Reaching an Agreement

The two of them wound past piles of waste paper boxes, wooden boards, canning jars, and other junk before finally stopping in front of a broken wooden door.

Lin Qi raised his hand and knocked. A few seconds later, the light outside the courtyard flickered twice, and he knocked again—three quick knocks, then two slow ones.

As the knocking stopped, movement sounded from behind the broken wooden door. Someone opened an iron door from inside, then pushed the wooden door open and stepped aside to let them through.

"Come in!"

Lin Qi went in first. Gu Yu gripped his kitchen knife and followed closely behind the person who had opened the door. Inside, the plaster was peeling from the walls of the large room, which had been divided in two by wooden boards, with a cloth curtain serving as a doorway.

He could not see what lay beyond the curtain at all. The front room, however, held twenty or thirty grown men. Oh, no—not all grown men. There were also several little kids whose hair had barely grown in, sitting on mats on the floor and gnawing on steamed buns.

Gu Yu frowned slightly, suppressing his doubts as he looked at the young man seated at the front. "Are you the person in charge of the black market?"

"Mm."

The man glanced at Gu Yu's hooded mask and the kitchen knife in his hand. A trace of astonishment flashed through his eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched twice before he quickly looked away and gestured toward a seat. "Please, sit."

"Thank you."

Gu Yu sat sideways on a stool by the door, ignoring the crowd's suppressed laughter. He spoke seriously. "I came here for two reasons. First, to sell gold. Second, to do business with you."

The man nodded. "How much gold do you have?"

"About one jin."

As Gu Yu spoke, he used his pocket as cover to pull out a gold bar and casually tossed it to the other man. The man caught it, weighed it in his hand, then passed it to Lin Qi beside him. "Take it to Old Li in the back and have him examine it first."

"Yes."

Lin Qi accepted the gold bar and walked behind the crowd. He lifted one corner of the cloth curtain and slipped inside.

They were quite cautious, Gu Yu thought, but he said nothing. This made the man seated in the place of honor think more highly of him. "Aren't you afraid we'll rob you?"

"Heh!"

Gu Yu sneered. "If you have the guts, then go ahead and try! If anything happens to me, within half a month, every black market in Abundant Source Town and even this whole city will be turned upside down. Do you believe that?"

"What a big mouth!"

The man sneered, his voice low. "Aren't you afraid your tongue will get twisted from bragging?"

"Whether I'm bragging or not... why not try and find out?"

Gu Yu straightened up and leaned lightly against the wall behind him, his tone calm. "Use your heads a little, and you'll know that anyone capable of getting those goods cannot have an ordinary identity."

He paused, then sighed as though helpless. "If it weren't for the fact that several sides have been holding up my goods lately and I'm short on cash, I wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of coming to the black market to sell gold!"

The implied meaning was clear: he did not care about this small amount of money. It was only because his recent businesses required too much investment and the funds had not yet returned that he had reluctantly come to sell a few gold bars for pocket money.

Naturally, everyone in the room understood. The more they thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Otherwise, if he had such profitable business, why would he come here to sell gold bars?

But on second thought, something felt wrong. Why did he not exchange them at a bank instead of selling them on the black market? Since they thought so, they asked him directly.

Gu Yu did not panic. He immediately gave them the excuse he had prepared in advance. "My family has quite a few businesses on the surface, and my family members all work in government offices. I don't want to cause them trouble."

He spoke vaguely, but everyone in the room was sharp. With a little imagination, they could come up with seven or eight reasons for him, and they all looked at Gu Yu sympathetically.

"Your family hasn't had it easy in these times either."

Gu Yu had no idea what they were thinking, so he simply went along with it. "Exactly! There are too many jealous, malicious people. My father and uncles have to guard against this and that every day, and they've worried their hair white. So I thought I'd make more money these next few years, then take them abroad to retire."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "We understand!"

Gu Yu smiled, then abruptly shifted the topic to cooperation. "I have both imported and domestic watches, and I'm not short on jewelry, grain, cooking oil, medicine, and the like either. If you want to do this business, we can talk."

The leader immediately perked up and sat straighter. "How do you want to cooperate?"

Seeing how excited he was, Gu Yu was delighted that the fish had taken the bait, though he remained calm on the surface. "Very simple. You provide the money, and I provide the goods. It depends on how much you can take at once. Or..."

"Or what?"

The leader grew impatient. "Speak plainly, brother."

"Mm."

Gu Yu smiled. "Or we invest together. After the goods are sold, we split the money according to how much each side invested. It depends on which method you prefer."

The leader did not answer. He merely gave Gu Yu a look, then called Lin Qi and several core members into the back room.

Gu Yu was in no hurry. He sat quietly against the wall, ignoring the men's scrutiny as he lowered his head to watch the children who had finished eating play with pebbles on the mat.

After a while, movement came from the back room. Gu Yu looked up and saw them return to the front room together with Lin Qi, who had taken the gold bar away. They took their seats one after another.

"We choose the second method of cooperation, but we have one request."

"Go ahead."

Gu Yu raised his chin slightly at the leader. The man nodded and continued, "This is our first time working together, so there's no way for us to know your true capabilities. After all, it isn't convenient for you to show your face."

He pointed at the hooded mask Gu Yu was wearing, then continued, "We won't force you to show your face, but nobody's money comes easy. What if you take all the money and run? Who would we even look for then?"

"So I was thinking, if your gold bars really weigh one jin, then at this purity, they can sell for around 5,600 yuan. I'll first give you 1,600 yuan for emergencies, while the other 4,000 yuan stays with me as collateral."

(Reader's note: In 1975, the price of gold was approximately 161.03 U.S. dollars per ounce, or around 6 U.S. dollars per gram. At the exchange rate of the time, 1 U.S. dollar was approximately equal to 2–4 yuan. Taking the lowest value, one jin of gold was worth around 5,600 yuan. Also, China did not officially begin using "grams" as a unit until January 1979, so the text currently uses "jin" and "liang.")

"Then, have someone deliver goods worth 4,000 yuan first. Once I see the goods, I'll immediately return the money to you."

"After the brothers sell the goods, we'll split the profits forty-sixty this time, and I'll give you an additional ten percent concession."

"After that, we'll each put up 5,000 yuan to purchase goods. The profits will still be split forty-sixty, with me taking forty and you taking sixty, but there will be no further concession. What do you think?"

"Heh!"

Gu Yu sneered and shook his head. "You really know how to calculate, don't you? You want me to let you get one free deal, and then you expect me to hand over that much profit too? Do you think I'm crazy?"

His face darkened as he stood and extended his right hand toward the other man, palm up and fingers slightly curled. "Do you still want the gold bars or not? If you do, pay me. If not, return them. Forget about the cooperation."

"Hey! We can talk this through! Why are you in such a hurry?"

Seeing that Gu Yu was angry, the leader knew his shameless request had gone too far. But he had no choice.

He had only taken over this black market less than two years ago, and he had so many brothers to support. He did not have much money on hand and had to keep some as working capital.

On top of that, the other party refused to show his face, so he could not gauge this person's true strength. He worried Gu Yu might be some petty swindler who cheated people everywhere. If he took the money and ran, where could he find him?

But he did not dare casually remove Gu Yu's mask either. He was afraid that if what Gu Yu said was true, then he really was someone powerful who could obtain goods.

If he offended such a person, not only would he lose an opportunity to make a fortune, but he might also face retaliation. Then he and all his brothers would be in deep trouble.

After thinking it over and over, he had come up with this compromise. Yet he had not expected Gu Yu to refuse and even get angry.

The leader panicked. He hurriedly tried to soothe Gu Yu. "Don't rush, brother. Let's talk things out properly. Business is negotiated! We sincerely want to work with you, but you should also consider our situation, shouldn't you?"

He looked at Gu Yu cautiously, sounding utterly aggrieved. "Look, you haven't even given us a name. We don't know whether you're black or white under that mask, and you open your mouth and ask me to hand over several thousand yuan for you to buy goods. That's hard to justify, isn't it?"

Hearing this, Gu Yu's expression softened slightly. "You have a point. I sincerely want to cooperate with you as well, but if we follow the method you proposed, my risk will be even greater."

"Then what do you suggest?"

The leader could tell that Gu Yu simply thought he had offered too little and was dissatisfied.

"Mm..."

Gu Yu did not answer immediately. He pondered for a moment before saying, "How about this? We'll still cooperate according to the method you suggested, but when it comes to the profits, I take seventy percent and you only take thirty."

"Also, for the sake of long-term development, aside from the first purchase, which I'll cover, after that we must each pay half of the purchasing funds. And the expenses for these brothers will all be paid by you, since I have people to support on my end as well."

"Fine. Let's do it that way."

The leader sighed inwardly. This man was really shrewd, but it was still better than having the deal fall through and earning nothing.

Seeing him agree, Gu Yu was pleased as well. He handed over the remaining five gold bars. "Take them and weigh them. Also, write me a note stating that the money I leave here is only a deposit for goods. Otherwise, I won't feel at ease."

The leader choked for a moment, then laughed and shook his head. "Fine! I'll write it for you."

He handed the gold bars to Lin Qi and waved his hand. Lin Qi immediately took the items and went into the back room again, while the leader found paper and pen and began carefully writing the note.

But just as he lifted his pen, he realized he still did not know Gu Yu's name. He asked, "What's your name, brother?"

Gu Yu froze for a moment, then said, "Yu Gu. Yu as in surplus, Gu as in hometown."

"Alright."

The leader picked up his pen again. In less than five minutes, he had written the note and pressed his fingerprint on it. He then handed it to Gu Yu. "Take a look and see if there's anything that needs adding."

Gu Yu reached out and accepted it. Seeing that the signature read "Zhong Ning," he silently remembered the man's name before checking the contents. Once he confirmed there were no problems, he smiled and folded the note into his pocket.

At that moment, Lin Qi returned again, carrying a thick stack of ten-yuan notes. "Brother, your gold bars weigh a total of one jin and two liang. After deducting the master's handling fee according to the rules, you get 6,750 yuan."

"Mm."

Gu Yu nodded. "Keep 4,000 yuan here. Give me the rest."

Lin Qi's heart trembled. He lowered his head to look at his boss, Zhong Ning. When Zhong Ning nodded, he hurriedly counted out 2,750 yuan and handed it over.

Gu Yu accepted the money and counted it once in front of everyone. After confirming the amount was correct, he immediately divided it between his left and right pockets, then stood up. "Within a month at most, the goods will arrive in Abundant Source Town. Use this time to think carefully about how you'll sell them. I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he did not give Zhong Ning and the others a chance to speak. He pushed the door open and left, then swiftly entered his space. By the time they came to their senses and chased outside, he had already vanished without a trace.

Lin Qi returned regretfully and asked Zhong Ning what they should do.

"What else can we do? Wait."

Zhong Ning lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair, speaking with certainty. "I believe he'll lead us down a different path. Once we make money, we'll switch to legitimate business and live properly."

After leaving the scrap station, Gu Yu changed all his clothes in the space. He then went to the post office and sent a telegram to the capital in code before buying several boxes of pastries at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Only then did he hurriedly find a place to enter his space and head toward Red Flag Commune.

Meanwhile, Shen Jianan, who was in Chaoyang Production Brigade, had not seen Gu Yu return home for a long time. Afraid that Gu Yu's unauthorized trip out would be discovered, he had no choice but to go to the brigade and ask Zhao Gang to help request sick leave.

Zhao Gang now treated him like a living Buddha, and he had even gained a little more respect for Gu Yu as a result. Hearing that Gu Yu was sick, Zhao Gang approved two days of sick leave without hesitation. "Tell him to rest well. There isn't much work right now anyway. He can return to the fields after he recovers!"

"Alright, thank you, Brigade Leader."

Shen Jianan thanked him gratefully, then asked, "Are you going to the commune later to wait for a phone call?"

"Mm!"

Zhao Gang nodded. "Zhao Hongjun and I agreed that they'd call the commune at four this afternoon. By then, he and the secretary should be done talking."

"Alright."

The youth smiled as he stood to say goodbye. "Then I won't take up any more of your time."

He then left the brigade office under the watchful eyes of the cadres and hurried home. But just as he reached the door, he heard movement inside. He was instantly excited and rushed in, only to find Gu Yu standing by the table drinking water.

The huge weight in his heart instantly lifted, and a smile blossomed across his face. "Brother Gu, you're finally back. I was so scared something had happened to you."

He quickly moved in front of Gu Yu and looked up at him. "Why did you come back so late? You didn't run into any danger, did you?"

"No."

Gu Yu shook his head and looked down. The youth's eyes were as bright as a river of stars, filled with concern for him, and his heart melted completely.

"I made a business deal with the black market people, so I was delayed."

He reached out and pulled the youth over to sit by the table, then handed him the 2,722.6 yuan from his bag. "The gold bars weighed one jin and two liang in total. After the handling fee, I got 6,750 yuan. I spent 27.4 yuan on sending the telegram and buying pastries."

Gu Yu pointed at the pastries on the table and continued, "The other 4,000 yuan was borrowed by me to do business. In two months, I'll definitely return every last bit of it..."

"You're being so formal again, aren't you!?"

Shen Jianan interrupted him, sounding unhappy. "I may have found the gold bars, but you were the one who worked hard to dig them out and take them to the black market to sell. Without you, I might not have been able to handle them safely. So this money belongs to both of us. You have every right to use it, understand?"

"Mm, I know."

Gu Yu's brows curved slightly as he looked at Shen Jianan, who had raised his chin at him. He spoke softly. "But I just want to give you all my money, including everything I earn in the future. I want you to keep it for me."

Shen Jianan's heart trembled. His face grew slightly hot, and he lowered his head awkwardly, stammering, "Y-your money, how can you give it all to me? What if, what if your future wife doesn't agree?"

"Mm."

Gu Yu gave a vague sound. Watching the youth's ears gradually redden, his gaze darkened. "I don't want a wife. I only want you. The money is yours too."

The moment he said this, Shen Jianan visibly grew even shyer. It was as if someone had splashed him with dye; his entire body turned red. "I, I..."

Gu Yu leaned closer and bent down to ask, "You what?"

Shen Jianan was startled by his sudden approach. His mind immediately turned to mush, and the words slipped out before he could stop them. "I don't know!"

A flicker of disappointment passed through Gu Yu's eyes, but he did not press the youth any further. He merely reached out to pat his head and comforted him gently. "It's alright if you don't know. It's fine."

"Mm!"

Shen Jianan let out a breath of relief. He secretly looked up at Gu Yu and, seeing him smile at him, smiled as well. "Tell me about the business deal you made?"

Gu Yu nodded. "Alright..."

At four o'clock, Zhao Gang and several other cadres at the Red Flag Commune office received Zhao Qiancheng's phone call right on time.

He was highly supportive of the brigade making hair ties and backpacks. He had already called Zhao Hongjun, his son Zhao Jianguo, and his daughter Zhao Xiufen back to help.

He then instructed Zhao Gang and the others to settle things with the Supply and Marketing Cooperative as soon as possible. At most, he would return to the brigade in another week to personally take charge of the cooperation.

"You've all worked hard during this time. Once I take over, you can all get some proper rest!"

After saying that, he hung up without giving anyone a chance to object. Zhao Gang and the others were nearly driven mad with anger. If they had not been afraid that people outside would hear and think the Red Flag Brigade was not united, they would have called back and cursed Zhao Qiancheng from head to toe.

"That shameless bastard."

Zhao Quan gritted his teeth and growled, "He wants to take advantage of everything and seize every bit of authority. Why doesn't he just become emperor?"

"Enough. Stop talking."

Zhao Gang glared at him. "Look where we are!"

He then added, "Don't worry. It won't be so easy for him to take advantage this time."

He lifted his chin toward the outside. The others immediately understood. They quickly composed themselves, followed him out of the office, thanked the commune staff, then hurried back toward the village while discussing how to deal with Zhao Qiancheng's plan to take complete control of the cooperation with the Supply and Marketing Cooperative once he returned.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hongmei, who had been on leave for several days, finally returned to Chaoyang Production Brigade. When the people at the Educated Youth Station saw her glowing face and carefully dressed appearance, they were all stunned on the spot.