With a series of 'gulp, gulp' sounds, Zhang Kai—known in the Yangcheng underworld as 'Little Knife'—drained an entire large bottle of ice-cold cola in one go. The tremendous noise he made reminded even himself of a desperately thirsty beast that had finally found a waterhole and was drinking frantically .
After finishing, he casually tossed the empty bottle far away, only then feeling somewhat relieved.
Truth be told, one couldn't blame the famously formidable Little Knife for his current state. Anyone tasked with what he'd done that afternoon would be in a similar plight. He had spent the entire afternoon running around non-stop, negotiating prices and procuring goods single-handedly for that dubious 'Cinder Town Trading Company,' doing the work of several men. In just a few short hours, his small team was overwhelmed by the sheer volume and variety of items on the procurement list. The poor man and his dozen subordinates were not only required to purchase all these goods but also to ensure they were of high quality yet low cost—a truly Herculean task.
The unscrupulous boss, Michael, needed over a hundred different items, large and small. Even with the team splitting up—all except one lucky guy left behind at the warehouse to receive goods—each person was responsible for seven or eight different procurement tasks, exhausting them completely. While Zhang Kai wasn't entirely sure how his subordinates were faring, his own experience was nothing short of a nightmare.
In those few hours, Zhang Kai had completed the procurement of several bizarre and seemingly useless items:
Five Hundred Motorcycle Helmets: The list specifically required full-face helmets, the kind that almost completely enclose the head, like those worn by racers. While they offer excellent protection, Zhang Kai wondered if that cheapskate boss Michael considered whether anyone would wear such stuffy headgear in this weather. Unbeknownst to him, Michael had given this careful thought. After the recent brutal fight over the coal mine, where several of his men nearly had their brains beaten out, Michael considered equipping his men with steel helmets. However, a quick online search revealed authentic military helmets costing over a thousand yuan each, while knock-offs on discount sites went for as low as forty-two. Annoyed, the young man had a brainstorm: why not buy motorcycle helmets instead? They protect riders from impact, so they must offer some defense. Wearing them in a fight might mitigate a lot of the damage from a blow. Of course, they wouldn't stop bullets, but that wasn't the point. Michael actually wanted them for the biting northern winds of the wasteland's impending long winter. The image of his fighters wearing these might look ridiculous, but with the face shields down, they would be much warmer. Considering these advantages, motorcycle helmets were added to the list, with strict notes: must be full-face, under fifty yuan each, and of sturdy quality. To acquire these five hundred helmets, the poor 'Little Knife' had to visit all the major motorcycle accessory wholesalers in Yangcheng, leveraging his past reputation to haggle over every last mao, finally settling on a price of 49.5 yuan each. The wholesaler was baffled seeing the formerly notorious Little Knife haggling so intensely, and even Zhang Kai himself felt a sense of surreal disbelief .
Five Hundred Authentic Military Overcoats: The requirement was for genuine, military-issued coats, the kind that were all the rage in the 80s, costing no more than two hundred yuan each. Seeing this, Zhang Kai almost fainted. Yangcheng is a southern coastal city with consistently high temperatures—finding a vendor there stocking heavy winter coats was nearly impossible. He had to call in numerous favors, enduring ridicule, before finally locating a stash in the military reserves warehouse of a neighboring county. Fortunately, this same warehouse allowed him to kill two birds with one stone, also securing the next two items on the list .
Five Hundred Pairs of Rain Boots with Fleece Lining: These were comparatively straightforward to procure once the source was found .
Leather Army Belts: Another item readily available from the same warehouse . The warehouse was so eager to get rid of these long-stored goods that they agreed to deliver immediately upon receiving payment.
Three Hundred Coal-Burning Heating Stoves: This was the item still causing Zhang Kai grief. These stoves, which use little coal or wood to heat an entire classroom, were impossible to find locally in Yangcheng, as they are only common in northern China. After confirming this, a desperate Zhang Kai had to weakly call Michael for instructions. He explained that compliant stoves costing over three hundred yuan each could be ordered online but would take days to arrive. When Michael expressed understanding and agreement, Zhang Kai nearly cried. With several items still unchecked on his list and night falling, the pressure was immense .
Countless times, Zhang Kai wanted to quit. However, the longer he worked for this dubious trading company and the more he learned about its operations, the more fearful he and his group became. Their only form of rebellion now was to turn the car's air conditioning to the maximum, as Zhang Kai did now. The chilling cold breeze blowing on him provided a strange, perverse sense of satisfaction: That bastard! Always ordering us to do this and that. Well, you're paying for the gas, so I'll burn it like there's no tomorrow. Let's see who ends up losing out.