A courtyard house, equipped with a fishing system, living in an era.

"Young man, who are you looking for?"

At the entrance of the Fifth Hospital, Xu Ping'an was stopped by a kind-looking old man.

The other person had bright, piercing eyes, and was missing the middle and ring fingers on their left hand.

Although he looked like someone who had come from the battlefield, his expression was quite kind, and he didn't give off a feeling of being murderous or unapproachable.

"Hey, sir, I'm here to deliver fish. Director Wang from the neighborhood office sent me."

"I know you're delivering fish!"

The old man was annoyed; Xu Ping'an was carrying more than a dozen fish in his hands, even a blind man could see that.

"Director Wang? Which Director Wang?"

Before Xu Pingan could answer, the other person looked as if he had suddenly realized something.

"You mean Xiao Wang, right?"

Xiao Wang... eight?

They generally don't pay much attention to the random shouts from laymen who don't understand their job titles.

Of course, there are nuances to this "not caring" attitude. You can call Officer Wang "Director Wang," but you absolutely cannot call Director Wang "Officer Wang"!

There is still a fundamental difference!

Of course, unless someone is truly stupid, most people wouldn't make this mistake...

The old man ignored Xu Ping'an's little scheme and focused all his attention on the fish he was carrying!

"Young man, did you catch all these fish yourself?"

"Yes, I went sea fishing in Shichahai this morning!"

"How can you catch so many fish in Shichahai? What kind of bait did you use?"

"earthworm?"

The old man immediately puffed out his beard and glared at him, saying, "If you don't want to talk, then don't. Do you think I don't know whether you can catch fish with earthworms at Shichahai Lake?"

"Xiao Wang isn't here. After you enter, turn right and go to the cafeteria over there. Find Xiao Zhou there and hand things over."

Before Xu Pingan could speak, the old man turned around angrily and went back to his guardhouse.

Xu Pingan didn't care about the other party's dissatisfaction.

He used a cheat code to catch the fish, which is something he couldn't tell anyone. Because of this, many people expressed their dissatisfaction with him.

But unless people go to the scene and watch him fish with earthworms, they will leave with a sense of existential skepticism.

Even if they see it with their own eyes, some people will still ask him for a few earthworms to take home and try it out.

Many people loved fishing in their past lives; it was a genuine hobby.

In this lifetime, most people prefer fishing mainly because they're bored.

Because if I don't spend my time fishing, there's really nothing else to do.

Going fishing whenever you have free time can not only help pass the time, but also earn some extra income to supplement your household income.

Following the directions given by the other party, Xu Pingan easily found the cafeteria.

"Hey, these fish are pretty good! They're all big and alive!"

Hearing what the other person said, Xu Pingan replied with a smile.

"It was just caught from the river and delivered right over!"

Xu Pingan turned his head and looked around, then tentatively asked.

"Can I just put the fish here?"

The other person was taken aback, looked up at Xu Ping'an, and then realized what was happening.

"Oh, no, let me weigh it here first, then I'll give you a receipt. You can go to the finance department to settle the payment..."

Xu Pingan pressed down on the other person's hand, which was about to move, and asked tentatively.

"I'd like to donate these ten or so fish directly to our hospital, since they're there to help replenish the nutrition of the wounded soldiers returning from the front lines! Do you know what procedures are involved?"

The kitchen supervisor was stunned.

There is indeed demand and channels for this now.

However, these are usually organized and coordinated by the street office and the military control committee.

They really can't control what's going on in their kitchen.

"If Director Wang were here, you could talk to him. But you're talking to me... that definitely can't be done."

Although a dozen or so fish are also meat, they are quite nutritious.

The problem is, if he can be the head of logistics at the Fifth Academy, why would he be short of a dozen or so fish?

If it causes any misunderstanding, it would be a loss for him!

There's absolutely no need for that.

"4000? The supply and marketing cooperative's purchasing station only charges 3000!"

The logistics supervisor's surname is Zhou, and his given name is Zhou Yan.

He was stunned after hearing Xu Ping'an's words.

"No, you..."

"Xu Ping'an!"

Seeing that the other person paused halfway through their sentence, Xu Ping'an guessed that they probably didn't know how to address him.

"Hey Xu, which kind soul caught fish and then sold them to the recycling center?"

That question killed the conversation instantly.

Xu Pingan certainly had his own considerations.

His shipment volume is too large, and he often sells to customers.

Selling to a recycling station yields the lowest price, but you'll never encounter any other troubles.

Moreover, regardless of the era, it's not uncommon for people to be carrying a pig's head but unable to find the temple gate.

Given Xu Ping'an's situation, he couldn't possibly carry fish around to each factory looking for buyers, could he?

However, if an opportunity comes knocking on his door, he will definitely be willing to seize it.

For example, he has a strong interest in cooperating with Zhou Yan now.

"Director Zhou, you don't understand. I just came from the countryside to the city, and I have no idea where I can sell my products!"

"Hey, you'll see later! Things like chicken, duck, and fish can all be sent to the kitchen of our Fifth Hospital! The price may not be as high as the market retail price, but it will definitely be much higher than if you sell them to the recycling station."

Zhou Yan mentioned the fish that Xu Pingan had given her.

"Take this fish for example. The purchasing station sells it for 3000 yuan per jin, but here it's 4000 yuan. The prices of other meats are generally 1000 yuan per jin higher than there."

Xu Pingan felt a slight twitch in the corner of his eye.

Do you think the purchasing station knows you're trying to poach their employees like this?

Whether he knew it or not, Xu Ping'an was the one who ultimately benefited.

Actually, the kitchen of a steel rolling mill is also a good option.

The problem is that Xu Ping'an is currently in a position of little influence and his voice carries little weight.

Even if Li Huaide accepts the gift after it's delivered, it's only because he's doing me a favor.

Moreover, it could easily cause a huge uproar throughout the factory, which would be counterproductive!

Business with the steel rolling mill is possible, but not now.

At the very least, Xu Pingan needs to have some say and be able to keep things under control before making any moves.

"Alright, Director Zhou. I'll take that seriously then!"

"No problem, but you'll need at least a dozen or so fish like these. I won't accept just one or two! It's not worth the trouble!"

In the end, there were more than a dozen fish, weighing thirty pounds and eight ounces.

"Let's just forget about this small amount, shall we?"

Xu Pingan tentatively asked.

Zhou Yan really didn't care!

"This money doesn't even pass through my hands... you won't lose a single penny!"

Since it was their first meeting and Xu Pingan didn't know much about the other person's character, he stopped there.

Although interpersonal relationships and social etiquette are applicable in any era and in any situation.

But this time, it was Director Wang from the future subdistrict office who sent me here.

I and Zhou Yan are like a stick trying to fight a wolf – afraid of both sides.

Further contact will have to wait until the next time!

The logistics department accepted the items and issued a receipt.

Xu Pingan still needs to make a trip to the finance office to collect the money.

Putting everything else aside, this process is quite formal.

However, Xu Ping'an was not in a hurry to collect the money. Instead, he stayed in the kitchen and chatted with Director Zhou.

After smoking two cigarettes, the two had a basic understanding of each other.

"You're a cook in the steel mill's kitchen? You're so young and already a head chef?"

"It's alright, it's just the factory's canteen after all!"

Zhou Yan understood.

Indeed, even the head chefs in their Fifth Academy's canteen were only so-so, let alone the newly established steel rolling mill.

However, while that's what I think, I certainly can't say it like that.

He's not some hothead; he wouldn't say something so offensive.

After chatting for a few minutes, Xu Pingan said goodbye to Zhou Yan and left.

As he walked out of the Fifth Hospital, he thought for a moment and decided that he still had to go see Director Wang.