Chapter 23: The Joyful Li Yan

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Li Yan was at work, and she hadn’t been to the convenience store for three days. After being fooled by that guy Cao Yang, she had asked him to transfer it, but he refused to listen. Now, out of sight, out of mind.

A phone rang. She glanced at the screen—it was an unfamiliar number.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Sister Yan, it’s me.”

“What do you want?” Hearing Cao Yang’s voice, her tone softened.

“Nothing much, just wanted to tell you this is my new number. Save it.”

“Oh... wait... your number? You bought a phone?”

“Hehe, yeah, the new Nokia, cost over two thousand!”

“Wait... where did you get the money to buy a phone?”

“I transferred the store and sold the machines, then used the money to buy the phone.”

“Cao Yang! Are you crazy?! Just you wait! Today you’ll regret this!” Li Yan was furious. Without waiting to finish work, she asked the manager for leave and stormed over.

Meanwhile, Cao Yang chuckled as he hung up, sitting down to eat with Leidian.

“Why did you lie to your sister?” Leidian asked, puzzled.

“You don’t know my sister. She’s so stingy, obsessed with money. If I told her I used the money I earned these days to buy a phone, she’d blow up.”

“Why? It’s just a phone, is it that serious?”

“Because the money for the store came from her. If I make money, I should return her investment first.”

“If I told her the store’s transferred and the remaining money spent on a phone, she’d be furious.”

“But if she comes over and sees the business is still doing well, then buying the phone is a minor issue.”

“You’re really something.” Leidian said, then his phone rang again.

He answered and talked for several minutes before hanging up.

“Cao Yang, I’m heading to Shenzhen tonight for a big deal. Are you coming?”

Cao Yang shook his head, pointing to the store. “I have to watch the shop.”

“This is a serious deal. I guarantee you’ll make over thirty thousand!”

“That much? What exactly are we doing?”

Leidian lowered his voice: “Smuggling into Hong Kong at night, bringing back some goods to Shenzhen.”

“What goods? Drugs?” Cao Yang whispered.

“Drugs? What are you thinking? Just some electronic products.”

“Smuggling?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“If caught, is the sentence heavy?”

“No idea, never been caught. Doesn’t matter how heavy the penalty is, as long as it makes money!”

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Cao Yang thought it over and declined. A few days ago he would have jumped at the chance, but now the slot machine business was booming, no need to go.

Leidian didn’t press further. He tidied up and called Jiawei and Aliang to come over.

As soon as he left, Li Yan stormed in!

“Cao Yang, you bastard!” she lunged to grab him, as if fighting for her life.

But when she looked around, she noticed many people staring at her. She wondered why the convenience store suddenly had so many customers.

“What’s going on? So many people? Didn’t you say you transferred the place?”

Cao Yang lit a cigarette and smiled faintly. “Just kidding.”

“And these people?”

“They’re all customers, just here to play.”

“So, the money for the phone?”

“Earned in the last couple of days.”

Cao Yang showed off his new phone. “Since you left last time, business has improved. In three days, I earned over three thousand.”

“Really?” Li Yan was both surprised and happy, but a bit incredulous.

Cao Yang pulled out some cash from his bag and handed her a thousand. “Here’s a thousand back first. I’ll return the rest as I earn it.”

Li Yan took the money, happily putting it in her bag, but corrected him: “It’s not a ‘return,’ it’s recovering my investment. Don’t forget, we’re partners.”

“Look at you.” Cao Yang pouted.

Li Yan pulled him aside. “I’ll help you exchange the money. You just stay out of the way.”

She sat at the counter, helping players exchange coins.

Watching the pile of bills grow, her smile slowly bloomed into laughter.

She was willing to exchange; Cao Yang was happy to relax, sitting in a chair, smoking and enjoying his new phone.

Suddenly, a motorcycle pulled up outside the door, carrying two young thugs.

They got off and headed straight to the slot machines, pulling keys from their bag, ready to open the machines.

“What are you doing?” Not just Cao Yang, but Li Yan and the players watching them too.

The two smiled, “We’re collecting coins, just two minutes.”

As they tried to insert the key, they struggled to turn it.

Just as they hesitated, Cao Yang pulled them aside.

“Bro, robbing in broad daylight?”

The two looked around, confused, then stepped outside and eyed the signboard.

“Looks like we’re at the wrong place; these aren’t our machines.”

Still puzzled, they left after asking Cao Yang who owned the machines.

Cao Yang ignored them.

At two in the morning, most customers had left, only three intoxicated players stubbornly trying to recoup their losses.

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“Brothers, we’re closing soon. Come back tomorrow.” Cao Yang, sleepy now, started ushering them out.

The three grumbled and cursed as they left.

“Why are you kicking out customers?” Li Yan was upset, questioning him.

“Why make money and not take it? Are you stupid?”

“I’m going to sleep! You don’t want sleep?”

“I won’t sleep if there’s money to be made!”

“Then aren’t you working tomorrow?”

“I have the day off.”

They chatted briefly before settling the accounts.

Today’s net profit was two thousand five hundred.

Li Yan, ever cautious, took two thousand and put it in her bag, keeping three thousand as her original investment.

“Cao Yang, why don’t you open earlier?”

“I don’t open in the morning, only in the afternoon.” Cao Yang swept up a pile of cigarette butts.

“What? You open so late? Would it kill you to open earlier?”

“I can’t get up in the morning, plus, no customers then.”

“Stop making excuses; you’re just lazy! From now on, open at eight every morning!”

“Whatever! If you want it so badly, you open it!”

“I will! I will!” Li Yan was excited—one day’s earnings equaled two months of her salary. She was already dreaming of a wealthy future.

“Are you really going to open at eight?” Cao Yang glanced at the time—it was almost three in the morning.

“Yes, I’m off tomorrow so I’ll come early. If business stays good, I’ll quit my job and do this full-time.”

“Suit yourself.” Cao Yang headed upstairs to sleep.

Li Yan packed her things, preparing to leave.

“It’s almost three now, only five hours left. Why don’t you come upstairs and sleep with me? Don’t want to run back and forth.”

Li Yan shook her head repeatedly. Cao Yang’s place was terrible—the loft was so low you couldn’t stand, the bathroom had no showerhead, only a bucket to catch water.

But most importantly, she was afraid of Cao Yang’s increasingly bold advances. Last time he had groped her all over; she wasn’t ready for that yet. If she stayed, she’d probably be tortured.

Cao Yang watched her escape with a slight smile, took a cold shower, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Not long after he fell asleep, loud knocks came at the door.

Cao Yang looked at the time, annoyed. They had agreed to open at eight, but it was barely past five.

“Open up!”