Chapter One Hundred: Sated with Food and Drink
Nanjing Television Factory.
In front of the warehouse.
Xu Fei and Zhang Mingyang arrived with their permits in hand.
They glanced around and saw five or six other outsiders, all like them, waiting outside the warehouse.
“No idea what’s going on today.”
“Didn’t you go ask that woman?”
“Her? Hmph. I’ve asked her several times, and she won’t even give me the time of day.”
The speaker was a tall man who looked a bit slow-witted.
“Then what are you doing here?”
“Trying my luck.”
“Come on, brother, isn’t that a wasted trip?”
“How so?”
“Look for yourself. Without this, you’re not getting any goods.”
A man with a drooping mustache pulled a permit from his pocket and showed it to the tall man.
“What’s that?”
“The approval slip. Without it, they’re not handing over a thing.”
At that moment, Xu Fei stepped forward.
Just then, the warehouse door opened.
A woman in her thirties came out from inside and swept her gaze over the crowd.
“Which one of you is Xu Fei?”
Xu Fei stepped up.
“That’s me.”
The woman studied him for a moment.
“Permit?”
Xu Fei took it from his pocket and handed it over.
“Mm. Come with me.”
“Hold on!”
The tall man was displeased and stepped forward to block her path.
“We’ve been waiting here all morning, and he just walks right in?”
The woman shot him a glare.
“And who are you?”
“I-I’m here to pick up goods.”
“Don’t know the rules?”
“The rules?”
“No approval from leadership, no goods. Understand?”
With obvious impatience, the woman waved him off.
“Go get your approval from the boss. If you don’t know the rules, what are you causing trouble here for?”
The tall man muttered under his breath.
At that point, the man with the drooping mustache stepped up.
“Sister, I’ve got an approval slip too. Look, I’ve been here since early this morning, right?”
The woman glanced at the permit in his hand.
“Let me see.”
He handed it over.
“Thirty units. Look at theirs. Only this few, and you still dare to cut in line? Wait your turn.”
With that, she tossed the permit back into his hand and turned to go back into the warehouse.
Xu Fei and Zhang Mingyang exchanged a look.
Under the envious eyes of the other buyers, the two of them followed her inside.
“Fourth Brother, you really are something,” Zhang Mingyang whispered after they entered.
Xu Fei only smiled.
The warehouse was nearly empty, with just a few television sets stacked in one corner.
Zhang Mingyang looked around.
“This isn’t enough, is it?”
Xu Fei was also a little puzzled.
But before they could ask, the woman had already gone to a side door in the southeast corner of the warehouse.
“What are you staring at?”
She beckoned them over.
Only then did Xu Fei realize there was more to this warehouse than met the eye.
When they reached the side door, the woman opened it, revealing a smaller storage room inside.
There were several hundred televisions packed tightly inside, filling the entire room.
“Have you arranged your truck yet?”
“Not yet.”
The woman looked at them.
“Want me to help you contact one?”
Xu Fei smiled. “That’d be great.”
“One hundred sets, right?”
Xu Fei nodded.
“You’re shipping by rail?”
Xu Fei thought for a moment. “We haven’t arranged a railcar yet. If we can get it to East Sea by truck, that works too, as long as the price is reasonable.”
“Don’t worry. The trucks I know all haul freight for our factory long-term.”
Xu Fei glanced at Zhang Mingyang.
“Fourth Brother, you decide.”
Zhang Mingyang nodded.
Seeing he had no objection, Xu Fei handed the approval slip to the woman.
“Then I’ll trouble you, big sister.”
“What’s there to be so polite about?”
At that moment, Xu Fei took out five yuan.
“Big sister, please take this.”
“What’s this for?”
“It’s only right.”
Though she was speaking modestly, her hand reached out and took the money.
“All right. Go back and wait for my news.”
Xu Fei nodded and left with Zhang Mingyang.
When they came out, the tall man was still standing by the door.
Seeing Xu Fei, he hurried over and grabbed his arm.
“Brother, you got a minute?”
“What is it?”
“Look, it’s almost mealtime. How about I treat the two of you to a drink at Spring Blossom Inn?”
Xu Fei smiled and looked at Zhang Mingyang.
“Third Brother, hungry?”
“I’ve been hungry for a while.”
Zhang Mingyang grinned and rubbed his belly.
“Then let’s go.”
Xu Fei nodded to him.
The tall man held on to one of them with each hand, as if afraid they might run off.
The three of them were just about to leave when the man with the drooping mustache came hurrying after them.
“Am I included too?”
The tall man shot him a glare.
“What are you here for? Don’t you already have your approval slip?”
The mustached man said with a flattering smile, “To be honest, my unit asked me to get fifty units, but they won’t give them to me at all.”
The tall man looked at Xu Fei.
“Brother, what do you say?”
Xu Fei smiled and nodded.
Seeing him agree, the mustached man hooked his arm through Xu Fei’s in one quick motion.
The tall man laughed.
“You rascal. About the meal money later, we’ll split it fifty-fifty, all right?”
The mustached man waved a hand.
“I’m fine with paying.”
The four of them left the television factory.
When they entered Spring Blossom Inn, Meng Anyi saw them come in and smiled, waving at Xu Fei.
“That was fast. What brings you here so soon?”
“Sister, prepare your finest private room.”
“Oh?”
Meng Anyi glanced at the tall man and the mustached fellow, a little baffled.
Xu Fei walked up to her.
“They insist on learning from me how to handle approval slips, so I brought them over. Sister, don’t be shy with them later.”
Meng Anyi was clever indeed. She immediately understood and smiled.
“Oh, you.”
“All right.”
“Xiao Lan.”
Xu Fei called directly toward the inner room.
“Coming.”
Xiao Lan ran out.
“Go make arrangements. Take these brothers to the best private room.”
As he spoke, Xu Fei gave her a subtle look.
“Got it.”
Xiao Lan greeted the guests and led the tall man and the others toward the back.
When they had gone, Xu Fei said to Meng Anyi, “Sister, I’ll be counting on you later.”
“Fine. I understand.”
This was her business to begin with.
Xu Fei was bringing her customers, so of course she was happy to sit back and take the benefit.
Seeing her nod, Xu Fei headed toward the back.
After he entered the room, the tall man quickly stood up and seated him at the place of honor.
“Brother, have you ordered the dishes?”
Xu Fei was not polite.
After all, he intended to use the tall man’s money to repay Meng Anyi’s favor.
So he spared no expense.
He ordered every signature dish Spring Blossom Inn had.
The tall man’s face grew darker and darker.
As for the mustached man, he looked downright pained.
“Look at you two,” Zhang Mingyang chided from the side.
“If you want to get things done, you can’t even bear to spend this much?”
Xu Fei said nothing.
He and Zhang Mingyang ate and drank to their hearts’ content, finishing in a thoroughly satisfied state.
By the end, the tall man and the mustached fellow truly could not hold it in any longer.
“Brother, what about the permit?”
Only then did Xu Fei call Xiao Lan over.
“Go bring the proprietress here.”
Xiao Lan soon brought Meng Anyi over.
In front of the tall man and the mustached man, Xu Fei and Meng Anyi put on a little performance together, naturally squeezing these two men dry in the process.
The two of them, in the end, obediently agreed to all the conditions.
Meng Anyi made a handsome profit.
It was a fair exchange for everyone involved.
After the banquet broke up, a Liberation truck was waiting at the front of Spring Blossom Inn.
“Which one of you is Xu Fei?”