Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1509 How about I repay you with my body?
Qin Hao came out of Old Master Cui's office and walked down the stairs.

Just as he reached the corner on the second floor, a figure hurried upstairs and almost bumped into him.

"Ouch—" The person looked up and it was Li Xiaozhen.

Just as Qin Hao was about to greet him, Li Xiaozhen spoke first, her tone clearly showing dissatisfaction: "Ji Qiang, was it you who gave our national the idea to go out on his own?"

Qin Hao was taken aback, thought for a moment, and nodded in acknowledgment: "It seems that's true. What's wrong, sister-in-law?"

Li Xiaozhen was immediately enraged, her voice rising eight octaves: "What else! Someone reported him for secretly doing private work, the factory verified it, and they fired him on the spot!"

Qin Hao suddenly understood. So that's why Li Xiaozhen was angry. But it's understandable; the concept of a "secure job" is still deeply ingrained in people's minds these days. State-owned enterprise workers, especially technicians, have jobs that everyone envies. Cui Guomin has gone from a promising engineer in a state-owned factory to a small workshop owner; the change in his status is indeed too great, and he's finding it difficult to adapt.

"Sister-in-law, don't be anxious." Qin Hao softened his tone: "State-owned enterprise reforms are underway all over the country. You can't have an iron rice bowl forever. Instead of waiting to be laid off, it's better to take the initiative to change. Look at those self-employed people in the south, aren't they all doing better than state-owned enterprise workers now?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaozhen's attitude softened somewhat, but the worry on her face remained. She sighed and shook her head, saying, "You don't understand Guomin. He's always been a restless person. It's only because he's been in a state-owned enterprise for years, with rules and regulations keeping him in check, that his restless heart has been calmed down. Now that those constraints are gone, he's completely set free."

She paused for a moment: "It's not that I disagree with him starting out on his own, but how can someone gamble everything right from the beginning, not only putting all their savings into it but also having to borrow money?"

Qin Hao frowned. He remembered advising Cui Guomin to get a few old machine tools, rent a small factory, and start as a small workshop. Why was he now risking his entire fortune and borrowing money?

"Sister-in-law, please tell me in detail what exactly happened?" Qin Hao asked earnestly.

Li Xiaozhen took a deep breath and explained the whole story.

It turned out that when Cui Guomin first started out, he did indeed do as Qin Hao had said. He used his connections to get a few scrapped old machine tools, repaired them, and made do with them. He also rented a dilapidated 30-square-meter factory for 200 yuan a month. He hired two apprentices and started taking on some odd jobs.

The first order was for a batch of tractor parts. The quantity wasn't large, but the profit was decent. Cui Guomin and his apprentice worked day and night for a week, finally delivering the goods on time. After deducting costs, they made a net profit of nearly ten thousand yuan.

For those few days, Cui Guomin walked with a swagger, and Li Xiaozhen was happy for her husband. However, after earning his first sum of money, Cui Guomin was no longer satisfied with operating those Soviet-era "antiques." Those machine tools were older than him, lacked precision, were inefficient, and broke down frequently. He felt that with such equipment, high-quality products could never be produced.

Especially after he was fired from the factory, he was seething with anger. His colleagues outwardly sympathized with him, but behind his back, they were probably laughing at him. He vowed to make a name for himself and show those who were laughing at him what they were made of.

So he made a bold decision—to buy imported machine tools!

He spent several days in the provincial capital inspecting various machine tools and finally settled on a German-made one. It was highly precise, efficient, and capable of processing complex parts. But the price was staggering—even a used one cost over 300,000 yuan!

When Choi Kookmin returned, he confronted Lee So-jin.

Li Xiaozhen was stunned. Three hundred thousand yuan? And she had to mortgage the house. What if she lost the money and her daughter was left with nothing?
But Cui Guomin wouldn't listen at all, and instead drew up a grand plan for her. He said that within five years, his small workshop would become the largest machine processing plant in Donglin City. He even said he would acquire the large state-owned factory that fired him, and make those who looked down on him work for him!
Li Xiaozhen grew angrier as she spoke: "Ji Qiang, do you think he's gone mad? Acquiring a state-owned factory? Is that something a small business owner like him could even dream of?"

After listening, Qin Hao understood. It turned out that Li Xiaozhen felt he had opened Cui Guomin's "Pandora's box," releasing that restless demon.

"Sister-in-law, how about this?" Qin Hao thought for a moment and said, "I'll ask Brother Cui out for a chat tonight. I'll try to persuade him and see if I can calm him down."

Li Xiaozhen shook her head and said with a wry smile, "It's no use. I've lived with him for over ten years, I know him too well. Once he's made up his mind, nothing can change it. Don't even mention you, even if his own parents came to persuade him, it wouldn't work."

But she still said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Ji Qiang, you meant well. My sister-in-law was rude just now, so I apologize to you."

As she spoke, she lowered her voice and instructed, "Don't tell the old man about this yet. He has a heart condition, and I'm afraid he might get really upset if he finds out."

Qin Hao nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I won't let the old man know."

Watching Li Xiaozhen hurry upstairs, Qin Hao couldn't help but shake his head inwardly. Did Cui Guomin save the world in his past life? He married such a good wife—sensible, considerate, and always thinking of him.

……

Night Bar, 8 PM.

The bartender was wiping glasses behind the bar when he looked up and saw Qin Hao walk in. He paused for a moment, then said, "Brother, didn't you say you weren't performing today? What brings you here?"

"It's nothing, I just invited a friend over," Qin Hao said casually, glancing around the bar. There weren't many customers at this hour, just three or four scattered tables, and a resident singer was performing on stage.

The bartender understood and quickly arranged a good spot for Qin Hao—directly facing the stage, with a wide view, and a view of both the bar and the entrance.

After making the arrangements, the bartender returned to the bar, hesitated for a moment, and then picked up the internal phone to call the office on the second floor.

"Mr. Yang, Brother Qiang is here at our bar. It seems he's meeting someone." The bartender said in a low voice.

On the other end of the phone, Yang Xiaoyun was checking accounts when she heard this and paused, pen in hand: "Was the person he met a man or a woman?"

"They didn't say..." the bartender said cautiously, "But it's probably a woman, right? What kind of two old men would come to our bar? Wouldn't it be more fun to just go to a barbecue stand and drink?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the murderous aura on the other end of the phone; he could feel a chill even through the receiver.

Yang Xiaoyun's voice turned cold: "Tell me when the person he invited arrives!"

The bartender shrank back and hung up the phone, wishing he could slap himself. Talkative! Serves you right for being so talkative!

……

About fifteen minutes later, the bar door was pushed open, and three people swaggered in.

Leading the group was Cui Guomin, wearing a gray jacket and with his hair neatly combed, looking quite energetic. Behind him were Zhao Hailong and Liu Ye, who were much more casual. Zhao Hailong was wearing work clothes, and Liu Ye was wearing an old sweater, clearly having just come straight from the factory after get off work.

The three of them sat down opposite Qin Hao without any hesitation. Zhao Hailong and Liu Ye, in particular, had barely sat down when they waved to the bartender and called out, "Waiter! Bring us your best drinks!"

Qin Hao couldn't help but roll his eyes: "I invited him for drinks, what are you two doing here?"

Liu Ye retorted confidently, "You invited him for drinks but not us. Is that fair? We're comrades-in-arms from the same trench, we even renovated a cake shop together! Don't you understand the concept of revolutionary friendship?"

"Exactly!" Zhao Hailong mumbled as he opened the beer bottle with his teeth, "With our relationship, why distinguish between 'yours' and 'mine'? What's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine!"

Qin Hao was speechless for a moment. He naturally understood Cui Guomin's intention in doing this—it was obvious that he knew he wanted to persuade him to give up buying imported equipment, and he had specially called these two clowns over to ruin the atmosphere.

"This place is nice." Cui Guomin looked around, taking in the bar's decor. Neon lights flashed, the booths were comfortable, and a singer was performing passionately on stage. He picked up the drinks menu on the table, glanced at it, and couldn't help but gasp: "It's just not cheap!"

Liu Ye and Zhao Hailong went over to take a look and were dumbfounded as well. Zhao Hailong held the beer bottle he had just bitten open with his teeth, unsure whether to drink it or not, and asked Qin Hao dejectedly, "This... can this be returned?"

"Come on," Qin Hao rolled his eyes. "I can afford to treat you to a drink. You guys drink, don't embarrass me."

Liu Ye and Zhao Hailong were relieved and took a big gulp from the bottle.

Cui Guomin also picked up a bottle of beer, clinked it with Qin Hao's, and said seriously, "Ji Qiang, among these people, you are the least qualified to advise me to give up. If it weren't for your suggestion, I wouldn't have had the idea of ​​going it alone."

"Don't give me that," Qin Hao said irritably. "I'm telling you to start from a small workshop and gradually build up the scale, taking it one step at a time. I'm not telling you to throw your life savings into it. Doing business isn't like running a state-owned enterprise, where you're guaranteed a profit regardless of the circumstances and the government will bail you out. You have to pay back the money you lose! You're over thirty, with elderly parents and young children to support. Have you thought about how they'll live if you lose everything?"

Cui Guomin took a sip of wine to moisten his throat, and his expression became serious: "Ji Qiang, there are some things you don't understand. I've been in this industry for so many years, and while I wouldn't say I'm the best, I'm definitely among the top in Donglin."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ye and Zhao Hailong both gave a thumbs up: "Absolutely! Guomin's technology is absolutely top-notch! Many of the equipment in our factory, even Soviet experts couldn't handle, but Guomin would go over, touch and look around, and immediately know where the problem was!"

Cui Guomin waved his hand, signaling them to be quiet, and continued speaking to Qin Hao: "Ji Qiang, I understand your concerns. But have you considered this? Many state-owned enterprises are failing, while private enterprises, village collective enterprises, and town collective enterprises are gradually thriving. These enterprises are all engaged in low-end machinery processing, and there will likely be more and more of them in the future. In my opinion, the profit margins for low-end machinery processing will only become thinner and thinner, and may even eventually become completely unprofitable. At that time, all those small workshops that only make low-end products will have to go out of business!"

He paused, took a big gulp of wine, and his eyes gleamed: "Imported machine tools are indeed expensive. But there's a reason for that! For the same parts, imported machine tools have smaller errors, higher yields, and can process different levels of complexity! It's just that the maintenance costs are higher. But so what? To put it bluntly, no matter what kind of machine tool it is, as long as I've seen how it's installed, I know how to fix it."

His voice grew louder, drawing the attention of customers at several nearby tables. Unfazed, he continued, "While everyone else is scrambling into low-end machining and waging price wars, I can leverage the precision of my imported machine tools to secure higher-profit orders! These are the real gold mines! I can recoup my investment in less than two years! In five years, I might even be able to buy back my old factory!"

Looking at the spirited Cui Guomin, Qin Hao had to admit that college students in the 1980s were indeed quite capable. As a top student from Harbin Institute of Technology, Cui Guomin had first-class vision and skills. The reason why he always failed in his entrepreneurial ventures was largely because he was in industries he was completely unfamiliar with.

But now, Cui Guomin followed his advice and went back to his old profession, the mechanical processing field he knew best. His vision, his skills, and his judgment were indeed top-notch in this field.

Perhaps this time it really is different?
For a moment, Qin Hao lost the will to persuade him to give up.

"Since you've made up your mind," Qin Hao picked up a bottle of beer and clinked it against Cui Guomin's. "Then I wish you great wealth and prosperity! When you become successful, don't forget to treat me to a drink."

Cui Guomin finally smiled, his previous seriousness vanishing, and laughed heartily, "Just for what you said, I'll have to drink a lot more tonight! We won't leave until we're drunk!"

"Then you should drink less." Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "The wine here is expensive, one bottle is equivalent to eight bottles outside. If you drink a few more glasses, I'll have worked for nothing this month."

Seeing the atmosphere between the two men become more relaxed, Liu Ye and Zhao Hailong breathed a sigh of relief. Liu Ye chuckled and said, "That's right, it's expensive! We finally have a chance to rip you off, so tonight we're not leaving until we're completely drunk!"

Zhao Hailong chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Drink more! Drink him out of house and home!"

Qin Hao teased Zhao Hailong, "Be careful you don't drink too much, or Zhang Xiaomei will lock you out again. Don't come crying to us begging to take you in then."

Zhao Hailong shrank back, glancing instinctively at the door as if his wife might appear at any moment. He said awkwardly, "Well... then I'll just have a few drinks. Just a little bit will do."

"Haha~~~" They all laughed.

Just then, several bartenders filed in, each carrying a tray laden with drinks—beer, spirits, wine, and several delicate platters of snacks. In no time, the table was full.

Choi Kookmin looked on in confusion, asking, "We didn't order this much alcohol. Did you send the wrong thing?"

The lead bartender explained with a smile, "That's right, that's right. Our boss specially asked us to deliver this to Brother Qiang. The boss said that Brother Qiang's friends are her friends, and she's treating us to today's meal."

Liu Ye's eyes lit up, and he winked at Qin Hao, "Oh? I see? I heard that the owner of this Nightclub is a very beautiful woman, is that true?"

"Is that so?" Zhao Hailong asked with great interest, "How beautiful? More beautiful than my wife?"

Cui Guomin also gave Qin Hao a knowing look, the meaning of which was clear: Brother, something's up!

Qin Hao ignored the group and followed the bartender's gaze to Yang Xiaoyun, who was sitting at the bar. She was wearing a black dress, her hair was down, and she was holding a glass of red wine, looking at him with a half-smile.

Amidst the cheers of the three men, Qin Hao stood up and walked towards the bar.

"When did you arrive?" Qin Hao sat down on the high stool next to Yang Xiaoyun.

Yang Xiaoyun picked up her glass, took a small sip, and said with a shifty gaze, "I should be the one asking that. Why didn't you tell me beforehand that you were inviting me for drinks? I wouldn't have known if the bartender hadn't told me."

"It's all consumption anyway, so let's keep the profits within the family," Qin Hao said casually, shrugging.

Yang Xiaoyun raised her eyebrows and smiled slightly: "That's why I returned the favor by having someone send you some wine. How about that, isn't that nice of me?"

"That's a good idea." Qin Hao smiled. "Would you like to come over and get to know me? My friends are all very honest people."

"Okay." Yang Xiaoyun put down her wine glass and stood up.

Then, to the astonishment of Cui Guomin and the other two, Yang Xiaoyun walked gracefully towards them, holding a wine glass. Her gait was elegant and composed, her high heels clicking crisply on the floor, as if each step was perfectly in sync with the rhythm.

"Thank you all for coming to support me." Yang Xiaoyun raised her glass and said generously, "I am the owner here, Yang Xiaoyun. Since you are Ji Qiang's friends, you are my friends too. Come and visit often, and I'll give you a discount. Cheers!"

After saying that, she tilted her head back and drank the red wine in her glass in one gulp.

Zhao Hailong and Liu Ye nearly dropped their bottles, quickly gulping down large mouthfuls of wine, choking and coughing. Only Cui Guomin remained relatively calm, raising his glass in return.

"I'd heard from Ji Qiang that the owner of Nightshade Bar was beautiful and had great charisma, and seeing her today, I can confirm it's true," Cui Guomin said with a smile.

Yang Xiaoyun looked at Qin Hao, her eyes almost overflowing with laughter: "Really? He mentioned me too? What did he say?"

“I’ve mentioned it from time to time.” Cui Guomin gave Qin Hao a look that said, “This is all the help I can give you, brother.”

Yang Xiaoyun was overjoyed, and her smile became even brighter. In her delight, she beckoned to the bartender and ordered, "Bring over another batch of wine, and also bring my treasured bottle of Rémy Martin, so these gentlemen can have a taste."

"Alright!" the bartender replied and left.

The situation then spiraled out of control.

Zhao Hailong and Liu Ye weren't good drinkers to begin with, and after a few drinks, they started talking nonsense. Zhao Hailong, clutching his bottle, insisted on going on stage to sing "Ten Things You Shouldn't Do"; Liu Ye, on the other hand, grabbed the bartender and insisted on becoming sworn brothers with him.

Finally, the two of them successfully vomited. Yes, physically vomited—Zhao Hailong vomited in the restroom, and Liu Ye vomited on the booth. The bartenders were scrambling to clean up.

Yang Xiaoyun didn't mind and instructed the bartender to help the two to the backstage lounge, where they put two beds together so they could lie down and sober up.

Cui Guomin was a bit better off; although he had drunk quite a bit, he could at least walk on his own. He stood up unsteadily and waved to Qin Hao, "Ji Qiang, I'm going back now. This drinking session was worth it! Thank you, sister-in-law!"

As soon as the words "sister-in-law" came out, two red clouds appeared on Yang Xiaoyun's face, but she did not refute them.

Qin Hao escorted Cui Guomin to the door, hailed a taxi, and shoved him inside.

Back at the bar, most of the customers had already left. Yang Xiaoyun sat at the bar, still holding a glass of wine, but her eyes were already somewhat glazed.

This little bit of alcohol was nothing to Qin Hao. He walked over and said softly, "Let me take you home."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded, stood up, but stumbled and almost fell. Qin Hao quickly helped her up.

"It's okay, I can walk." Yang Xiaoyun said stubbornly, but her steps were already unsteady.

Qin Hao helped her out of the bar. A black Audi was parked outside—Yang Xiaoyun's car. He helped Yang Xiaoyun into the back seat, and as soon as he got in himself, the driver started the car.

A night breeze blew in through the car window, carrying the chill of an autumn night. Streetlights swept past the window, casting shadows that danced inside the car.

Yang Xiaoyun leaned back in her chair, her eyes closed, it was unclear whether she was asleep or awake. After a while, she suddenly stirred, tilted her body, and rested her head on Qin Hao's shoulder.

A subtle fragrance mixed with the scent of wine wafted into Qin Hao's nostrils. The scent was unique; it wasn't a strong perfume, but a faint, almost imperceptible aroma, like a blend of shower gel and body odor.

The atmosphere inside the car instantly became hazy and dreamlike.

Qin Hao's body stiffened slightly, but he quickly relaxed. He didn't push her away, nor did he say anything.

The night was deep, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow. The black Audi drove slowly down the empty street, like a small, moving world.

The car was quiet, with only the slight hum of the engine and the even breathing of the two people inside.

Yang Xiaoyun's breathing gradually calmed down, and she rested her head on Qin Hao's shoulder like a lazy cat.

Qin Hao glanced down at her; her eyelashes were long and trembled slightly in the light and shadow of the streetlights.

After an unknown amount of time, the car stopped downstairs at Yang Xiaoyun's apartment building. Qin Hao gently patted her shoulder: "We're here."

Yang Xiaoyun opened her eyes groggily and saw that she had arrived at her building. Feeling a little embarrassed, she sat up straight and tidied her hair.

"Thank you for bringing me back." Her voice was a little hoarse and tinged with drunkenness.

"I should be thanking you, otherwise those two bastards Liu Ye and Zhao Hailong would have gone bankrupt from this meal, and I would have had to wash dishes at your place to pay off my debts."

Yang Xiaoyun paused for a moment, then smiled. Her smile looked especially beautiful in the dim car headlights.

"Going bankrupt is unlikely, isn't it? Your cake shop is quite profitable."

"We're about to open our third branch, but the speed at which we're making money can't keep up with the speed at which we're spending it. I even borrowed 50,000 yuan from someone today."

A hint of surprise flashed in Yang Xiaoyun's eyes: "You're opening your third branch so soon?"

"If you're short of money, why don't you borrow it from me?"

Faced with Yang Xiaoyun's angry questioning, Qin Hao shrugged and said, "Is it too late to borrow and return it now?"

"Hmph, what do you think?" Yang Xiaoyun put on a "I'm angry, hurry up and coax me" expression, but the next second she burst out laughing and ruined her act.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. Just let me know when you need money. I don't have much, but I can still prepare 100,000 or 200,000 for you."

Moved, Qin Hao joked, "I don't know how to repay you with such generous terms."

"Oh right, how are you going to repay me?" Yang Xiaoyun, emboldened by the alcohol, took another step closer.

"How about you repay me with your body?"

"You scoundrel, dream on."

The sound of Yang Xiaoyun's high heels clicking against the floor echoed from the stairwell.