Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 938 Hope for Getting the Yard—Winning Magic with Magic
When Li Long and his group arrived at the alley, the young man was eagerly waiting at the entrance. Seeing Gu Xiaoyu and Li Long approach, he immediately grinned and waved.

"Come quick, come quick... You've finally arrived."

The sound wasn't loud; you could tell it was deliberately kept quiet.

Li Long found it a bit strange. Why was he lowering his voice?

As they walked into the courtyard, they indeed saw the old furniture piled up in the yard that Gu Xiaoyu had mentioned.

Li Jianguo glanced at it a few times and then went to look at the yard. Li Juan and Li Qiang disliked the old furniture even more.

"Is this... made of huanghuali?" Li Long leaned closer to take a look, then scratched at it with his finger, and asked the young man.

"Oh, you're an expert?" The young man had initially thought he was just a country bumpkin from out of town, but he was surprised that this guy knew his stuff. He smiled and said, "Interested? But sorry, it's already sold. A buyer came to pick it up... Sigh, these days, my whole yard doesn't even sell as well as this old furniture..."

"It's all thanks to the good wood used for this furniture. If it were Phoebe zhennan, it would be worth several courtyards." Li Long joked as he looked it over and said, "Nice courtyard."

“Hey, you overestimate me.” The young man quickly waved his hand. “If I had golden nanmu wood, would I need to sell my courtyard? Never mind, you’re the one buying the courtyard, right? No Beijing residency? I need to make this clear to you, without residency, things will be a bit difficult… Of course, if you have plenty of US dollars on hand, it’s not impossible…”

Li Long had originally thought it would be better to leave it to Gu Xiaoyu, but now that the young man said it could be done with US dollars, he became interested and said, "How about that? If it really works, I won't skimp on your commission; I'll pay in US dollars."

"Really?" The young man's eyes lit up, and he immediately leaned closer and said, "Let me put it this way, the person handling the paperwork also has family members who are going abroad, and like me, they don't have enough US dollars."

Of course, this can't be discussed openly, because a lot of people have been looking at my yard lately, and I've seen quite a few people running errands. I know a lot of people, and I can make connections with them..."

"Then could you do me the trouble of asking around?" Li Long smiled. "Let me be frank, we're planning to buy several courtyards. We don't want to bother two people at once. If you can help me find a few courtyards like yours that don't involve much trouble, then I'll pay the brokerage fee in US dollars."

The young man was genuinely excited this time. He immediately came over, extended his hand, and said, "I really didn't know! Hello, hello. My name is Shao Licheng, but people call me Dacheng, Cheng as in honesty. What's your name?"

"My name is Li Long." Li Long shook hands with him and said, "Comrade Dacheng, let's talk about the courtyard first. How about it?"

“Okay, okay, no problem. But if it happens to you, then we’ll have to smooth things over first. Look at this…” Shao Licheng rubbed his fingers together and said with a grin.

"I can't just listen to your empty talk, can I?" Li Long shook his head with a smile. "How about we come up with a plan first, and then I'll pay? At least we'll have some peace of mind, right?"

The young man sheepishly withdrew his hand. Clearly, this person in front of him was not easily fooled. He said:

"Alright, let's stick to the facts. The girl from before in this courtyard talked to me about $1,250. Do you agree to that?"

“I agree,” Li Long said. “If we include the paperwork fees, how much will it cost in total?” Clearly, Li Long intended to acquire it all at once. This courtyard was nice; although it wasn't as big as his own in Ma County, its smaller size had its advantages—it was quiet and secluded, and there were no other people around.

At that time, employers generally allocated housing, but the supply of such housing far exceeded the demand, and many people, like Huang Yufei, couldn't get one. Therefore, some people bought houses privately, and the government didn't prohibit it.

However, with more people than houses, many courtyard houses are shared by multiple families, some rented and others provided by the government. It's quite difficult for the original owners to clear their names.

This yard has no tenants, which saves a lot of trouble. I imagine there must be quite a few people who want to buy it. If he hadn't gotten a good deal with US dollars, this young man probably wouldn't have been willing to do so.

"Two thousand, at least two thousand," the young man said. "Don't underestimate this piece of paper. The rules are rigid. If someone wants to break the rules, they have to spend a lot of money to appease a bunch of people."

That makes sense, but the actual situation is hard to say.

Li Long pondered whether the two thousand dollars were worth it.

After inspecting all the houses, Li Jianguo and his group returned to the courtyard.

"This courtyard is nice," Li Jianguo said, quite satisfied.

“Uncle, it’s not as big as your yard. That one has a building in the back,” Li Qiang said in a low voice. “The rooms aren’t as big either.”

Shao Licheng's lips trembled slightly as he listened, thinking to himself, "This person even has a courtyard? According to the child, it's a two-courtyard house?"

Gu Xiaoyu had been watching the conversation between Li Long and the young man surnamed Shao. After Li Jianguo and the others finished reading, she came over as well.

"Xiaoyu, do you want this courtyard?" Li Long asked. "If you do, we'll just buy it."

Shao Licheng suddenly became worried. He was really worried that Gu Xiaoyu would agree. Although he would also accept US dollars, if the girl bought it, wouldn't he lose the money he would earn later?

"I don't want it." Gu Xiaoyu shook her head. "It's too big, and it's inconvenient for me to live alone. I've thought about it, and if I'm going to buy one, I'll just go for a single room with one bright room and two dark rooms. I'm still planning to look for one near my workplace."

“Yes, yes, this courtyard is big, it’s really inconvenient for a single girl to live here.” Shao Licheng hurriedly said, “It’s better if there are more people living here.”

Li Long could tell that this person wanted US dollars, and he was worried that Gu Xiaoyu would pay in RMB if she bought it, so he said that.

"Alright then." Li Long looked at his elder brother. "Brother, what do you think of this courtyard?"

"It's good, I feel great."

"Alright, Comrade Dacheng, we'll take this courtyard. Now let's discuss how to pay. If you can get the paperwork done, two thousand isn't out of the question, but we can't just say it without real commitment. You need to show some sincerity..."

The pressure then fell on Shao Licheng, who was also thinking about how to gain Li Long's trust.

Li Long pulled out a wad of US dollars from his bag; those green bills really made his eyes water.

"How about this? You give me five hundred dollars first," Shao Licheng said. "Five hundred dollars isn't much for you, is it? Five hundred dollars is like a deposit. I'll have this money to talk to them, right? Otherwise, they won't believe me, will they?"

“Alright, but five hundred dollars isn’t a small amount,” Li Long said, looking at the things in the yard and pointing to an official’s hat chair. “How about I use this as collateral? Just a token, okay?”

Of all this furniture, only this chair looks decent; that's exactly what Li Long meant.

“Okay.” Shao Licheng agreed.

When Li Long was about to pay, Gu Xiaoyu took out the five hundred dollars that Li Long had given her and snatched it to hand to Shao Licheng.

Shao Licheng smiled and took it, saying, "They're all the same, they're all the same."

“We still need to write a written agreement,” Li Long said. “Since this is our first meeting, it’s better to have a written agreement.”

"No problem, no problem." Shao Licheng wanted to earn more US dollars, so he readily agreed.

Holding the deposit receipt and carrying a chair, as he prepared to leave, Li Long asked Shao Licheng again:
"You heard me just now; my sister wants a bungalow. Where are there any houses like that for sale around here? You're a local resident, you should know, right?"

"Yes, there is, but... how should I put it, that house needs to be tidied up." Shao Licheng thought for a moment and said, "If you go west from my alley, then walk another thirty or forty meters, you enter another alley. There are single-story houses there, and the people living there are a mixed bunch..."

"Forget it, no way." Gu Xiaoyu didn't say anything, but Li Long immediately objected, "That definitely won't work."

Shao Licheng then fell silent.

Li Long and his group returned to the inn to discuss their next move. Shao Licheng locked the door and began their operation.

The craze for going abroad started in the early 1980s and is still going strong now. Whether it's settling abroad, traveling abroad, or being sent abroad on official business, you have to spend foreign currency, and the US dollar is a consistently popular item.

Shao Licheng took the US dollars to a nearby bank, found a familiar face outside, and had the bank check the dollars in his hand. After confirming that everything was in order, he hurriedly ran to a government office. By then, it was already dark, and people were starting to leave. When he knocked on an office door, a balding man in his fifties was carrying a bag and preparing to leave. Upon seeing Shao Licheng, the man said impatiently:
"Why are you here at this hour? It's time to get off work. Let's talk about it tomorrow."

"No, no, no," Shao Licheng said with a smile.

"Director Zheng, this is good news. Please listen to me carefully. Here's what happened: someone asked me to do you a favor today, and they brought this..."

He pulled out those US dollars, but it was four hundred.

The main concern is that Director Zheng might make exorbitant demands and take everything at once, which would minimize his losses.

We always have to be careful, right?
The moment Director Zheng saw the US dollars, the impatient expression on his face vanished.

He got to know Shao Licheng mainly through a brief introduction when someone treated him to a meal. He knew that Shao had a courtyard house for sale, was in a hurry to go abroad, and was short of money.

We met because we both lacked US dollars, and now that the other party has US dollars, has he found a way in?

"Speak, what is it? Let me make this clear, I won't do anything illegal or disorderly!"

“How could we possibly break the law?” Shao Licheng hurriedly waved his hands. “We can’t do that kind of thing. Here’s the thing, someone’s come to buy my yard and needs to register it, which is a bit troublesome. But they’ve made it clear that they’re willing to pay with this, and they don’t mind spending a little more money…”

He waved the bills in his hand and said, "This customer is quite wealthy. He said he wants to buy several courtyards. Someone has taken a liking to my courtyard... and there are others to come."

"Explain yourself clearly, son!" Director Zheng's face immediately hardened when he saw Shao Licheng's rambling explanation.

"What exactly is the problem?"

“The people who bought the courtyards are from out of town.” Shao Licheng originally wanted to be tactful and downplay the difficulties, but with Director Zheng’s official authority there, he immediately revealed the truth: “As long as it’s done well, there’s a kickback of six hundred US dollars per courtyard!”

He told Li Long the total was two thousand, but he planned to pocket one hundred and fifty from the middle.

One hundred and fifty, but the black market price is a thousand dollars!
"I can't do it." Director Zheng shook his head directly. "Six hundred US dollars? Even if the dollar is worth more now, this is not something I can decide on my own..."

As she spoke, she picked up her bag and looked at Shao Licheng.

Shao Licheng immediately understood that there was a chance for this, but the other party thought the money was too little.

When it comes to bargaining, Shao Licheng couldn't possibly reveal everything at once. He smiled and said:

"Director, they don't just want one courtyard. If they want two or three, that'll cost over a thousand. They're not short of money, but they've already inquired around here..."

"After inquiring further, it seems this matter isn't so easy to resolve." Director Zheng didn't want to push too hard, so after thinking for a moment, he said, "Do you know if there are any other suitable courtyards nearby?"

“No.” Shao Licheng shook his head. “The courtyards I know of are all a bit troublesome. There are tenants living there, and they find it too much trouble.”

Director Zheng thought for a moment. He could handle the matter; there might be a few minor issues later, but if he did a good job, the other party definitely wouldn't notice. Since he was going to do it, he might as well go all out. He thought for a moment and said:
“I have two registered courtyards here, one with two courtyards and one with one courtyard. They are public housing units that were recently vacated. However, the location is better, so the price will be higher, and the procedures will also cost more. Can you handle the deal with the person you mentioned?”

That was exactly what Shao Licheng was planning. He didn't have any properties listed, but Director Zheng did. Most of the properties in the district had to be registered here. Although Director Zheng usually kept a low profile, the information he possessed was all money-making opportunities!
"Okay, I think that's a good idea. The person who came to see me today is someone who doesn't mind spending money, so there shouldn't be any problem!"

"Don't say it's no problem, go and find out the definite answer. If you're going to do it, do it all at once, or just forget about it." Director Zheng knew that it was impossible to get more US dollars with just one courtyard.

But if we want several courtyards together, surely we can have more? Anyway, it doesn't matter who we sell these courtyards to.
"Alright, alright, Director, how about you recommend a place to me? I'll take them there to take a look, so they can make the decision, right?" Shao Licheng said with a smile.

"Here you go, the key." Director Zheng opened the drawer, handed over the key, and gave the address. Shao Licheng took the key and was about to leave when Director Zheng snorted and looked at the money in Shao Licheng's hand.

Shao Licheng hesitated for a moment, but finally handed the four hundred dollars to Director Zheng. Although he felt bad about it, he still smiled and said, "Director, I just had someone check the money. There's no problem."

"I doubt he would dare to cheat us." Director Zheng took the money and was shocked when he saw the denomination—such a large amount!

But since it's true, then it's alright.

Shao Licheng walked quite a distance before turning around and spitting out a "pui," but he knew that if you wanted to make money, you had to take risks and run errands.

When Li Long left, he left the address of the inn. He saw that it was already dark, but he was worried that Li Long and the others would move to other places tomorrow, so he went to the inn again.

Li Long and his group had already eaten dinner at the inn and were discussing making a phone call.

"You didn't get through? I'll take you to another post office tomorrow. They'll get through faster there." Gu Xiaoyu said after hearing that Li Long and the others hadn't been able to get through. "I called a senior brother in the south earlier, and he should be able to get through."

"That's good." Li Jianguo thought it would be better to inform his family.

"After we get through on the phone tomorrow, Xiaoyu, whichever is convenient for you, take Juan and Qiangqiang around the university," Li Long said. "See if we can get into any of the top universities? If not, then we can go to your university."

Gu Xiaoyu didn't want to go back to her dormitory. She wanted to stay here with her sister for a few more days. She was very attached to this feeling. Although there were only a few days left, she didn't want to let these few days go by.

Just then, Shao Licheng came looking for him.

After confirming with the hostel that Li Long and his group were staying there, Shao Licheng said he was their friend, but the staff didn't want to call him, since it was already dark and there were rules and regulations in place.

Li Long, being more perceptive, heard the noise outside. He went out and saw Shao Licheng arguing with staff in the hallway. He then spoke to the staff and went outside with Shao Licheng.

After hearing what Shao Licheng said, Li Long asked:
"You mean we can watch it tomorrow? Where is it located?"

"It's not far from here. There are two courtyards, one with two courtyards and the other with one courtyard. If you can take all three, the procedures will be easier."

Shao Licheng genuinely wanted to close this deal, and he said to Li Long:
"Comrade Li, I can tell you're not short of money. I suggest you take it if you can afford it. To be honest, I can also tell that the other guy is asking for too much. He wants the paperwork for three courtyards and the paperwork for one courtyard. He's asking for almost everything."

"I'll have to check out the yards first," Li Long said, shaking his head. "I do want to buy these things, but I can't just buy everything, can I? Are those two yards cleared out yet?"

"It's all cleared out. Don't worry, once the gate is locked, nobody can bother us." Hearing Li Long's tone, Shao Licheng realized he could really afford it, and immediately said, "Then it's settled, we'll go see the yard tomorrow?"

"Okay. Come find us after breakfast tomorrow, okay?"

“That’s definitely no problem.” Shao Licheng smiled.

Seeing that he still hadn't left, Li Long realized what was going on and said, "Don't worry, as long as I buy this house, your commission will be there. I'll pay in US dollars, is that alright?"

"Hey, Comrade Li, you're really generous! I'll definitely take this to heart. Don't worry, I'll try my best to negotiate a better price for you! It's a government-owned house, so you can rest assured about that..."

Li Long smiled and saw Shao Licheng out, then went into the room and told his older brother what had happened.

"Just buy another yard, right? If you buy two, will they be okay to just sit there?"

"Let's see." Li Long has now figured it out. It would be best if he could spend the two stacks of twenty thousand US dollars he has. If he keeps them on him and goes back to the northern frontier, they won't be of much use.

If we really bought a yard that wouldn't cause any trouble, we could just come over once or twice a year to take care of it, and have Gu Xiaoyu look after it the rest of the time. Wouldn't that be great?

But thinking about it, I might need to elevate my status a bit. The name of the autonomous region isn't prestigious enough. It would be great if I could get a national one.

(End of this chapter)