Bai Zhenzhu took 100 units, earning 6,000 yuan.

Chen Xiliang alone took 230 units, making the most money – a full 13,800 yuan.

Senior Brother Li was also satisfied, his 900-yuan investment quickly turning into a 1,500-yuan return. Only Senior Brother Wan, after much deliberation, didn’t sell his radios to Chen Xiliang’s friend – he wanted to retail them himself! It was just 10 radios, so Chen Xiliang’s friend wasn’t bothered when the deal fell through. The three of them divided up the remaining 490 units.

After settling the accounts, Xia Xiaolan said nothing.

Having earned over 10,000 yuan in a daze, Chen Xiliang now looked at Xia Xiaolan as if she were a god of wealth.

“Sister Xia, if you have any more opportunities like this, remember to find me!”

Though they had spent a day and night in fear, the profits were astounding, and Chen Xiliang wanted to do it again.

However, Xia Xiaolan knew when to quit while ahead. She didn’t know what kind of luck they’d had this time, but earning money with such anxiety once was enough. She now had the capital to partner with Bai Zhenzhu on other ventures.

“Oh right, your brother-in-law came by this morning. He said to find him as soon as you got back.”

Chen Xiliang’s expression changed, and he hurried away without any further boasting.

Left with the other four, she said to her two senior brothers:

“I need to take the next train back to Shangdu. Could you two escort me to the station?”

Senior Brother Wan still had his ten radios to deal with, so he naturally needed to go home first. Xia Xiaolan waited at Bai Zhenzhu’s house for the two of them. Bai Zhenzhu didn’t mention the two senior brothers; with Xia Xiaolan’s time being precious, she wanted to discuss their partnership business.

Xia Xiaolan was frank: “I want to open a store selling renovation materials, but not until after July.”

If Liu Yong wanted to do renovation work, where should he buy construction materials?

Finding suitable tiles wasn’t easy, nor was choosing lighting fixtures, let alone appropriate furniture. The renovation included both hard and soft furnishing – hard furnishing meant immovable items like flooring, ceilings, walls, and doors and windows. Soft furnishing involved furniture, decorative paintings, ceramics, curtains, fabrics, lighting, and plants.

During the last renovation of “Blue Phoenix,” Xia Xiaolan experienced firsthand how difficult it was to buy renovation materials.

If she could open such a store, wouldn’t it create a supply chain with Uncle Liu Yong’s business? Even if Liu Yong’s renovation projects didn’t need so many materials, this was the Pengcheng Special Zone, which would develop rapidly for many years to come. With so many foreign industries, Pengcheng would be the first to be influenced by external trends. The country’s first commercial housing had already appeared, and it wouldn’t take long for people to accept renovation.

Currently, this industry certainly wouldn’t bring quick profits like the clothing business, but Xia Xiaolan saw better prospects. The 20,000 yuan she had now was just sitting idle – the meager bank interest didn’t appeal to her, so she might as well invest it in something else.

Xia Xiaolan told Bai Zhenzhu that they might not make much money initially, so she should think carefully about investing.

“I plan to invest at least 50,000 yuan in July – if we’re going to do it, let’s become Pengcheng’s largest renovation materials store. I’ve got my eye on that building at People’s Bridge Street corner. We can’t manage something that big without over 100,000 yuan, and I’m planning to bring in Kang Wei, whom you met before, as an investor.”

It would take over 100,000 yuan to support a business requiring 50,000 yuan from each person.

If Bai Zhenzhu hadn’t made this windfall today, her entire savings wouldn’t have reached 10,000 yuan. Could she earn the 50,000 yuan investment by July? If her business continued this smoothly, Bai Zhenzhu thought she could.

But with several tens of thousands of yuan, her business options would broaden.

It didn’t have to be reselling trousers – as Xia Xiaolan said, she could move from retail to wholesale.

With tens of thousands, she could even switch from clothing to electronics.

Why invest in a business that might not make money in the short term?

Rationally, Bai Zhenzhu should refuse outright. However, she felt Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t do unprofitable business. Without committing to invest, she asked a seemingly unrelated question:

“Why does it have to be after July? If we gather the capital earlier, couldn’t we start sooner?”

Xia Xiaolan shook her head. “No, because I have to take the college entrance exam in July.”

Take what?

Bai Zhenzhu didn’t quite catch it the first time.

“Take the national college entrance examination.”

Having known Xia Xiaolan for months, Bai Zhenzhu had no idea she was still a student!

How could Xia Xiaolan be a student?

She was so bold, skilled at business, and could handle gang leaders like Ke Yixiong with ease. Such capability at such a young age suggested extensive social experience… Now being told that Xia Xiaolan was still a student about to take exams, Bai Zhenzhu opened and closed her mouth several times, speechless.

Ah, people were different from one another.

The rough-looking and even rougher-hearted Comrade Bai Zhenzhu was, for the first time, at a loss for words!

After Xia Xiaolan revealed she was a graduating student, Bai Zhenzhu looked at her as if she were seeing a live panda.

She left Comrade Bai Zhenzhu with one task: to secure the lease on that building at People’s Bridge Street corner before June, no matter what.

“Sister Bai, please help me with this, even if you don’t invest.”

Bai Zhenzhu agreed, then asked, “What about deals like today’s? Will you do more?”

Xia Xiaolan thought for a moment and shook her head. “I feel uneasy about it. Once is enough for this kind of money – there are plenty of opportunities to make money, so we don’t need to rush. Sister Bai, think carefully, isn’t what we’re earning now enough for a good life?”

Bai Zhenzhu was startled.

Indeed, if she hadn’t gone to Pengcheng, she’d still be running that barely surviving fruit stand, considering switching to become a butcher.

Slaughtering two pigs a day would bring in at most a thousand yuan per month.

Her current monthly income from dealing in cheap clothes was already several times that of a butcher. At this rate, she could support her grandmother at home and save money for her brother’s marriage – why take such big risks? She’d nearly become obsessed with money-making, almost losing her way.

When Wan and Li escorted Xia Xiaolan to the train, she gave them each a red envelope.

Having made money, Xia Xiaolan was never stingy. Though still far from being a big boss, she gave them each another 200-yuan red envelope. They were practically on daily wages, and following Xia Xiaolan for a few days hadn’t involved any life-threatening dangers. Senior Brother Li thought about the 600 yuan profit from the radios, plus the red envelopes from Xia Xiaolan – he’d made 900 yuan this week.

“Following Miss Xia, you won’t lose out.”

Senior Brother Wan was speechless, still thinking about the radios he’d kept at home.

How much should he sell them for – 200 yuan each, or more?

With the radio profits, Xia Xiaolan’s 300-yuan red envelope seemed insignificant. Xia Xiaolan had made 9,000 yuan profit on 150 radios. Senior Brother Wan felt he’d gotten his 10 radios thanks to his junior sister Bai Zhenzhu since she’d first gotten wind of the deal… He didn’t consider that even if Bai Zhenzhu had the information, without Xia Xiaolan’s quick decision to partner with Chen Xiliang, Bai Zhenzhu couldn’t have raised the money for 500 radios and would have watched the opportunity slip away!

Senior Brother Li secretly shook his head. People had different ambitions – they’d been as close as brothers when learning martial arts together, but after the martial arts school closed and they went their separate ways, many years had brought changes.

He saw that Senior Brother Wan was getting a bit full of himself. Whatever Miss Xia’s background, even Junior Sister Bai followed her lead. When Brother Bai found them to help, there had been many brothers at the Bai Family Martial Arts School – why did they necessarily need to rely on you, Senior Brother Wan?

People who couldn’t see their position wouldn’t last long following anyone!