My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 70 Feng County
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Zhou Jiye and Xu Guoqing were no different from ordinary tourists. They wandered around carefully in the crowd, and whenever they saw someone bargaining with a stall owner, they would stand aside and listen carefully, secretly memorizing the styles and prices of some goods.

And so, they stayed in the market until the afternoon before leaving. After leaving the market, they found a place nearby to grab a bite to eat, and then continued to the next market according to the address Achang had given them.

For two days, Achang went out early and returned late. Zhou Jiye and Xu Guoqing were also busy, wandering around various markets in Guangzhou every day, exploring almost every type and price of goods. When they came back, they filled a small notebook with their notes.

Not only that, they also discussed privately what to bring back. Although they weren't sure how well Achang had found out, necessary preparations were still needed. After some discussion, they roughly decided on some items, but the final decision would depend on the actual situation.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and they had visited almost all the markets in Guangzhou, so they had a general idea of ​​what the situation was like there.

That evening, Xu Guoqing finished cooking dinner as he had done the previous days. Just as he put the food on the table, he heard hurried footsteps outside. Then the door opened, and Achang returned.

"Water! Is there any water?"

With a flushed face, covered in sweat, and panting heavily, A-Chang shouted as soon as he entered the door.

"What's wrong with you? Did you participate in a marathon? How come you're so tired?" Xu Guoqing poured him a glass of cold water and joked with him.

"Wait... I'll talk to you later..." Achang couldn't wait to grab the water, looked up and gulped it down. After finishing, without waiting for Xu Guoqing to get another water bottle, he reached out and poured himself another cup. This time he drank half a cup, stopped, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and sat down with a thud: "I'm finally alive..."

"Hey Chang, didn't you drive there? How come you're so tired?"

"Ugh, don't even mention it. What a bad day. On the way back, my tire got punctured by a nail, and to make matters worse, there wasn't a tire repair shop nearby. I had to push it all the way back," A-Chang said with a bitter face. No wonder he was exhausted like a dog; that tortoise-like bike was no joke, and pushing it all the way back was really tough.

After saying that, Achang cursed the guy who threw nails in the road, calling him inhuman. After grumbling for a while, Achang remembered the important matter and said to them, "There's news about the supply!"

"You found out? Tell us quickly!" Zhou Jiye and Xu Guoqing perked up instantly and asked hurriedly.

Achang lit a cigarette and took a puff: "You can forget about Pengcheng and Yangcheng for now. They've been a bit difficult these past few days. Nobody told me the specifics, but I guess the checks are strict. However, there's an opportunity in Fengxian the day after tomorrow. They say a batch of goods will be coming over, and we can try to get some of it."

"Feng County? Where is Feng County?"

“A small county in the east, about 200 kilometers away from Guangzhou.”

"So far? Are you talking about goods from Hong Kong?"

“Of course!” Achang affirmed, “One of my brothers is from Feng County. Outsiders have no idea about this. It’s rarely spread outside their circle. He wouldn’t have told anyone if we weren’t close.”

"Fengxian County frequently connects with Hong Kong by waterway, and it is said that they started smuggling goods privately last year. Moreover, many locals are involved in this, almost village by village."

"Guangzhou and Shenzhen are too conspicuous places. Even if you get the goods and avoid the people outside the market, it will be difficult to get on the train. It's better to go directly to Fengxian to get the goods. After you get them, just head north; there's a train station not far away there, and nobody really cares about it."

"This is great! What kind of goods are they? What's the price?" Zhou Jiye asked excitedly, and Xu Guoqing also looked inquiring.

"Boss, Ah Ye, we're all brothers, so there are some things I need to make clear to you beforehand. Whether you go or not is up to you to decide."

Seeing Achang's serious expression, Zhou Jiye and Xu Guoqing also became serious and nodded, letting Achang explain what had happened first.

Three possibilities!

Achang held up one finger: "Fengxian is a bit chaotic. The people there are different from those in Guangzhou. Although I have a friend who can introduce me and we can talk to them, we won't know the full story until we get there. There might be risks."

Then, Achang held up his second finger: "The rules for selling goods over there are different from here. They don't care about the type of goods; you just take whatever they have, and the price is calculated per item."

"What do you mean? Can you explain it more clearly?" Xu Guoqing asked, somewhat confused.

Achang explained, "The goods are all packaged when they come off the ship, and no one knows what's inside until they're unpacked. Also, receiving and selling all happen on-site; there's no time or opportunity to unpack, sort, and resell. So, the way they sell goods there is by the price per item—you get what you pay for, no exchanges, no refunds!"

"This..." Zhou Jiye and Xu Guoqing exchanged glances. This kind of transaction was unheard of. Buying goods without even knowing what they were? Wasn't this like opening a blind box? What if it turned out to be a pile of junk? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?
When Xu Guoqing asked this question, Achang reassured them, saying that this was the rule in Feng County, and it had always been done this way. As for the quality of the goods, it depended on luck. Those who were lucky would make a big profit, while those who were unlucky would only make a small profit. The goods from Hong Kong were all good, and the sales channels were excellent; it was just a matter of different products.

As for using a pile of garbage as goods, that's absolutely impossible. They've been doing this for a long time; they've already established a large operation in the area. If such a thing were to happen, they simply couldn't continue. It's just a matter of how much profit they make. "How much does one item cost?" Zhou Jiye asked a crucial question.

"The items vary in size, but each item costs a flat 300."

"Three hundred!" Zhou Jiye was shocked. That was no cheap money! He subconsciously looked at Xu Guoqing, who was also frowning. Three hundred yuan was almost a year's salary for an ordinary worker in this era. It was no small amount.

They brought money with them to Lingnan; Zhou Jiye and Xu Guoqing each brought a total of about three thousand yuan.

According to the sales methods in Fengxian County, this 3,000 yuan can only buy about ten items at most. If you are unlucky and they are all ordinary goods, this trip will not be a complete waste, but it will be extremely risky.

"What's the other situation?" Xu Guoqing continued to ask.

"The last situation is that after the on-site transaction, it has nothing to do with Fengxian. They are only responsible for the on-site transaction. They are not responsible for how the goods are transported or for any problems that occur during the transportation process."

"this……."

The two were speechless for a moment, realizing that this would increase the risk even further.

He had paid real money for the goods and was responsible for transporting them from the site. What if something went wrong in the later stages? Wouldn't everything be ruined? Thinking about this, Zhou Jiye began to have second thoughts, especially after recalling the example that Achang had mentioned about people in Guangzhou and Shenzhen privately reporting each other for profiting from both sides. He was even more inclined to back out.

"Could Fengxian be deliberately setting a trap...?"

"Don't worry about this big shot. They've been doing this business for a long time, so the situation in Guangzhou and Shenzhen won't be like this. But things in the underworld are hard to say. At most, they're responsible for security in the receiving area. Once they leave this area, the buyer has to figure things out on their own."

Xu Guoqing stroked his chin thoughtfully, thought for a moment, and then suddenly asked Achang, "Can you get a car? And try to get one of these too..."

As he spoke, he gestured with his hand.

Achang nodded: "I thought about this on my way back. A car isn't hard to come by. I have a friend who's the captain of a company's fleet. Giving him a little something should be enough to get a car for temporary use. But this thing..." He paused: "It's something that can be done, but boss, you need to think this through. If things get messy, it's no small matter."

"Hehe, it's just a matter of being prepared. We won't act unless absolutely necessary. Don't you trust me to do things?"

“Alright! I’ll arrange this!” Achang gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement. Xu Guoqing breathed a sigh of relief, then asked Zhou Jiye, “I think we can give it a try, what do you think?”

Zhou Jiye, who was struggling with his decision, hesitated for a moment after hearing this. When he looked back at Xu Guoqing and saw the calmness in his eyes, he felt much more at ease.

Fortune favors the bold! Damn it! Let's do it!

Zhou Jiye gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement, willing to take the gamble with Xu Guoqing. It was only three thousand, right? He could afford to gamble that much money.

Since they were ready to do it, they didn't hesitate any longer and immediately finalized the matter. During the meal, they discussed the details and considered all possible scenarios. After the discussion, A-Chang went out to borrow a car. When he left, Xu Guoqing insisted on giving him two hundred yuan. A-Chang didn't refuse, took it, stuffed it into his pocket, and hurriedly left.

Achang didn't return home that night. The next morning, he came back in a Dongfeng EQ140, a new truck produced in 78. It was much better than the Yellow River, which was inherently flawed and prone to breakdowns. Moreover, it had a large load capacity and strong horsepower, making it the best truck in China at the time.

Back in the arcade, Achang hurriedly told Zhou Jiye and Xu Guoqing to grab their luggage and leave immediately.

Yangcheng is not close to Fengxian. It's more than 200 kilometers away and takes a whole day to drive there. Moreover, Achang's friend said that a batch of goods will arrive tomorrow. If we can't make it in time, no one knows when the next batch will arrive.

Without saying a word, Zhou Jiye and Xu Guoqing took their pre-packed luggage and went downstairs. The three of them got into the car. Achang sat in the driver's seat and drove, Zhou Jiye sat in the middle seat, and Xu Guoqing sat on the right side by the window. They started the engine and gently pressed the accelerator. Achang skillfully turned the steering wheel, and the car slowly headed towards the road.

As the car drove onto the highway and gradually left the city, heading east, Xu Guoqing finally asked Achang what he wanted.

While holding the steering wheel, A-Chang said that the thing was hidden under his seat. Xu Guoqing leaned over and felt under the seat, pulling something out.

After a thorough inspection, Xu Guoqing nodded in satisfaction, then unfastened the safety and tucked the thing into his back, continuing to chat and laugh as if nothing had happened.

This scene secretly alarmed Zhou Jiye. His second brother, Zhou Jimin, was the militia company commander. He himself had played these kinds of games before, but Xu Guoqing's nonchalant attitude was definitely not simple. As for Achang, he was even more nonchalant, as if it were just an ordinary thing in their eyes.

(End of this chapter)