Chapter Twenty-One: The Tiger-Skin Banner

The internet was in an uproar! The forum for Yijiang City was flooded with posts seeking to purchase internet café licenses, and even the replies beneath those posts were no exception. There were also posts offering them for sale, but the number was so negligible as to be ignored, and any such post, once it appeared, would be quickly swamped with desperate requests, and before long, someone would buy it.

Elephant had once witnessed the fastest transaction: less than thirty minutes after the post went up, it was already closed, the license sold. The prices kept climbing higher and higher, with people openly bidding beneath the for-sale posts, and the wild fluctuations in price made Elephant’s heart tremble.

Still harboring hope, Elephant waited for the prices to stabilize, thinking that if he waited, he might be able to save a little money. The current prices online were all measured in tens of thousands—a hefty sum by any measure.

He forced himself to wait a few more days. In that short span, license prices rose even faster than a bull market on the stock exchange: every day a new price, leaping ever upward. Sometimes, the difference was several thousand yuan between morning and afternoon, and not just a few thousand, either.

Every day there was news of record-breaking deals. The most expensive license had reportedly sold for eighty thousand. Under that post, a crowd of people lamented, wringing their hands in regret for not acting sooner.

Elephant finally realized he couldn’t wait any longer. There were plenty of unlicensed and underground internet cafés in Yijiang City, and he knew well how lucrative the business was. Internet café owners were rolling in cash. Even a place the size of Storm could only be considered a mid-sized café; if he waited any longer, the price would soar past what he could afford.

Judging from all signs, Zhao Zejun hadn’t been joking with him before. If he kept waiting, it would take no more than a month or two before a single license could buy a Santana sedan.

He contacted several sellers, but the results were disappointing. Either the license had already been sold, or the asking price was outrageous—one seller even wanted 210,000.

That was simply absurd.

One day, as Elephant was once again scouring the internet for information, he saw a pinned news post on the forum.

“A Special Task Force for Internet Café Regulation has been established by the Yijiang City Bureau of Industry and Commerce, headed by Deputy Director Yu Jin.”

Yu? Yu?

It wasn’t a rare surname, but not a common one either. Elephant paused for a few seconds, then suddenly recalled that the wealthy student who often went online with Zhao Zejun was also named Yu!

A flash of insight struck him—he believed he finally understood everything!

No wonder a high schooler like Zhao Zejun could get his hands on an internet café license and was so well-versed in government policy!

Damn it, that so-called ‘friend’s’ license—Zhao’s license wasn’t his at all, it belonged to the Yu family!

As Elephant wrestled with his final decision—whether or not to buy the license from Zhao Zejun—he heard footsteps at the door. Officer He, the local beat cop, led in seven or eight others in uniform.

“Xiang Jianjun, the city has issued a notice for a crackdown on internet cafés. These comrades are from the Bureau of Industry and Commerce, the Public Security Fire Department, and the Department of Culture, and are responsible for inspecting our district. Please cooperate.”

…

A few days later, Storm Internet Café was shut down for rectification. The once-bustling establishment stood deserted, with a notice of joint law enforcement pasted at the entrance.

The iron gates were locked tight.

Elephant waited outside the entrance of No. 4 High School for three days, and finally, on the last day before vacation, he caught sight of Zhao Zejun.

In the largest private dining room at Hexu Tower, the Cloud Hall, a massive round table was set with a feast, but there were only two people in the room.

Zhao Zejun and Elephant.

It was no surprise that Zhao Zejun had been invited to dinner by Elephant.

But Elephant spoke to him in a rather roundabout way, saying many things that Zhao Zejun found puzzling at first. After pondering for some time, Zhao finally understood what Elephant was getting at.

Elephant mistakenly believed that the license was Yu Jin’s, but since Yu Jin couldn’t step forward personally, Zhao—due to his relationship with Yu Zhe—was acting as an intermediary to sell it.

In fact, Zhao Zejun had once considered a similar approach himself, using a powerful backer to protect himself, but the plan was too complicated and full of loopholes, so he’d never seriously pursued it.

Unexpectedly, Elephant had somehow received the wrong information, but had stumbled upon the truth by accident.

What an imagination! Zhao Zejun had to admit it.

So, Elephant’s purpose today wasn’t just to buy the license—he was also seeking to curry favor with the “Director of Industry and Commerce” behind Zhao.

“Little Zhao, I was being stingy before, always offering too little. Today I’ll be frank: one hundred thousand,” Elephant said, thumping his chest.

Zhao Zejun’s mind raced. He neither agreed nor refused, only replied with an “oh.”

A hundred thousand was close to what he’d expected—maybe even a little more. The market price was around eighty thousand, though in reality, it was hard to find one for sale. If he waited a little longer, the price might climb to a hundred thousand.

If Zhao were willing to wait another couple of years, it wouldn’t be surprising if it reached two hundred thousand, but time was more valuable to him.

Now that Elephant had offered him a powerful backer, it would be a waste not to take advantage.

“Brother Elephant, you know the market. There are plenty of buyers for each license. You only have a hundred thousand, but there are bigger café owners than you, and they have money. I could just as well sell to them,” Zhao said.

“Yes, yes, I understand. If you sell it to me for a hundred thousand, you’re doing me a favor. But, brother, you have to consider my situation. Sure, running a café is profitable, but I’ve had a lot of expenses these past couple of years—bought a house, a car, even started seeing a girl. I really don’t have more cash on hand.”

As soon as he finished, Elephant regretted it, wishing he could slap himself.

Why did I have to mention the car? I know this kid has been eyeing my Santana for ages—why bring it up now?

What was I thinking!

Sure enough, Zhao Zejun smiled meaningfully and muttered, “Oh, so you bought a house and a car?”

“Let’s not talk about the car, brother,” Elephant said, exasperated.

Zhao continued, “Brother Elephant, the other day at the used car market, I saw a Santana 2000 just like yours—only fifteen thousand kilometers, asking price was one hundred thirty thousand.”

After all this time, Elephant finally realized how much Zhao wanted: one hundred thirty thousand.

If he could get the license for a hundred thousand, what was another thirty thousand? If the café could stay open, he’d make that back in six months. Besides, buying the license from Zhao didn’t just keep his business alive—it also meant, indirectly, currying favor with the director.

The problem was, Elephant really didn’t have the cash. All told, he barely had one hundred thirty thousand, and needed to keep some for expenses. Offering one hundred thousand was already his limit.

“Brother, you don’t expect me to sell my car, do you?!”

Elephant forced a bitter smile, shook his head, and pulled a bulging envelope from his bag, handing it over. “Little Zhao, there’s ten thousand here, a token of appreciation for you personally. The license price is a hundred thousand. How about it? I really can’t offer more.”

Zhao took the envelope and set it on the table. “Brother Elephant, we’re making a legitimate deal here—nothing shady about it. If word got out, what would people say? Besides, the license is mine. You’re buying it from me; a ‘sweetener’ is just compensating me with my own money.”

“My fault—I should have made it clear. This money has nothing to do with the license. Think of it as a loan from me—no IOU needed. Pay me back whenever you’re able. How does that sound?” Elephant hurried to explain.

Zhao considered this and said, “How about this: the price stays at one hundred thirty thousand. Brother Elephant, since you said you’re short on cash, I can offer you a way to make money.”

“A way to make money?” Elephant asked in surprise.

“You run a café, so you must know a lot of other owners. Some of them are surely lacking licenses, right?” Zhao asked.

“Absolutely. All my friends are desperate. Just in the past few days, about half the owners I know have been shut down…”

As he spoke, Elephant suddenly realized what Zhao was suggesting and blurted out, “You have more licenses?!”

“Not many—just two left,” Zhao answered with a faint smile. “If you’re strapped for cash, I’ll let you sell the other two. No matter what price you get, I’ll only charge you one hundred thirty thousand each. If you can sell them for one million three hundred thousand, I won’t be jealous. But there’s one catch: you need to sell them fast. If they’re not gone in two weeks, I’ll sell them myself.”

One million three hundred thousand was a joke, of course, but Elephant’s connections were definitely more reliable than Zhao’s. If he worked his contacts, he could probably get an extra ten or twenty thousand per license.

After all, Zhao was in business, not in the business of making enemies. He’d take his share and let Elephant have the rest. Leave some room for the future—that was the way to do business.

“No problem at all. It’s a deal!” Elephant’s spirits lifted immediately.

Three licenses—he could make twenty or thirty thousand, which was as good as paying only a hundred thousand for Storm’s license. The other two, others might pay over two hundred thousand for, but the favor would be his. They’d spend money to earn him goodwill with the authorities—what could be better?