Chapter 80: Seize the Chance, Get Rich Quick!

Chen Yixue clearly sensed something was wrong, flinched backward, and her gaze turned murderous.

Fortunately, Xu Yuexin reacted swiftly and hurriedly asked Da Yizi, "Did you not hit anything?"

"No!"

Chen Yixue answered irritably, "Next time don't come out without a word!"

"You didn't say a word either."

Xu Yuexin tried to calm the heat inside him, and said innocently, "It can't all be blamed on me alone."

"Hmph!"

Chen Yixue could only tell herself in her heart that he hadn't meant it, and huffily returned to the bed.

Her side was next to the bathroom. After Xu Yuexin finished washing his hands and came back, he couldn't help, by moonlight, to stare a little longer at Da Yizi's eyes lying on the bed.

That figure—tch, there's really nothing to say.

…

The next morning, Xu Yuexin was half-asleep when he felt something off beside him, as if another person had appeared.

He rubbed his eyes and saw it was Chen Yixue.

She was wearing a loose short‑sleeved shirt and shorts, sitting on the stool by the bed with a stiff expression on her face.

Xu Yuexin couldn't help but become nervous.

"I'll treat what happened last night as if it never occurred."

"You must also forget it."

Chen Yixue said seriously, "Otherwise you'd be letting Qiao Qiao down."

That's all, I thought it was something else.

Xu Yuexin let out a long sigh, lying on the bed staring at the ceiling: "I was sleeping all night yesterday."

"Hmm, good. In a bit we'll open another room, and I'll pay the room fee with Foreign Exchange Coupons."

Chen Yixue rose from the stool and said, "From now on we should cooperate, and not contact each other unless necessary."

"If you're not satisfied with me, you can change partners; I don't mind."

"As long as you are devoted to Qiao Qiao, that's fine."

Xu Yuexin didn't respond immediately.

He understood that Xiao Xu's stimulation to Chen Yixue last night was too intense, which is why she reacted this way now.

He needed to go along with her mood.

"Hold on, I'll brush my teeth and then take you down."

After some thought, Xu Yuexin said slowly, "But our rooms need to be close; if you're out there and something happens, I won't be able to explain it to Qiao Qiao."

Currently Guangzhou's economy is booming, with merchants constantly traveling, and Xu Yuexin dared to bet that there were definitely no vacant rooms nearby.

Chen Yixue didn't know if it was a scheme, but felt his words had some merit.

"Then it's settled; we can't stay in the same room any longer."

Chen Yixue's expression softened a bit and said, "Go brush your teeth quickly."

"Alright."

Xu Yuexin got up, walked to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and took Chen Yixue down to the first‑floor front desk.

Just as he expected, the entire hotel had no vacant rooms.

When the clerk apologized, Xu Yuexin clearly saw a look of distress appear on Chen Yixue's face.

The plan to stay separately was abandoned, and the two silently returned to the room.

"Sigh, this is really troublesome."

Xu Yuexin suppressed his delight, pretended to have a headache, and said, "Let's watch some TV first."

"No TV."

Chen Yixue still seemed irritated, her eyes fixed ahead.

"Okay, then stay here. I'll go out alone to see if there's any gold for sale."

Xu Yuexin remembered something and stood up from the bedside.

It wasn't solely to distract Chen Yixue; he thought that in the early reform period, southern policies had always been more relaxed than elsewhere.

Other regions forbid private gold trading, but here the policy might be a bit looser.

"Gold? Are you kidding?"

Chen Yixue said bewilderedly, "Private individuals aren't allowed to buy gold, didn't you know?"

"How would I know?"

Xu Yuexin replied calmly, "But did you notice? There are far more Sole Proprietorships on this street than elsewhere."

"What does that indicate? It shows the policy here is more open. Things impossible in Jingcheng might be doable here."

Chen Yixue was somewhat persuaded by Xu Yuexin, but she still had a new question.

"You make sense, but the problem is buying gold is useless for us."

Chen Yixue said doubtfully.

"Do you know the current international gold price?"

Xu Yuexin asked patiently.

"I don't know."

"$500 per ounce, which converts to $17 per gram. At the Official Exchange Rate, that's 26 yuan per gram."

"Our country's gold purchase price is only a little over 200 yuan per tael. I judge this situation won't last; the state will surely raise the gold investment price in the short term. If we buy and sell quickly, we can definitely get rich."

Chen Yixue was moved by his words.

If, as Xu Yuexin says, the state will later raise the gold harvesting price, then perhaps now is an opportunity.

Should I seize it?

Chen Yixue thought for a moment, then decided to work together with Xu Yuexin.

Since leaving the Cultural Troupe, she has felt very insecure, fearing that once the safety net is gone she might fall into poverty someday.

If she could have another chance to make a sum of money, she would feel more reassured.

"You speak so confidently; you must have done some prior research."

Chen Yixue finally looked at Xu Yuexin, a spark of interest flashing in her eyes, and asked, "Can you take me with you?"

"No."

Xu Yuexin refused without hesitation, "Your mental resilience is too poor; it's inconvenient to involve you in the task."

?? Chen Yixue said she couldn't understand.

"Who said my mental resilience is lacking?"

She retorted, "I've been performing on stage since I was fourteen, and I've never once faltered."

"When the leaders watched from below, I never panicked."

"Tsk, you still can't forget that little incident from last night and are making a big deal out of it."

"Is that what you call good mental resilience?"

Xu Yuexin said with a contemptuous expression.

Chen Yixue never expected her brother‑in‑law to bring this up voluntarily, and to do so so self‑righteous.

Could it possibly be my fault?

"Regardless of how you see it, I think my approach has no problem."

"Think whatever you like; let's consider this matter closed."

Chen Yixue deliberately turned her face away, pretended to be unhappy, and looked out the window, saying,

Cheng, that's exactly the line Da Yizi has been waiting for. We can't let her stay resentful about last night.

"Then I'll reluctantly take you there, but you must promise to obey me under any circumstances."

Xu Yuexin also wasn't sure how private gold buying works here, or whether the market is legitimate.

He needs to be a bit more cautious in advance.

Of course, if it turns out to be a black‑market deal, Xu Yuexin will leave Chen Yixue in a safe place and go in alone.

"Alright, I agree."

After speaking, Chen Yixue walked to the bedside, picked up her genuine leather Shoulder Bag, and took out the entire 5,400 yuan she had earned.

Xu Yuexin also produced 20,000 yuan, combining it with her money.

Who would have thought Da Yizi would be so decisive at a crucial moment? I heard she can make money and emptied her entire waist‑bag.

When they left, Xu Yuexin sighed inwardly. Chen Yixue's behavior made him look at her with newfound respect.

After going downstairs, Xu Yuexin didn't rush out of the hotel; instead, he consulted the front‑desk clerk to inquire whether there was a location for private gold transactions here.

The clerk shook his head repeatedly: "Sorry, sir, I'm not aware of that. You should ask someone else."

Seeing the clerk keep his mouth shut, Xu Yuexin promptly took out five yuan and placed it before him: "A little information fee."

The clerk glanced left and right swiftly, confirmed no one was watching, and quickly took the money: "Turn left 500 meters after exiting, then right 200 meters."

"There's a Sole Proprietorship tea house over there; tell the front desk, and he'll take you there."

Xu Yuexin turned and left immediately, with Chen Yixue in tow, and followed the clerk's directions to locate the tea house.

The tea house front desk was a rather delicate, petite girl; Xu Yuexin explained his purpose to her.

The girl cautiously glanced at Xu Yuexin and Chen Yixue, initially gave a vague response, but after Xu Yuexin persisted, she asked a few more questions.

Seeing Xu Yuexin answer without flaw, she whispered, "Follow me," and led both him and Chen Yixue out of the tea house.

After leaving the tea house, Xu Yuexin and Chen Yixue followed her through a series of left and right turns, finally stopping in front of a southern courtyard.

The courtyard gate was tightly shut; through the hollowed part of the wall one could see the house door also firmly closed, with no sound from inside.

"Handsome guy, beautiful lady, the place you're looking for is right here."

The girl pointed to the courtyard and said, "Remember the rules I mentioned earlier. Also, don't exchange too much; just enough is fine."

"How much is too much?"

Xu Yuexin pressed, "In a place like this, you must first understand the rules."

"Do not exceed 100 taels."

The girl thought for a moment and then said.

"Alright, seems I misunderstood the word 'many.'"

Xu Yuexin thought, thanked the girl, but never entered.

After the girl left, Xu Yuexin looked at Chen Yixue: "I have no idea what's going on inside the courtyard."

"I'll take you back to the hotel first."

"And you?"

"I'll come back alone."

"I can't let you take the risk."

Xu Yuexin said decisively, and Chen Yixue felt moved.

He really does put himself first.

Chen Yixue thought silently, and warmth surfaced in her usually cold eyes: "Better not exchange after all."

"Can't do that; not making money when I can is not my style."

Xu Yuexin said firmly, "Stop talking, I'll take you away right now."

After speaking, Xu Yuexin took Chen Yixue back to the hotel and, amid her countless admonitions, stepped out through the door.

"Be careful. If anything feels off, leave immediately."

Seeing she couldn't stop him, Chen Yixue bit her lip and warned him, feeling extremely uneasy for him.

"Don't worry, I've figured out what to do."

Xu Yuexin said calmly, then left the restaurant and headed straight for the courtyard.

At the courtyard gate, he raised his voice to its loudest ever and knocked hard on the gate: "Open the door!"

One knock wasn't enough, so Xu Yuexin pounded several more times, prompting nearby residents to peek out one after another, muttering softly.

At that moment, the door creaked open, and a Cantonese voice from inside shouted, "Damn, keep your voice down!"

After a burst of footsteps, the courtyard gate opened as well, and a plump middle‑aged man appeared before Xu Yuexin.

"Did your little sister introduce you? Didn't she tell you the rules?"

Fatty said without curiosity, this time switching back to Mandarin.

Xu Yuexin felt a slight relief: a bad attitude is actually a good sign; he's only worried about over‑eager friendliness.

"She told me, but I forgot."

Xu Yuexin kept a steady face and unchanged heart as he said.

Fatty clearly hadn't seen anyone so self‑assured; after giving Xu Yuexin a curt glance, he led him inside.

Contrary to Xu Yuexin's expectations, the interior wasn't dim and chaotic; instead, it was well‑lit, with several people in suits moving about and chatting.

Among them were a couple of Hong Kong businessmen Xu Yuexin had met at the Friendship Hotel.

When Xu Yuexin entered, everyone present immediately focused on the stick in his hand, finding it amusing.

Seems this place is fairly legitimate.

Xu Yuexin casually tossed the stick onto the table as if nothing had happened.

"I want to exchange goods."

Xu Yuexin said succinctly.

"Let's go, discuss it in the room."

Fatty turned his back and said, clearly not taking his carrying a weapon seriously, since most newcomers are on high guard.

Xu Yuexin and Fatty walked into a bedroom with a lacquered wooden door; after he entered, the other turned and shut the door behind him.

The room's décor was plain: cement floor, unpainted walls, and numerous cabinets of all sizes.

"We only accept Hong Kong Dollars, US Dollars, Renminbi, and Foreign Exchange Coupons here."

"The Exchange Rate follows the rules over in Xiangjiang."

In the cramped, enclosed room, Fatty quickly asked Xu Yuexin, "How much do you plan to exchange?"

"What's your price? If calculated in Renminbi."

"290 Renminbi per tael, no bargaining."

290 per tael… a bit higher than the official price, but understandable.

Considering the state will raise the gold price to 390 yuan in two months, there's a full one‑third profit margin.

A quick flip could earn 6,000 yuan; where else find such a deal?

"Exchange me goods worth 25,400."

"Okay, see the money first, then hand over cash and goods simultaneously."

"Zila."

Xu Yuexin opened his Shoulder Bag, showing Fatty that he indeed had purchasing power.

Fatty glanced at the bills inside, nodded without comment, turned to a cabinet, crouched, and opened its door.

Even though he was mentally prepared, the moment the cabinet door opened, Xu Yuexin was stunned by the sight inside.

(End of chapter)