CHAPTER 17: CHAPTER 17: TWO GOLD BARS

The guests responded and the atmosphere was even livelier than before.

Qi Yun didn’t say any words of thanks, just silently patted Lao Feng on the shoulder.

The two exchanged a glance, understanding each other without words.

They were busy until after midnight, finally sending off the last batch of guests from the store.

Qi Yun collapsed onto a stool, downed half a bottle of beer, and then regained his composure, looking at Lao Feng and asking, "Why did so many customers come to the store today?"

Lao Feng chuckled: "It’s all down to luck, yesterday a big streamer, called Lan something Fei, came to eat at the store, thought the taste was pretty good, then today everyone just came."

Qi Yun couldn’t help but smile after listening.

Unexpectedly, a hotpot restaurant on the brink of closing received recognition from a big streamer and thereby came back to life.

Seems like in the restaurant business, sometimes you really need to rely on publicity.

"Your store has always had good flavors and fresh ingredients; now with someone helping to promote, the business will definitely get better and better."

Lao Feng sighed: "Hopefully, because brother, I really cannot afford to lose anymore..."

"By the way, how are your two employees doing?"

Speaking of this, Lao Feng frowned again, helplessly replied: "One has a fractured ankle, the other has a sprained arm, probably won’t be back any time soon."

Qi Yun thought for a moment and said: "Why don’t I come to help you out these days, and bring someone else tomorrow?"

"Okay, I’ll recruit more people as soon as possible."

...

After simply eating some food at the shop, Qi Yun bid farewell and left.

From beginning to end, the two never discussed the matter of Qiu Jiahao, as for the threats, they paid no mind.

A barking dog doesn’t bite, such people are usually strong in appearance but weak inside.

Both of them had worked hard in the business world, naturally wouldn’t be scared by casual words.

Even if the other party makes some move, deal with it when the time comes.

Returning to the rented apartment, it was already past one in the morning, Qi Yun just stepped in when he received a message from Little Blondie.

"Brother Qi, do you think this person is you? Looks so much like you."

Soon after, a video was sent over, the content of the video was precisely the scene that happened at the hotpot restaurant not long ago.

In the video, Qiu Jiahao was acting all cocky, shouting: "Do you damn know who I am?"

Qi Yun hadn’t expected that in just half a day, the other party had already quickly gone viral online.

He opened Douyin, searched for related videos, and found dozens of them.

The most popular video had already received over two thousand likes.

The comments were flooded with: "Does he not know who he is?"

"This cocky guy is so annoying, really want to punch him!"

"@Qiu Jiahao, Brother Hao, is this you?"

"I’ve seen this person before, parked his car in the fire lane last time."

In just a few hours, all of Qiu Jiahao’s background had been exposed, endless curses filled the comments.

Qi Yun couldn’t feel sympathy for such a person, he was truly concerned for his daughter, living with such a person long-term, how could she possibly be happy?

"No way, I must bring my daughter over soon."

But this matter is not easy, even if Shen Wanting agrees, there are still many issues to solve.

First is the living situation, the current rental apartment, although equipped with heating, has too poor an environment, and doesn’t even have an independent bathroom.

Next is her daily care and attending school, all these need to be prepared in advance.

"Ah~ poverty is indeed an illness, if there were money everything would be solved easily."

After a simple wash up, Qi Yun turned on the electric blanket, got into bed, and summoned the panel.

[Today’s Intelligence (red): Qiu Yuanshan has hidden two gold bars (200g) obtained through bribery inside the casing of an old washing machine,

the washing machine was sold by his wife to a scrap collector, currently for sale at Hualing Second-hand Market A-2-301]

"Two gold bars!"

Qi Yun widened his eyes, trying hard to suppress his excitement.

After repeatedly confirming the intelligence content, ensuring he hadn’t read it wrong, a look of ecstasy appeared on his face.

Heard that the current gold price had risen to six or seven hundred, these two gold bars are worth tens of thousands, aren’t they?

This should be the intelligence system’s most profitable piece in terms of money.

As for the person named Qiu Yuanshan in the intelligence, he hadn’t heard of him, but likely not a good person either.

There was no psychological pressure in making money this way.

...

The following day, after Qi Yun got up, he called Wei Yong, asking his wife to help out at the hotpot store for two days.

Wei Yong agreed readily and returned the thousand yuan salary Qi Yun had transferred to him.

Qi Yun smiled and didn’t insist anymore.

Sometimes friendships are built through mutual aid, helping each other out stabilizes and prolongs the relationship.

But the premise is that there are no conflicts of interest between them.

Human nature is truly complex and unpredictable.

So when it involves interests, Qi Yun tries to make it a win-win for everyone.

After finalizing this matter, he went out to an ATM to withdraw three thousand yuan, then went to Lao Wang’s store.

There was only Little Blondie inside, holding a phone and chatting enthusiastically with someone.

"Binzi, where’s Uncle Wang?"

Little Blondie looked up and saw it was Qi Yun, pursing his lips, replied: "Not up yet, came back at two or three in the night yesterday."

Qi Yun showed a knowing smile, a thought that the old man still had plenty of energy.

He circled around the store, picked up a duckbill cap, and when paying, looked at Little Blondie and said: "Do me a favor, will you?"

"For what?"

"My friend’s hotpot restaurant business is overwhelmed, go help as a waiter for two days."

Little Blondie heard about being a waiter and immediately shook his head like a rattle drum.

"What a joke, I have over a thousand followers as a streamer, how could I be a waiter!

What if I run into acquaintances, wouldn’t I have to save face?"

"The pay is five hundred a day!"

"No way!"

Little Blondie refused very straightforwardly; at the age where money is viewed as dung, five hundred doesn’t hold any allure for him.

"Qi Bro, if you need me for other tasks, I’d have no second thoughts, but I genuinely can’t be a waiter."

Qi Yun put the duckbill cap in his pocket, sat on Lao Wang’s recliner.

Lit a cigarette, took two puffs, then leisurely spoke: "Qin’s mom also helps at the store, wouldn’t you want to leave a good impression in front of her?"

"Hmm?" Hearing this, Little Blondie instantly perked up, immediately changed his tune, "Then I’ll go!"

Only then did Qi Yun stand up smiling, thinking, can’t handle you yet?

From his pocket, counted a thousand yuan and handed it to him, also instructed: "When Uncle Wang wakes up, go over early, I’ll send you the address later."

...

Leaving the store, Qi Yun took a taxi straight to Hualing Second-hand Market.

After arriving at the destination, he took out the hat and wore it.

Whenever encountering places with surveillance, he lowered his head to avoid being recorded, extremely cautious.

Even if Qiu Yuanshan starts looking for the washing machine after discovering the gold bars missing.

Unless he has considerable power and can utilize criminal investigation methods, it’s difficult to trace back to Qi Yun.

But he does this just to be prepared, those two gold bars are valuable but not excessively so.

Moreover, since those gold bars’ origins are not proper, even losing them might not warrant open acknowledgement.