TL: Etude
"Mom! What era are we living in?"
Fang Aiguo was instantly displeased, "What you're talking about is ancient history! These days, speculative ventures are out of fashion. Don't we have our own shop?"
Huang Shuifeng spoke in a low voice, "But the key is that you're making money too easily! Could Chen Jianghai be deceiving you, ready to push you out if something goes wrong?"
"How could that be?"
Hearing this, Fang Aiguo grew even less happy, retorting heatedly, "When collecting the appliances, Brother Hai handed me the money directly. How could he possibly deceive me?"
Huang Shuifeng was not quite sure anymore, frowning slightly, "But isn't this money coming in a bit too quickly?"
"Mom, when there's no money, you complain. Now that there's too much, you still have something to say? You're really hard to please!"
Fang Aiguo was somewhat frustrated.
Huang Shuifeng was momentarily stunned, then upon reflection, it seemed that there was some truth to his words.
She gave an awkward smile, then glared at Fang Aiguo fiercely, feigning a stern look, "I'm just worried about you, that's all!"
"Mom, don't worry unnecessarily. Just wait for me to make a fortune!"
With a bit of resignation, Fang Aiguo pursed his lips, then plugged in the TV, and casually connected the external antenna as well.
Soon after, the TV began displaying an image, albeit with some static.
Fang Aiguo tried adjusting the antenna and the picture quickly became clear.
Seeing the TV adjusted, Fang Aiguo took out a sign and hung it next to the television, emblazoned with bold characters.
[Second-hand black-and-white TV for sale, prices negotiable!]
After hanging the sign, Fang Aiguo turned and said, "Mom, if someone comes asking, just take down their name and address, and I'll go find them tomorrow."
"Eh? Where are you going?"
Huang Shuifeng asked, puzzled.
Fang Aiguo smiled, "I have to find the seller, of course. Waiting around like a sitting duck isn't my style."
"Then why turn on the TV? Isn't that a waste of electricity?"
As she spoke, Huang Shuifeng moved to turn off the TV.
Fang Aiguo quickly stopped her, explaining patiently, "Mom, Brother Hai says this is a marketing strategy, it can't be turned off."
"Marketing? What marketing?" Huang Shuifeng didn't quite understand.
Fang Aiguo didn't quite know how to explain further to his mother, so he just insisted, "Mom, you don't need to worry about this. If you're concerned about the electricity bill, I'll cover it at the end of the month."
After saying this, Fang Aiguo didn't wait for his mother to say anything more and rode off on his bicycle.
At around nine, Chen Jianghai arrived at the warehouse at a leisurely pace.
Taking advantage of the free time to rest was essential, as once things got busier, there might not even be time to rest.
The body is the capital of the revolution, and Chen Jianghai didn't want to be one of those who, by middle age, frequented hospitals and relied on medication to stay alive.
Just as he reached the warehouse entrance, Chen Jianghai saw two people lurking around, sneaking about — clearly up to no good.
Upon witnessing this, Chen Jianghai tensed up inside.
These days, he had been so busy that it seemed now someone had taken notice.
Who were these two people?
What were they up to?
Chen Jianghai had no idea.
Therefore, instead of approaching rashly, he hid and observed for a while.
Chen Jianghai noticed that one of them looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.
That's right!
He slapped his forehead. It was the person from last night, the one who had been watching the warehouse!
It seemed these people had had their eyes on the place for some time now; that individual must have been scouting the location.
Had it not been for seeing that person yesterday, Chen Jianghai might not have taken the situation seriously today.
However, he remained very rational and did not approach them; instead, he turned around and left.
He wasn't afraid of thieves stealing, but of thieves obsessing over his property.
He now needed an assistant, someone to protect and safeguard his business.
Simultaneously, an image quickly surfaced in his mind.
Zhao Changgui, a former soldier, twenty-five years old, with only an underage sister at home.
Zhao Changgui's parents had passed away, leaving behind a young sister.
For her sake, Zhao Changgui had to give up his military career and discharged early to look after her, the siblings relying solely on each other.
In his past life, Zhao Changgui, upon leaving the army, had nothing but his physical strength.
After his discharge, Zhao Changgui had always taken on manual labor, barely maintaining the livelihood of their home.
However, in the year his sister attended high school, tragedy struck; she was humiliated by a gang of thugs.
In the end, Zhao Changgui's sister chose to take her own life.
After arranging his sister's affairs, Zhao Changgui tracked down those thugs alone.
What exactly happened, Chen Jianghai didn't know.
But there were rumors that the scene was too horrifying, turning into a major case locally.
As for why Chen Jianghai sought out Zhao Changgui, it was primarily because they were also friends.
It was a fact that might be hard for others to believe.
Oddly enough, Chen Jianghai was one of the few friends Zhao Changgui had.
The reason for their friendship was simple—it involved his sister.
Zhao Changgui's sister was once hit by a car, and it was Chen Jianghai who timely rushed her to the hospital.
It was then that they became friends.
In Zhao Changgui's eyes, Chen Jianghai had saved his sister, a great kindness.
However, it is said that great kindness should not be spoken of, and Zhao Changgui kept this gratitude in his heart.
Their communication wasn't frequent; after all, they hadn't had much in common before and their personalities didn't match, making it hard for them to converse.
Following the route in his memory, Chen Jianghai quickly found Zhao Changgui's home.
To be honest, it was too easy to locate.
He saw a somewhat dilapidated clay house appearing before his eyes.
Looking at the house, Chen Jianghai was worried that it might collapse if a strong wind blew.
Chen Jianghai stepped forward and knocked on the door, neither lightly nor heavily.
Soon, there were hurried footsteps inside, and then the door opened.
"Eh, Brother Jianghai, what brings you here?"
The door was opened by a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, fair-skinned and pretty, looking at Chen Jianghai with a hint of surprise.
She was Zhao Changgui's sister, Zhao Yuxi.
Chen Jianghai patted Zhao Yuxi's head and asked with a smile, "Is your brother at home?"
"Mhm!"
Zhao Yuxi nodded, shouting into the house, "Brother, Brother Jianghai is here to see you."
Then the young girl turned to Chen Jianghai, inviting him warmly, "Brother Jianghai, please come in?"
"No need, I'm here to ask your brother for a favor," Chen Jianghai said with a smile, shaking his head.
"Brother Chen, what do you need?"
A tall, burly man with a muscular build emerged from the house, wearing a vest that showcased his explosive muscles, which were intimidating at a glance.
Zhao Yuxi kept looking at Chen Jianghai, her eyes flickering with an indescribable glint.
It was the kind of light a girl has in her eyes when she looks at a lover.
However, Chen Jianghai's thoughts were not on her. She was just a young girl who had not yet grown up, and naturally, he overlooked it.
Of course, even if he had noticed, he probably wouldn't have cared.
Because in his heart, there was only one person: his wife, Lin Wanqiu.
Chen Jianghai turned his head to glance at Zhao Yuxi, then said to Zhao Changgui, "Changgui, let's walk and talk."
Zhao Changgui hesitated for a moment, "Brother Chen, what's it about? How long will it take?"