Chapter Fifty-Two: The Cunning Mouse

  Because Xiang Yu's car wasn't bought, so the 5 million in my hands hasn't been used much. But if I take out 2.4 million to bear this risk, whether I make a profit or loss later is not important, the remaining money might not be enough for those people's annual expenses.

  I figured it out, the Yue family army has 300 people, but they only need to be provided with food and drink, even if each person is only given two steamed buns and a salted vegetable every day, they will not complain. In fact, they can now eat their fill of rice and noodles every day, and even get to eat pork slaughtered by the locals, their sense of happiness has reached an all-time high. This can be seen from how they instinctively stand at attention when I walk in front of them. I estimate that if I continue to support them for another two months, although they won't become the "Xiao family army", it shouldn't be a problem to ask them for some small favors - isn't my wedding with Baozi coming up soon? I plan to lead these 300 people to get married, our local customs are quite cruel, especially on the day of the wedding, the groom has to endure all sorts of hardships. Without a dozen or so strong young men, you can't even enter the bride's house. With these 300 people, I'm not afraid. I don't believe that Baozi's family door is more secure than the city gate of Jiankang (Nanjing).

  On the contrary, it's those 54 good men who are giving me a headache. They're being treated like nobility with bandit-like behavior. I don't know where Liu Lao Liu got the money to spoil them so much. On their first day here, they were already dissatisfied because they couldn't get single rooms. Then at dinner, they complained about not having enough wine and meat. A few of the cavalry leaders, who hadn't ridden horses for a long time, suddenly had an urge to ride, so they ran to the countryside to look for some, but all they could find was an old donkey from a peasant's home, which they rented for 20 yuan per hour just to satisfy their craving.

  Zhang Shun and Ruan Xiao'er, Ruan Xiaowu didn't need to say that they were searching everywhere for water, but they only found a ditch with water in it. The water was still quite clear, just a bit shallow, and when someone lay down at the bottom of the ditch, their back wasn't even wet.

  Luckily, Yun Long Gong Sun Sheng didn't come. Otherwise, even if he could fly, with the current severe air pollution, flying up in the sky would still turn his lungs into a white ant nest.

  Moreover, the original work doesn't mention that there is another general on Mount Liang who is quite popular among the villagers, because the bus from the village to the city stops at 7 o'clock. These people complain: except for Dai Zong, we don't even have a nightlife anymore.

  In my eyes, these are not 54 good men, but rather 54 big rats.

  So, if I do this 24 million business, I must think of a way to make the remaining 20 million earn more money, because even with 50 million, there will still be a time when I'll run out of money. By next year, when the next batch of clients come, I won't be able to rely on hitting rich people with bricks to get living expenses anymore.

  As Jing Ke and I just walked into the alley, a man hiding behind a trash can for a long time suddenly shouted loudly when we passed by him: "There is killing aura!"

  It was a close call that didn't scare me to death. At the same time, Jing Ke suddenly turned his head and shouted: "Who is it?"

  I thought it was those recruiters trying to trick me, so I took out a brick from my bag and stood in a night battle eight-way brick hiding style. After taking a closer look, I saw that the small street was empty with no one in sight.

  At this time, the man behind the trash can turned out, ran to Jing Ke's side with enthusiasm, held his hand, and then the two fools laughed together - it was Zhao Baitian, that crazy guy who walked especially gently.

  I pointed with my hand and said: "Ke Zi, from now on, play with him less, we are good classmates!"

  ……

  The next day, I had been eagerly awaiting Chen Kejiao's arrival. I wanted to humiliate her, make her blush, and discipline her... I thought about it all night, thinking of many vicious words, even in my dreams, I was sneering coldly. Qin Shi Huang and Xiang Yu were laughed at by me until they couldn't sleep all night, the two of them sat side by side on the bed, Qin Shi Huang pointed at me and said: "This coward, you must have done a lot of wrong things in your previous life."

  My purpose is simple, I just want Chen Kejiao to know that she can't have it both ways, taking advantage of me and still acting like a paying customer. Most importantly, she can't praise me to my face: "Wow, Brother Qiang is so impressive!" and then curse me behind my back: "You're as cunning as a ghost, I'll make you drink the water I used to wash my feet..."

  Of course, in the end I will say with a broad mind: forget it, since we have all promised you, let's sign. Chen Kejiao heard this and was overwhelmed with emotions, so she bowed her head and... no, she undressed!

  I was already wandering around the pawnshop hall early in the morning, waiting for her to come. The buns going to work asked anxiously: "Qiangzi, has your hemorrhoids relapsed again?"

  At 10:01, a well-dressed man walked into my pawnshop. He shook hands with me as if we were familiar, then sat down across from me and pulled out a large stack of documents from his bag. I looked at him, feeling like I had seen him before, but couldn't quite place his name, stuck in a state of being tongue-tied. He glanced at me, seeming to understand the problem, and smiled, saying: "Manager Xiao may have forgotten me already, my surname is Chen..."

  I remember, Assistant Chen, the person who sold me the wind bottle, as soon as I saw him, it brought back my bitter past. Ever since I witnessed what happened to that wind bottle at the hands of Er Sha, I have been deeply disgusted with blowing air. On Baozi's birthday, I didn't even blow out the candles.

  What's good about this guy coming? I shook hands with him warmly and asked, "Is there anything Mr. Chen wants me to do?"

  "Oh, I see..." He placed the stack of documents in front of me: "It's about the matter you and Ms. Chen Kejiao negotiated yesterday, I brought all the files today."

  I exclaimed in surprise: "You're actually a family? Are you her brother or sister?"

  "Hehe, I'm just Mr. Chen's private assistant."

  I suddenly said, "Chen is a bestowed surname, right? What was your original surname?" I didn't mean any harm by saying this, it's just that in the past many wealthy families' slaves only had the privilege of taking their master's surname if they were particularly favored, like Yang Guozhong, He Xun, and Hua Taishi.

  Chen's assistant had an unpleasant expression on his face and forced a smile: "Manager Xiao, don't joke around, it was just a coincidence."

  I also felt that my unintentional mistake was a bit hurtful, so I quickly entered the topic with him. This Assistant Chen may seem to speak in a hypocritical and insincere tone, but when it comes to handling matters, he is very efficient. He listed out all the relevant documents and certificates of the bar one by one, and explained the situation clearly in just a few words. Now as long as I bring over the pawnshop's documents for signing, this deal will be considered done.

  But I haven't humiliated Chen Kejia yet!

  I placed one hand on my chest, the other in a gesture of dusting off, and said with an air of omniscience: "Your Miss Chen was quite shrewd to entrust the store to me during this period..." Before I could continue, Assistant Chen interrupted: "Ah, Manager Xiao, that 20 million yuan worth of wind chime didn't break in the earthquake, did it? Alas, we had no idea an earthquake would occur, or else we wouldn't have taken such a huge risk by investing with you - even though we only sold it to you for 2 million."

  What they mean is clear: investing comes with risks, wanting to make money but afraid of taking risks, what's the point of even opening a pawnshop.

  And this Mr. Chen also reminded me in his words, he knows exactly how much that bottle is worth, but he's bringing up old matters to humiliate me, make me feel ashamed, and teach me a lesson: don't take advantage of the situation and act smart, while eating his tofu I still have to make him think I'm a paying customer, can't say it to his face but scold behind my back: spare you being cunning like a ghost, just drink Xiaoqiang's foot washing water...