Journey 1995:Non-Stop

Chapter 147 Getting On the Right Track
Tangwanghe was already getting warmer, and Yan Hui, wearing his own jacket, didn't feel cold while riding his motorcycle; in fact, he felt increasingly energetic.

He was, after all, an eighteen-year-old young man. The wind blew through his hair, and Yan Hui felt as if it were nothing at all.

Wang Hongjun rode quite fast, and Yan Hui kept up. In less than half an hour, the two arrived at their destination.

"You ride this bike pretty well," Wang Hongjun complimented after getting off. "You can keep this bike for later."

“I can’t accept a reward without merit, Brother Jun,” Yan Hui shook his head.

“It’s alright, I bought it cheap anyway. Besides, you’ll be staying here for at least a year. You’ve sold so much for me, how can you say it’s all for nothing?” Wang Hongjun said, then parked the car and beckoned Yan Hui to walk into the yard.

"So, Brother Jun, who did you buy this car for?" Yan Hui wasn't afraid of taking such benefits, but he was afraid of offending someone.

“Don’t worry about it, just use it. I already have a car, why would I need this? Perfect, the guy who sold me the motorcycle, he has two motorcycles in total, I’ll go buy the other one tomorrow.” Wang Hongjun wasn’t afraid at all.

He wouldn't care even if those two robbers were released tomorrow.

“There are indeed two motorcycles.” Yan Hui was delighted to hear this. “Okay, Brother Jun, I’ll borrow them.”

"Okay, use it." Wang Hongjun waved his hand casually.

Following Wang Hongjun into the courtyard, Yan Hui saw two people busy working next to a large pot.

It's a typical large Northeastern Chinese wok, with firewood burning underneath. The fire is blazing, and the whole courtyard is filled with its delicious aroma.

Yan Hui had initially worried that the river fish might have a fishy smell, but upon arriving, he realized how ignorant he was. This wasn't fish at all; even stewed meat didn't smell this good!

"Brother Jun, you're in luck! I also prepared two small pheasants today. I'll stew them for you to make something nourishing." A chubby boy who was tending the fire immediately came over when he saw Wang Hongjun.

"A pheasant?" Wang Hongjun snorted, not saying much more. "What time do we start? I'm hungry."

"Brother Jun is here, let's get started. There's no one else here, they're all inside." The chubby guy immediately bent down and led the way inside with a big laugh.

"Get ready." Jun Ge called to Yan Hui, and the two went into the house together.

The room was filled with the smell of smoke. Three people were sitting together playing cards. When they saw Wang Hongjun enter the room, they all stood up and warmly invited the two of them to sit down. Soon after, large bowls of meat, soup and fish were brought out.

Yan Hui came with Wang Hongjun and thus came to understand Wang Hongjun's status in the underworld.

Everyone had to give him face, and a lot of face, which extended to Yan Hui as well.

In Northeast China, things can sometimes be that simple: "giving face" is of paramount importance. Yan Hui had no doubt that if Wang Hongjun threatened to kill someone halfway through a meal, these people would definitely follow suit.

Is this also a way of giving Yan Hui a warning? Probably not.

Forget it, I won't think about it anymore, I'll just go all out.

While everyone else was drinking and chatting, Yan Hui kept eating. The river fish was indeed delicious; Yan Hui ate at least a pound of it, along with three or four large bones and a bowl of soup. He didn't know what kind of soup it was, but it was incredibly flavorful and aromatic.

Because everyone was drinking, the dinner party dragged on for a long time. Yan Hui ate for several hours, and his stomach swelled up for the first time.

For the past two and a half years since leaving his hometown, Yan Hui's stomach had been flat, but now he has finally gained some weight.

That night, Wang Hongjun drank too much and decided to stay there.

These people smelled really bad; some had vomited from drinking, creating a strange odor. Yan Hui said he needed to oversee the wood delivery the next morning, then got on his motorcycle and left.

He didn't drink; sleeping with a bunch of drunk people would be too uncomfortable.

There was only one way back, and Yan Hui remembered the route well. He got on his motorcycle, turned on the headlights, and slowly rode back.

Back in the house where Wang Hongjun had previously "held him under house arrest," Yan Hui saw in the moonlight that the vegetables in the yard had already sprouted.

The next morning, Wang Hongjun did not return, but Yan Hui still managed to get the timber and took the Jiefang truck to the processing plant.

Having a motorcycle is incredibly convenient in this area. Previously, Yan Hui had to take the train to get to Wang Hongjun's place, but now he can simply ride a motorcycle. The gas money is negligible for Yan Hui.

It was agreed yesterday that once the payment for the fourth truckload arrives, Mr. Teng's money can be directly transferred to Yan Hui's account. Then, whenever Yan Hui needs to buy timber from Wang Hongjun, he can transfer the money to Wang Hongjun in advance.

That's how things should be, and Wang Hongjun had no objections. In his view, Yan Hui's profit per vehicle was neither high nor low, making him a long-term partner.

Before Yan Hui came to Tangwanghe from Jianye, he already had bank accounts, both company and personal. However, he still carried the 3 yuan he had before with him, mainly for business negotiations.

The deal with Wang Hongjun was made possible largely because Yan Hui presented 3 yuan. If Yan Hui hadn't presented cash but instead a bank card, he would have been kicked out long ago. Who has time to verify the authenticity of a card?

Ever since Yan Hui gave Wang Hongjun 20,000 yuan, the amount of money Yan Hui had has been fluctuating around 10,000 yuan, which made Yan Hui feel a little uncomfortable.

When he has money in the future, he will probably carry 20,000 to 30,000 yuan in cash with him at all times, otherwise he will not feel safe.

Once the timber arrived at the processing plant, Yan Hui resumed his work mode, spending two consecutive days working tirelessly at the plant.

During his several trips to this processing plant, Yan Hui discovered many problems. Some were solvable, while others were equipment issues. After loading the truckload of goods, Yan Hui had about ten days of rest. He hopped on his motorcycle and began investigating nearby processing plants one by one.

A processing plant with good equipment isn't necessarily the best, because the processing fees are also more expensive, but that doesn't matter. Yan Hui is an expert; he can calculate it clearly.

Yan Hui didn't refuse Wang Hongjun's offer to lend him the motorcycle because he genuinely needed it. With the motorcycle, he could get a feel for the entire Tangwanghe area. He spent four or five days visiting all the nearby processing plants.

Considering factors such as processing fees, equipment sophistication, location, and shipping costs, Yan Hui decided to switch to another processing plant for the next shipment, which would likely increase his profit margin by about 1%! Moreover, this new processing plant has its own transport vehicles, and the price is negotiable.

Throughout the entire supply chain, the only cost Yan Hui never discussed or cut was the handling fees. Mainly because he knew how arduous the work was, and these were all calculated on a piece-rate basis; cutting costs here was not Yan Hui's intention. Not only did he not skimp on fees, Yan Hui also frequently bought cigarettes for the workers, gradually gaining some reputation at the train station.

(End of this chapter)