Chapter 30: The Plan

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The group quickly retreated after exiting the lottery shop.
It was only because Wu Bei had seized the initiative that they had succeeded; had the opposition reacted in time, with over a dozen people attacking at once, even if he could have escaped unscathed, he certainly would not have come out of it without a scratch.
Even with his military background and specialized training, he was, after all, still within the realm of an ordinary man.
The group walked with hurried steps, each lost in their own thoughts, especially Qi Jinlong, who looked as vacant as if he had lost his soul.
Wu Bei and Wang Shun took off their outer shirts, letting Qi Jinlong and Luo Hou tie them around their waists. It looked strange, but at least it made them less conspicuous.
"Why don't we go to my place first?" the honest Wang Shun suggested softly, noticing that everyone was not in a good state of mind as he took the travel bag from Qi Jinlong.
Luo Hou and Qi Jinlong said nothing; they were homeless anyway.
Wu Bei had no objections either. With his grandfather missing, he felt unmoored and adrift, completely without direction.
They hailed a taxi and set off.
Wang Shun’s home was in the Congtai District, considered part of the old town of Chongzhou. It was a self-built three-story building that had clearly seen better days; except for the second floor, the rest of the rooms were rented out.
"I usually live alone. My sister is away at college and only comes back during winter and summer breaks, so it’s a bit messy," Wang Shun said, leading everyone inside while hurriedly and sheepishly clearing away underwear and socks scattered about, before washing some fruit for his guests.
"Where are your parents?"

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Looking at the family portrait on the main wall of the living room, Luo Hou asked out of curiosity.
A shadow passed over Wang Shun’s eyes, but he forced a smile and said, "They’re gone. Now I’m a man who eats alone and has no family to worry about, heh..."
Wu Bei nudged his chin and said, "Shun, go find them some clothes."
After the skirmish at the lottery shop, Wu Bei had naturally become the leader of this small circle, and everyone was instinctively willing to follow his lead. Perhaps this was what they called charisma—some people were simply born to take the lead.
While Wang Shun was in the bedroom, Wu Bei glared at Luo Hou and warned, "Talk less, and don't go poking your nose into things you shouldn't."
"Brother Wu, thank you for today! Don't worry, I will definitely pay back the hundred thousand I took," Qi Jinlong said, biting his lip and bowing his fists toward Wu Bei.
Wu Bei didn't respond to that, asking instead as if making casual conversation, "What are your plans now?"
"I don't know," Qi Jinlong replied, shaking his head in confusion.
He had dropped out of school in his teens to drift through the underworld. Over the years, he had neither built any significant connections nor saved any real money. Though he was a street thug, he had spent years managing the lottery shop for his boss, living a life more routine than an average office worker. Suddenly out of a job, he was truly at a loss.
Wu Bei tilted his head toward Luo Hou. "What about you? When do you plan on paying me back?"
Luo Hou’s face turned red to the roots of his hair. He touched the tip of his nose in embarrassment and said, "I'll give it to you as soon as I get home, but I really can't go back right now."
Wu Bei had anticipated this answer from the start. If he wasn't mistaken, Luo Hou was the type of rich kid raised under strict discipline; having finally found a chance to "run away from home," he wouldn't go back easily.

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"I don't usually buy many clothes, so just make do with these," Wang Shun said as he walked out of the bedroom holding two tank tops.
Wu Bei lit a cigarette, his gaze fixed on Wang Shun. "I’ve always been curious: is the vegetable delivery work outsourced, or are the workers hired directly by the shop owners?"
"There’s no such thing as outsourcing. Most are just hourly workers paid by the day. It’s not just the vegetable shops; the meat and dry goods stores in the agricultural market are the same. If the business is small, the owner delivers it themselves; if it's busy, they hire temp workers. I only get a monthly salary because my cousin is the manager of the vegetable shop," Wang Shun replied with a simple, honest smile.
Wu Bei nodded, his mind racing.
With nothing to do at the moment, and with Qi Jinlong and the others seemingly just drifting about, why not make use of the available manpower and start something of their own?
Qi Jinlong held his water cup and said in a low voice, "I know a little about the rules at the agricultural market. There are intermediary agencies that organize hourly workers, and there are truck rental companies. Whoever needs help hires them, and they seem to take a thirty-yuan commission from each worker. It’s quite profitable!"
Wu Bei asked curiously, "Why isn't there a specialized loading and unloading company?"
"High investment, slow return. The people working as temps are unreliable; some just want quick money, others work for three days and rest for two, so it's hard to keep them steady," Qi Jinlong thought for a moment before answering. "Plus, there are the delivery trucks. If you buy them yourself, the capital cost is high; if you rent, you have to put down a deposit."
Qi Jinlong added, "The main thing is that people with enough money to invest in this business don't care for those small profits."
"Oh..."
Wu Bei nodded meaningfully, a glint of determination in his eyes. He stubbed out his cigarette and stood up. "Let's go. Let's head to the agricultural market and take a look..."