TL: Etude
"Us?" Scarface blinked.
"Yeah, since you know the way, leading the way shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Chen Jianghai spoke indifferently.
"Oh, no problem at all!"
After pocketing the twenty yuan, Scarface agreed readily.
Zhao Changgui was puzzled. Why did Chen Jianghai give Scarface money?
And when had he become so wealthy?
Today's Chen Jianghai seemed completely different from the one he knew before!
In any case, Zhao Changgui's mind was filled with question marks; he just couldn't figure it out.
"Changgui, what are you thinking about? Let's go!"
Chen Jianghai called out to Zhao Changgui, who was still in a daze, and turned to walk out of the house.
Zhao Changgui finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly followed.
Along the way, Zhao Changgui kept looking at Chen Jianghai with curiosity, as if he were seeing him for the first time.
Chen Jianghai felt somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze, "Changgui, why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?"
"No, nothing."
Zhao Changgui shook his head, "It's just that... you seem very different, like you've become another person!"
Chen Jianghai just laughed it off and didn't take it to heart. He clapped Zhao Changgui on the arm, "You'll see even bigger changes in the future. Get used to it."
Taking advantage of Zhao Changgui's presence, Chen Jianghai decided to look for the so-called King of Scraps.
In his past life, Chen Jianghai didn't think highly of the scrap collecting business.
He thought it required no skill and only earned hard-earned money.
But when Chen Jianghai saw online that many scrap collectors were making millions or even tens of millions a year, he was truly shocked.
The most legendary were those from the sixties and seventies who specialized in collecting antiques as scrap. They made a fortune.
By the nineties, valuable antiques were scarce, but scrap collectors were still making money.
The place Scarface mentioned was on the west side of Linghai County.
There was a dilapidated village there, which had been uninhabited for a long time.
If it hadn't been for Scarface's mention, Chen Jianghai wouldn't have thought that the King of Scraps would choose such a place as a base.
But on second thought, it was secluded enough and rarely visited by people, making it not a bad spot for a garbage collection point.
The three had just arrived at the outskirts of the village when they were surrounded by a group of people.
Seeing this group, Chen Jianghai's brow furrowed slightly.
Their clothes were patched up, and many held tools in their hands.
This scene made Chen Jianghai feel as if he had arrived at the headquarters of the Beggar's Sect, surrounded by a gang of beggars.
"What do you want?"
One of the tall figures shouted at Zhao Changgui with a wary look in his eyes.
Given Zhao Changgui's formidable stature, it was hard to ignore him.
Zhao Changgui involuntarily looked towards Chen Jianghai, who did not speak but turned to look at Scarface instead.
Scarface quickly stepped forward, "We're here to see Brother Qiang. I bought something from you guys just yesterday."
"What's your name?" the tall one asked sternly.
"Scarface."
The tall man then instructed someone behind him, "Go check if there's such a person."
Soon after, the tall man's subordinate came back and whispered something in his ear.
"Alright, follow me." The tall figure gestured for the three to follow him inside.
With Zhao Changgui around, Chen Jianghai was not too worried.
However, he was now very interested in this Brother Qiang.
To have set up such a large scrap collection point, he couldn't be an ordinary person.
Quickly, the tall man stopped in front of a wooden house.
"Wait here."
After saying that, the tall man went inside.
Chen Jianghai looked around. The place was neat and tidy, not as chaotic as he had imagined.
It seemed that this Brother Qiang must be quite fastidious.
Not long after, the tall man came back out and waved at the three of them, "You can go in now!"
Chen Jianghai walked in front, pushed open the door, and entered.
Zhao Changgui and Scarface followed behind him like two bodyguards.
The wooden house inside was very simple but clean, giving off a comfortable vibe.
A man in his forties was sitting in a wicker chair by the window... reading a book?
A scrap collector, sitting here reading a book?!
Chen Jianghai found this a bit beyond his expectations.
He didn't speak, just quietly observed the man before him.
The man held a thread-bound book, its title obscured from this angle, bathed in the sunlight filtering
through the window, exuding a certain scholarly aura.
"Boss Chen, this is Brother Qiang!"
Scarface murmured softly.
"Are you here for business?"
After seeing the three men, Brother Qiang set down his book and looked up to ask.
Chen Jianghai nodded, "That's right."
"What do you want to buy?" Brother Qiang got straight to the point.
Chen Jianghai didn't beat around the bush, "I heard you've collected a lot of home appliances, I'm interested in buying some."
"How many?" Brother Qiang followed up.
Chen Jianghai smiled and then said, "That depends on the quality."
Brother Qiang glanced at Chen Jianghai, "Others who buy from me, they don't pick and choose."
"That's because their price is low," Chen Jianghai replied coolly.
Hearing this, Brother Qiang cracked a slight smile, "You know the price?"
"I don't."
Chen Jianghai shook his head, "But one thing I'm sure of, their price is definitely lower than mine."
Brother Qiang seemed to be piqued with interest, "Could you first tell me what business you are in?"
"What does that have to do with our deal?" Chen Jianghai countered.
"Indeed, it has nothing to do with it."
Brother Qiang nodded, "But, I would still like to know."
Brother Qiang had been in Linghai for many years, yet this was the first time he had encountered such an interesting young man.
Chen Jianghai shook his head, "But I don't want to say."
Hearing Chen Jianghai say this, Scarface's face changed color.
This was Brother Qiang's territory, and to truly offend him would be asking for trouble, wouldn't it?
Brother Qiang stared at Chen Jianghai for a moment, "Name your price."
"For each television, I'll offer thirty." Chen Jianghai stated his price.
Upon hearing this price, Brother Qiang was visibly surprised, "Thirty each? You dare to offer such a price?"
"What's there not to dare? However, there is a condition, your goods must meet my requirements." Chen Jianghai added.
Brother Qiang looked at Chen Jianghai, squinting slightly, but did not respond immediately.
Chen Jianghai was not in a hurry.
It would be best if the deal went through, but it was no loss if it didn't.
His visit today was on a whim.
Chen Jianghai didn't have much money left on him; he needed to quickly accumulate wealth to catch up with the times faster.
In his past life, someone had said that before thirty, one could earn money through physical labor, but after thirty, it was time to earn through intellect.
However, to make a lot of money, the alignment of the right time, place, and people was indispensable.
The right time of the nineties hardly needed mentioning.
There were too many opportunities in this era; finding one could bring wealth that would make the average person envious.
As for the place, the coastal cities of the nineties and those few international metropolises in later times were locations where one could dig for gold.
In terms of people, what Chen Jianghai currently lacked was the capital to get started.
Now with the opportunity to acquire a large batch of old appliances for refurbishment and resale to speed up capital accumulation, Chen Jianghai naturally would not let it slip by.
After a moment, Brother Qiang said in a deep voice, "What are your conditions?"
"The exterior should be intact, with no severe corrosion, and the internal components complete—just these three conditions. That's not too much to ask, right?"
Chen Jianghai held up three fingers, laying out his demands.
Brother Qiang gave Chen Jianghai a look, then stood up, "Come with me!"