Chu Chengsong raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised.
Gu Hai showed no fear toward him, which suggested that the source of the camera was legitimate.
Pressing his lips together, Chu Chengsong adjusted his attitude.
"Alright, let's check the goods directly."
Gu Hai didn't waste any words. He took the digital camera out of the large box he had brought, inserted the batteries, and handed it to Chu Chengsong.
Chu Chengsong was obviously very familiar with cameras. Even though this was the latest model, he examined it a few times before opening the lens and immediately taking a photo of the window beside him.
Click.
The image appeared on the screen—crystal clear!
Even more surprising, the photo was in color!
Chu Chengsong was extremely satisfied. When he looked at Gu Hai again, his gaze was no longer as sharp, and his attitude had completely changed.
"Comrade Gu, how much is this camera? I'll take it!"
Seeing how straightforward he was, Gu Hai didn't dwell on the earlier exchange and said directly:
"The digital camera is 880 yuan. I'll include a box of batteries for free. The television is 350 yuan. That makes a total of 1,230 yuan."
Yes, the television had also been ordered by Chu Chengsong.
His family in Haicheng was wealthy and influential, so they didn't lack a television. However, at home, his mother, aunt, and younger sister often argued over what to watch.
Chu Chengsong originally had a TV purchase coupon, but he had given it away as a wedding gift to a comrade not long ago.
A few days earlier, when Zhou Ziyang mentioned that he could get a television without a coupon, Chu Chengsong agreed immediately.
He planned to place this television in his parents' room so his mother could watch alone, preventing further arguments with his aunt.
Since Chu Chengsong wasn't short on money, he completed the transaction with Gu Hai on the spot.
---
After Gu Hai left with a large sum of cash, Zhou Ziyang saw that Chu Chengsong was busy playing with the camera, so he helped set up the television.
After connecting the antenna, Zhou Ziyang couldn't help asking:
"Old Chu, your mother will definitely be happy with this TV, but won't your aunt cause trouble?"
Without even looking up, Chu Chengsong replied:
"What trouble can she cause? She has her own home but refuses to live there, insisting on staying at mine just to compete with my mother. She even claims it's because she can't bear to leave my little sister. Ridiculous! My sister is my mother's biological daughter—she makes it sound like my mother would mistreat her."
Zhou Ziyang shook his head, unable to understand.
"Your aunt isn't divorced from your uncle, so why insist on living at your place? And from what I've seen, your sister is quite attached to your aunt. Your mother must feel really stifled."
"Your sister too—she has her own mother but insists on clinging to her aunt, while your mother and aunt don't get along at all…"
"Alright, enough," Chu Chengsong interrupted impatiently. "I finally got a chance to come out, don't bring up these unpleasant things."
He put away the camera and helped Zhou Ziyang adjust the television.
Soon, after a burst of static, a news broadcast appeared on the screen.
Zhou Ziyang clapped his hands.
"Done!"
After setting the TV in place, he asked again:
"Old Chu, how long are you staying this time?"
Chu Chengsong picked up the camera again, fiddling with it as he answered:
"I'm mainly here to handle a work handover. The murderers we caught in Haicheng last time have some criminal records here in Sijiu City. Once that's sorted out, I'll head back."
Zhou Ziyang nodded.
"That's perfect. On Children's Day, our bureau is holding a commendation event. Come and check it out. There will be colleagues from other branches too—plenty of female officers. Maybe you'll even…"
"Stop right there," Chu Chengsong cut him off. "I'm constantly being pressured to get married at home, which is why I deliberately applied for this assignment. And now that I'm here, you're still nagging me about it? Just be quiet. You're not young yourself, and you're still single—mind your own business!"
Zhou Ziyang: "…"
That really hit a nerve.
---
Meanwhile, after getting the money, Gu Hai immediately had Gouzi call Su Wenbing and the others over.
In the main room of his house, Gu Hai placed all the money on the table.
Gouzi, Su Wenbing, Lao Liu, and Er Mao stared at the pile of cash, swallowing hard. No one spoke first.
Gu Hai broke the silence:
"Here's what I think. I plan to split this money evenly among everyone. Although most of the goods were collected by Wenbing and Lao Liu, the capital came from me, and I found the channels. Gouzi and Er Mao also contributed a lot."
"So this time, we split it equally. Any objections?"
Su Wenbing and Lao Liu were the first to respond:
"No objections. That was the agreement from the start. We're all brothers—splitting it equally is the fairest way."
Gouzi naturally had no objections either.
Only Er Mao hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something but didn't.
Gu Hai glanced at him. Gouzi immediately turned and asked:
"Er Mao, do you have a problem with it?"
Er Mao quickly shook his head, looking honest and obedient.
"No, Brother Hai, Brother Gouzi, I have no objections… I just think Wenbing and Lao Liu worked the hardest, so they should get a bit more."
In truth, he wanted to say that he and Gouzi had traveled to other places to sell the goods, working day and night under constant fear of being caught by the police.
He felt he had worked harder than anyone else.
But facing Gu Hai and Gouzi, he didn't dare say it aloud.
Since everyone agreed, Gu Hai didn't say more and began dividing the money.
The total earnings from this batch were 4,083 yuan. Gu Hai took the extra amount and gave it to Su Wenbing as compensation for borrowing a vehicle and fuel costs.
The remaining 4,000 yuan was split evenly—each person received 800 yuan.
Holding the money in their hands, Su Wenbing and the others were so excited they didn't know what to say.
After putting away his share, Su Wenbing said:
"Brother Hai, I've collected another batch of antiques over the past few days. I'll bring them to you tomorrow!"
Gouzi also spoke up eagerly:
"Brother Hai, my hometown used to be some kind of feudal estate. There are still quite a few old items in people's homes. How about I go back overnight and see if I can find anything valuable?"
Gu Hai nodded without hesitation.
"Alright. If you have time, go ahead. As long as the items from your hometown catch that collector's interest, whatever goods he gives in exchange will all be yours—I won't take a single share."
Then he turned to Su Wenbing and the others:
"The same goes for you. This time we've split the money evenly, so everyone now has enough capital. Next time, whatever items you bring in, I won't take any share."
Hearing this, Er Mao's face lit up with joy.
But Gouzi frowned.
"Brother Hai, we're all brothers—why be so clear-cut about everything? I think we should…"
"Gouzi," Gu Hai interrupted him, "I know you don't care about these things. But even between close brothers, accounts should be clear. I'm doing this so we can stay united in the long run."
"That's it—we'll do it my way."
Gu Hai ended the discussion firmly.
Gouzi didn't dare argue further and reluctantly accepted it.