Chapter Fifty-Five: About to Strike It Rich

When Shazhu worked as a cook at the Hongxing Steel Factory, his life was ordinary, neither good nor bad. While he enjoyed the carefree existence of a so-called golden bachelor—no, a single man—his circumstances were quite unremarkable when compared to Liu Siyuan, the belle of the Department Store. Her agreement to meet with Shazhu for a blind date had been solely out of consideration for her close friend.

But everything changed after Shazhu was coaxed into the library by Chen Liang. He suddenly emerged as a rising star, his culinary skills drawing widespread attention. During the New Year, he was constantly in and out of the homes of the leaders, his social status soaring. The golden bachelor had evolved into a diamond eligible bachelor, and now it was Liu Siyuan who was anxious.

It proved how vital one's choices are. Liu Siyuan, for all her subtle hints to the elder sister about wanting to meet Shazhu, had made the latter chuckle. She had played the aloof swan, but now she was the one in a hurry—serves her right! Regardless of how close their friendships may be, when competition arises, women will never hold back.

Tomorrow was Sunday, the day of the appointment. Whether Shazhu would end his single life depended entirely on his performance.

After waking up, Shazhu first brought a bowl of noodles to the old deaf lady, then hurried to the sink to tend to his personal hygiene.

Chen Liang woke up, and the slight stir he made roused little Yubao from her sleep. Yubao lazily opened her misty eyes and saw Chen Liang dressing. She gave him a radiant smile as bright as summer flowers, pouted her lips, and stretched out her arms. “Honey!”

Her voice was sweet and tingling. Seeing her enchanting face, Chen Liang could not resist moving closer. After a passionate French kiss, he bent low and left the room.

Damn it, life had become impossible. Yubao’s fighting power had exploded—last night, she and Chen Liang had battled to a draw, and she nearly won! What a disgrace!

But, brother, hold out a little longer. Once his secret little burgers—no, his secret medicinal wine—were ready, he would surely subdue this little demon!

When the deeply aggrieved Chen Liang, hunched over and carrying his toiletries, arrived at the sink, he saw Shazhu washing his hair with soap. Chen Liang greeted him and looked Shazhu over in surprise.

“Shazhu, are you going on a blind date? You’ve cleaned up so nicely!”

He was teasing, but Shazhu simply added hot water to his basin, cleaned the lather from his head in a few swift moves, and grinned with satisfaction.

“Isn’t it obvious? Why else would I wash my hair with soap so early if not for a blind date?”

After finishing, Shazhu preened in the mirror and styled his hair into a center part.

“Well then, I wish you success and hope you soon find your match!” Chen Liang, feeling awkward, congratulated him half-heartedly.

Hearing Chen Liang’s words, Shazhu leaned in secretively. “Liangzi, do you know anyone at your sister-in-law’s workplace named Liu Siyuan?”

Chen Liang, brushing his teeth, quickly spat out the foam and rinsed his mouth. “You’re meeting that woman?”

Damn, what a piece of work! That woman was no angel. If only Chen Liang had arrived earlier, he would have made sure to settle things between himself and that troublesome girl. When Chen Er Lengzi met her, she had not stopped flirting with him!

To Chen Liang, Liu Siyuan was seriously messed up, and not just a little.

“Liangzi, I don’t like the way you talk. What do you mean by ‘that woman’? She might be your sister-in-law tomorrow! Mind your words!” Shazhu protested.

Hell, well, if Shazhu was so eager to fall into the trap, Chen Liang would help him along.

“Shazhu, I do know Liu Siyuan. If you want to marry her, just act a bit more assertively when you meet. I guarantee you’ll win her over!”

“You’re not joking, are you? This is not something to take lightly!” Shazhu was skeptical.

“Believe it or not, I’ve already told you how. Just try it for yourself!” Chen Liang washed his face vigorously with cold water and gathered his things to head home.

Shazhu, half believing and half doubting, decided he might as well try it when they met.

After breakfast, as Chen Liang was preparing to ride his bike and take Yubao to work, Cao Da Wu came looking for him.

“Brother Liang, Sister-in-law, off to work?” Chen Liang rolled his eyes in exasperation. What a pointless question—it was like taking off your pants to fart.

He patted Yubao’s ponytail. “Wife, you go to work by yourself today. I’ll come find you for lunch, okay?”

After sending Yubao off, Chen Liang took a pack of Red Tower Mountain cigarettes from his small satchel and tossed it to Cao Da Wu. “So, is everything settled?”

Cao Da Wu’s face was full of excitement. “Yes, Brother Liang! We discussed it a few days ago, but you weren’t home, so I scheduled the deal for three days later, meaning tonight!”

“You didn’t blow your cover, did you?” Chen Liang was still a bit uneasy.

“Absolutely not, Brother Liang. I followed your instructions, and at night with the lights out, I wore a mask—no way they’d recognize me!” Cao Da Wu patted his chest in assurance.

“But, Brother Liang, money moves people’s hearts. Should we bring more brothers along to prevent them from double-crossing us?” Cao Da Wu was a bit nervous—the amount was too large to risk.

“No need. Once it’s split up, a single deal isn’t enough to drive them to desperation. Still, you’re right, we can’t be careless. We must guard against others, not just ourselves.”

Chen Liang pondered a moment. “All right, tonight I’ll bring a Type 56 rifle and show them a bullet for effect. I refuse to believe they’d dare mess around after that!”

“Fine, Brother Liang, as long as you’re prepared. But, Brother Liang, do you really have so much inventory? I’ve got orders from all ten pigeon markets in the capital!”

Backed by the supermarket, Chen Liang’s confidence was unmatched. “Don’t worry. The only limit is how much they can buy. My supply will never run out!”

Chen Liang’s plan for getting rich was simple: flood the city with grain sales. He had Cao Da Wu contact the biggest grain sellers in every pigeon market. His prices were two cents lower per pound than the outside rate, so all the sellers were very interested. Don’t underestimate a mere two cents per pound—once the quantity ramps up, the profits become astounding.