After thinking for a moment, Xia Ying said firmly to Su Yun, "Alright. As long as your goods are genuine, I can help you sell them!"
Su Yun happily replied, "Don't worry. With our years of friendship, would I ever cheat you? I've already checked Gu Hai's batch—every item is brand new. Even the cheapest Seagull watch he has is only 130 yuan."
She deliberately raised the price from 98 yuan to 130 yuan so it would sound more reasonable.
"What?!"
Xia Ying jumped to her feet in excitement. "A Seagull watch for only 130 yuan? The cheapest one at my counter is 138 yuan!"
And that still required a purchase coupon!
After the initial excitement, Xia Ying quickly said, "Su Yun, leave this matter to me. I'll definitely find opportunities to sell the watches for you. But 130 yuan is too cheap—we can't sell them at that price!"
"Since your goods don't require coupons, we should raise the price. I think pricing a standard Seagull watch at around 150 yuan would be most appropriate. Otherwise, it could disrupt the market. I won't increase my commission—I'll still take five yuan per item. What do you think?"
In this area, Xia Ying clearly had more experience.
Su Yun had no objections. "Alright, it's settled! But since you're helping raise the price, your commission should go up too. I'll give you ten yuan for each item sold!"
Xia Ying widened her eyes and opened her mouth to refuse—but she couldn't resist the temptation.
In the end, she gritted her teeth and agreed, thinking she would simply work harder to help Su Yun sell more goods as a way of repaying her.
After reaching an agreement with Xia Ying, Su Yun felt even more cheerful. Even her physics textbook seemed a little more pleasant to look at.
---
On Gu Hai's side, after moving the supplies away, everyone went back and immediately got to work.
Gouzi led Lao Liu and a few others to transport goods overnight to another city for sale. Su Wenbing stayed behind to continue collecting antiques. Even Gu Jun was eager to join, secretly trying to follow Gu Hai out, but Gu Jiang and Gu Meng caught him and dragged him back.
As the older sister, Gu Meng patiently advised him, "Junzi, your eldest brother is doing important work. You're still young—don't cause trouble. Be good."
Gu Jiang also patted his head and scolded him gently. "If you sneak along, your brother will have to watch out for others while also taking care of you. That's exhausting."
Gu Jun protested stubbornly, "I've grown up! I'll be starting primary school in the second half of the year. I can take care of myself—I won't be a burden!"
Even as he said that, he knew he was still too young and not trusted to do anything.
At that moment, he could only wish to grow up quickly so he could help Gu Hai and no longer be seen as a burden.
---
After leaving, Gu Hai went out overnight to meet an acquaintance from the Public Security Bureau—Zhou Ziyang, who had previously been involved in the steel factory theft case.
Under a streetlight at a quiet corner, Zhou Ziyang had just gotten off work and changed into casual clothes—a white shirt and blue trousers—making him look tall and handsome.
Gu Hai, dressed in new clothes himself, also looked striking.
After meeting, Gu Hai lowered his voice and asked, "Comrade Zhou, last time you mentioned a friend in Haicheng who wanted the latest digital camera. Has he found one yet?"
Zhou Ziyang glanced around cautiously to make sure no one was nearby before replying, "Not yet. Most cameras on the market are still film cameras. My friend is a criminal investigator in Haicheng—he often has to track down fugitives. He wants a digital camera so he can capture suspects' appearances immediately and improve case-solving efficiency."
Then he asked, "Comrade Gu Hai, why are you asking about this all of a sudden?"
Gu Hai replied in a low voice, "I happen to have a brand-new digital camera. It's the latest model—just add batteries and it's ready to use. Ask your friend—if he wants it, I can reserve it for him."
Zhou Ziyang raised an eyebrow in surprise. "If that's true, then of course he'd want it!"
Gu Hai continued, "However, the price of such a new digital camera…"
Zhou Ziyang waved his hand. "Price isn't an issue. My friend's family isn't short on money—his father is a garrison chief of staff in Haicheng."
That single sentence gave Gu Hai a clearer understanding of the man's background.
Gu Hai nodded. "Alright, then I'll leave it to you. If he's interested, we can discuss the delivery details."
"There's no need to overthink it," Zhou Ziyang said. "My friend will be here on a business trip in a few days. I'll have him come inspect the goods in person. You can complete the transaction face-to-face—that's safest for everyone."
Gu Hai agreed. After all, a digital camera was valuable—it was best to settle everything on the spot.
With a buyer secured, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders and spoke more lightly. "Then I'll leave it in your hands, Comrade Zhou."
Zhou Ziyang smiled politely. "We're helping each other. If you have more opportunities like this in the future, come find me. Several of my comrades are also looking for cameras!"
Hearing this, Gu Hai's interest was piqued. He lowered his voice and asked, "What about televisions?"
Zhou Ziyang: "!!!"
---
By the time Gu Hai returned from the Public Security Bureau dormitory, he had already found buyers for both the camera and the television. By rough estimation, he could earn around 1,000 yuan from the deal.
That night, he barely slept. Early the next morning, he got up full of energy, dressed neatly, and went to the recycling station to open the door for Su Yun.
After all, the key was still with him!
---
Three days later, the morning sun rose slowly.
Su Xiu changed into her best outfit and nervously stood at the entrance of the Public Security Bureau. Watching officers in olive-green uniforms coming and going, she instinctively stepped aside, not daring to enter.
"Excuse me, comrade—are you here to see someone or to report a case?"
Zhou Ziyang happened to be arriving at work on his bicycle. Seeing her hesitation, he stopped to ask.
Su Xiu looked up at him briefly. When she saw his uniform, she quickly lowered her head, clutching her sleeve nervously. "I… I'm here… to report for duty."
"Reporting for duty? Which department? Why aren't you in uniform?"
The series of questions made her even more anxious.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and said, "I'm the new clerk. Director Sun told me to report today."
"Oh!" Zhou Ziyang nodded. "Now I remember—the director mentioned that a new clerk would be arriving these days. So it's you!"
"Since you're here, why didn't you just go in?"
Zhou Ziyang knew that the clerk position had originally been reserved for Gu Hai. Now that someone else had taken it—and judging by her age, she probably wasn't Gu Hai's partner—she was likely a relative.
Having just completed a deal with Gu Hai the night before, Zhou Ziyang naturally felt more goodwill toward someone connected to him.
Su Xiu forced a small smile. "I was just about to go in…"
In truth, she had been trying to gather the courage—but Zhou Ziyang had spoken to her first.