Chapter 129: Gushan Winery

Gao Yun left in a fit of anger, feeling somewhat lost. She had originally assumed that Chen Huajiang was doing business there as a pretext to apprentice himself to her grandfather. Now, having been bluntly rejected, she realized she had been completely mistaken. Her unease stemmed from her refusal to believe Chen Huajiang’s "plain truth"—that business is business and learning a craft is learning a craft; Chen Huajiang kept the two strictly separate.

The next day, Chen Huajiang took Ermao and Zhang Bao to the glass factory. They signed a substantial long-term contract for glassware and paid a deposit of two thousand. To the factory, this was naturally a major deal, and even the director, Ma Daquan, came out personally to receive Chen Huajiang. As for Chen Huajiang’s plan to develop the shaded pathway, the director was entirely in favor; the area was outside the factory’s premises and did not belong to them anyway. He readily wrote a letter of support for Chen Huajiang’s development project.

Following this, Chen Huajiang went to the Municipal Bureau, armed with the discharge papers of Zhang Bao and the others, the disability certificates of Old Yang and his group, and the letter of support from the glass factory. Since the 1950s, the state had maintained policies favoring veterans and the disabled, and these policies remained in effect well into the future, even before Chen Huajiang’s arrival in this time. When the municipal officials saw that the stalls were to be run by veterans and disabled individuals, and that the glass factory had given its blessing, they readily agreed and signed a ten-year lease agreement with Chen Huajiang. The officials even praised Chen Huajiang, as the placement of veterans was a thorny issue due to the poor performance of many factories. By creating employment opportunities for veterans through these stalls, Chen Huajiang was doing them a favor.

Having secured the development and operational rights to the shaded path, Chen Huajiang headed to the Gushan Brewery at noon to address the issue of rising beer prices. However, he encountered trouble there. The brewery’s reception room was already filled with small merchants waiting for answers.

"What is Manager Yang’s game? Leaving us hanging here all morning—is he going to give us an explanation or not?"
"Exactly. The money for the returned bottles I brought last time hasn't been paid, and now they want us to pay a deposit. What nerve!"
"The Gushan Brewery is getting out of hand. They haven't delivered to my place in a week."

When Chen Huajiang entered the room, the merchants were venting their frustrations.

"Little brother, what’s happening on your end?" a middle-aged, bald merchant asked, handing Chen a cigarette.

"What’s your name, sir?" Chen asked with a smile as he took the cigarette.
"Ma Xiaobing. I run a small wholesale department at the East Market entrance," the man replied modestly.
"Ah, Boss Ma. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Chen exchanged pleasantries and explained his situation, all the while wondering what kind of game the brewery was playing.

"It’s normal. I haven't received stock in three days either," Ma sighed, then gestured with his fingers as if counting money. "Did you prepare this?"
"Prepare money for what?" Chen asked, feigning ignorance, though he had already grasped the situation. It was clear that Manager Yang held the power to decide who received stock and who didn't, and he was using that power to extort bribes.

"A young man like you clearly doesn't understand," Ma said. "I’m talking about kickbacks. Without them, the brewery won't ship your stock. I pay him ten yuan a month, and even then, I’ve been delayed for three days. I suspect the price is going up again. How about this, little brother? We pool our money, and you can take whatever beer you need from my shop. It will save us both some in kickbacks. I’ll cover the lion’s share, of course."

Chen didn't get angry; in fact, he gained a bit of respect for the man. It was a clever strategy—securing a customer while splitting the bribe costs. It was a win-win, but Chen had no intention of agreeing.

"Let me see what Manager Yang is actually planning," Chen deflected. "The situation is unclear, and I can't judge yet." Ma nodded and didn't press further.

"He’s here! Yang Shan is here!"
"Manager Yang is here!"

The merchants swarmed out, crowding around a middle-aged, overweight man. Some offered cigarettes, others handed over red envelopes, but the man ignored them all, walking into the reception room with his hands behind his back. He was in his early forties with a square face, thick eyebrows, and an imposing, stern demeanor that commanded attention.

"Quiet, everyone." Yang Shan scanned the room, instantly silencing the crowd. "It’s not that we don't want to supply you with beer, but the factory’s output is limited. It’s hard to be fair to everyone. Deciding who gets priority is a difficult task for us."

"Furthermore, some of you merchants are unreliable. A few of our marketing points closed down recently, causing our delivery drivers to make wasted trips. Therefore, the factory has decided to collect a deposit to prevent such incidents in the future."

"What!? A deposit? We never had that rule before!"
"What does their closing have to do with us? We haven't closed!"
"Manager Yang, how much is the deposit?"

The room erupted. Some were furious, while others, realizing the inevitability of the demand, asked for the amount. Yang Shan held up one finger.

"Ten yuan!?"
"Ten yuan? That’s not too bad."
"Manager Yang, if we pay the deposit, you must deliver our stock on time."

Yang Shan scoffed. "Ten yuan? Do you think the Gushan Brewery is a charity? It’s one hundred yuan. Don't worry, though; if you decide to stop business, the deposit will be returned."

"What!? One hundred?"
"That’s too much! Can you lower it, Manager?"

The merchants were in an uproar again. They weren't fools; they knew perfectly well the brewery was using this as an excuse to extort money.

Yang Shan ignored the commotion and turned his gaze toward Chen Huajiang, asking with curiosity, "Which wholesale department are you from? You look new."