Chapter 28: Huge Profits (Part 2)

“Huge profits! This is simply huge profits!”

After hearing Feng Kuang’s words, Ye Dongping let out a long sigh. He had never expected that the scrap collection station he had originally looked down on could actually be a treasure trove.

“Hey, Uncle Ye, do you agree to work here?”

When Ye Dongping hadn’t spoken yet, Feng Kuang had felt quite nervous. He was afraid that Ye Dongping wouldn’t be willing to stay. Only now did he feel relieved, a look of joy appearing on his face.

“Great! From now on, you can watch over things here, and I’ll go out to collect stuff. These accounts are too hard to do.”

For Feng Kuang, being a little tired or working hard wasn’t a big deal. But it was the bookkeeping that gave him a headache. Every day when he came back, he had to record accounts until midnight. Those scribbled notebooks sometimes confused even him when he looked at them.

“Feng Zi, don’t look down on this small business. In the future, if it grows big, it could be amazing…”

Ye Dongping sighed with emotion. After so many years of hardships, he no longer had the youthful student pride of his past. Although this job wasn’t very respectable, the income was very substantial.

And right now, it was only Feng Kuang doing the running around. If in the future they could recruit more scrap collectors and have them sell their items to the collection station, the money earned would multiply several times over.

Thinking of this, Ye Dongping asked, “Feng Zi, are there many scrap collectors in this county town?”

“Not many, but also not few. The locals here think themselves too precious to do such work. The scrap collectors are all from outside. Uncle Ye, why do you ask?”

Feng Kuang found Ye Dongping’s question a bit strange. He was a scrap buyer, not a scrap collector. Deep down, Feng Kuang still looked down on those scrap collectors somewhat.

“Brother Fengzi, you’re really dumb. My dad asked you that because he wants you to tell those scrap collectors to sell all the stuff they collect to us. That way, you won’t have to run outside every day.”

Before Ye Dongping could speak, Ye Tian laughed from the side. From the changes in his father’s expression just now, Ye Tian knew that his dad had taken a liking to this place.

“Eh? Why didn’t I think of that?” Upon hearing Ye Tian’s words, Feng Kuang slapped his thigh, so excited he almost jumped up.

Feng Kuang had been in this line of work for over a month and had already figured out the tricks of the trade inside the collection station. He knew that the price private individuals got when selling scrap to the state-owned collection station was different from the price people like him, who had contracted the station, could get.

For example, when Feng Kuang sold plastic to the state-owned collection station, he got four and a half cents per pound. But those scrap collectors could only sell it for three point eight cents or four cents. That was the benefit of having the contract.

So, as long as Feng Kuang could raise the purchase price a little, even if it was just one-tenth of a cent higher than the state-owned station, those scrap pickers would likely flock to him. By reselling it himself, it would be like earning the price difference in the middle for free.

“Ye Tian, you’re right. Although buying their stuff would cost a bit more, there are many of them with lots of scrap. Hey, I’ll go find them right now.”

When it came to business, Feng Kuang’s head was quite clever. With Ye Tian’s hint, he immediately understood. He didn’t even bother with Ye Tian and his father anymore and excitedly headed for the door.

“Feng Zi, you kid, what’s with your impatient temper? Wait a moment. Where are we father and son going to sleep?”

Before Feng Kuang could leave, Ye Dongping grabbed him by the arm. “Also, how is Xiao Tian’s school situation arranged? School starts in just a few days…”

Though the scrap collection station could make good money, Ye Dongping’s purpose in coming to the county town was to give his son a better education. In his heart, Ye Tian’s schooling was the top priority.

Hearing Ye Dongping’s words, Feng Kuang scratched his head sheepishly. He picked up the bedding roll from the ground and said, “Uncle Ye, look at my temper. Cough, you’ll stay in the back. There’s another room behind this main hall. I used to sleep there, but from now on, I’ll sleep outside…”

Although this scrap collection station looked quite shabby from the outside, since it was originally a state-owned collection station, the water, electricity, and various facilities inside were still quite complete.

Once inside, apart from the spacious main hall, there was also an inner room of over twenty square meters. It had two beds and a square table, but right now it was piled haphazardly with all sorts of junk.

After putting the stuff in the inner room, Feng Kuang said, “Uncle Ye, Ye Tian’s school matters are all arranged. Isn’t there still over ten days left? Next week, we’ll take him together to register and just pay the tuition and book fees.”

When Yu Haoran helped arrange Ye Tian’s school, Feng Kuang happened to be running errands for the shop in the county, so the task was also handed to him to handle.

“That’s good. This matter must not be delayed…”

Ye Dongping nodded. Seeing Feng Kuang start to help clean up the room, he quickly said, “Alright, Feng Zi, you go take care of your business. I’ll clean up here.”

“Alright, I’m off then.”

Feng Kuang agreed. Just as his right foot stepped out the door, he suddenly pulled it back. Looking somewhat embarrassed at Ye Dongping, he said, “Uncle Ye, um… could you give me some money? I want to buy those scrap pickers some drinks…”

Feng Kuang had already calculated in his mind what kind of impact gathering those scrap pickers together could have. Since he needed their help, he wanted to do things solidly. Buying drinks was naturally the fastest way to build rapport.

“Fine, we can’t skimp on this money. Feng Zi, buy a few more bottles of wine. Tell those scrap pickers that if they sell their stuff to us, we won’t treat them poorly.”

Ye Dongping was also quite generous. He immediately returned the over two hundred dollars in loose change that Feng Kuang had given him earlier and added, “I don’t know the specific purchase prices for different scrap items. Feng Zi, when you go, don’t mention how much we’ll raise the price yet. Let’s discuss it after you come back and then decide…”

Ye Dongping thought a step further than Feng Kuang. What was important for the collection station right now wasn’t making money, but seizing the market. As long as they could win over these scrap pickers, they could completely monopolize the scrap recycling business in this small county town.

Taking the money, Feng Kuang said loudly, “Uncle Ye, just wait for good news.”

“This silly kid, his temper really is impatient…” Watching Feng Kuang push a bicycle out of the yard and disappear like the wind, Ye Dongping couldn’t help but chuckle.

Although his eyes were filled with scrap and the smell wasn’t very pleasant, Ye Dongping’s mood was extremely cheerful. He could feel that if they managed this collection station well, his and Ye Tian’s lives would undergo a great change.

So what if he was a Self-Employed Businessperson? Ye Dongping, who had come to terms with it, didn’t care at all. Given the current social development, in a few years, maybe even a professor wouldn’t be as well-off as someone selling tea eggs!

Seeing his father in a good mood, Ye Tian smiled and said beside him, “Dad, Brother Fengzi’s nostrils don’t leak, and the tip of his nose droops slightly. People like this are good at calculating and managing money. They are most suited for business and gaining wealth…”

However, Ye Tian didn’t say one more thing: that Feng Kuang’s nose had a steep slope from the bridge to the tip. People with such Physiognomy were mostly nouveaux riches. And the Divinatory Symbol in Ye Tian’s mind also indicated the same.