stjorthotic Chapter 182 The market in the provincial capital is indeed good.
Chapter 182 The market in the provincial capital is indeed good.
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away in the provincial capital, a sweltering heatwave was in full swing.
Three Jiefang trucks, fully loaded with watermelons, rumbled into a storage area on the outskirts of the city, like three tireless old oxen.
The roads here are wider than those in the county town.
The air was filled with the smell of engine oil and dust.
Qin Rushan sat in the passenger seat of the lead car, holding the window frame with one hand. His black work clothes were soaked with sweat and dried by the wind, forming a layer of white salt frost.
His sharp eyes peered through the dusty windshield at the large red-brick courtyard ahead.
The large iron gate was wide open, and a faded sign hung at the entrance: "Third Transfer Station for Agricultural and Sideline Products of the Provincial Capital".
Although it's called a transfer station, it's actually a semi-official, semi-underground distribution center.
In those days, the planned economy had just been opened up a crack, state-run stores couldn't keep up with demand, and the black market was too fragmented, so these well-connected transfer stations became a paradise for middlemen.
"drop--!"
Yang Dong honked the air horn, which was the signal to enter the temple to worship Buddha.
The convoy slowly drove into the compound, raising a cloud of yellow smoke.
There were already many vehicles parked in the yard, some carrying coal and some carrying timber. Several shirtless porters were sitting in the shade smoking, and their eyes showed a hint of awe when they saw the three imposing Liberation trucks.
As soon as the truck came to a stop, a corner of the tarpaulin in the back of the truck bed was lifted, revealing a patch of emerald green.
"Clang!"
Qin Rushan pushed open the car door, and his large feet, clad in cloth shoes with multiple layers of soles, landed steadily on the ground.
He stomped his feet on solid ground, stretched, and his joints cracked like popping beans.
The journey took more than ten hours, and only his iron body could withstand it.
He had just taken out his cigarette case from his pocket and hadn't even had a chance to smoke a cigarette when a middle-aged, overweight man wearing a white polyester shirt and carrying a black leather bag under his arm came running up to him from the warehouse.
The fat man's face was shiny with oil, and his hair was combed slickly; he looked like someone who had spent years in the world of oil and fat.
"Oh, Brother Qin! I've been waiting for you like the stars and the moon!"
The fat man stretched out his hand from a distance, his chubby face beaming into a wide smile, "Was the journey smooth?"
Qin Rushan didn't act too enthusiastically. He slowly lit his cigarette, took a deep drag, and then reached out to shake hands with the fat man.
The large, calloused hand gripped the fat man's face like an iron clamp, causing the smile to freeze slightly.
"Not bad." Qin Rushan exhaled a smoke ring, speaking succinctly, "We ran into two traffic stoppers on the road, gave them two packs of cigarettes and they let us go. The goods are all here, the first batch of melons you ordered, 22,000 jin, not a single one missing, and not damaged."
"Of course, I have complete confidence in Brother Qin's abilities!"
The fat man, who was also the person in charge here, "Huang Daya," kept glancing into the truck bed.
He strode to the back of the vehicle, reached out and patted the taut tarpaulin, as if he were patting a young woman's bottom.
Yang Dong quickly untied the knots and lifted a corner of the tarpaulin.
A rich, refreshing fragrance instantly wafted into my nostrils.
One by one, round, green watermelons were neatly stacked in the straw nest, a delightful sight to behold.
Huang Daya picked one up casually, bent his fingers and tapped it twice. The sound was crisp, indicating that it was a ripe and good melon.
"Great stuff! Absolutely great stuff!"
Huang Daya's eyes gleamed. "If this melon were to enter the provincial capital's free market, or be sent to a steel mill as part of their high-temperature welfare program, it would be a hot commodity! Brother Qin, you've brought me a mountain of gold!"
Qin Rushan leaned against the hood of the car, looking coldly at Huang Daya's face.
"Enough talk, inspect the goods, weigh them, and settle the bill." Qin Rushan flicked his cigarette ash. "My brothers have been running around for a day and a night and haven't eaten yet."
"Alright! I'll arrange it right away!"
Huang Daya waved his hand and shouted, "Hey you, Shuanzi! Bring your men over here to unload the goods! Weigh them! Hurry up, don't drop the melons!"
Dozens of porters swarmed around and began unloading the truck.
Huang Daya leaned closer to Qin Rushan, offering him a "Hongtashan" cigarette with a filter, and lowered his voice, his tone tinged with a hint of probing: "Brother Qin, you've brought quite a lot of goods this time. We briefly discussed the price on the phone before, but there have been losses along the way..."
"Twelve cents."
Qin Rushan interrupted him directly, his tone a little impatient, "Not a penny less. No one but me can get this truckload of melons to the provincial capital for you in one day. If you think it's too expensive, I'll have someone drive the truck to the textile factory right now. The union chairman there has been nagging me about it for days."
He hadn't actually contacted the textile factory yet, but that didn't stop him from asking for exorbitant prices.
In business, it's all about psychological warfare.
Sure enough, Huang Daya's expression changed when he heard the words "textile factory".
The provincial capital has been scorching hot these past few days, and all the units are scrambling to get heatstroke prevention and cooling supplies. If the textile factory really manages to snatch this melon, he'll lose out on a lot of money.
"Oh dear, look how impatient you are! I didn't say I didn't want it!"
Huang Daya quickly smiled apologetically, "Twelve cents it is! Considering how hard Brother Qin has worked, I can't let you suffer a loss, can I?"
Qin Rushan sneered inwardly.
Li Xiaotao is right, the market in the provincial capital is indeed good.
Li Xiaotao only earns six cents a day in the village, but he makes twelve cents a day by reselling it – that's double the profit!
Twenty-two thousand catties, earning six cents per catty, the gross profit from this trip is more than thirteen hundred yuan!
After deducting the cost of fuel, tolls, and food and drinks for the brothers, the net profit is at least a thousand yuan!
One thousand yuan! That's two or three years' salary for an average worker these days!
"Then stop dawdling and pay the bill." Qin Rushan threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. "I don't accept receipts, I only want cash."
"Fine, fine, cash!" Huang Daya gritted his teeth, turned around and went into the small office next door.
A short while later, he came out carrying a black briefcase.
Pull the zipper open, and inside is a tightly bound bundle of "Great Unity".
Qin Rushan took the bag and counted it bundle by bundle in front of Huang Daya.
Two thousand six hundred and forty yuan.
Qin Rushan didn't shy away from the fact that, right there in the noisy transfer station courtyard, in front of Huang Daya and dozens of porters, his calloused hands swiped through the money like a counting machine.
The number was exactly the same.
He pulled out three ten-yuan bills from the thick wad of cash and casually handed them to the dumbfounded foreman next to him.
"Brothers, you've worked hard unloading the cargo in this sweltering heat. Take this and buy yourself a pack of cigarettes and some soda to cool off."
The foreman, holding the thirty yuan, was so excited that his face turned red.
These days, thirty yuan is equivalent to a temporary worker's monthly salary. This Boss Qin is too generous!
"Thank you, Boss Qin! Boss Qin, may you make a fortune!"
The workers dispersed happily, and Huang Daya, seeing this, held Qin Rushan in even higher regard.
This man is good at interpersonal relationships, knows the rules, and most importantly—has courage.
He held a huge sum of over two thousand yuan in his hand without even flinching, and he was still able to take care of the feelings of his subordinates.
This kind of person is born to do this kind of work.
"Brother Qin, you're quite something!"
Huang Daya gave a thumbs-up, his face full of admiration, "This trip was a pleasure. From now on, I'll reserve the best spot for you in the provincial capital market!"
Qin Rushan stuffed the money into his military green satchel, zipped it up, and tucked it under his armpit.
"Boss Huang, you're too kind. We're all just here to make money."
By this time, it was already getting dark, and the streetlights in the provincial capital were gradually turning on.
Compared to the quietness of the county town, the provincial capital's nights exude a restless prosperity.
"I'm so happy today!" Huang Daya raised his hand to look at the Plum Blossom brand watch on his wrist. "Brother Qin, and these brothers, it's not easy for you to come all this way. Come on, let me treat you to see the night view of the provincial capital! Let's go to 'Golden Splendor' for a good meal, and then relax properly!"
Qin Rushan frowned slightly, instinctively wanting to refuse.
All he wants now is to find a guesthouse, get a good night's sleep, and head back to the county town as soon as possible tomorrow morning.
If I get home late, I wonder how worried my wife will be.
"Boss Huang, let's skip the meal and just grab something quick..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yang Dong couldn't help but swallow and tug at Qin Rushan's sleeve.
"Brother Qin...that's 'magnificent and resplendent'..."
Yang Dong's eyes lit up. "I heard that's the most prestigious place in the provincial capital, only Hong Kong businessmen and those with tens of thousands of yuan can afford to go there. We brothers have never seen anything like this in our lives..."
Qin Rushan turned around and glanced back.
Monkey, Dazhuang, and several other brothers from the second team were all staring at him expectantly, their eyes full of longing and curiosity.
They followed him on the national highway, eating dust and dry rations. They finally made it to the provincial capital, and if they had to go back without even getting a hot meal, it would really be unfair to these brothers.
As the leader, you can't just focus on your own wife, kids, and warm bed; you also have to let your subordinates have a taste of success.
"OK."
Qin Rushan relaxed and patted Yang Dong on the back of the head, "Then we'll be troubling Boss Huang tonight. But let me make this clear beforehand, you have to drive tomorrow, so you can't drink too much."
"No problem! No problem! As long as the person goes, that's fine!" Huang Daya laughed heartily.
In business, there is never just a meal.
Whether or not they can become long-term partners depends on whether they can get along well.