.
Various entertainment facilities already present in the hotel were also all open.
In addition, the hotel would host auctions where various items, in addition to essential survival supplies, could be put up for auction.
These facilities were located on the upper 18 floors of the hotel.
To enter here, one had to possess a certain amount of material allocation coupons.
However, the primary function of the material exchange was still the trading of materials.
The areas being cleaned on the lower 10 floors of the hotel were where normal material trading would take place in the future.
Material trading could be done with the government, selling one's materials to the government in exchange for material allocation coupons, or spending material allocation coupons to buy materials from the government.
It could also be private transactions, which, before the onset of the extreme cold season, could only be conducted within the material exchange.
In addition to trading materials, one could also use material allocation coupons to exchange for various tools, privileges, and other professional personnel from the government.
Tang Li had come for this.
"Director Zhao, I need a car for transportation. I wonder if the material exchange can provide one?"
Although Tang Li wouldn't get tired walking on foot, her speed was still too slow.
It wasn't apparent now that order hadn't broken down, but once order collapsed, she would undoubtedly encounter various troubles if she walked on the streets.
As for why Tang Li didn't replicate the RV and SUV from her spatial dimension to use?
Because after the flood, most vehicles in City A were damaged. If Tang Li took cars out of her space, it would be difficult to explain where these cars came from.
If the car rental company that had previously rented cars to her came looking for her, claiming that the RV or SUV Tang Li had replicated was lost in the flood, then the gains would not outweigh the losses.
The RV and SUV in her spatial dimension could only be used after leaving City A.
On the other hand, even if Tang Li had her own car, there was nowhere to refuel it now. All gasoline and diesel were controlled by the Material Distribution Department.
Therefore, if Tang Li wanted to use a car, she could only use material allocation coupons to exchange for one from the government.
Zhao Xiaoqing readily agreed to Tang Li's request.
"After the hotel's underground parking lot is cleaned up, the exchange will bring various models of cars there. You can come then and choose one yourself. I'll give you the most favorable price."
Tang Li was somewhat surprised by Zhao Xiaoqing's friendliness.
However, she didn't ask further, for fear that Zhao Xiaoqing would say "because you are beautiful" again.
"Director Zhao, I also need to find a professional renovation team and the necessary materials for renovation. Can the exchange provide them?"