Chapter 67: Overnight Fortune

Nearly twelve thousand subscription certificates.

At 8,500 yuan each, a quick calculation reveals a value exceeding one hundred million! In 1992, even veteran employees at state-owned enterprises only earned two or three hundred a month. A hundred million—such a figure was astronomical. After the completion of this subscription certificate transaction, Chai Jin’s net worth would undoubtedly place him among the elite in the country.

Among these elites were people like Mu Qizhong from Sichuan and Wang Shi from Shenzhen. At this stage, they were all playing with numbers ordinary people could scarcely imagine. Yet compared to them, Chai Jin was extraordinarily low-key. He understood better than anyone the old saying: “The shot targets the bird that sticks out.” He had no interest in becoming the headline of any newspaper.

“But once this gets out, my brother here will make waves across the nation—there’s no doubt about it!” Cai Weiqiang stood outside, his mind repeating this one thought. A faint surge of excitement began to stir within him.

After Cai Weiqiang received a definite answer, Li Dongshan immediately grabbed his brick-sized mobile phone and made a call. They waited for over two hours. Then, they left the black market one by one.

The black market was a place where all manner of people gathered; clearly not the ideal spot for such a large transaction. The venue was chosen by Chai Jin: a modest rented room. The alley was as usual, filled with elderly men and women carrying baskets for groceries. The old man at the corner shop, upon seeing Chai Jin and Fang Yi appear, greeted them with a smile.

“You two kids, I thought you’d left Zhonghai already. How come you haven’t been back in so many days? Come eat at my place at noon—I’ll ask my wife to make a few extra dishes.”

Though the alley was simple, it was full of warmth and humanity. It was neat and tidy, with all sorts of flowers and plants grown by the elderly residents, making it pleasing to the eye. Chai Jin always felt uplifted whenever he visited.

But today, there was no time. He smiled and said, “Uncle, maybe tonight.”

“I’ll go buy groceries tonight. I feel bad always eating your food,” he added.

Fang Yi smiled too. “We’ve freeloaded so many times—let me treat you.”

The old man chuckled. “You’re too polite. It’s hard being away from home.”

“Well, you go ahead and take care of your business. I’ll get ready for tonight.”

With laughter, they parted ways at the entrance and went upstairs. Not long after, Brother Gang led more than twenty men upstairs. The old man in the shop watched them go, puzzled, scratching his head.

“Why are there so many dubious-looking people here? I hope they aren’t here to trouble little Chai and his friends,” he muttered, a bit worried.

Soon, a van appeared at the mouth of the alley, followed by a convoy. The people who got out were all well-dressed, like employees from a major company. Then, armed security guards stepped out of the van, formed a perimeter around the vehicles, and watched the passersby vigilantly, allowing no one to approach. The company employees also went into the building one after another.

The old man was even more bewildered. “What’s going on? Our alley has never been so lively.” He looked up at the building, mystified. He had no idea that the wealth hidden in that small room upstairs could buy up half the houses on the block!

Upstairs, Li Dongshan entered and stared at the subscription certificates Chai Jin laid out in the living room, his eyes wide with shock. He immediately ordered his staff to check their authenticity.

This process was long and meticulous. After more than an hour, the staff looked up and nodded. Li Dongshan let out a deep breath and was noticeably more respectful toward Chai Jin.

He reached out with a wry smile. “Who would have guessed the biggest hoarder of Zhonghai subscription certificates is you?”

“Mr. Chai, I apologize for my rudeness earlier.”

Chai Jin smiled, shaking his hand. “Your reaction was perfectly reasonable. If I were in your place, I would have doubted too.”

“So, can we proceed with the transaction now?”

“Of course,” Li Dongshan replied, smiling. “I brought the boxes—we’ll watch together as the certificates are placed in them, and you’ll hold onto them first.”

“The money is in the car outside. Once you check the cash in the vehicle and confirm it’s all there, you can hand us the certificates and take the car away.”

Chai Jin nodded, then signaled to Brother Gang. Liu Qingwen and Brother Gang carried the boxes downstairs together.

As they descended, Fang Yi looked at Chai Jin and suddenly felt a sense of awe. Clearly, they had already been shocked by the certificates before Li Dongshan arrived. Cai Weiqiang was similarly silent, saying not a word.

Downstairs, the old man wanted to greet them, but seeing how busy Chai Jin was, he refrained.

When the van doors opened, a young man with a perm happened to walk by, accompanied by a few companions, swearing as they went. Spotting Chai Jin, he suddenly became enraged.

“That bastard! He shoved my head into a trash can last time—guys, help me get some payback!”

He rolled up his sleeves, ready to charge over.

This was the trendy young man Chai Jin had dealt with during a phone call days earlier. Yet, just as he rushed forward, his companion pulled him back.

“Are you blind? Look how many people they’ve got—we’re just a handful!”

The perm-haired youth paused, quickly regaining his composure. He squatted nearby to observe.

After a while, the van was opened again. Cai Weiqiang jumped out and spoke with Chai Jin. The group glanced inside and were stunned.

“It’s all cash!”

Seeing Chai Jin with his mobile phone, the perm-haired youth could hardly believe his eyes.

“A few months ago, this guy was queuing up to use the public phone—now he’s got a big mobile! Could all that money really be his?”

The group was dumbfounded.

After some time, Chai Jin shook hands with Li Dongshan again, smiling.

“Pleasure doing business. You keep your word—the money checks out.”

Li Dongshan smiled back. “We northerners do business with integrity. We wouldn’t cheat on this amount.”

“Let’s all prosper together. It’s getting late—I need to report to my boss.”

The secretary handed the car keys to Chai Jin, who smiled and said, “Farewell, until we meet again.”

He walked towards the car, but Li Dongshan suddenly called out, “By the way, my boss wanted me to ask your name.”

Chai Jin waved him off. “Brother Cai’s rules—we never ask each other’s names.”

“If fate permits, I’ll meet your boss.”

With that, he climbed into the car.

Li Dongshan gave a wry smile and got into his own vehicle. The security guards, hired by Li Dongshan and carrying firearms, were dismissed by Brother Gang’s group—Chai Jin clearly didn’t trust them.

After getting in, they drove the car into another alley.

Beside him, Cai Weiqiang said, “Better call the bank first. With this much cash, it’s safest to have them send an escort. Dragging this through the streets isn’t secure.”