Chapter 32: The Buyer

Over the next few days, the small convenience store did a brisk business, and no one came to cause trouble. Li Yan quit her job at the clothing store to manage the shop full-time. She complained that Cao Yang opened too late and closed too early, so she proposed that the two of them take shifts to keep it open 24 hours a day. Cao Yang had no interest in pulling all-nighters with her; his attitude was that if she wanted to mind the shop, he would just hang around, and whenever she went to sleep, he would lock up.

Li Yan was busy slicing watermelon with a large kitchen knife. They only sold basic snacks, instant noodles, and soda, but seeing others selling chilled watermelon, she decided to join in. A whole watermelon cost three yuan, and by slicing it into small pieces, she could sell it for eight. She was the type to covet even a five-yuan profit, eager to squeeze every penny out of the world.

Cao Yang ate a slice; Li Yan shot him a look.
Cao Yang ate a second slice; Li Yan glared at him.
As he reached for a third, she swung the knife!
"Eat, eat, eat! All you know is how to eat! You’ll have eaten the whole stock before we’ve even started selling!"
"You miser! I’ll pay for it, won't I?"
"Oh, look at you, acting all high and mighty just because you have a little money now!" she sneered sarcastically.

Cao Yang chuckled. "It's not just my speech that's 'mighty' these days; certain other parts are feeling pretty mighty, too. Dare to test it out?"
Li Yan rolled her eyes at him. She was actually starting to be a bit afraid of Cao Yang. The kid had grown increasingly bold lately, not only touching her all over but even starting to get physical with his lips. If this continued, she would surely be taken by him sooner or later. It wasn't that she didn't want him to; she even found herself looking forward to it, sometimes dreaming about it at night. But they were neighbors who had grown up together, and that created a lingering sense of awkwardness in her heart.

In the midst of their bickering, Cao Yang’s phone rang. A Sichuan area code—he knew without checking it was Leidian.
"Hello."
"It's Leidian."
"I know it's you, kid. How are things back home?"
"Same as usual."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, they got to the point.
"I asked my sister to help me find a buyer for those electronic chips."
"That’s great! Just tell her to come by and pick them up," Cao Yang said casually, still munching on his watermelon.
Leidian replied, "I'll have her come over in a bit to grab a few samples to show the buyer and negotiate the price."
"Sure."
"I want you to go with her. She’s just a girl, and it’s not very convenient for her to go alone."
"Don't worry, I promised you half once we sell them, and I keep my word."
Cao Yang laughed. "What kind of talk is that? We’re brothers; your sister is my sister. You think I’d let her go take risks alone?"

As images of Leidian’s sister, Leiyu’s, pretty face floated through his mind, Cao Yang couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

An hour later, Leiyu arrived at the shop. She frowned slightly at the crowd of people gathered around the slot machine.
"Sister, over here!" Cao Yang waved with a smile.
Li Yan, standing to the side, felt a surge of annoyance. Cao Yang only ever called her "Sister Yan," yet he addressed this woman as "Sister" so directly.
"Who is she?" Li Yan pointed at Leiyu, her tone sharp.
"A friend," Cao Yang said while changing his clothes, preparing to head out with Leiyu.
"Where did you even find a friend like her? Stop messing around with these kinds of loose women," Li Yan said, grabbing his arm to stop him.
"Who are you calling loose?!" Leiyu glared at Li Yan, her expression cold. She had sensed hostility from this woman the moment they met, and her tone was incredibly rude.
"I said it, so what?"
"You..."
"Alright, alright, both of you, stop fighting." Cao Yang played the peacemaker, whispering into Li Yan's ear, "She’s Leidian’s sister. I’m going out with her to sell the chips. I get half the profit, and I’ll share some with you later."
"Hmph," Li Yan scoffed. "The brother steals, the sister sells, and you call yourselves decent people."
"You foul-mouthed bitch, say that again!" Leiyu suddenly snapped. Cao Yang was stunned; he had taken her for a quiet, gentle girl, never expecting her to curse.
"You’re the foul-mouthed bitch! Have some shame! Trying to seduce my brother! Don't you have a brother of your own to worry about?"
Seeing them on the verge of a physical fight, Cao Yang scrambled to block them. "I’m begging you both, let’s just get down to business." He truly couldn't fathom why two people who had never met were ready to claw each other's eyes out.
"Give me the goods!" Leiyu demanded.
Cao Yang pulled ten chips from his bag and handed them over. She took them and walked out immediately, and Cao Yang hurried to catch up.
"Cao Yang, you come back here!" Li Yan stomped her foot in frustration.
Cao Yang pleaded with her with a bow, begging her to stop making a scene.

The two reached the village entrance to wait for a taxi. The atmosphere was a bit awkward, so Cao Yang tried to strike up a conversation.
"Sister, do you know much about these chips? How much do you think they’ll go for?"
"I don't know," Leiyu shook her head. "I just asked my boss, and he said to take a few to show the client. If they’re what the client is looking for, they’re worth a lot." She paused, then added, "And I’m not your sister. Stop calling me that."
"Leidian and I are like brothers. If you're his sister, you’re naturally my sister, too."

They arrived at a tea restaurant in the city to meet the buyer. Before long, two figures appeared at the entrance. A tall, thin man in glasses smiled at Leiyu—it was her boss, the middleman. The buyer was a balding man in his forties.
They sat down across from each other.
"Xiaoyu, Mr. Qi is here. Show him what you mentioned."
Leiyu placed a chip on the table. The fat man picked it up, examined it closely, and his expression turned serious. He pulled out a piece of professional equipment, fiddled with it for a moment, then set it down with a smile.
"How many more of these chips do you have?"
He spoke with a thick, authentic Hong Kong accent; he was either a local from there or a Hong Kong native.
"How many can you buy? What’s the price?"
"The more of these, the more they’re worth. If you only have a few, there’s no point in buying. If you have over a thousand, I can give you a hundred a piece."
Leiyu and Cao Yang exchanged glances. They knew they had six thousand chips. At a hundred each, that was six hundred thousand—a massive fortune for them. But they weren't fools; if the man offered a hundred right out of the gate, the chips were clearly worth much more.
"Can you add a bit more to the price? We have this many," Cao Yang said, holding up a hand to indicate six.
"Six thousand?"
Cao Yang nodded.
The fat man chuckled. "Six thousand is okay, but the price is still a hundred each."
"We'll need to think about it," Leiyu said, intending to hold out for a better deal.
Mr. Qi was an old hand at this game; he knew exactly what the two youngsters were thinking.
"Brother, sister, no need to think about it. You’re outsiders; you don't know the ropes. You can only sell these to me; nobody else will take them."
The two looked at him, confused.
"This batch of goods you have is 'dirty,' right? I’m taking a risk by buying them, so it’s only fair that I make a profit." Mr. Qi pointed out the illicit origin of the goods—after all, how else would such valuable chips end up in the hands of two clueless kids?
"Don't go thinking you can wait for a better price, either. Electronic equipment updates fast. Once the technology makes even a tiny breakthrough, this whole batch of yours will be nothing but scrap."