“Did you write down all the lot numbers?” Zhou Haoting asked Tian Tian quietly as they exited the warehouse.
For this auction, attendees first inspected the goods and noted the lot numbers of the items they wanted. Then everyone gathered in the temporary auction hall and waited for customs to auction off the items one by one.
All the goods were numbered by category and quantity. Some large lots were even split up for sale. But no matter how many lots there were, there were even more people. Tian Tian looked around the packed auction hall and silently prayed that everything would go smoothly.
Soon, the auction began.
The first ten lots were particularly high in value. Cars, imported color TVs, refrigerators, and other appliances had starting bids ranging from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand yuan.
Listening to the bids rising and falling around her, Tian Tian once again felt like a pauper.
Yes, even after several rounds of buying and selling, she still didn’t have even ten thousand yuan in hand. She had started with five thousand, sold wholesale clothing, and reinvested part of the proceeds into producing the batwing sleeves. She had brought only three thousand yuan to this auction.
If that wasn’t enough, Zhou Haoting would lend her some.
Tian Tian had secretly asked him how much he had brought. When he told her the amount, she instantly felt deflated.
Sure enough, some people are simply born in Rome.
That remark had made Zhou Haoting laugh for a long time. Because part of his money did come from his biological father. Even though he had never met the man, his father had been good to them. Before he left, he left behind fifty large gold bars. His mother had never touched them all those years. It wasn’t until he turned eighteen and the political climate improved that those gold bars finally came into his possession.
After that, Zhou Haoting sold two of the large gold bars as seed capital and started trading goods. From the beginning of the reform era to this year, he had earned over a hundred thousand yuan. On top of that, he still had the remaining forty-eight large gold bars.
Zhou Haoting was a true diamond bachelor.
Recalling that day when she learned about his financial standing, Tian Tian couldn’t help but reach out and pinch his arm. Unfortunately, the guy’s biceps were so firm she couldn’t get a grip.
Ye Lifeng, sitting nearby, watched their interaction with envy in his eyes. When would he and Lizhen be this close? Then he would have no other regrets in life.
Meanwhile, the auction continued fiercely.
As jaw-dropping amounts were announced one after another, all ten of the highest-value lots were sold.
Tian Tian noticed that Xiao Ming’s group hadn’t raised their paddle once. She found it strange—she had assumed they came to bid on the high-value items. But they hadn’t made a move on the first ten lots.
She wasn’t the only one curious. Others were also wondering what Xiao Ming was really there for.
Just then, Tian Tian’s gaze met Xiao Ming’s.
He gave her a strange smile—neither exactly provocative nor friendly. Either way, it was unsettling.
Tian Tian glared back. But then she thought about their earlier minor altercation, which hadn’t really been a conflict at all. Her heart began to pound a little.
On stage, lot 22—five hundred electronic watches—was now being auctioned. Without a second thought, Tian Tian raised her paddle and called out a bid.
Beside her, Zhou Haoting tilted his head slightly and looked at her questioningly.
Tian Tian pinched the back of his hand and shook her head. She pointed a finger toward Xiao Ming. Zhou Haoting immediately understood. He patted his wallet, signaling: Go ahead and bid. I’ll cover it.
Tian Tian smiled. She listened intently to the other bids, occasionally raising her own. She acted as if she really wanted this batch of electronic watches and was determined to win them.
Then, just as Tian Tian had expected, the bleached-blond guy next to Xiao Ming started competing. Every time he raised a bid, Tian Tian raised a higher one. Back and forth they went, driving the price up to the point where there would be almost no profit left.
That was when Tian Tian dropped out of the bidding. She put on a look of frustration and disappointment.
Seeing this, Zhou Haoting raised a fist to his mouth to hide his smile.
Tian Tian shot him a look that said: Pretty clever of me, right?
Next, every time Tian Tian raised her paddle, the bleached-blond guy would follow with a bid. And each time, Tian Tian would bow out just as the price reached the breaking point. After several rounds, Xiao Ming naturally caught on to Tian Tian’s strategy.
By then, the other bidders had also noticed that Xiao Ming was targeting Tian Tian. But since it was a man and a woman, and knowing the reputation of Hecheng’s boss, some of the more dirty-minded people let their imaginations run wild.
Tian Tian noticed a few disgusting, greasy stares and frowned deeply.
Zhou Haoting reached over and patted her arm. He took the bidding paddle from her hand and started calling out bids himself. Then another round of back-and-forth began.
Perhaps because the bidder had changed to Zhou Haoting, the bleached-blond guy next to Xiao Ming stopped bidding recklessly. Seeing this, everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone who came to the auction was hoping to find a bargain. If every item got bid up to a high price, even if they won, there wouldn’t be much profit left.
By now, the bidding had reached lot number 35. Tian Tian poked Zhou Haoting.
He nodded slightly and continued bidding unhurriedly, dropping out each time once the price got too high. He did the same with lots 36 and 37.
“Brother Xiao, should we keep bidding?” The bleached-blond guy next to Xiao Ming had stopped earlier when Zhou Haoting started bidding. But with Zhou Haoting making bid after bid, it seemed like he was trying to compete with them. The blond guy couldn’t hold back any longer and quickly asked for instructions.
Xiao Ming glanced out of the corner of his eye at Tian Tian and Zhou Haoting, then shook his head slightly. It was fine to toy with that pretty girl named Tian Tian a bit, but he couldn’t let it interfere with important business.
He had come to this auction today to secure something significant.
Just then, the auctioneer announced that lot 38 was now open for bidding.
“Lot 38 is a batch of unbranded jeans made in Hong Kong. The sizes come in three general sizes: large, medium, and small. There are three thousand pairs in total. The starting bid is 45,000 yuan. Bidding is now open!”
Three thousand pairs at a total starting price of 45,000 yuan worked out to 15 yuan per pair. That price wasn’t expensive, considering the fabric, dye, and style of these jeans were all very good. However, not everyone could come up with 45,000 yuan.
Those who could afford it looked down on a mere three thousand pairs, thinking the quantity was too small to bother with. Those who were interested often couldn’t afford it.
This quantity was exactly what Tian Tian was after. There was another batch of jeans later, made by a different manufacturer. But that batch had ten thousand pairs. That was too much for her to handle, even if she wanted them. Big players would surely be eyeing that batch.
As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, Zhou Haoting raised his paddle.
Over at Xiao Ming’s group, Xiao Ming glanced at Zhou Haoting but didn’t tell his blond sidekick to bid. The guy had raised his paddle several times, clearly trying to lure him into bidding up the price. And Xiao Ming’s target was about to appear. It wasn’t safe to get into a bidding war with Zhou Haoting right now.
As for the others, seeing that Xiao Ming wasn’t competing, and since the three thousand jeans were somewhat of a tricky lot, Tian Tian was fortunate to win the three thousand pairs for just under 50,000 yuan.
“I won them! I won them!” Tian Tian struggled to contain her excitement and gripped her pant legs tightly. Pairing these three thousand jeans with the batwing sleeves was sure to be a winning combination. When the time came, her goods would sell quickly. She wouldn’t just become a “ten-thousand-yuan household”—she might even become a “twenty-thousand-yuan household.”
Now that she had secured the jeans, she didn’t have to worry about her next steps.
“Zhou Haoting, thank you.” Without his help placing the bids and covering the difference, she couldn’t have won the three thousand pairs.
“Don’t mention it. Besides, if you hadn’t been sharp enough to see through Xiao Ming’s game, this auction wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.”
Tian Tian didn’t try to be modest. She nodded directly and admitted she was clever. She was clever! If she hadn’t gone back and forth with Xiao Ming a few times beforehand, the three thousand pairs of jeans wouldn’t have gone for this price.
Xiao Ming, catching Tian Tian’s reaction, immediately realized he had been played. But he didn’t get angry. He just chuckled dryly a couple of times. Then he turned his attention to a later lot.
Lots 39, 40, and 41 passed one after another. Among them was the fabric Ye Lifeng wanted. The material was somewhat rare and well-suited for making clothes to wear during the summer in Guangdong Province. But it was just too popular.
In the end, the price went too high, and Ye Lifeng gave up.
Tian Tian had noticed that fabric. It resembled Dacron but was more breathable. That type of material wasn’t yet available domestically, so its popularity was natural. Even though she didn’t run a garment factory, she would have taken a second look at such a unique fabric.
But Xiao Ming made no move at all.
Tian Tian had been watching him the whole time, trying to figure out why he had come to the auction. The items he had chased her on earlier probably weren’t his real target.
Just as she was thinking that, the next lot came up: a batch of one thousand pairs of wedge-heeled sandals.
The style was, of course, from Hong Kong, and quite attractive. But again, the quantity was neither here nor there, and the price wasn’t cheap. It was another tricky lot. So not many people bid. Especially when everyone noticed the bleached-blond guy next to Xiao Ming raising his paddle again—those who had been interested directly backed out.
It wasn’t worth offending Xiao Ming of He Cheng, with his gangster connections, over a thousand pairs of sandals.
Seeing this, Tian Tian pinched the back of Zhou Haoting’s hand again.
He nodded slightly to show he understood.
Both of them were focused on figuring out Xiao Ming’s objective. Now it was crystal clear. There had to be something fishy about those thousand pairs of wedge-heeled sandals. Otherwise, Xiao Ming wouldn’t have come personally.
Many people thought the same. But then Xiao Ming participated in bidding on several more items, and quite a few people dismissed their suspicions.
But Tian Tian and Zhou Haoting knew the problem had to be with those thousand pairs of wedge-heeled sandals. Neither of them was the type to meddle in other people’s business, nor would they confront Xiao Ming in public. So they simply acted as if nothing had happened and continued with the auction.
Now it was Zhou Haoting’s turn to bid on something he had his eye on. It was a batch of twenty cassette players, Matsukami brand from Japan. They were very expensive. Even as confiscated goods, each one was priced at over 200 yuan.
A small quantity at a high price meant not many people bid.
In the end, Zhou Haoting got what he wanted and secured the twenty cassette players.
Seeing this, Tian Tian had a pretty good idea of what Zhou Haoting’s next move would be. In her past life, this guy became the “Home Appliance King.” Buying these twenty cassette players wasn’t part of some grand plan. He likely bought them to disassemble and replicate.
Tian Tian didn’t ask further. There were too many people around, and walls had ears.
And indeed, Zhou Haoting was planning to take the cassette players apart and copy them. He had come to customs today not only to accompany Tian Tian but also to see if there were any suitable small appliances available.
The cassette player seemed like a good bet.
After winning that item, Zhou Haoting went on to bid on several smaller lots: ten rice cookers, twenty hair dryers, and the like.
After several rounds, many people assumed Zhou Haoting was buying these small, miscellaneous lots as gifts. Because the quantities were small, no one suspected he was planning to disassemble and replicate them.
Time ticked by. Some people left the auction hall happy, others angry. Finally, Ye Lifeng won a batch of cheap white cotton fabric, and the auction came to an end.
Afterward, everyone had to take their receipts to the finance department to pay, then present the stamped payment slip back at the warehouse to collect their goods.
To make it easier to haul everything, Zhou Haoting had arranged for a truck yesterday to come to customs today to pick up the goods.
So the three of them paid and then headed to the customs gate to find the driver.
Just as they stepped outside, they ran into Xiao Ming and his crew getting into a Santana and driving off. Behind their car followed a large truck, its bed crammed full of the various goods they had won.
Tian Tian looked at the overflowing truck bed and said, holding back a laugh, “They got their goods confiscated and then had to buy them back at a high price. I wonder how much they lost.”
After her chuckle, she quietly discussed with Zhou Haoting what might be fishy about those thousand pairs of wedge-heeled sandals.
Just then, Ye Lifeng came out after taking the driver to pick up the goods.
“The driver is taking everything directly to my place. I’m riding with the truck. We can split the goods later?”
“Sounds good!”
Both Tian Tian and Zhou Haoting agreed. Their goods didn’t amount to as much as Ye Lifeng’s, and the truck rental was being split three ways. Whatever was most convenient worked.
As they watched Ye Lifeng get onto the truck and drive off, Zhou Haoting took the car keys Ye Lifeng had given him and drove off with Tian Tian following behind.
But halfway there, they spotted signs of a fight on the road ahead. They both stopped to check it out.
Up ahead, they saw Xiao Ming’s black Santana and a large truck. Both vehicles showed evidence of having been struck with clubs and sticks. The truck bed, which had been packed full earlier, was now noticeably emptier.
Clearly, a fierce fight had taken place here before they arrived.
Watching the vehicles speed off ahead, Tian Tian quietly said to Zhou Haoting, “Were they robbed?”
The goods Xiao Ming had won were mostly daily necessities and clothes. In broad daylight, that shouldn’t attract robbers. So there really was something wrong with that batch of a thousand pairs of sandals. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been ambushed so soon after leaving customs.
Luckily, they had left later and hadn’t run into the same trouble. Otherwise, they might have suffered too.
By now, Xiao Ming’s cars were out of sight. Ye Lifeng called out, “Let’s keep driving back.” With that, the truck started up and pulled away.
Back in their car, Zhou Haoting was about to step on the gas when he heard Tian Tian yell, “Wait a minute.”
Zhou Haoting looked confused. Seeing Tian Tian looking at the bushes by the roadside, he thought she needed to answer nature’s call. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Want me to go with you?”
After all, the roadside wasn’t safe.
Not knowing what was going through his head, Tian Tian simply nodded and agreed.
The two got out of the car. Zhou Haoting had already braced himself to stand guard, turning his back as if to make it clear he wouldn’t peek.
Seeing this, Tian Tian was speechless. She reached out and patted his back.
“What are you doing?”
Zhou Haoting said, “You… don’t you need to… you know?”
“What ‘you know’? Come here and look!”
What a goof. Tian Tian had no idea how he had managed to earn over a hundred thousand yuan.
Realizing he had misunderstood, Zhou Haoting cleared his throat awkwardly. Then his expression turned serious.
Because, following Tian Tian’s pointing finger, he spotted a cardboard box in the bushes.
The two exchanged a glance and immediately knew that this box had fallen off Xiao Ming’s truck.
“Let’s go…”
This was no place to linger.
They didn’t hesitate. They worked in perfect sync: one kept watch while the other lifted the box and shoved it under their car. The whole process was seamless, and luck was on their side—no one appeared.
Their car had just started moving when another vehicle showed up behind them.
Inside the car, Tian Tian and Zhou Haoting’s eyes met in the rearview mirror. Both had a feeling that this cardboard box would answer their questions.
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