Young nobles of Wuling, east of the Golden Market, Silver saddles, white horses, riding through the spring breeze. Chapter 29: A Victorious Start (2)

Fifteen minutes later, a bespectacled middle-aged man received him. Sitting in an air-conditioned office, Fang Yu calmly took out a cigarette, lit it, and glanced at the business card in his hand.

"Manager Li, right? A friend recommended your company's products to me, said they're quite good. I'm opening a shop myself, so I wanted to discuss cooperation."

Manager Li smiled and nodded politely. "You're too kind. May I ask your surname?"

"No need for formalities, it's Fang. I'm pressed for time since I'll be heading back to Xianjiang in a couple of days. Let's talk about purchase prices, shall we?"

With the supply price provided by the tea shop assistant, Fang Yu felt far more confident.

The two talked for twenty minutes. Manager Li looked at him with some difficulty. "Boss Fang, it's not that I want to be difficult, but Xianjiang is quite far from here. If we use a truck, it'll take at least two days. We only make a profit on orders over two tons."

Fang Yu quickly calculated; at current prices, one ton of creamer cost about two thousand yuan. Even with transport fees, he'd still make a decent profit. "We can have a long-term cooperation. I'll purchase at least once a month, never less than five hundred kilograms per order. I'll cover the shipping costs. How does that sound?" He raised two fingers.

Manager Li was very satisfied with this arrangement. After all, their company was small, usually supplying raw materials to just a few dozen tea shops in neighboring cities.

"That's fine, absolutely. No problem. So, Boss Fang, when would you like the goods delivered? Once we sign the contract, I can make arrangements immediately."

"I'll return to Xianjiang the day after tomorrow. You can ship the goods then."

With that, Fang Yu took out his bank card from his wallet and waved it. "Card payment is okay, right?"

"Of course. Xiao Zhang, bring the POS machine!" Manager Li cheerfully opened the office door.

Fang Yu signed a six-month contract with the creamer company. After carefully tucking the contract into his commuter bag, he left the factory gates, about to contact Cheng Chen and the others when his phone rang.

"Fang Yu, the deal's done on my end. The tea bags are no problem. How many supplies per month?" Cheng Chen, still uncertain, wanted to check with him first.

From that afternoon until the next day, Fang Yu rushed between several suppliers, quickly signing several contracts and paying the first batch of deposits.

"Ahh—I'll buy the sealing machine and whatnot when we're back. They're all the same everywhere. Brothers, seafood feast tonight!" He waved cheerfully at the three.

"Seafood? Then I want oysters—an entire dozen!" Zhao Bin jumped up excitedly.

"I'm not a fan of oysters. Is there any squid?" asked another.

After calculating, Fang Yu found that, subtracting the deposits he'd paid, he still had about twenty-three thousand yuan in liquid funds. The rest would depend on the business at the snack street.

"No problem, let's go to the seaside!"

Haizhou, as the name suggests, was set by the sea. At this time, Haizhou was barely developed; the so-called beaches and coastline were really just small fishing villages.

Under the glow of the setting sun, Fang Yu walked barefoot on the sand, feeling much more relaxed. Smoke wafted from the food stalls in the fishing village, carrying a faint fishy aroma that only made one hungrier.

The salty sea breeze tossed the youth’s thick, black hair. He brushed sand from his clothes, a satisfied smile on his face. Business could be done any time, but when else would one have such youthful days?

"Come, cheers! May the tea shop soar!" In the food stall, Cheng Chen raised his glass, delighted.

"Enough, drink less. We're heading back tomorrow, and besides, aren’t you allergic to alcohol?" Fang Yu shot him a glare.

"No worries, it's all about having fun. Here, Fang Yu, a toast to you!"

The prices in the fishing village were much lower than in the city—a seafood feast cost only two hundred yuan, leaving all four with bulging bellies.

"Damn, in all my years, it's the first time I've eaten my fill on just seafood," Lu Zhen groaned, his stomach stuffed with squid.

That night, back at the hotel, Qin Lu unexpectedly sent him a message.

"Ugh, the sun's so harsh, military training is exhausting. But the sunscreen you gave me is really useful—I haven’t gotten darker at all. By the way, when are you coming back?"

A smile tugged at Fang Yu’s lips. It seemed the girl was already thinking of him.

After exchanging a few texts with her, he tossed his phone onto the bedside table and rolled over to sleep.

On September 8th at four in the afternoon, Fang Yu and his companions finally returned to their rented courtyard. Ignoring his sore backside, he hurriedly grabbed the keys and headed straight for the snack street.

"Hmm, pretty efficient, though the smell’s a bit unpleasant," he remarked, inspecting the newly renovated shop.

Following Fang Yu's requirements, the tea shop didn’t need fancy decor. As long as the water and electricity were sound, a fresh coat of paint and simple floor tiles would suffice.

"Cheng Chen, come with me to the city tomorrow. We need to buy sealing machines, refrigerators, all the hardware." He issued the directive at dinner.

"Come on, at least let me rest two days. I barely slept on the train," Cheng Chen yawned lazily.

"If you don't go, don’t blame me when you’re not paid," Fang Yu replied, half-joking.

Zhao Bin chimed in, "Why not go together? So much stuff, you two can’t carry it all."

Fang Yu considered it. The refrigerators and workstations could be delivered by the manufacturer, but the sealing machine, juicer, and water heater would likely need to be carried by hand. He sighed.

"Damn, if only we had a car. Even a van would do."

Just then, his phone rang. It was Xia Churan. The girl had sent him plenty of messages over the past few days, but Fang Yu hadn’t bothered to reply.

"Hello, senior. What’s up?"

"Fang Yu, where have you been? You never reply to my messages."

"I just got back—eighteen hours by train, I’m exhausted."

Hearing he was back at school, Xia Churan’s voice brightened. "You’re back? Where are you? Have you eaten?"

"Yeah, just finished. Heading back to rest."

"No way, come run with me at the track, okay? I ate too much," the girl’s voice was soft, almost pleading.

He was about to refuse when someone patted his shoulder. Cheng Chen, grinning slyly, whispered, "Hehe, Li Jing invited me to walk on the track. Let’s go together."

"Look at you, hopeless," Fang Yu muttered, shooting Cheng Chen a glare, then reluctantly agreed. "Fine, fine. I’m at the snack street. Where are you?"

"Hehe, we’re here too. See you at the corner in five minutes."

Fang Yu glanced helplessly at Zhao Bin and Lu Zhen. "Cheng Chen and I have to deal with the girls. You two do as you like."

Zhao Bin shrugged, "I’m exhausted, going back to sleep. Have fun."

Lu Zhen, a bit envious, kicked his short legs. "Ah, Boss Fang’s really something. The campus beauty comes right to your door, and you don’t even care. I’m off to the internet cafe—I’m itching to play after days away."