Chapter 15#

That night, Scarface still didn’t return to the hotel. There were no other entertainment facilities in the room, so Chen Yuanming went to bed early. Early the next morning, the proprietress knocked on the door with a smile, inviting Chen Yuanming to have breakfast together.

The owner’s family lived in the courtyard on the first floor of the hotel, in a separate small two-room house. There was a large round table in the living room, on which were steaming fermented rice wine, three-delicacy bean curd skin, and hot dry noodles. A stranger wearing black-rimmed glasses and looking somewhat stout was sitting at the table.

“Ah Ming, this is my husband, his name is Wang Haitao. You can just call him Brother Wang!” The proprietress, Su Xiao, introduced him enthusiastically. “Come, come, since you’re in Wuhan, you must try the local specialties. A bowl of hot dry noodles is the most comfortable way to start the day.”

A bowl of hot dry noodles was pushed in front of him, the spicy aroma assailing his nostrils. Although his psychological age was not small, this body was indeed young, and Chen Yuanming’s stomach immediately growled. The two people at the table smiled. Chen Yuanming scratched his head in embarrassment, greeted the male host, and started eating.

Looking at the somewhat reckless young man in front of him, the man sitting opposite didn’t seem to mind much. He had a gentle smile on his face and seemed very easy to talk to. He didn’t look much like a businessman, but rather like a grassroots instructor, always wearing the face of a good person who cared about the masses and was kind to others. Chatting while eating, the topics at the dinner table were a bit erratic, but after a few sentences, Chen Yuanming clearly felt the other party’s sophistication in fishing for information. If he were really a 15-year-old child, he would probably have spilled his guts by now.

However, talking to smart people meant he didn’t have to worry. He just had to show full confidence and pretend to inadvertently reveal a little bit of information. After a few rounds, Chen Yuanming was sure that the other party was really interested and began to seriously consider the possibility of cooperation. towards the end of the meal, Wang Haitao put down his chopsticks and smiled slightly at Chen Yuanming.

“Yuanming, I heard from your sister that you plan to bring some small items to sell recently?”

“Yes.” Chen Yuanming wiped his mouth and also put down his bowl and chopsticks. “I’ll see if flipping electronic watches works first. I went around the city yesterday and felt that bringing goods from Zhuhai would be profitable.”

“Then have you decided what kind of goods to bring?” Wang Haitao asked good-naturedly, “For example, styles, functions, and so on.”

“This…” Chen Yuanming showed a slightly awkward expression. “I still have to go back to Zhuhai to check things out. Right now, I’m completely in the dark…”

“It’s okay, I know a little about this.” Saying that, Wang Haitao took out three small packaged bags from his pocket, containing three different electronic watches. One was the most ordinary black plastic wristwatch with no decorations and few buttons. One was a cartoon-style, brightly colored children’s watch, exquisite and cute. The last one had a very large dial and four buttons, looking much more impressive.

Wang Haitao handed the three watches to Chen Yuanming. “These styles are quite popular in Wuhan recently. Most big stores sell them. The simple one sells for between 15 and 18 yuan, the cartoon one for about 25 yuan, and the largest one is the waterproof version, which costs at least 45 yuan.” After introducing the prices of the three watches in detail, Wang Haitao pushed up his glasses unhurriedly with a smile. “If you are interested, Yuanming, you can consider these styles.”

It seemed he had prepared in detail last night… Chen Yuanming didn’t answer immediately but picked up the three watches in front of him, examined them carefully, and then put them back.

“I’m not very good with trends, but Zhuhai should have these styles for sale. It’s just the price… I’m really not sure.”

“Oh, that’s easy to discuss.” Seeming to have been waiting for this sentence, Wang Haitao immediately followed up, “We are just doing small business, earning a gross profit is enough. As long as each item is more than 5 yuan cheaper than the lowest price, we can help you sell the goods.”

Hearing this, Chen Yuanming’s eyes lit up, and a clear look of joy appeared on his face, but he didn’t relax his words. “Is that so? But I don’t have much money, so I probably can’t buy much stock…”

“Who isn’t!” This time it was Su Xiao who chimed in. “We are all doing small business. It’s safer to test the waters first. Anyway, I see your brother runs to Wuhan at least twice a month. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future!”

“That’s right. Just start slowly.” Wang Haitao added kindly, seeming to have completely handed over the initiative to the other party.

Chen Yuanming knew exactly what was going on. This Wang Haitao was much shrewder than his wife and was also good at luring people into a trap. However, he was quite satisfied with the current situation. He was really poor now, and the little money he had on him was a bit shabby even as start-up capital. Since everyone was unwilling to take risks, it was better to start small.

The meal ended with both the host and guest happy. After chatting for a few more sentences, Chen Yuanming went back to his room to catch up on sleep. Looking at the boy’s back, Su Xiao poked her husband. “You insisted on only 5 yuan cheaper. What if this kid really gives us a discount of only 5 yuan per item? How can we sell the goods? You can’t sell them at the mall price, right? After all that, we’d only make a hundred or so yuan. It’s better to rent out a few more rooms.”

“What do you know?” Wang Haitao raised the corner of his mouth. “This kid is not simple, not as silly as you think. Anyway, we are just testing the waters first, to see what his character is like. If he knows how to share profits and wants to do long-term business, he won’t just give us a 5 yuan profit to dismiss us. If he is really that greedy… one deal is enough. Next time, tell him the goods are hard to sell and let him find someone else.”

Su Xiao opened her mouth as if to speak but stopped, and finally agreed obediently. Her husband was really better at business than she was, so it was better to listen to him.

Around 1 p.m., Scarface returned with the smell of alcohol and a big truck full of goods. This time there was no delay. That afternoon, the two checked out and embarked on the return journey. This time it was even more tense than when they came. They only stopped for two nights on the way and rushed back to Zhuhai in two and a half days. Even though he was so tired that his bones felt like they were falling apart, Chen Yuanming keenly noticed that they did not pass through the unloading point in Chenzhou on their return trip, but he had no interest in delving into the details.

After arriving home, because time was tight and the task was heavy, but the completion was very gratifying, the big boss Ma Lei generously added another 100 yuan to Chen Yuanming’s overtime pay. Scarface repeatedly guaranteed on the side that this time was really a rush, and next time would definitely be easier. Chen Yuanming smiled and said nothing, smoothly accepted the money, and asked the boss for an advance of one month’s salary, then consciously left the small courtyard. The number of strangers in the courtyard seemed to have doubled in the past two days, and Ma Lei and Scarface didn’t look relaxed either. It was very likely that there had been some changes in the smuggling business. Chen Yuanming had absolutely no interest in inquiring about such high-risk business. It was better to avoid it early and do his own small business.

It was almost May, and the temperature in Zhuhai had risen a few degrees again. It was muggy and oppressive, with a feeling of suppression before a rainstorm. After wandering along the famous electronics street for two or three days, Chen Yuanming finally chose a small shop at the end of the street. This shop was not the largest watch shop on the street; the storefront was a bit cramped and narrow. The owner was a shrewd-looking short man from Wenzhou. The shop had a very complete range of products, with everything from electronic watches to quartz watches, and even a few genuine smuggled goods from Hong Kong, with relatively reasonable asking prices. Most importantly, after a few days of observation, it was not difficult to see what the customers who went in and out with travel bags every day were doing.

Walking into the store, the owner recognized Chen Yuanming at a glance and greeted him with a smile, “Back again? Have you decided what watch to buy?”

“Just these three types.” Chen Yuanming pointed casually at the three watches in the counter. “How much for wholesale?”

The expression on the owner’s face didn’t change, and he quoted the prices crisply, “8 yuan, 16 yuan, 25 yuan. That’s the bottom price. How many do you want?”

Chen Yuanming shook his head. “Not that kind of wholesale. Let’s be open and honest. Everyone knows how many foundries there are in Shenzhen and Zhuhai now, and what the base price of a plastic electronic watch is. I also want to do a steady long-term business because you have a complete stock here. Give me an honest price. If it works, it works. If not, I can go to another store.”

Hearing the other party’s familiar tone, the owner looked at the young man in front of him hesitantly. In these years, electronic watches had passed the peak period of huge profits. If one really knew the business, they would indeed be very clear about the base price. It was just that this kid was a bit too young. No matter how confident he was, it inevitably made people suspicious. Was he bluffing to lower the price, or did he really know? After a few seconds, the owner’s small eyes narrowed. “How much stock do you want to buy?”

“Let’s start with one thousand yuan this time.” Tapping his fingers on the glass counter, Chen Yuanming replied, “I’m also testing the waters first. I will increase the quantity in the future, probably stocking up twice a month.”

One thousand yuan was really a pittance in wholesale, but twice a month, and increasing the quantity in the long run, was another concept. Influenced by the other party’s certain attitude, the owner thought for a moment and held up three fingers.

“5 yuan for the ordinary one, 8 yuan for the cartoon one, and 18 for the waterproof one. My goods are all from legitimate factories, not imitations from small workshops. I can’t go any lower.”

It was indeed not expensive. After a quick mental calculation, Chen Yuanming made up his mind. “I want 120 in total. 40 ordinary ones, 60 cartoon ones, and 20 waterproof ones.”

With the price and quantity agreed upon, the rest was easy. The two quickly counted out the sufficient goods, handing over the money and the goods. Before leaving, the owner gave him a fake Nike travel bag as a bonus.

Penniless but with the first batch of goods, Chen Yuanming was not impatient but waited patiently for another two days. The rainstorm didn’t really come down. It wasn’t until early May that the warehouse in the small courtyard was filled with smuggled goods again, and he and Scarface once again embarked on the journey to Wuhan.