Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 286 A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
The National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not only for the exam itself, but also for the opportunities it brings.

At that time, college students not only received subsidies while studying, but the state also guaranteed them job placement. They could get a "secure job" and eat "government grain" as soon as they graduated.

If a family produces a college student, not only will they bring honor to their ancestors, but the entire surrounding area will look up to them.

It would be too deliberate to try to befriend someone after the college entrance exam results are released and they've already achieved great success; it would only be counterproductive.

If you want to build connections or earn enough capital to rise in society, you need to start planning before the college entrance examination.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng subconsciously looked at his own warehouse, where a large number of textbooks he had exchanged with Ji Yongyue were piled up.

These things, which were originally barely better than waste paper, became as valuable as gold shortly after the resumption of the college entrance examination.

That's why Wang Chengpeng felt that the number of these textbooks was still too small.

However, such things are rare and hard to come by; they are not something you can just collect whenever you want. The current pile is the result of Wang Chengpeng scavenging all of Ji Yongyue's inventory.

Perhaps I could go back to the scrap metal recycling station in Hetian Town; maybe they've refreshed their inventory with a lot of new books.

If the new station manager is easy to talk to, he might as well go and order some more goods. After all, as long as the price is right, many people don't care about whether they're taking advantage of the socialist system or not, as long as they can make some extra money.

Wang Chengpeng has always been a man of action. After making up his mind, he said goodbye to his family and rode his bicycle to Hetian Town.

It was September, and Wang Meiyan had already started school, so the house was much quieter.

With the wind blowing, Wang Chengpeng quickly arrived at the scrap metal recycling station in Hetian Town and saw a very familiar figure. Who else could it be but Zhuang Xian?

It's true what they say: station managers come and go, but the staff remain.

Chao Zhuang waved first, and Wang Chengpeng said with a smile, "Comrade Zhuang, how have you been?"

The moment Zhuang Xian saw Wang Chengpeng, his right eyelid twitched violently. He hadn't forgotten this seemingly harmless Comrade Wang.

The arrogant Station Chief Fang was imprisoned for a series of crimes after he went to cause trouble for the other party.

Most people might find it hard to connect these two things, but Zhuang Xian had witnessed Wang Chengpeng's methods and knew that he was a person who could earn Ji Yongyue's admiration, so he naturally felt that this matter was not so simple.

Zhuang Xian mentally considered whether he had offended this seemingly harmless person in the past, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, saying:

"Comrade Wang, you must have important business to attend to. What brings you to a small place like ours?"

Zhuang Xian's actions left Wang Chengpeng somewhat bewildered. He wasn't some kind of monster, so why did the other party seem so afraid of him?

After parking his bicycle to the side, Wang Chengpeng said directly, "Comrade Zhuang, I'm thinking of getting some unwanted textbooks and spare parts from you. Is that convenient for you?"

Wang Chengpeng's question stumped Zhuang Xian. He quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind, wondering whether he should agree to Wang Chengpeng's request.

If it were an ordinary person asking, he would just sell it and that would be fine, since the quantity was small and it didn't matter.

But Wang Chengpeng was never one to handle small matters; he always asked for huge quantities, making it difficult to agree directly.

Seeing Zhuang Xian's predicament, Wang Chengpeng sighed regretfully and said:
"Since my request has put Comrade Zhuang in a difficult position, then just pretend I didn't say it."

"Let's part ways amicably and pretend we never met."

After saying that, Wang Chengpeng got on his bicycle, ready to leave.

Now that he had the relevant receipts, he thought about going to the state-run store to buy one or two electric fans, and finally do his part to send summer away.

Little did he know that it was precisely Wang Chengpeng's nonchalant attitude that made Zhuang Xian's heart pound. Without even a moment's hesitation, Zhuang Xian immediately agreed, saying:
"Comrade Wang, what are you saying? How could I not help you with such a small favor?"

"To be honest, these things are all meant to be disposed of as waste. Rather than destroying them, it would be better to give them to someone like Comrade Wang who can put them to good use."

"Tell me what you want, and I'll go find it for you right away."

Although Zhuang Xian is not the station manager, the new station manager has not yet taken office, so he can make decisions on such trivial matters.

Seeing that Zhuang Xian agreed, Wang Chengpeng breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had other means, it was still more convenient to have these books in his hands, as they could be used as key resources.

Perhaps it was because Wang Chengpeng had been too greedy in his previous looting, or perhaps it was because no one had specifically looked after the relevant materials, but there weren't many textbooks in the scrap yard, not even enough to fit on a bicycle.

Zhuang Xian wrapped the textbooks in newspaper, tied them with hemp rope, and then directly attached them to the back seat of Wang Chengpeng's bicycle.

Just as Wang Chengpeng was about to leave, Zhuang Xian, clutching the two ten-yuan bills he had given him, seemed to suddenly remember something and said:
"Comrade Wang, can you tell me why we're collecting so many textbooks?"

"So, do you still want to keep it? Do you need me to help you keep it?"

At this point, there was not much time left before the policy of resuming the college entrance examination was announced. Even with Zhuang Xian's help to keep an eye out, they wouldn't be able to collect many textbooks. There was no need to owe Zhuang Xian a favor over such a trivial matter.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng shook his head and refused, saying, "No need, that's enough."

"As for why I collected these textbooks?"

At this point, Wang Chengpeng looked up into the distance and said, "I always felt that their fate should not be to be crushed and rebuilt; they should have their own value."

"Save a little bit, and maybe it will come in handy someday."

Nodding as if he understood but not quite, Zhuang Xian did not grasp the deeper meaning in Wang Chengpeng's words.

However, there was one thing he understood: Wang Chengpeng believed that these textbooks would definitely be useful in the future.

Anything that works means it's valuable!

Thinking this way, Zhuang decided to collect some textbooks and store them until they could be put to good use, hoping to make a fortune from them.

When Zhuang Xian finally figured things out, he looked up and found that Wang Chengpeng was no longer there.

Sighing, Zhuang Xian was filled with regret: "I should have thanked Comrade Wang properly just now."

"If he has any good news, even just a little bit of it could benefit me immensely, wouldn't it?"

But it was too late for Zhuang Xian to regret it, because Wang Chengpeng had already arrived at the state-run store and was looking at electric fans.

There are several types of electric fans, including ceiling fans and table fans, each with its own advantages.

The ceiling fan has a strong airflow, but it's fixed in place and can't be moved.

The fan has a weak airflow, but it is quite portable and can be placed anywhere you like.

Children make choices; I want them all.

Wang Chengpeng plans to install a ceiling fan in each frequently used room, and then add three table fans, so that he can ensure that there is a cool breeze in every corner of the house.

Faced with Wang Chengpeng's extravagant purchasing request, even the most experienced salesperson was stunned and loudly confirmed:
"Comrade, are you sure you need five ceiling fans and three table fans?" Judging from Wang Chengpeng's clothes, he was obviously a country bumpkin and didn't look like a wealthy person at all.

The key issue is that many things can't be bought with money these days; you need receipts and vouchers. Even the wealthiest city dwellers probably wouldn't buy so many electric fans at once like Wang Chengpeng did.

Looking himself up and down, Wang Chengpeng thought to himself that it was time to get his family some new clothes.

Money was made and life got better, but perhaps because they were used to wearing the clothes and felt they fit perfectly, no one thought about buying new clothes for a while.

After all, in most people's minds, buying new clothes is something to do during the Chinese New Year.

However, that's all for later. What Wang Chengpeng needs to deal with now is this extremely extravagant purchase.

Perhaps it was because Zhang Dongyan's voice was loud that it attracted a lot of people to come and watch, pointing and whispering about Wang Chengpeng, not believing at all that Wang Chengpeng could afford so many electric fans.

Facts speak louder than words.

Wang Chengpeng didn't bother to explain and simply started rummaging in his pocket, soon pulling out a handful of receipts.

Although it's unclear exactly how much there is, it's definitely enough to buy what Wang Chengpeng mentioned.

However, after taking out the receipt, Wang Chengpeng realized that Zhang Dongyan didn't seem to have quoted him a price, and asked with some confusion:
How much do all these items cost in total?

"Items like ceiling fans should include installation, right? I bought so many things together, can you deliver them to our home?"

Zhang Dongyan's expression first changed to confusion, then to doubt, then to shock, and finally to joy.

This is a big deal that only comes around once a year. Although Zhang Dongyan doesn't get a commission at this time, the workers' salaries will only improve if the department's sales increase, so they are actually closely related.

She even got so excited that she started running, grabbed the calculator that was originally on the counter, and started calculating rapidly.

After calculating seven or eight times to confirm the price was correct, Zhang Dongyan respectfully announced the price:

"Comrade, the electric fans you chose are all Diamond brand, top quality, they can last for more than ten years without breaking down, so the price will naturally be a little higher."

"A ceiling fan costs 200 yuan, and a table fan costs 80 yuan, for a total of 1240 yuan."

"We include installation for ceiling fans. Since you've bought so many things, we can definitely deliver them to your door."

"If you are sure you want to buy that many things, then you can pay now to complete the transaction."

Wang Chengpeng was there to buy things, so naturally he had no objections. He adjusted his bag and said with a smile:
"Salesperson, you're not going to just let me pay here, are you?"

Even if Wang Chengpeng's bag was full of ten-yuan bills, it would still be a huge pile, and it was impossible for him to just take it out directly.

Zhang Dongyan then realized her slip of the tongue and politely led Wang Chengpeng to a safer spot at the back before speaking:

"Comrade, I'm so sorry, I was a bit rash just now."

"Please wait a moment, I'll go find another colleague to help. We can't make a mistake with your calculations."

Before long, Zhang Dongyan came over with another colleague, Liu Xihua.

Liu Xihua is a saleswoman at another store, but the two have a very good relationship, so it's normal for her to come over and help out temporarily.

By this time, Wang Chengpeng had almost finished counting the money and bills, and said casually:

"Count the money and receipts. If there are no problems, issue me an invoice."

"If possible, I would like to have the goods delivered and installed this afternoon."

Even though she was prepared, Liu Xihua was still taken aback by the thick stack of 10,000 yuan bills on the table.

Although they weren't particularly poor, it was rare to see such a large sum of money on the table.

Zhang Dongyan smiled and invited Wang Chengpeng to the side, poured him a cup of tea, and then sat down to take inventory.

Once, twice, ..., eight times!

To make sure it was correct, they even counted the money eight times.

Even the tickets given by Wang Chengpeng were repeatedly checked and confirmed to be correct before an invoice was issued to Wang Chengpeng.

After all, this is a very big deal. If it goes well, it's a success; if something goes wrong, they'll be in deep trouble.

It was only when the invoice was issued that the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed.

They thought they would see some excitement, but little did they know that the biggest excitement would be themselves.

Although Wang Chengpeng seemed to have no distinguishing features other than being tall and handsome, he was approachable and left a deep impression on them.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Zhang Dongyan said apologetically, "Comrade Wang, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."

"It's summer now, and the installation technicians are quite busy, so you may have to wait a day or two longer."

Waiting another day or two? That's not what Wang Chengpeng wants to see.

With a slight frown, he spoke to Zhang Dongyan, "Saleswoman, I've bought so many things, could you please be a little more accommodating and speed things up for us so we can get them delivered this afternoon?"

Zhang Dongyan looked troubled and said, "Comrade Wang, your request is very reasonable, but we really can't spare any manpower right now."

"Please understand our difficulties. Don't worry, I will urge the installer to solve your problem as soon as he has time."

Wang Chengpeng pulled out another ten-yuan note from his bag and said, "..."
"Salesperson, I understand your difficulties."

"How about this, could you ask my supervisor if he could make an exception and let me work overtime?"

“I won’t let my master work for nothing. Consider this ten yuan as my overtime pay for him.”

Upon hearing Wang Chengpeng's request, Zhang Dongyan looked troubled, as it seemed somewhat against the rules.

After hesitating for a moment, she decided to do as Wang Chengpeng instructed.

Wang Chengpeng brought them such a large business deal and was willing to pay a high price, yet they wouldn't even help them inquire about it. This was really a bit too heartless.

After a brief phone conversation, Zhang Dongyan quickly brought Wang Chengpeng some good news:

"Comrade Wang, good news, the installation technician has agreed."

"Let me double-check your address one last time, and I guarantee I'll deliver and install it for you today."

(End of this chapter)