Chapter 138: Making Something Out of Nothing

As expected.

Shortly after Zhao Liang left, Xiao Li, wearing a floral dress and carrying cigarettes and liquor, appeared on the market street. Limping behind her was Xiao Yang. Some vendors who had paid but not yet left quickly scattered at the sight. After all, the Xiao family was now seen as a ‘plague’; no one wanted to provoke them, but it was also wise to avoid trouble.

Xiao Li’s face darkened at the scene, but she said nothing and led Xiao Yang directly to Liu Xing. Gouzi, knowing Liu Xing did not recognize Xiao Li, quickly whispered an introduction into Liu Xing’s ear. Once Liu Xing understood, he promptly put away his ledger and money and entered the shoe store.

Zhao Gou wanted to stay, but Gouzi pulled him away the next moment. In the blink of an eye, only Liu Xing, Xiao Yang, and Xiao Li remained at the shoe store’s entrance.

The silence was a bit awkward.

Liu Xing didn’t get angry at their arrival. Instead, he smiled faintly and brought over a small stool. “Sit down.”

“Thank you.” Xiao Li sat and glanced at Liu Xing. She was slightly surprised to see the calm confidence and the gleam of wisdom in his eyes, but she kept a composed expression, placing the luxury cigarettes and liquor on the wooden table beside her. “I heard your shoe store’s opening yesterday was incredibly successful?”

“That’s thanks largely to your father’s help,” Liu Xing replied with a smile.

“True,” Xiao Li responded awkwardly with a small smile. Without her father stirring things up, it would have been a dream for the shoe store to perform so well or to charge such high prices.

Xiao Yang was annoyed by this and was about to confront Liu Xing, but Xiao Li shot him a fierce glare. Some matters were better left unsaid; if things turned sour here, her purpose in coming to see Liu Xing would be ruined.

Liu Xing noticed this and found it amusing. “If you have something to say, say it straight—no need to hide behind smiles. It’s pointless otherwise.”

“That’s true.” Xiao Li looked at him. “I’m here mainly to apologize on behalf of my father for the unkind things he did to you before. I feel deeply sorry and guilty.”

“Heh...” Liu Xing smiled but said nothing. He could tell her apology was insincere.

Seeing Liu Xing still smiling, Xiao Yang couldn’t hold back. “What are you laughing at? Didn’t you see Xiao Li is apologizing to you?”

“Is this how you apologize, all high and mighty?” Liu Xing asked quietly.

Though his voice was low, it was so imposing that Xiao Yang was speechless, standing dumbfounded. Xiao Yang was no fool; if someone apologized to him like this, he would have slapped them long ago.

Liu Xing, seeing both silent, continued, “Take your cigarettes and liquor and go home. The matter with Xiao Daode isn’t something a few words of apology can fix, nor is it something I have control over.”

He referred to the official business, not personal feelings.

Xiao Yang was about to explode again, but Liu Xing teased him, “I warn you, Zhu Dachang hasn’t been caught yet. If you cause a scene right here at my shoe store during broad daylight and Zhu Dachang sees you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He dared joke this way because only a few people in the market knew the truth about Zhu Dachang’s murder yesterday. Those who did were already silenced by Chief Wu.

This frightened Xiao Yang so much that he paled and limped away toward the supply and marketing cooperative, looking utterly miserable.

Liu Xing couldn’t help but laugh. To him, Xiao Yang was just a coward. Even Zhu Dachang wouldn’t dare kill in broad daylight.

Xiao Li’s face darkened; she realized Liu Xing was not someone to provoke. No one could scare Xiao Yang like that with just a few words.

If only she knew what Xiao Yang encountered in the market yesterday, her thoughts would be entirely different.

Returning to the matter at hand, seeing the conversation had reached a deadlock, Xiao Li stopped wasting words and took out a stack of bills. “My second purpose today is to pay the temporary stall fee and electricity bill. How much does my father’s supply and marketing cooperative owe?”

The cooperative’s building was in Old House Village, rented from Village Head Zhao, but no rent had been paid yet. Liu Xing didn’t know this and didn’t ask, as Xiao Li wouldn’t admit it.

The temporary stall fee only applied if they occupied temporary stalls beyond the rented building. Xiao Daode’s cooperative covered five or six hundred square meters in the market, so it didn’t need extra temporary stalls. This was a trap: if Liu Xing accepted payment, and word got back up, he would be in serious trouble.

But Liu Xing was a man reborn—he wouldn’t fall for such petty money.

Thinking carefully, he perfectly avoided the trap. “Your cooperative doesn’t occupy the street or temporary stalls, so there’s no fee to collect. But you will have to pay electricity. When the charges come out, I’ll send someone to collect.”

Such a large store surely had an electric meter in the 1980s, so he couldn’t demand payment prematurely. He had to wait until the end of the month to check the meter.

“You really want my family to pay for electricity?” Xiao Li smiled, her eyes mocking. Seeing Liu Xing unaware of the situation, she added, “Do you know how the three-phase power was installed in this market? My father used his connections with the power supply bureau to make it happen, costing over a thousand yuan. And now you want to charge us for electricity? Ha... do you think you’re worthy?”

There it was. After holding back so long, her arrogant and domineering nature finally showed.

Liu Xing didn’t indulge her nor lose his temper. Instead, he smiled. “If your father is so powerful and connected in Old House Village, why was he caught selling counterfeit phosphate fertilizer?”

“You!!!” Xiao Li was speechless. Liu Xing really hit the sore spot!

“Listen, I’m not Village Head Zhao, nor one of the honest villagers of Old House Village. You can use your connections to cheat them, but you can’t fool my eyes. If you don’t want to pay the electricity bill, just say so—no need to threaten me. But I warn you, if your cooperative gets its power cut off by the supply bureau, don’t blame me.” Liu Xing looked coldly at Xiao Li. “Please leave—and take your cigarettes and liquor with you.”

“Who are you to kick me out?”

“And besides, I haven’t even paid my own electricity bill yet!” Xiao Li retorted.

She knew things couldn’t escalate further. Frustrated and angry, she compromised. If Liu Xing refused to collect her electricity fee later, it wouldn’t be her fault.

Unexpectedly, Liu Xing didn’t fall for it. He turned to Gouzi at the shoe store’s entrance. “Why are you standing there? Since Xiao Li insists on paying, register it for her. Her cooperative uses a lot of power. Let’s charge a hundred yuan a month, collect it for three months upfront. If it’s not enough, we’ll ask her to make up the difference.”

“Got it!” Gouzi hurried over with the ledger, a teasing smile on his face. Electricity was five cents per kilowatt-hour; collecting a hundred yuan for a month meant their living would be easier.

“Why don’t you just rob her???” Xiao Li, spoiled by Xiao Daode, had never been humiliated like this before. Stomping her foot in anger, she grabbed the cigarettes and liquor and headed to the cooperative.

Liu Xing smiled calmly, without a trace of anger. After all, he was reborn. If he couldn’t handle a girl like Xiao Li, he wasn’t worthy of his second chance.

Surprisingly, after walking ten meters, Xiao Li suddenly turned back and placed three hundred yuan on the stool in front of Liu Xing. “Here’s the electricity bill payment. Keep it.”

No matter how angry, she knew that if she didn’t concede to Liu Xing, things would become a hundred times worse. For her own peace of mind, the electricity bill had to be paid—and a bit extra to avoid gossip.

“Thanks for cooperating.” Liu Xing accepted the money without hesitation.

Xiao Li gave him a resentful glance and left decisively this time.

Gouzi looked worriedly at the money on the stool. “Boss, we can’t keep this money! Electricity’s only five cents per unit. A thousand units cost fifty yuan. Three hundred yuan would cover the entire market’s usage for a year!”

“Why worry? Just record the amount clearly in the ledger,” Liu Xing handed the money to Gouzi. “Remember, the Xiao family is on the decline. We have no reason to fear them.”

He was confident because he knew that once Xiao Daode’s verdict came down, Xiao Li’s life would not be easy. Accepting this three hundred yuan was safe as long as he didn’t misuse it. If asked by higher-ups, he’d be praised for daring to take from the tiger.

Gouzi didn’t dare ask more and diligently recorded the payment.

Soon after, Zhao Liang appeared with Village Head Zhao, accompanied by several vendors. Seeing Gouzi registering temporary stall fees and greenhouse rents, they didn’t hesitate and lined up to pay.

They weren’t fools. If Liu Xing dared to collect fees now, it meant Xiao Daode’s backing had fallen.

Village Head Zhao was stunned and pulled Liu Xing under a pomelo tree. “What did you do to make everyone pay so obediently?”

“Nothing much, just had Gouzi post a notice,” Liu Xing teased. “You don’t need to ask so much now. Just take over the greenhouse rent collection. It’s your responsibility.”

“If I collect this money, will there be trouble later?” Village Head Zhao asked anxiously.

“Absolutely not. Don’t worry,” Liu Xing assured.

“Good.” Village Head Zhao saw more vendors arriving at the shoe store entrance and quickly rolled up his sleeves to assist Gouzi.

Zhao Gou and Zhao Liang maintained order nearby.

Liu Xing wasn’t idle either, sitting by to help collect money. He also took the rare opportunity to redraw the market’s layout map, marking vendors who paid in detail.

The afternoon passed.

Village Head Zhao collected a hefty seventeen hundred and sixty yuan in greenhouse rent—something unimaginable before.

Liu Xing collected two thousand one hundred yuan in temporary stall fees and electricity bills. Some vendors hadn’t paid yet; if they all did, the total would surpass three thousand.

As nearly five o’clock approached and no more vendors appeared, Liu Xing told Gouzi, “Go to the cooperative and call Yang Zhi over. Deposit all the money we collected. It’s unsafe to keep so much on hand.”

“Got it!” Gouzi took the ledger and headed to the rural cooperative.

Village Head Zhao watched Gouzi leave. “Star Kid, should I deposit the rent I collected too and only withdraw when needed?”

“That’s up to you!” Liu Xing smiled. “If I get involved, and word spreads, I’d be blamed for sure.”

“Enough nonsense. If anyone dares to criticize you, I’ll be the first to stand up for you,” Village Head Zhao laughed. “I know you’ve got big plans ahead. Give me a hint so I can share in the glory!”

“Nothing escapes you!” Liu Xing took a sip of tea. “For now, the market needs a thorough cleanup: road repairs, temporary stall zoning, and meter installations—all must be done immediately.”

“Yes, it must be done!” Village Head Zhao nodded in agreement.

Though the market’s roads were cement, heavy traffic and poor quality had caused many potholes and cracks. Without repair, foot traffic would dwindle.

Temporary stall zoning had been verbally agreed upon before but was never enforced. Under Xiao Daode’s leadership, many fixed vendors encroached on temporary stalls, especially on market days. Without reform, outside vendors would stop coming; no stalls meant no sales, no profit, no customers.

“But you don’t have to get involved, just make sure the greenhouse rent is collected properly,” Liu Xing reminded, seeing Village Head Zhao’s support.

“I don’t intend to interfere, just wondering if the road repairs can be done by Old House Village residents,” Village Head Zhao asked sheepishly.

“Of course. Watering your own fields is best!” Liu Xing saw Yang Zhi summoned by Gouzi on the street and rose to greet him. “But this work might not start for half a month.”

“Why?” Zhao asked.

“Because of rice transplanting!” Liu Xing reminded.

“Oh, right!” Zhao slapped his forehead.

It was transplanting season; workers wouldn’t be available for road repairs.

“But I think you shouldn’t deposit that thousand yuan yet,” Liu Xing suddenly said. “Look at the greenhouses around the market—so uneven and ugly, some even dilapidated. If I were you, I’d use that money to unify and rebuild a batch of greenhouses.”

Once new greenhouses were built and rent collected, revenue would flow continuously. This is borrowing chickens to lay eggs. Managed well, Old House Village would become the richest village in Zhangmu Township in a few years.

“But a thousand yuan isn’t enough,” Village Head Zhao scratched his head.

“Don’t you have money now?” Liu Xing teased. Seeing Yang Zhi waving from the roadside, he waved back and stopped talking.

Zhao grew anxious. “Star Kid, please don’t say a word, okay?”

If he had money, he’d at least be able to afford meat!

“Haha… don’t worry. If you trust me, I’ll help you finalize the plan for unified greenhouse construction soon. As for money, you don’t have to worry.” After speaking, Liu Xing joined Yang Zhi. After a brief chat, they headed to the shoe store entrance.

Village Head Zhao followed, wanting to ask questions but unsure how. Liu Xing’s confidence reassured him deeply.

At the wooden table, Liu Xing pulled a small stool for Yang Zhi. “Gouzi told you why I called you, right?”

“Yeah, about depositing money.” Yang Zhi smiled, eyes nearly closed with joy.

In the market, such big clients were rare in a whole year.

“Yes, depositing money. But there’s something I must tell you.” Liu Xing poured tea. “Earlier, Wang, the director from JS Bank in the city, came looking for me, asking me to deposit my earnings there. I thought you treated me well, so I politely refused. But honestly, it felt uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable because Wang offered better interest?” Yang Zhi panicked when he realized.

“Don’t worry. I’ll apply to my superiors to raise your deposit interest rate so it won’t be lower than JS Bank’s.”

“You’re quite the strategist,” Liu Xing laughed.

Yang Zhi laughed and sighed with relief.

Meanwhile, Gouzi, Zhao Gou, Zhao Village Head, and Zhao Liang were confused. They had been with Liu Xing and never saw Wang from JS Bank. They dared only wonder silently, not speak.

Liu Xing noticed and smiled. “Brother Yang, truth be told, there’s a big market overhaul planned: road repairs and unified greenhouse construction. But… one thing is missing.”

“What?” Yang Zhi asked, puzzled. “Can I help?”

“Money.” Liu Xing teased when Yang Zhi took the bait.

“Uh…” Yang Zhi hesitated, then asked tentatively, “How much? If I can help, I won’t hold back.”

“You misunderstood.” Liu Xing waved Zhao Gou, Zhao Liang, and Gouzi away, then continued. “This time, you’re not helping me—I’m helping you.”

“Huh?” Yang Zhi was stunned.

He couldn’t grasp Liu Xing’s logic.

“Don’t doubt it. Higher-ups want me to borrow money from the bank for the new greenhouses and road repairs. That’s why the JS Bank director came, but I declined and handed the opportunity to you.” Liu Xing sipped tea. “If you agree, we can talk. My shoe store’s earnings and future stall fees can be deposited into the rural cooperative. Otherwise…” He left the rest unsaid, confident the smart would understand.

Yang Zhi wasn’t clever but not stupid either; he caught Liu Xing’s meaning instantly.

After hesitation, he asked, “How much more money does the market need for the greenhouses?”

“Not a penny,” Liu Xing smiled. “At least for now.”

“Then why borrow money?” Yang Zhi was confused.

“Don’t you get it?” Liu Xing feigned annoyance, rolling his eyes. “I said we don’t lack money—it’s mine. I can’t use my own money for market construction advance. Borrowing from you changes it; I can shift some risk and silence gossipers. You don’t understand?”

“But what’s in it for me if I take the risk?” Yang Zhi asked.

“Interest!” Liu Xing shot back. “Besides, my shoe store brings in tens of thousands a month. Why worry?”

“It’s a win-win. I don’t want to mix private and market funds. If things go well, great; if not, you know the consequences.” Liu Xing added thoughtfully.

“That’s true.” Yang Zhi admitted. Despite reform and opening up, the situation was still unstable. Mixing private and public funds was risky. Borrowing from the bank kept things clear. If authorities investigated, nothing would be wrong.

This cleared Yang Zhi’s doubts and made him happy. “How much do you plan to borrow? Be honest; I can’t approve too much.”

“One or two ten-thousand-yuan loans, maybe. We’re still planning, so no exact figure yet,” Liu Xing answered.

“One or two ten-thousand is easy. I have the authority,” Yang Zhi sighed.

Liu Xing’s shoe store was valued over ten thousand yuan, plus his market leader position—borrowing a few ten-thousands was simple.

He doubted if Yang Zhi refused, higher-ups wouldn’t agree either.

“Let’s settle this then. After a few days, Village Head Zhao will talk to you about the loan.” Liu Xing pushed several thousand yuan on the table.

“No, I want to deal with you directly,” Yang Zhi insisted.

“Alright, alright. Count my deposit and get lost.” Liu Xing joked.

Yang Zhi laughed, not offended. “Should the money be deposited into your account or a separate one?”

“Separate. Some petty people are watching me closely.” Liu Xing thought a moment.

“You’ll have to come to the cooperative to open that account. I can’t do it otherwise.” Yang Zhi reminded.

“Let’s go now.” Liu Xing stood and headed for the rural cooperative.

Yang Zhi quickly collected the money and followed.

“Wait, I want to open an account and deposit too.” Village Head Zhao hurried after them.

He realized Liu Xing was a cunning old fox, who even manipulated a bank clerk like Yang Zhi. But on reflection, it wasn’t just cleverness. Not everyone could borrow tens of thousands in a few words. Liu Xing’s power and position made it possible.

As village head of Old House Village, Zhao was grateful and moved. Everything Liu Xing did was for him and the entire village.

“Such a kid. Too bad he didn’t finish high school. Zhangmu Township would be blessed!” Zhao sighed, then hurried to catch up.

He wanted to ask about greenhouse details but suddenly his face fell. He remembered Old House Village still owed debts. If they didn’t repay soon, trouble would come when construction started. But if they repaid, where would funds for daily expenses come from? Surely not all from the cooperative.

This gave Zhao a headache, but he dared not reveal it to Liu Xing. It was an embarrassing village secret. If word spread, the village’s reputation would be ruined. Yet, if he kept silent...

Torn, Zhao didn’t know what to do.

...

Chapter Two: Seven Thousand Words Delivered.

In light of the author’s hard work updating, how about some monthly tickets?