The Fitter Master in the Courtyard: Surrounded by Dead Men

Yang Ping stopped in a deserted narrow alley, quietly stored his bicycle away, and then walked towards the market on foot.

A brand-new bicycle would be too conspicuous in this place, and in such a mixed community, it would be inevitable that some cunning people would covet it. Not wanting to cause any trouble, he simply hid his valuables.

The men watching him at the intersection ignored him, engrossed in chatting and smoking cigarettes, their conversation revolving around which girl in the brothel was the most attractive, their spittle flying as they spoke.

It was past 3 a.m., the busiest time of day in the market.

A narrow alley, several hundred meters long, was packed with stalls, numbering at least several hundred. Scattered figures moved among the stalls, and hushed conversations could be heard.

Yang Ping focused his senses and discovered that dozens of assassins were hiding in this place.

He wasn't in a hurry to find them; instead, he strolled leisurely through the market.

This place sells everything: from bicycles and radios to grains; jewelry, antiques, and even gleaming guns are all openly displayed on rags or straw mats, a dazzling array that exudes a rustic charm.

After looking around, I didn't see anything I particularly needed.

Just as he was about to turn around, a figure wrapped in rags suddenly came into his line of sight.

The person was wrapped in gray strips of cloth from head to toe, with only her eyes showing—but Yang Ping recognized her immediately.

It is Xu Banxia.

He never expected to meet her here.

A young woman, all alone, dared to venture into a place teeming with men, where double-crossing was a common occurrence.

That's quite audacious.

The night was as dark as ink, and the market quietly awoke in this darkness.

That one "black"

The word is not only because it only begins in the dark of night, but also because of the unseen claws and traps lurking all around.

If you accidentally leave a trace while walking here and are spotted by eyes in the shadows, you might not even be able to catch your last breath.

Especially in these years when the fighting is still going strong.

At the same moment he looked at Xu Banxia, ​​Xu Banxia's gaze also fell on him.

Xu Banxia recognized Yang Ping, her brows furrowed slightly, and then a misty red mist spread across her eyes.

Seeing Yang Ping was like a fine needle unexpectedly piercing an old wound in her memory—she thought of Liu Guangqi.

She waited at the agreed-upon place for a whole day and night. The morning mist dissipated and dusk fell, but the person never appeared.

The last spark of hope finally died out. She wiped her face and left without looking back.

Yang Ping did not say anything.

He turned his head to look at the figure squatting behind a nearby stall and asked:

"Comrade Wei, how's business today?"

That was one of his men, named Wei Laosi, so you could ask directly without worrying about getting a cold shoulder.

"It's alright."

However, I sell white pears, which aren't as sought-after as those selling meat and vegetables.

Wei Laosi rubbed his hands together and answered in a low voice.

Yang Ping nodded slightly.

In these days of scarcity, necessities like meat, vegetables, rice, and noodles are naturally the most sought-after items, and they're always gone as soon as they're put on the shelves.

Fruits and the like are ultimately just idle items that can't fill an empty stomach, so fewer people buy them.

"Do you recognize that girl over there?"

He asked again.

"A new face, they just arrived yesterday."

She didn't sell many items, and I didn't see her partnering with anyone.

I just received word... someone's watching her, and they know she's a girl.

Wei Laosi glanced in Xu Banxia's direction and lowered his voice even further.

It seems that the stall owners in this market have their own circles, and the slightest thing can spread like wildfire.

When you're alone, you're bound to be bullied; but when you're in a group, others will always think twice before taking action against you.

"What are you doing?!"

A short, startled scream suddenly broke the noise.

Xu Banxia's exclamation pierced the air, and before the last note had faded, Yang Ping had already turned his head in response.

A few steps away, a middle-aged man with loose skin grabbed Xu Banxia's arm and pulled her up from the ground.

Three shadows stood beside the man, making a total of four people, blocking the way like a wall.

"Little girl, you dare to venture here all by yourself, you've got guts."

The middle-aged man grinned, his smile carrying an ulterior motive. "Follow us, and from now on, no one will dare to touch you in this Dongdan area."

The surrounding crowd only glanced at it briefly before looking away.

It's better to avoid trouble than to get involved; this is the simplest survival wisdom in chaotic times.

Anyone could see that once this young woman was surrounded by that so-called "693" group of dozens of men...

What would it be like to be wrapped up like that?

"Comrade Yang,"

Wei Laosi lowered his voice and asked, "Should we intervene?"

"Tube."

Yang Ping's words were brief and without hesitation: "Bring the person over."

Even setting aside his relationship with Xu Banxia, ​​he couldn't just stand by and watch a woman fall into trouble.

"—Let go!"

Wei Laosi suddenly stood up and shouted.

The seven or eight men around him also stood up and silently gathered together, forming a silent barrier.

"Wei Laosi,"

The middle-aged man—Cao Danian—frowned, his fleshy face twitching, and asked, "What business is it of yours?"

"I'll protect this girl."

Old Master Wei refused to budge an inch.

"What, are you bullying us because we outnumber you?"

Cao Danian's eyes blazed with fury.

"Cao Danian, Wei Laosi is my brother."

A voice interrupted.

The crowd parted, and a short, stocky man emerged, barely five feet tall, yet exuding a heavy aura.

Cao Danian's face suddenly darkened.

He stared at the short man for a moment, puffed out his cheeks, and finally released his grip on Xu Banxia.

"unlucky."

He spat under his breath, then turned and left.

Seeing this, the other three hurriedly followed.

With the danger temporarily averted, the short, stocky man stroked his neatly trimmed mustache and strolled toward Yang Ping, a familiar smile spreading across his face.

"Comrade Yang."

"Black Comrade".

Yang Ping nodded slightly in response.

Yang Ping responded.

The man standing next to him, codenamed Black Rat, was a long-time undercover boss in the Dongdan area. He collected money from street vendors for stalking them, and his influence was so deep that no business owner on the street dared to disobey him.

"Comrade Black Rat, let's find a quiet place to talk."

Yang Ping glanced at the bustling crowd around him and felt that this was not the place to discuss business.

"You can just call me Black Rat, don't be so formal."

The black rat grinned.

"Okay, Black Rat."

Yang Ping nodded and followed the other person's footsteps, turning into a narrow alley next to them.

As soon as the two left, the stall owners returned to their seats, and the sounds of buying and selling goods rose again, restoring the bustling rhythm of the market.

Wei Laosi moved closer to Xu Banxia and lowered his voice:

"Girl, from now on, when you set up and pack up your stall, come with me."

I've got your back.

He noticed that Yang Ping treated this girl differently, so he thought he would help her out and let her live a more peaceful life in this area.

Otherwise, it would be too difficult for a single woman to establish herself in the chaotic and shady world of the city.

"it is good."

Xu Banxia responded softly.

She knew in her heart that without someone to rely on, it would be almost impossible to make a living by setting up a stall here.

Her gaze followed the alleyway, but Yang Ping's figure was already out of sight.

She hadn't expected that this person had such deep roots in the shadows, that a casual remark could provoke someone like Black Rat to take action.

If it weren't for him, I probably would have been in trouble long ago.

Thinking of this, Xu Banxia felt a surge of gratitude.

If she has the chance in the future, she will definitely thank him properly.

As for that inexplicable annoyance from before, it has long since vanished without a trace.

The entanglement that arose because Liu Guangqi was beaten is now a thing of the past. Now that Liu Guangqi has also left her world, this relationship has come to a complete end.

She felt a sense of relief, as if she had unloaded a burden she had carried for a long time, and could now wholeheartedly pursue her path to wealth.

A legendary businesswoman who would one day amass a fortune settled down in Dongdan.

She will sprout and grow from here, eventually reaching the pinnacle of the world.

The gaze shifted to Yang Ping's side.

He followed the black rat to a large courtyard nearby.

"Comrade Yang, this is where my men are staying. They've all gone out to keep watch, so there's no one in the yard."

Black Rat led the way while explaining things.

Without stopping, he walked straight through the backyard and headed towards a side room next to the main house.

Yang Ping followed him inside.

This is a two-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), with only two courtyards, front and back. Compared to the large courtyard where Yang Ping lived, it seemed much cramped.

Upon entering the side room, Yang Ping made no attempt to be polite and found a chair to sit down.

Black Rat brewed some tea and brought it over, asking, "Comrade Yang, what brings you here today?"

"I'm here to see if there's any reliable way to make money."

Yang Ping got straight to the point.

Asking others might not yield any results, but asking Black Rat, this local bigwig, might provide some clues.

"Comrade Yang, you certainly don't lack ways to make money."

The black rat replied, "The difficulty lies in transportation."

There are many places outside the city where there are scarce goods that can be brought in and sold for a high price, but how to get them in is a real headache.

He knew the situation inside and outside the city of Beijing like the back of his hand, and knew that those peddlers had worked hard to bring their goods from the countryside to the city to sell.

Once the transportation problem is solved, the path to wealth will naturally broaden.

But right now, transportation is precisely the most troublesome issue.

Not only are the roads bumpy and difficult to travel, but getting a truck is also a huge expense. And having money alone is not enough; you also need to have solid connections.

Upon hearing this, Yang Ping frowned.

This is indeed a very difficult problem.

He currently has a system space of 1,000 square meters, which allows him to take the entire batch of goods with him once he arrives at the destination.

He just didn't want to travel back and forth like that; it was too exhausting.

After pondering for a moment, he brought up the interface of the system's training mall and browsed it carefully, trying to find an easier way.

【Shared System Space Function: Allows you to choose any "dead body" to share and use the system space together.】

Activation fee: 10 yuan!

A line of text suddenly came into view.

Upon seeing this feature, his eyes lit up immediately—if he could share the system space, many problems would naturally be solved.

"Black Rat, I'm sharing my system space with you. Could you help me transport the goods into the city and sell them?"

Yang Ping asked.

"No problem, Comrade Yang."

Having system space makes things so much more convenient. It even has a preservation function, so things won't spoil, and it won't attract attention.

Black Rat couldn't hide his excitement and answered repeatedly.

The system space can solve many problems: it prevents damage from bumps and knocks during transportation, its preservation function keeps goods fresh for a long time, it leaves no trace when entering the city, it can take as much as it wants to sell, and it is impossible to trace the goods even after they are sold.

It's practically a magic weapon tailor-made for this industry.

"Okay, then I'll go see Old Yan tomorrow and ask him for 100,000 yuan."

Yang Ping made a decision.

He doesn't have that much cash on hand right now, but Yan Hancheng is a well-connected jeweler, so getting him to transfer 100,000 yuan shouldn't be too difficult.

"become!"

The black rat rubbed its hands together, eager to try.

With the system space available, he was finally able to unleash his full potential and get things done.

In fact, he had long coveted the business of those vendors, but he knew that they earned their money through hard work, and his own men couldn't carry the goods back and forth, so he had never gotten involved.