Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 708 Envy and Jealousy Lead to Regret and Missed Opportunity
While he was relieved, the others in the courtyard were not.

When Sha Zhu learned that Bai Xiuwen had become a scrap yard purchasing agent, he was incredulous and went to Yi Zhonghai to tell him about it.

"What?! Zhu Zi, you can't just say things like that. Where did you hear that from?"

Sha Zhu said with absolute certainty, "It's true, it's really true, I saw it with my own eyes! The person in charge of scrap at our factory personally led him to the canteen for a meal."

Yi Zhonghai was silent for a while, then sighed, "This kid's really something!"

Huh? Why use 'also'?
Yi Zhonghai didn't notice this.

Qin Huairu, who had come over to eavesdrop, also murmured almost inaudibly, “Bai Xiuwen.”

After Bai Xiuwen became a purchasing agent, his life became much easier.

No matter what kind of job it is, once you become a purchasing agent, you'll never have a bad life.

"What makes Bai Xiuwen so special?"

None of them expected that Bai Xiuwen's good days would come so quickly.

I thought that marrying Xu Sinan and renovating the house would be the end of my good days, but I never expected it to be far from over.

Yi Zhonghai felt a bit annoyed; the residents in the courtyard were living such good lives, making his job as the manager increasingly meaningless.

He has no authority to deal with them; these people are all unruly, so where can he project his authority?

"Zhu Zi, go and ask the scrap yard manager about this: how did Bai Xiuwen get into our factory?"

"Okay." Sha Zhu nodded and went straight to find Jin Kaixuan.

He's still at work and doesn't have time to worry about this or that, but after this incident, he's been half-hearted at his work.

Sha Zhu tried to inquire with Jin Kaixuan, but naturally returned empty-handed.

After all, Sha Zhu had slandered Bai Xiuwen right in front of him. This was his business partner, and he had been slandered like that.

It's already quite generous of him not to seek revenge; why does Sha Zhu still want to inquire?
Listen to my ass!
"Damn it! That bastard, I'll get you next time we're in the cafeteria!" Sha Zhu gritted his teeth in hatred, having managed to get no information whatsoever.

This further exacerbated Sha Zhu's dissatisfaction with Bai Xiuwen.

He immediately went and told everyone in the courtyard who worked at the factory.

Everyone was shocked by Bai Xiuwen's work.

get off work.

An unusual atmosphere permeated the entire courtyard.

When neighbors bump into each other, their exchanged glances are full of unspoken questions and gossip.

Several women with loud mouths were washing clothes by the pool, their voices hushed.

But words like "Bai Xiuwen," "purchasing agent," and "good luck" still floated out intermittently, like countless tiny insects crawling and buzzing in the air.

Yan family.

Yan Jiecheng lay limply on the bed, looking like a dead man, completely devoid of energy, his whole body resembling a corpse.

That was originally my job!

These words thundered in Yan Jiecheng's mind.

When Yan Bugui found a job, he found it disgusting and refused to do it, so he had Li Kailang buy it and then resell it to Bai Xiuwen.

After Bai Xiuwen started working at the scrap yard, his life visibly improved, and he even learned repair skills.

Now things are much better; I've even become a purchasing agent. Life is better than before.

Why is it that Bai Xiuwen, whom he usually doesn't even respect, can take away the position that should belong to him?

'If I had gritted my teeth and taken the position back then, wouldn't this good life be mine?'

envy, jealousy, hate!

Several vicious emotions, like countless cold, venomous snakes, caused him so much pain that he wanted to curl up in agony.

I finally came to terms with it, but then there was a new development.

Yan Jiecheng suddenly jumped out of bed, ignoring the questioning voice of the aunt behind him: "Jiecheng, where are you going? Dinner will be served soon."

Ignoring everything, Yan Jiecheng, filled with barely suppressed rage, stormed out of the house without looking back.

"Sigh, Jiecheng." The third aunt wanted to come out and chase after him, but Yan Bugui stopped her.

"Alright, stop chasing. Let Jie Cheng process this on his own; he'll figure it out himself."

Liu family.

"This little brat has such luck?"

Liu Haizhong didn't have the same deep emotions about Bai Xiuwen's changes as Yi Zhonghai.

"It's a pity that the purchasing agent is a scrap yard purchasing agent. He's not that great, just so-so."

As a level seven blacksmith with three children, Liu Haizhong didn't seem to care much.

Auntie Er was quite happy for Bai Xiuwen: "Little Bai is so young, and he's already a purchasing agent after only a short time here. He's really impressive."

"He got married and renovated his house. This kid has finally made it! He could be a stationmaster in the future."

But then the conversation took a sudden turn.

"However, compared to our boss, he's still far behind."

Upon hearing his second aunt mention Liu Guangqi, Liu Haizhong's face immediately darkened. "Why bring him up for no reason! He's a jinx!"

Seeing this, the two brothers, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, huddled in a corner in fear, afraid of being caught in the crossfire and being beaten for no reason.

The deaf old lady, however, was quite relaxed. When she heard that Bai Xiuwen had been promoted, her cloudy old eyes lit up slightly.

"This little kid is quite promising, it's just a pity."

The deaf old woman said something incomprehensible, and no one knew what she meant.

Meanwhile, Bai Xiuwen, at the center of the storm, was unaware that the news had already spread like wildfire throughout the courtyard.

He was happily sharing this joy with Xu Sinan.

"Honey, I got a promotion! I'm a scrap metal collector now. Things are going to get better for us!"

"Really? That's great! You've finally made it through!" Xu Sinan said happily.

Bai Xiuwen said with a smug look on his face: "That's right, don't you know who I am? Let me tell you, I'm going to be the one to take over in the future."

"From today onwards, you'd better show me some respect, or don't blame me, the stationmaster, for being impolite!"

"Hey, you're still trying to show off to me? You've gotten too bold!" Xu Sinan grabbed Bai Xiuwen's waist and twisted it forcefully.

"Ouch! It hurts! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Bai Xiuwen's face turned red and blue with pain.

"Do you still dare to do it in the future?"

"I don't dare anymore! I don't dare anymore!"

"Hmph! You're smart enough to know your place. You've only just become a purchasing agent and you're already getting cocky." Xu Sinan scolded with a smile.

"If you dare to act tough at home, no matter what kind of leader or station chief you are, I'll teach you a lesson!"

Before he could finish speaking, Bai Xiuwen let out an exaggerated scream: "Ouch! Be gentle! You're going to pinch my flesh off! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Xu Sinan smiled victoriously: "Hmph! That's more like it!"

Yan Jiecheng, who was outside the house, heard everything the two were saying to each other. He immediately felt ashamed and turned to leave.

Bai Xiuwen only reported the good news to Xu Sinan, assuming that everyone would be watching his appointment as a purchasing agent.

He dared not do anything reckless, fearing that he might lose his position as purchasing agent if he made a mistake. Little did he know that Wang Cheng had already taken care of it.

After the meal, everyone gathered together to discuss the matter.

The next day, everyone got ready for work, but one or two people stayed, seemingly waiting for someone.

Unexpectedly, the person in question appeared.

All eyes, like spotlights, instantly focused on him! Those gazes seemed tangible, glued to him.

Bai Xiuwen was a little bewildered by the scene, his heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm and went out as if nothing had happened.

“Look, Bai Xiuwen has taken the wrong road, hasn’t he? This isn’t the way to the steel mill.”

"They work at a scrap yard, why would they go to a steel mill? What are you thinking?"

"Wait, didn't you go to the factory yesterday? Why aren't you going today? Is it fake?"

"What do you mean it's fake? That idiot Zhu saw it with his own eyes. Besides, he's a scrap yard purchasing agent, not a steel mill purchasing agent. What are you thinking?"

These words have enlightened many people.

Yes, the purchasing agent works at the scrap yard, so of course he'd work there! He probably went to the steel rolling mill on business.
Want to see Bai Xiuwen report to the steel mill? You're dreaming.

Everyone felt a little embarrassed and thought they had acted foolishly.

However, the scene they expect to see will soon appear.

Scrap yard.

As soon as he arrived at work, Bai Xiuwen prepared to go collect recyclables.

"Hey, Xiaobai, come here." Wang Cheng called out to him.

"Stationmaster."

"Sit down." Wang Cheng gestured. "Go to the steel mill again today and tell Lao Jin that we should stick to the old rules."

"The usual rules?" Bai Xiuwen listened attentively.

Wang Cheng nodded: "The rules are similar to those for collecting recyclables at the neighborhood office, but this is a small amount, so it's not a big deal."

“Steel rolling mills are big factories, and the accounts must be kept in order. These few cents or fractions of a cent are our tacitly agreed-upon ‘hard-earned money’.”

"This money won't be put into the public account, and it won't be unfair to Lao Jin and his team."

Bai Xiuwen was perfectly accepting of this matter, but he was wondering to himself how much money the difference would be for a single transaction, given the volume of the steel rolling mill.

Wang Cheng could only take a cut of whatever the station earned.

Could he also make a profit from this?

Bai Xiuwen thought about it and decided against it: 'It's only just begun, what's the rush?'

Seeing Bai Xiuwen's calm demeanor, Wang Cheng nodded, fearing that he might do something rash.

When I was a buyer, I was already doing this kind of work that made money from the price difference. Now the market is just bigger, and I'm afraid I might not dare to do it again for a while.

Seeing this, Wang Chengcai stopped wasting words: "Go to the steel rolling mill again today and talk to Lao Jin about this matter to clarify things. He knows exactly what to do, so just do as he says."

“You need to keep track of these hard-earned money from now on. As for how to distribute this money in the future, we’ll talk about that when you become the station manager. For now, just do as I say.”

"Understood." Bai Xiuwen nodded.

"Don't worry, since I've asked you to do this, I'll naturally share some of the work with you, so you won't do it for nothing."

"Thank you for your guidance, stationmaster!" Bai Xiuwen quickly expressed his gratitude.

Wang Cheng waved his hand: "This is all you deserve. Go on."

After tidying up, Bai Xiuwen headed straight for the steel rolling mill.

"Hey little brother, what brings you here again?" Jin Kaixuan said with a smile as he put his arm around Bai Xiuwen's shoulder and led him into the factory.

"Brother Jin, the station manager sent me."

"Old Wang, what does he want from me?"

"The station manager told me to tell you to follow the usual procedure."

"The old rules?" Jin Kaixuan was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Bai Xiuwen: "Okay, it's fine to follow the old rules. You've just arrived and don't know anything."

“It’s easy to follow the rules, but difficult to break them. This scrap metal business is a long-term, steady business, not a one-off deal.”

"Especially for a newbie like you who has just started, I'm afraid that a new broom sweeps clean. Don't ruin your reputation for a little short-term gain."

With the most important things agreed upon, Jin Kaixuan then formally explained the established rules between the two parties to Bai Xiuwen.

This means that Bai Xiuwen has officially entered into the transaction between the two parties; he was an outsider yesterday.

In the end, of course, money was mentioned.

"Xiao Bai, there's a good amount of money to be made in this," Jin Kaixuan said, making a pinching motion with his rough thumb and forefinger.
"If you make a lot of money in one transaction, with a wide variety of goods and a slightly flexible accounting, you can easily lose more than ten yuan in a single transaction if you slip through your fingers."

Ten yuan is not a small amount; it's almost half a month's salary for Bai Xiuwen, since he earned it from pennies and cents.

"Knowing Lao Wang as I do, since he brought this up, you should at least get three or five yuan."

The total profit is a dozen or so yuan, which both parties have to split.

After the division, Wang Chengcai would naturally take a portion, the station would take a portion, and only then could Bai Xiuwen receive a share.

The profit from one transaction may not be much, but over time, it can add up to ten or twenty yuan a month, which is not much less than a salary.

Over the course of a year, you can earn over a hundred yuan. This is money earned while sitting down, with low risk, so why not?

Bai Xiuwen did a quick mental calculation: working normally for a month, plus his salary, he could earn around forty or fifty yuan.

Even if we stop collecting recyclables, it won't have much of an impact, and it will actually save us some trouble.

This is only if the steel rolling mill has a blast furnace to remelt the steel. If it were an ordinary steel rolling mill without a blast furnace, it would earn even more.

clap~
Jin Kaixuan patted Bai Xiuwen on the shoulder: "Old Wang has been pretty good to you, actually letting you get involved."

"Our work is a long-term, steady business. As long as we don't say anything, no one will know. Just do a good job, and I have faith in you."

Jin Kaixuan valued Bai Xiuwen's caution and composure, which were ideal for this kind of situation.

The worst thing is when a hothead comes along and immediately demands to change the profit distribution. If that happens, we'll have to consider finding a different scrap yard.

Anyway, there's plenty of garbage in steel rolling mills, so it doesn't matter who you work with; the most important thing is to choose the right partner.

Bai Xiuwen nodded: "Brother Jin, don't worry, I understand."

"Alright, now that we've talked things out, and since the factory happens to have a lot of scrap, let's do our first order this afternoon."

"I'll have the transport team help me take the garbage to the station this afternoon. Old Wang will teach you how to do it then, so I won't get involved."

Now that we've finished discussing the important matters, it's time to talk about something more cheerful to ease things up.

"Come on, let me show you around the factory some more. You probably haven't seen enough of the steel rolling mill since this is your second visit, right?"

"Today I'll show you around and let you see what our shooting range is like. I'll also let you fire a couple of shots to get a feel for it."

"A firing range? Is that alright?"

"Why can't we do it? With me here, we'll make it happen, even if it seems impossible."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Jin. It just so happens that I've never fired a gun in my life!"

"Haha~ No problem, no problem!" Jin Kaixuan laughed as he led Bai Xiuwen to the shooting range.

The two were spotted again by a resident who was using the restroom in the courtyard as they walked arm in arm toward the shooting range.

The group rubbed their eyes, and what they saw with their own eyes confirmed that what Sha Zhu said was true.

"My goodness, Bai Xiuwen really came to the factory?"

"Now Bai Xiuwen's life is really going to be much better."

(End of this chapter)