Without a ripple of disturbance, having driven back several empty trucks over multiple trips, Michael once again completed the crossing between worlds. There was no sense of thrill or danger whatsoever this time.
Upon his return, the modern world was once again in broad daylight, around nine in the morning. Inside the now-vast, cavernous warehouse he had leased, spanning over two thousand square meters, Michael saw not a soul. Clearly, Xiao Dao and his former associates were adhering very well to his strict requirement of never coming to the warehouse without his explicit instruction.
Of course, Michael knew deep down that if things continued this way, coincidence would eventually expose his secret. Should he, therefore, start controlling his crossing times from now on, making a point to return during the night? Given the one-to-seven time flow ratio between the two worlds, with a bit of attention and record-keeping, he could roughly calculate the corresponding modern-world time while in the wasteland. The difficulty of doing so wasn't great, and the benefits were somewhat obvious. By hiring a warehouse manager, the supplies procured by Zhang Kai and the others in his absence could be stored in advance, eliminating the need for frantic bulk purchases every time he returned. The only caveat was that the warehouse manager must work only day shifts—absolutely no night shifts or overtime...
Not lingering in the warehouse, and preoccupied with the matter of selling the diamond jewelry, Michael hastily drove his daily-use small truck toward his company located on the Third Ring Road.
Once inside, he immediately summoned the big-wave-haired accountant, Zhang Mi, to his office. As the woman, whose hips swayed noticeably as she walked, entered the room, Michael couldn't help but ask, "Ms. Zhang, how's the progress with the jewelry channel?"
Due to various unforeseen events, Michael had stayed in the wasteland for quite a while this time—nearly nine days. But in the modern world, in the eyes of employees like Zhang Mi, their mysterious boss had simply disappeared for one day. Therefore, Michael didn't have much confidence that Zhang Mi had managed to secure a sales channel in Guangzhou in such a short time. The problem was, he was desperately short of money right now. He was just tentatively asking. If it truly wasn't possible, he would have to resort to Dong Ge's local contacts to try and sell a few pieces first. That approach would undoubtedly mean taking a significant loss, but he urgently needed the funds.
Unexpectedly, his casual inquiry yielded a tremendous surprise. "Boss, it's all taken care of. They drove over from Guangzhou early this morning. I just contacted them, and they're almost in the city center," Zhang Mi said, her face alight with excitement. Although Michael could see pronounced dark circles under her heavily applied foundation, he knew this big-wave-haired accountant had been working hard, undoubtedly eager for that 3% commission.
An hour later, in the private room of a teahouse in the city center, Michael and Zhang Mi met the party from Guangzhou. They were led by an elderly man dressed in a Tang suit, who appeared very respectable. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the old man, Michael directly pulled out his bag of jewelry. This straightforward approach made the initially aloof-looking old man regard Michael with slightly more respect. A person's confidence is often closely tied to their capabilities. Michael, confident that he could easily take down the four capable-looking bodyguards accompanying the man if a fight broke out, wasn't worried at all about presenting the goods for inspection upfront.
Subsequently, the old man had a bespectacled middle-aged man, who looked every bit the expert, begin examining Michael's bag of diamond jewelry. The inspection took a full hour. While waiting for the results, neither side seemed inclined to talk much. Zhang Mi tried her best to liven the atmosphere during this time, but her efforts were utterly ineffective.
It wasn't until the bespectacled man nodded to the lead old man, confirming the items were genuine, that the old man's face broke into a sincere smile. He addressed Michael apologetically, "Young Brother Hu, you are remarkably capable for your years. My name is Liu Sihai; many in Guangzhou call me Fourth Master. My earlier demeanor was poor mainly because I thought this matter might not be entirely reliable. I didn't expect Young Brother Hu to truly possess such fine items."
Hearing this, Michael calmly expressed his understanding. Indeed, it was understandable. The idea that a local tycoon from a small place like Yangcheng had top-tier jewelry worth over ten million US dollars to sell did seem rather dubious.
After some now more amicable small talk, things finally got down to business. The old man who called himself Fourth Master lit a cigar as thick as a carrot. While smoking and fiddling with the now-authenticated jewelry, he blew out a smoke ring and said, "Young Brother Hu, let me speak plainly. According to my research, this set of jewelry is a fine piece meticulously crafted by Cartier two years ago. Reportedly purchased by a popular actress, its value is thirteen million two hundred thousand US dollars. But as you know, the selling channel greatly affects the price. To make a friend of a capable man like you, I'm willing to offer twelve million—but only in RMB. Just say the word, yes or no."
Michael, who would normally haggle fiercely even when buying a set of clothes, uncharacteristically didn't bargain this time. He instinctively felt this price was the other party's bottom line. Haggling might not only kill the deal but also make him appear desperate. After a brief hesitation, Michael nodded in agreement. Selling something worth over ten million US dollars for twelve million RMB was undeniably a loss. But who could blame him? He urgently needed the money now. As he motioned for Zhang Mi to proceed with the bank transfer, he comforted himself inwardly: It doesn't matter. They were just picked up incidentally. Once I have more people under me, clearing out a single city will yield as much of this 'junk' as I want.
After the transfer was completed, Fourth Master and his party declined Michael's invitation for lunch. Their two cars headed straight back to Guangzhou. Once on the highway, the middle-aged bespectacled man, who had remained silent throughout, asked puzzledly, "Fourth Master, that kid seemed anxious to sell. We could have probably pressured the price down to under ten million."
Hearing this, Fourth Master smiled and pointed a finger vaguely at the man. "One must learn to take a long-term view," he said. "That young man seems to have some skill and methods. Offering a fair price is an investment in goodwill for the future." The bespectacled man nodded, saying nothing more...
Watching them leave, Michael, accompanied by his now brand-name-clad accountant, boarded his second-hand small truck in the parking lot. It was only when the accountant in her ten-centimeter heels struggled into the passenger seat, settling onto the worn cushion with its several small holes, that he realized a problem. To outsiders, he was the boss of a trading company, handling massive daily procurement, with over a dozen employees—clearly running a substantial business. Yet, the vehicle he drove year-round was a second-hand small truck. This stark inconsistency was now glaringly obvious.
Thinking this, Michael made a decision almost without difficulty: he needed to buy himself a decent car, and soon. The question then arose: what kind of second-hand car should he buy? This thought had barely formed in his mind when he gave himself a sharp slap on the face, inwardly cursing, Have some ambition, will you? You're a man worth millions now. It won't kill you to buy a new car.
This sudden action clearly startled the accountant in the passenger seat. Seeing her look shy and timid , Michael blurted out a flimsy excuse, forcing a nonchalant tone: "There was a huge mosquito just now."