Chapter 17#

“What do you think?”

A voice interrupted Chen Yuanming’s thoughts. He looked up and gave a polite smile. “The storefront chosen by Brother Wang, of course, there won’t be any problems.”

The man in front of him smiled good-naturedly, seemingly not minding that he had been distracted for a while. The two of them walked around the brand-new shop again, then went out and headed straight for the time-honored restaurant across the street.

Although it was already late November, the weather had been sunny for the past two days. It was still 17 or 18 degrees at noon in Wuhan, perfect for wearing autumn clothes. It happened to be the lunch rush hour, and the bicycle traffic almost filled the road. A short walk took them more than ten minutes. Wang Haitao lowered his head apologetically and smiled at the young man beside him. “This place is just a bit crowded, everything else is good.”

You want it to be crowded, right? Chen Yuanming did not disappoint the other party’s desire to show off. “Crowded is good. The city center is popular, it’s a good place.”

Walking a few steps to the entrance of the restaurant, Su Xiao walked out quickly to greet them. She came up and took Chen Yuanming’s arm. “Ah Ming, did you see the place your Brother Wang chose? What a nice shop! The rent is only 5,000 yuan a year, and with the renovation, it didn’t even cost 10,000. What a bargain!”

A choking smell of perfume wafted from her. Chen Yuanming imperceptibly distanced himself from her and responded with a smile. The three of them walked into the restaurant together and went directly to the private room on the second floor. The hotel was of a high grade, and those who could book private rooms were either rich or noble. The decoration was certainly nothing in the eyes of Chen Yuanming, who had lived two lives, but for people at that time, it was already quite exquisite and luxurious. A table full of dishes was served, and the three sat around the table, but no one moved their chopsticks first.

“Ah Ming, how are you considering the matter?” Su Xiao first picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Chen Yuanming, asking pleasantly, “You have a net worth of over a hundred thousand now. Why don’t you come out and work for yourself? Let’s partner up to buy a car. You can run anytime, anywhere. Isn’t it better than working hard for your cousin?”

Chen Yuanming smiled slightly, picked up the teacup, and did not answer.

Su Xiao and Wang Haitao exchanged glances. The man shook his head gently. Su Xiao couldn’t help frowning and added unwillingly, “It’s not that I want to say this, but your cousin really doesn’t look like a good person. Didn’t he get into a fight last month? Is he just recovering from his injuries? Because of him, you didn’t run any goods last month. What a delay! A round trip is a business worth tens of thousands…”

“Xiaoxiao.” Wang Haitao stopped his wife and shook his head at Chen Yuanming with a smile. “Your sister is just concerned about our business. She means no harm. Yuanming, don’t take it to heart. I know you are a person with big ideas and don’t care about our small profit. You are still young, why be tied down by a storefront? Going out to venture is the right thing to do.”

The words were pleasant and sincere, but the content was almost the opposite of the proprietress’s. Chen Yuanming had long understood that among these two, only Su Xiao was thinking about his connection, while Wang Haitao probably wanted to dump him and work alone long ago. It was just hiring a car for a long-distance trip, purchasing and picking up goods. Who couldn’t do such small things? Why let an outsider share the profit?

It was reasonable and too easy to guess. Chen Yuanming put down the teacup and slightly restrained his smile. “Brother Wang is right. Driving is not a permanent job. I also plan to go out and do something else next year. I probably won’t be able to take care of the business here.”

Wang Haitao was not surprised at all, but instead showed a look of understanding. Half a year later, his figure became more bloated, almost like a real Maitreya Buddha. The smile on his face also changed from being good to everyone to being amiable for wealth, showing a bit of a boss’s demeanor. It was just that he couldn’t get rid of the slickness from the officialdom, which was inevitably a bit awkward. He even dressed his wife up as a noble person, and the simple appearance from a few months ago was no longer visible.

But Chen Yuanming understood very well. Getting rich overnight.

Starting from the first order of luxury goods, the transactions between them increased geometrically. From small businesses of a few thousand yuan to high-end goods trade of tens of thousands of yuan, it only took two months. At this time, luxury goods were a truly profitable industry. 80% profit was just the bottom line, and doubling or even tripling was the norm. In addition, the deposit for famous watches was often collected directly from customers, so there was no need to spend capital. It was a purely profitable business.

From a small travel bag to goods stuffed under both seats, and then to the point where there was no room to move in the cab, Scarface had mocked Chen Yuanming several times, but never interfered. Over time, the business became hot. In half a year, he alone earned nearly 300,000 yuan. But last month, because Scarface was injured, the shipment stopped for a month. When he came again this month, Wang Haitao still looked enthusiastic, but his mentality was obviously alienated, no longer the same as before.

With money, the heart naturally becomes wild. Chen Yuanming smiled self-deprecatingly. Wasn’t he the same? It was just that what Wang Haitao and he pursued were different, and the weight was even more different.

“Good ambition!” Wang Haitao had already started to flatter him. He poured a large glass of white wine and shoved it to Chen Yuanming. “In the past few months, my family’s money has been spent on that storefront, and there is really no spare money left. Maybe we won’t purchase goods next month. You are also going out to venture, and I don’t know when you will leave Zhuhai, so this time I must have a drink with you, brother. Thanks to you, I know how wonderful this world is.”

It was Wuliangye that was poured, but it was in a goblet. The mix and match was seamless. Chen Yuanming raised his glass and made a toast. “What are you saying? If it weren’t for Brother Wang, how could I be where I am today? Naturally, I should drink first as a sign of respect.”

After speaking, he raised the glass and drank the full glass of wine. The 38-degree Wuliangye was soft and pleasant, very smooth.

Su Xiao finally showed a smile at this time and picked up the wine pot. “I didn’t know you could drink so well, Ah Ming. I didn’t dare to arrange drinks before. If I had known earlier, I should have drunk a few more rounds with you.”

“Not at all.” Chen Yuanming blocked the wine glass. “I still have to drive. Sister Su, don’t force me to drink. What if I can’t leave today?”

“If you can’t leave, stay here! It’s our own shop, are you afraid I’ll charge you?” Su Xiao immediately complained, although she had transferred the hotel to her cousin’s name two months ago, and she and her husband had moved into a big house in the city early on.

“No, drinking really delays things…” Smiling and declining, but not resolutely. Chen Yuanming was also “experienced in alcohol” in his previous life, especially when he started his own company and solicited business, he almost drank a hole in his stomach. The etiquette and rules on the wine table were naturally familiar to him. This was a real “break-up meal”, and it would be meaningless if it was too rigid and stiff.

Back and forth, the meal was lively, and there was no sign of a breakdown in negotiations. Slightly tipsy, Chen Yuanming took a car back to the hotel. Opening the room door, he saw Scarface sitting on the bed with a teasing look, seemingly waiting for him to return.

“Yo! The big boss is back.” Scarface grinned, the hole in his front teeth becoming more obvious. One hand was still in a cast, hanging awkwardly on his shoulder. The only thing that looked decent was that the bruises on his face had almost faded, but the scar on his face looked even more ferocious.

“Brother Qiang, don’t laugh at me…” Chen Yuanming stumbled into the room and slumped onto the bed. “I just drank a little… wait, I’ll be able to…”

“What time is it? Anyway, it’s the return trip, no rush to hit the road.” Scarface shrugged indifferently. “But this is the first time I’ve seen you drink. Did the talk go well?”

Smuggling goods could be hidden from anyone, but not from the partner in the same car. Chen Yuanming had told Scarface long ago, but the other party had never had any special reaction, just watching him explore the way with a smile. Now he probably knew about Wang Haitao opening a new store. Was he waiting for his answer?

Chen Yuanming narrowed his eyes slightly, but his words were still slurred. “We broke up. The other party is too ambitious, not a long-term partner…”

“Not interested in being a second boss?” Scarface’s voice carried a hint of curiosity as he asked.

“For that little money, it’s not worth it…” Chen Yuanming pulled the quilt beside him impatiently, took off his coat randomly, and lay down on the bed looking drunk and weak, occasionally answering Scarface’s questions with a sentence or two.

In just ten minutes, the volume of the chat gradually dropped, and finally turned into the sound of light breathing. Scarface looked at the sleeping boy with a slightly inquisitive expression. When his cousin asked him to keep an eye on this boy at first, he didn’t understand the meaning. But almost in the blink of an eye, this kid had changed from a penniless poor worker to a partner with enough net worth to be won over in the eyes of others. Scarface was also a person who had ventured into many places, but he had never seen such a speed and method of rising, let alone his age…

Now he had obviously given up the high-profit line that had just been paved, but still did not choose to leave his own fleet. How much can a driver earn a month? Even if he runs three trips, it’s only a little over a thousand yuan, which is a world of difference compared to his current income. Could it be true, as the big brother said, that this kid is showing his talents to them and wants to break into their group and get a share of the pie?

Unconsciously licking the gap in his teeth, Scarface felt a little uncertain. If he was interested in their smuggling business, why didn’t he inquire or participate at all, and didn’t even come out to help when they fought with other gangs last month? Or did he think he was too smart and qualified, and wanted to directly get a position as a strategist?

After thinking hard for a long time, Scarface finally bared his teeth and decided not to torture himself. Go home and report the situation to the big brother first. The big brother naturally knows what to do. If he is not the material, don’t waste the effort.

After figuring it out, Scarface also lay back on the bed leisurely. The boy next to him had already started to snore lightly, obviously falling into a deep sleep. Scarface thought in a good mood, if he really pulled this kid into the gang, what kind of situation would it be?

What an interesting kid.