26: You're not a police officer.
It was that dangerous look, like a drug addict about to have a craving.
The men in the bar were either looking at pretty women or drinking, but his eyes constantly darted towards the entrance and the sofa booths, showing no interest in the drinks on the table.
Ye Lin walked over, carrying a wine bottle.
“Smack!” He slammed the wine bottle heavily onto the man’s table.
He sat down directly, pulled off his sunglasses, and asked indifferently, “Here to buy goods?”
The man had a gaunt face, deep-set eyes, and was constantly sniffing, clearly an addict. Ye Lin had found the right person.
Suddenly, with Ye Lin appearing out of nowhere, the man was startled. When Ye Lin asked him, he blurted out, “Ah.”
Suddenly, he reacted, “No, no, I’m here to drink, to drink.”
With that, he picked up a bottle from the table and gulped down two mouthfuls.
“That’s mine,” Ye Lin said coldly.
The man looked closely and realized he had indeed picked up the wrong bottle.
“Ah, I made a mistake, I made a mistake. Well, sorry, I’m leaving now, you enjoy yourself.”
Seeing Ye Lin’s unapproachable demeanor, this guy decided to run. Safety first.
Just as he stood up, Ye Lin slapped his shoulder with a “smack,” pressing his right hand on his shoulder and making him sit back down.
Looking at the guy’s terrified face, Ye Lin grinned.
“Bro, why so nervous? I’m not a cop.”
Ye Lin took off his sunglasses, revealing his signature rogue-like face.
As soon as he saw Ye Lin’s face, the guy’s expression changed three times, like an award-winning actor: first fear, then surprise, then relief, and finally anger.
“No, where did you come from? Do I know you?”
With that, the man picked up a beer and chugged a few more mouthfuls, at least comforting his wounded little heart.
Ye Lin ordered two more bottles of wine. “Here, bro, I’ll treat you to one.”
The man glanced at Ye Lin sideways, ignoring him.
Ye Lin pulled him in closer, leaning in and saying, “Bro, I just want to buy some goods. I heard they’re sold here. I saw you and figured you’re one of us, so I wanted to ask you to lead the way.”
“Tch.” The man pushed Ye Lin away forcefully when he heard that Ye Lin was asking for his help.
“I don’t know anything about buying or selling goods. I’m here to drink.”
He had a haughty look.
Ye Lin smiled knowingly and whispered, “You lead the way for me, and I’ll give you two packs.”
The man’s eyes lit up. He turned his head, scrutinized Ye Lin from head to toe, and said seriously, “You’ll keep your word?”
Ye Lin smiled slightly, pulled out 1,000 yuan from his satchel, and tossed it onto the table. “This is a deposit. You lead the way, and I’ll give you another 1,000. How about it?”
2,000 yuan wasn’t a lot, but for these addicts, money meant goods, and goods meant something to smoke.
“1,000? Bro, do you not understand the market? What can that little money do? Who do you think Wang Lao San is?” A hint of greed appeared in the man’s eyes, but he still held back, his mouth very stubborn.
Ye Lin understood his expression immediately. He took out another 4,000 yuan from his satchel and slapped it on the table. “5,000, and another 5,000 after it’s done.”
Wang Lao San’s face instantly bloomed like a flower. He quickly scooped up the money and stuffed it haphazardly into his pockets.
“No problem, leave it to me, haha.”
“Bro, what should I call you?”
In this world, money truly makes the world go ‘round.
“A Sheng, you can just call me A Sheng.” Ye Lin made up a fake name on the spot.
“I heard from others that there are goods here. Whose place is this?” With a breakthrough, Ye Lin wouldn’t miss this opportunity.
“This is a newly opened place. The previous one was raided by the cops. Brother Yong is in charge here, and the goods are also supplied by Brother Yong.”
“Brother Yong’s goods are more expensive, but he has channels, and the bulk goods sell quickly. He’s not worried about not being able to sell them.”
Ye Lin nodded. It seemed Brother Yong was not simple.
“So, do we get the goods directly from Brother Yong?”
“What are you thinking? Brother Yong is the big boss. This is all handled by his subordinate, Mad Face. Mad Face will be sitting at this sofa booth in a bit. I’ll take you there. Don’t say much. Whatever Mad Face says the price is, you pay that much.”
“What if he rips me off?”
“Being ripped off is part of it. We’re begging others to buy goods, you think it’s like buying things in a mall and you can haggle?” Wang Lao San looked disdainful.
Suddenly, his voice dropped again, and he said mysteriously, “Brother, since you’re so generous, I’ll tell you a little secret: Mad Face sometimes sells fake goods. If you’re not a regular customer, he might rip you off.”
Ye Lin gratefully picked up a drink and toasted Wang Lao San, greatly satisfying Wang Lao San’s vanity.
Every industry has its rules. I came in first, so I understand the rules. What good is it for you, a bumpkin, to just have money?
At this moment, the bumpkin was looking down silently, thinking about how to deal with the situation later.
He originally thought it was just a small drug dealer selling goods, and he could just arrest him, but he didn’t expect this to be just a distribution point.
That won’t do. He had to gain their trust first and lure Brother Yong out.
The two sat and chatted idly for a while. Wang Lao San, who was already not very guarded, was so flattered by Ye Lin that he almost revealed his entire family history.
Speaking of which, Wang Lao San also started in engineering and made a small fortune, but later he was squeezed out by others and became addicted to drugs, and his family fortune was quickly squandered.
This was also a common pattern for addicts; generally, drug dealers wouldn't sell to those who were too poor, only to those with some wealth.
“Brother, looking at you, you seem quite shrewd in business. How did you get taken advantage of?” Ye Lin asked casually.
Wang Lao San shuddered at the question, as if he had thought of something terrifying, and his face instantly froze.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Lin pressed.
“Nothing, nothing.” Wang Lao San forced a smile.
Then, he turned to look around and whispered, “Heard of Qiang Teng Group?”
“Isn’t that the City’s star enterprise? They account for half of the City’s construction and real estate.”
Qiang Teng Group is a comprehensive company in Yuezhou City, mainly engaged in real estate and construction, and also involved in property management. They operate on a relatively large scale and are considered one of the leading enterprises in Yuezhou’s construction industry.
“Star, my foot!” Wang Lao San said indignantly. “They’re just a bunch of gangsters, relying on intimidation to seize construction sites from us and the workers. That’s how my construction team was destroyed.”
Wang Lao San chugged a mouthful of wine, suppressing the anger in his heart.
He continued, “Back then, Qiang Teng Group was started by the brothers Gu Qiang and Gu Teng. Then they found a group of desperate thugs and went around snatching business.”