Chapter 32: The Final Verdict

As Wu Bei’s words fell, he lit a cigarette for himself.

Though he had never done business before, having been subtly influenced by his father from a young age, Wu Bei had developed his own knack for reading people and sizing them up.

When forming a team, the first condition is always willingness; only then do interests come into play.

“I’m in...” Luo Hou raised his hand carelessly.

“What are you agreeing to? Got money?” Qi Jinlong shoved Luo Hou aside with an elbow, licking his lips as he said, “Brother Wu, how much do we need? Don’t laugh, but I only have a few thousand to my name.”

“I’m not exactly flush either!” Wang Shun blushed and forced a dry laugh.

Wu Bei had anticipated their reactions from the start and responded straightforwardly, “I’ll put up the bulk of the money. You each prepare twenty thousand to invest, no problem, right?”

“Let’s do it!”

“I’ll go raise the money right now!”

Qi Jinlong and Wang Shun exchanged a glance and answered loudly in unison.

“Then prepare your shares; we’ll touch base by phone tonight.”

With the big plan set, Wu Bei issued the orders directly.

After a moment, the guys parted ways in the market.

Glancing at Luo Hou trailing behind, Wu Bei smirked and asked, “What are you planning to do?”

Luo Hou gave a sly grin, winking, “Brother, why don’t you just lend me fifty thousand first?”

“Why don’t you just take my last name from now on? You’re not treating me like a brother—you’re treating me like a father!” Wu Bei laughed in resignation.

Though he joked, through their brief interaction, Wu Bei found himself quite fond of this carefree fellow. To him, Luo Hou was just a playful child; once he found his way home, he might very well become a dragon diving into the sea.

“No money? Then chip in with effort. Today, figure out how to register the company and handle all the related paperwork for me!”

Wu Bei tossed all the cash he had to Luo Hou, then instructed him to meet at Uncle Ren’s gatehouse.

Soon, Wu Bei was alone, strolling lazily toward a modest house not far from the market.

The house stood alone across the street, looking worn and dilapidated.

It must have been a small warehouse built in the early days before the market grew large. With the standardization of shops, such small storages naturally fell out of use over time.

Wu Bei had set his eyes on this place right when he arrived at the market; it was perfect for renting as a base for a loading and unloading company.

Standing before the rusty iron gate, Wu Bei called softly.

“Woof woof woof...”

Dogs barked immediately from inside the yard.

“Who are you looking for?”

A clear female voice came from behind.

Wu Bei turned his head and was surprised to see the same grandmother and granddaughter he’d noticed earlier in the market, gathering vegetable leaves.

The elderly woman was in her sixties, kind-faced, while the girl was around eighteen or nineteen, with short hair and a round face. When she spoke, two adorable little tiger teeth showed as she scrutinized Wu Bei with her big, round eyes.

Wu Bei smiled and asked, “May I ask if you are the owners here?”

“What do you want to hit?” The girl raised her eyebrows warily, clutching a woven bag as if Wu Bei intended to snatch her hard-earned vegetable scraps.

Wu Bei was confused. Beauty, do you speak Mandarin?

“I’m speaking Mandarin,” the girl said, frowning slightly, clearly a bit impatient. “What exactly do you want?”

Only after listening did Wu Bei realize she wasn’t insulting him; he couldn’t help but laugh and pointed at the house, asking, “Is this place for rent?”

“Yes! Our house here is very good,” the grandmother quickly unlocked the iron lock and warmly invited, “Come in and see, it’s quite spacious inside.”

As soon as the door opened, a gray poodle dashed out with a snarl, and the girl hurriedly caught the dog, showering it with kisses and caresses.

Wu Bei followed the grandmother into the small courtyard.

The first things to catch his eye were neatly stacked piles of cardboard and plastic bottles, showing that although the grandmother and granddaughter lived modestly, they kept everything clean.

There were three small warehouses, totaling less than thirty square meters; one served as their living quarters, while two remained vacant.

After some conversation, Wu Bei learned they were from Mountain City.

The girl’s surname was Xu, and her name was Eleven. Years ago, Eleven’s father bought this warehouse in Chong Market for business, but after a traffic accident, the grandfather and granddaughter settled locally.

The rent was very reasonable, and Wu Bei was quite satisfied with the location, so he immediately decided to pay two years’ rent on the spot.

“Woof woof woof...”

Perhaps due to the presence of a stranger, the little gray poodle grew restless in the girl’s arms.

“Yuan Dan, no barking. Guo Guo is a good person,” the girl quickly calmed the dog and gave Wu Bei a sweet smile.

“Ring ring ring...”

Just then, Wu Bei’s phone rang. Seeing it was Su Qing, he hurried to the side to answer.

He harbored considerable affection for this helpful young nurse.

“Are you done with your business?” Su Qing asked softly.

Wu Bei joked, “Whatever you need, just say the word.”

“Regarding Uncle Wu’s refund, let’s discuss it in person.”

“Alright, I’ll come to the hospital to see you right away!”

After hanging up, Wu Bei immediately frowned. He could clearly sense Su Qing’s coldness toward him—she was like a completely different person compared to earlier that morning...