Returning to '97, creating a new life

Xu Kai has visited Guangzhou more than once.

Until mobile payments became widespread, the situation here was only getting better and better, not completely eradicated. It wasn't until people stopped carrying cash that pickpockets disappeared from most public places.

The man paused for a moment, then felt Xu Kai grip his arm tightly. Remembering what his daughter had told him, he immediately understood and nodded in agreement, "Okay, okay, I won't run around."

Xu Kai's height and physique, achieved through training, far surpass what one would expect for someone his age, made him stand out from the crowd at Guangzhou Railway Station.

He swayed rhythmically from side to side, pushing aside the people surrounding him. His eyes were fixed intently on a short young man, a smile playing on his lips. The other man understood the meaning in his eyes.

I see through you, but I don't want to expose you. How about we just let things be peaceful?

The young man's eyes met Xu Kai's without flinching, a sign of confidence and reliance. There were plenty of easy targets in the square; there was no need to bite off more than he could chew. He curled his lip and turned to leave.

After spending a day and a night together, and after checking each other's luggage, they chatted a bit. This connection led Xu Kai to meddle in some of the other people's business.

It wasn't really meddling; he was showing more than one pickpocket who was watching them in the square through his actions—brothers, let's keep to ourselves. I don't want any trouble, and you don't want to cause any trouble either, right?

Xu Kai held onto the uncle's arm, refraining from taking the bag from his hand to avoid any misunderstanding.

"Thank you, young man."

"It's alright, sir. Is someone coming to pick you up?"

"Yes, yes, young man. My daughter is coming to pick me up; she'll take you there."

"No need, my people are here to pick me up."

Xu Kai saw the sign with his name on it and reminded the uncle, "Be careful, don't walk with your head down, look everyone who comes near you openly and confidently."

The man looked around, not seeing his daughter who had come to pick him up. He frowned slightly, hoping that Xu Kai would be as "enthusiastic" as he was, and that if no one came to pick him up, he would take care of her.

He had already noticed that a finger-length slit had been cut into one side of the bag he was carrying.

Xu Kai didn't reply further. He did it casually; he didn't mind extending a helping hand, nor did he mind sharing his experience with others. His heart had already been hardened enough by the trials of society. If helping you once isn't enough, it only proves you're not suitable. I can't help you forever. If you're not vigilant enough, sooner or later you'll be robbed.

"Seventh Brother?"

A 'secret code' belonging to Yun Sheng and the man holding the sign, and Zhan Jizu, a pretty boy, smiled even more broadly: "Xu Kai, my third brother called me an hour ago."

After putting down the sign, Zhan Jizu's curiosity was bursting. After a polite handshake, he immediately launched into a gossip-filled phase: "My roommates and I were saying before that I'd be the first to see who would become Yun Sheng's brother-in-law, that doting brother. Haha."

His name is quite typical. Xu Kai had heard Yun Sheng introduce him; he's the seventh child in his family, with six older sisters whose names are also quite typical: Zhao Di, Pan Di, Yin Di…

In the university dormitory, according to age order, Zhan Jizu was also the seventh oldest.

"Seventh Brother, we're still young, how can we talk about brother-in-law or anything like that?"

Zhan Jizu looked up at Xu Kai, envious of his tall stature: "Anyone who can gain my third brother's approval, we'll accept. Let's go, let's go to our accommodation first. Do you know that person?"

Xu Kai shook his head: "We met on the train, but we're not close. Let's go."

Waving goodbye to the uncle, Xu Kai hailed a minivan under Zhan Jizu's guidance. With a local leading the way, Xu Kai's seemingly relaxed but actually tense nerves finally loosened up considerably.

If he hadn't been on edge the whole time, he wouldn't have been able to notice the pickpocket attacking the man sitting across from him so quickly.

Having been roommates for four years in college, this relationship was enough for Xu Kai to feel at ease with Zhan Jizu without involving a large sum of money.

As they were leaving, they saw a Crown parked on the side of the road, and a graceful figure hurriedly got out and ran towards the exit.

Upon seeing the man, the young woman breathed a sigh of relief: "Dad, we were delayed on the way."

………………

Zhan Jizu's home is in a town below Guangzhou. The Zhan family is a large family, and he is the only son of his grandfather's branch. Almost all of his six older sisters have married into local or surrounding towns, which means that he has six more families who will take care of him to some extent.

From childhood to adulthood, Zhan Jizu grew up in a privileged environment, and the fact that he did not develop many bad habits is a testament to the success of his education and upbringing.

"You'll definitely stay at my place when you come. Don't be shy. All my roommates will stay here too. We're all brothers. It would be a disservice of me if you didn't stay at my place."

Zhan Jizu has a strong Northeastern accent. He was assimilated during his four years of university, and even after returning to his hometown, he still occasionally utters a few words with a Northeastern accent.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with Seventh Brother."

Zhan Jizu was pleased: "That's right, when you're a guest, you should follow the host's lead. Now that we're here, you should listen to me."

Xu Kai knew that Chengbian Town, where Zhan Jizu's family lived, would become part of the city in the future.

The family's yard, the two-story luxury house, and even the land they own will ensure that Zhan Jizu's future requires no further consideration.

They either lie down comfortably or carry a huge pile of keys, acting as landlords. Wearing flip-flops and tank tops, you'd never know how wealthy these locals actually are.

His grandparents were kind and gentle, and his parents were gentle and kind. His eldest sister ran a restaurant in town, but Zhan Jizu prepared a large feast at home and invited three of his brothers-in-law to join them. Among them, his second brother-in-law lived in the town that Xu Kai was going to. At the dinner table, when the other party was mentioned, Zhan Jizu's second brother-in-law said that he knew him but was not very familiar with him. However, since they were all from the same town, he told Xu Kai not to worry. He was just acting as a bridge and a guarantee, so that he could drink and have fun without worry.

The Zhan family members all know what northerners like Xu Kai fear most when doing business here. They can't guarantee anything else, but "safety" is not an issue. Their large family has enough relatives and friends to cover any field. They may not be able to help with major matters or have the connections, but for minor matters, they don't mind helping out because of the relationship with Zhan Jizu Yunsheng.

Xu Kai didn't rush into business. Instead, he went along with Zhan Jizu's wishes, eating and drinking as he pleased. In doing so, he ended up keeping Zhan Jizu's three brothers-in-law company. If he hadn't shown his ID to prove his identity, Zhan Jizu would have dragged him out to enjoy the nightlife.

They exchanged a glance, and Zhan Jizu understood. He laughed and let it go on the grounds of age. In fact, Zhan Jizu was a shrewd man. This young man was smart. In their area, it was common for teenagers to start businesses. He had been to those entertainment venues before college, so it was nothing special.

People were deliberately showing respect to Yun Sheng and Yun Shang, so how could Zhan Jizu break that respect? He went to sleep quietly, and the next day his second brother-in-law came to pick them up in a bread truck. It was a journey of more than 20 kilometers, and they arrived at the town they had contacted by phone.

"I've already asked around, so we don't need to call anymore. We can just go there directly. I know where their factory is."

Having chosen to help, Zhan Jizu's third brother-in-law also took the initiative to do things in advance.

I met the person in charge, and we talked about the arcade business.

The price has already been inquired about, and we've even discussed it over the phone. When we get there, it's just a matter of getting more discounts by increasing the volume.

He was short, fair-skinned and chubby, with a friendly smile. The boss, Fang Ming, was a close friend of Zhan Jizu's third sister's husband. Fang Ming shook hands with everyone with a smile, and when he got to Xu Kai, he said, "I didn't expect you to have this connection. Don't worry, we're all from the same village, so I won't play games with the price."

The factory deep in the alley was run by people who didn't seem friendly. If it weren't for the connections Yun Sheng had made, Xu Kai wouldn't have come in person. At most, he would have found a middleman to buy the machines at a higher price in his hometown to avoid being ripped off.

"Take a look at the machine. Mr. Xu is in luck. The first batch of domestically produced imitations has come out. Look, it's so high that you can sit in a chair and play with it. It's much more comfortable than before."

I thought I would see a change in Xu Kai's face, but I found that he didn't even lift his eyelids. He casually turned on an arcade machine, looked at the graphics, shook his waist, pressed the buttons, and then looked inside. It was very simple and took less than half a minute.

【don't know?】

Xu Kai took out a cigarette, and after everyone dispersed, he lit it and, puffing out smoke, chuckled, "Boss Fang, let's not beat around the bush. If it were just an arcade machine like this, there would be no need for me to come all this way. I'm here to see the latest mahjong machines, poker machines, and fruit machines, especially the last one. I've heard there are even more advanced machines now. I wonder if Boss Fang has any here?"

Fang Ming squinted, a strange smile playing on his lips: "Mr. Xu, young and promising."

Xu Kai smiled bitterly to himself. No matter how mature he appeared, he still seemed too naive to others. "I'm just a gofer. I happened to be visiting Brother Qi for a few days and helping out on some errands along the way. I came to check it out. Boss Fang knows that the competition among arcades in our area is fierce. Whoever has the better machines is more competitive."

Fang Ming said calmly, "That depends on what kind of machine Mr. Xu wants."

Xu Kai didn't hesitate at all: "The Grand Slam Fortune Mahjong Machine, the Golden Gourd 888 Poker Machine, if there's... well, the kind with eight slots, the Zoo Fruit Four-Color Betting Fruit Machine, I want that too."

Fang Ming raised an eyebrow: "Yes, the prices at the beginning are negotiable, but for the last one, I currently need to get the goods from someone else. If it's less than 15,000, there's no point in doing business with it."

"Boss Fang, this is the latest model, a guarantee of price appreciation. I'm willing to pay a premium. I'm already here, so I'm definitely showing my sincerity. I hope Boss Fang will reciprocate with some sincerity in return..."

After probing each other for a while, the two decided to start by discussing the existing machines.

Four "Full House God of Wealth" stands and six "Golden Gourds" stands. This is a new model, and the price offered is not high, at least much lower than the price Xu Kai discussed over the phone.

When it came to the regular arcade machines, Xu Kai only chose the new fighting games; the rest were older models, just there to make up the numbers. His only goal was to get a cheap price. Fang Ming offered a clearance price, and Xu Kai calculated that he would take all thirty-odd machines, paying a beautiful mid-to-high three-figure price.

"Mr. Xu is a straightforward person, so I won't waste any more words. The kind of machine you want costs 10,000 yuan. I won't make any money from it; I'll just earn your referral. When someone finds you, please recommend them to me."

"No problem. My boss said that as long as these new gaming machines run stably, he'll order more from us immediately."

To speak with such confidence about not having enough capital is a testament to Xu Kai's confidence as a 40-year-old businessman; it's not an act, and naturally, it doesn't require any acting skills.