Chapter Ten: Stolen Car

Old Song was still sitting at the door when Zheng Qiuying hurried over and asked, “Uncle, where did Qin Jing go? Why isn’t anyone here?”

Old Song remembered Zheng Qiuying well—after all, she was strikingly beautiful—but he sensed trouble in her arrival. He lowered his voice and said, “He’s gone to find you a warehouse and arrange logistics. A hundred thousand jin of waste paper isn’t something you can move overnight. What’s the matter? Are you backing out now? Let me tell you, girl, Qin’s price is a bit high, but you two already made the deal. If you go back on it now, you’re really putting him in a tough spot.”

“Old Song, what’s going on? Sounds like you’re saying Qin tricked someone?” someone nearby interjected with a tone of glee. The sisters were so eye-catching that many were paying attention, and upon hearing Old Song’s words, people naturally butted in, eager for drama.

“Go on, mind your own business,” Old Song waved them off, though he too thought Qin’s price for the waste paper was steep and feared there might be trouble ahead.

Just as Old Song was about to put in a good word for Qin, Zheng Qiuyin waved her hand and declared, “Uncle, there’s been a misunderstanding. We’re here to go through with the transaction. If Qin’s having trouble finding a warehouse, as the buyer, I can help with that. Do you know where he is now?”

Her words left everyone dumbfounded.

“Are clients like this even real?” many looked on with suspicion.

Old Song was surprised, too. He quickly took out his phone, contacted Qin Jing, got his location, and relayed the information to the two sisters.

“Thank you, Uncle. We’ll head over now. Don’t worry—Qin Jing is very reliable, and my sister appreciates him. We’ll definitely see this deal through,” Zheng Qiuyin assured Old Song as they left.

“Wow, what a gentle lady! Old Song, what’s her relationship with Qin Jing?” someone sidled up as soon as the sisters were gone, staring eagerly at Old Song.

Pleased, Old Song boasted that these were Qin Jing’s clients. Hadn’t Qin just stockpiled a huge batch of waste paper? And they were willing to pay two yuan a jin for it, taking a hundred thousand jin in one go!

Many in Erdaozi Alley were stunned. They were all small-time scrap dealers and knew the current price of waste paper. When Qin bought all that stock and prices fell, they’d mocked him plenty. But now…

“Qin really struck gold this time.”

“Those Miss Zhengs are just too nice—beautiful and well-spoken. If only I had clients like that.”

“Does Miss Zheng need any more waste paper? When Qin gets back, I need to have a word with him…”

At that moment, Qin Jing was in an abandoned factory near Lenghai Art Academy. He put down his phone and said to the landlord beside him, “Uncle Wei, I won’t haggle with you. Just reserve this factory for me for a day. I’ll let you know for sure tomorrow, alright?”

Qin Jing was nothing if not methodical in business. Having made 1.2 million in a single morning, he wasn’t in a rush to spend it. Instead, he spent the afternoon making arrangements for Zheng Qiuying.

On one hand, Qin called several clients, saying he was still buying waste paper. He currently had just over forty thousand kilograms and needed to gather fifty thousand.

On the other hand, he came to this factory near Lenghai Art Academy. This had once been both Chen Hua’s and his own alma mater. Though he’d dropped out a year ago, he often came here for business, so he was well-known in the area.

Besides, it was close to the Songtao Villas—just ten kilometers away. Qin planned to gradually transfer the waste paper here and have Zheng Qiuying pick it up.

Uncle Wei’s full name was Wei Heping, in his forties, formerly an employee at the machinery factory. When it closed, his relatives bought the factory district for development, but plans stalled, leaving Wei Heping to look after the place.

He also ran the local scrap collection point. Qin Jing had started his “luxury goods recycling” business with Wei Heping, so they had a close relationship.

Wei Heping knew Qin had only been out hustling for less than a year. He was surprised when Qin came wanting to rent the entire factory as a warehouse. Rents in Lenghai were high—even a warehouse went for over five thousand a month.

Hearing Qin’s words, Wei Heping agreed readily, taking the pack of Zhonghua cigarettes Qin handed him. He raised his eyebrows and said, “Qin, doing well lately? Even your smokes have changed. What’s the warehouse for?”

“Uncle, why so many questions? Nothing’s set yet. I’m just doing legwork for someone else, but I’ve got a stake in it, so I need you to keep an eye on things for me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.”

“Alright, once the deal’s done, I’ll take you out for a meal.”

As they were speaking, a group of college students walked in. Wei Heping put down his work, glanced over, and whispered to Qin Jing, “You stay here. I’ll go greet them.”

Both Wei Heping and Qin Jing recognized the newcomers—Hu Chaoyang, Qin’s nemesis from school. Back when Qin first started buying and selling luxury goods after getting his GDP, Hu had reported him, leading to Qin’s expulsion from the art academy.

Later, Qin heard that Hu wasn’t just the one who reported him—he’d spent considerable money and effort to pull strings. Otherwise, how could a small business on campus have led directly to expulsion?

It was from that incident that Qin learned the harsh reality of having no money or backing—no one to support you, and you couldn’t even find out how you were ousted. He’d suffered plenty.

While Qin was lost in thought, Hu Chaoyang was already explaining himself to Wei Heping outside. He was, in fact, looking for Qin, showing a photo and asking Wei to call him.

“…Old Wei, I know you’re still in touch with Qin. No need to hide it. He’s not in school anymore, so there’s no conflict. I’m here for business. The car in this photo is a top-tier used Benz. Qin’s always buying luxury goods, right? This should qualify. Send him a WeChat and have him name his price…”

Hu Chaoyang gesticulated wildly, spittle flying. Qin could hear him clearly from inside the factory and sneered—this guy, wanting to do business with him?

But in the next moment, Qin was stunned: the photo showed a used Mercedes S320, almost identical to the one he’d seen Zheng Qiuying in that morning!

Had Zheng Qiuying’s car been stolen? Was this a stolen car? Was that why Hu Chaoyang wanted him to “recycle” it? The thought sprang to Qin’s mind.

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Monday—seeking favorites and recommendation votes