Chapter Ninety-Seven: Money Can Even Make Spirits Turn the Millstone

An Yi and Xu Fei were connected from that point on.

Xu Fei carried the hot water back, and it seemed that ever since An Yi heard he intended to buy a hundred televisions, her attitude toward him had changed.

She had even fetched a packet of tea from behind the counter and given it to him.

That seemed like special treatment.

Xu Fei returned to the room.

“Did you go out to buy tea?” Zhang Mingyang asked in surprise.

“This tea was a gift from the proprietress.”

“Really?”

Zhang Mingyang stood up, took the cup from his hand, twisted off the lid, and took a sip.

“Mm, not bad. Good tea.”

He smiled at Xu Fei.

“You brat, you aren’t interested in the proprietress, are you?”

“My Third Brother, what are you talking about?”

Xu Fei laughed in exasperation and shook his head.

“If that’s not it, then why would she give you tea leaves? And such a big packet, too.”

Xu Fei turned and shut the door.

“Third Brother, I just chatted with her about our wholesale purchase. A hundred sets. I gave her five yuan per unit as a little incentive, and only then did she treat me this well.”

“What!”

Hearing about the five-yuan incentive, Zhang Mingyang’s expression darkened at once.

“I say, why didn’t you discuss that with me first?”

His face grew somewhat unpleasant. He lifted the cup, looked at it, then shot Xu Fei a sidelong glance.

“Five hundred yuan worth of tea? Ha-ha-ha, you’re really generous, aren’t you?”

Seeing his reaction, Xu Fei found it hard to say more.

After all, Zhang Mingyang had invested in this deal as well.

“Fine, Third Brother. I already promised her. If you want, count the money against me.”

But Zhang Mingyang glared at him.

“Fourth, what do you mean by that? I just think giving her such a large incentive is a bit too much. I know you’re eager to get back, but...”

He stopped halfway through and held it back, waving a hand.

“Do as you please. Who told me before that you’re the one calling the shots in our business?”

Seeing that Zhang Mingyang still felt unwilling, Xu Fei thought for a moment.

“Third Brother, I know I was wrong not to discuss this with you, but look at those rooms outside. I just took a look, and they’re all occupied. Do you really think a tiny inn like this could possibly have so many guests?”

Zhang Mingyang frowned slightly. “What, they’re all occupied?”

“Yes. More than a dozen rooms, all with people in them. What does that tell you?”

Xu Fei looked at Zhang Mingyang, who was shaking his head.

“It means someone is controlling the flow of televisions out of the factory.”

“You mean they’re deliberately controlling it just to make money on the side?”

“Exactly.”

Xu Fei nodded.

“Damn it.”

Zhang Mingyang cursed in frustration.

“Why are there people like that everywhere? Back then, why didn’t I notice that people had become so profit-driven?”

Xu Fei was unconcerned.

In his view, this was perfectly normal.

After all, he had come from the twenty-first century.

There was almost nothing money could not solve.

As for Zhang Mingyang, having been educated in that era, he was not necessarily a saint, but when it came to these underhanded tricks, he still found them hard to accept.

“Third Brother, you need to learn to accept these things. This is reality. Besides, as long as she helps us buy the televisions and saves us time, why shouldn’t we take advantage of it?”

Zhang Mingyang still shook his head.

“This is a corrupt practice!”

Xu Fei froze.

To hear such words come out of Zhang Mingyang’s mouth was truly beyond his expectations.

“I don’t really understand all this either. Anyway, you’re right. As long as we can get the televisions, that’s all that matters.”

As he spoke, Zhang Mingyang sat back down in his chair.

“Right, are you hungry?”

He looked at Xu Fei and asked.

Xu Fei saw him rubbing his stomach and smiled.

“Third Brother, don’t rush. I’ve already asked him to set up a meeting with that deputy factory manager. We’ll go meet him later.”

“What for?”

“My Third Brother, do you want to pay five yuan a unit again next time?”

Zhang Mingyang didn’t understand.

He looked at Xu Fei blankly.

“What do you mean?”

Xu Fei smiled.

“These hundred units of ours will likely sell out very quickly. In that case, we may need a large quantity of televisions. So... I want to talk to them about a partnership.”

“What? A partnership?”

Xu Fei nodded with a smile.

“The five yuan was just bait.”

“You mean you want them to take a stake?”

“That’s right.”

“Fourth, what kind of move is this? I... I don’t get it.”

“Third Brother, have you thought about this: if we let them take a stake, not only will we gain the fastest supply channel, we may also get a cheaper purchase price. And I think, as long as he agrees to take a stake, by then we might even be able to haul the televisions away without paying upfront.”

“You mean, taking something for nothing?”

Xu Fei was amused by that and laughed.

“Third Brother, that’s not entirely wrong either, ha-ha-ha...”

“High-level stuff!”

Zhang Mingyang raised his thumb in admiration.

“Fourth, you really are a genius when it comes to business. These are things I probably wouldn’t even dare to imagine in my whole life.”

Xu Fei shook his head.

“It’s nothing, really. It’s just a win-win.”

“Huh? A win-win?”

Zhang Mingyang seemed not to grasp the meaning of those words immediately.

Still, he looked at Xu Fei.

His eyes were full of admiration.

Knock, knock...

Just then, someone knocked at the door.

Xu Fei went to open it and found Xiaolan standing outside.

“Big Brother, the room is ready. Would you like to take a look?”

Xu Fei knew the room was where they were to meet that deputy factory manager, so he nodded.

“Let the proprietress decide. I have no objections.”

Xiaolan nodded.

“My aunt said to have you go to the room and wait for her at four-thirty.”

“Understood.”

Xu Fei smiled and told Xiaolan to come call them when the time came.

Then he took a yuan from his pocket.

“Take this and buy yourself something tasty.”

It was the first time Xiaolan had ever seen someone give her money.

“Oh, no, I can’t take this.”

But Xu Fei stuffed the bill into her hand at once.

“Take it. Don’t be polite with me.”

Xiaolan was truly moved.

She bowed to Xu Fei again and again.

“Thank you. Thank you, Big Brother.”

“All right. We’ll be troubling you to call us later.”

“Don’t worry.”

Watching Xiaolan leave with a smile, Zhang Mingyang nodded.

“Money really is a good thing.”

Xu Fei laughed.

“There’s a saying: money can make the devil turn the millstones. But actually, Third Brother, there’s another one: money can make the millstones turn the devil.”

“Ah?”

Zhang Mingyang was startled by that.

“The millstones turn the devil?”

He thought it over, and had to admit that Xu Fei’s words did make sense.

Very soon, four-thirty arrived.

Sure enough, Xiaolan knocked on their door right on time.

“Let’s go, Big Brother.”

Xu Fei and Zhang Mingyang followed her to the backyard.

Behind the Spring Welcoming Inn there was another row of houses.

“Those are all your proprietress’s?” Xu Fei asked in astonishment.

Xiaolan nodded.

“These houses all belong to my aunt.”

“How does she have such a huge property?” Zhang Mingyang asked in bewilderment.

“What’s so strange about that? Back in the day, they said half the street in front of the Nanjing Television Factory belonged to my aunt’s family.”

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