Chapter 14: When Away from Home, Identity Is Self-Granted

Zhang Daqing was the gatekeeper of the Chongqiao Inspection Station; his daily work was simply opening and closing the main gate, managing parking spots, and playing on his phone in the guard booth when there was nothing to do, and he hadn't encountered any troublesome matters that required great effort or worry.

His monthly salary was two thousand six, and life was blissful.

Today, riding his "Erba" bicycle, he had just turned into the street corner and, from a distance, saw that the empty ground in front of the Inspection Station was swarmed with a dense crowd.

"Oh no! Could something major have happened?"

He hurriedly dropped his bicycle, forced his way through the crowd, and squeezed desperately to the front of the display stand; a single glance with both eyes and he immediately understood.

It turned out they were setting up a stall to sell goods!

"Who allowed you to set up a stall here?"

As the gatekeeper, he must have good judgment; at a glance, he spotted that the tall and imposing Chen Yansen was the one in charge among the four.

"And you are?"

Chen Yansen quickly scanned him; although he had already instantly guessed the other's identity, he pretended not to know and deliberately asked.

"I am staff of the Inspection Station; my name is Zhang Daqing. You have set up your stall at the entrance, blocking half the road; do you understand that this affects traffic order?"

Zhang Daqing, with a stern face, scolded in a harsh voice.

Had it been an ordinary merchant, they would likely have been terrified into bowing and scraping, hastily packing up and fleeing.

Wang Zihao was exactly like that; at this moment, his face was deathly pale, terrified to the extreme.

Wang Ziyan, standing nearby, was slightly better; she appeared calm, but her pale lips gave her away.

"Oh, it's Uncle Zhang; let's step aside and talk."

Chen Yansen smiled slightly, acting as if they were old acquaintances; his words on his lips were exceptionally warm as he put his arm around Zhang Daqing and tried to lead him to one side.

"Ah! No wonder that kid has such guts; it turns out he's Zhang Daqing's nephew!"

"But he doesn't look like it to me?"

"Maybe a cousin!"

"Miss, are you still selling? Set one up for me."

Everyone was from the same town and knew Zhang Daqing's identity very well, so they didn't take him seriously; instead, they kept urging Wang Ziyan to hurry up, collect the money, and pack the goods.

"Young man, have your people take down the stall and set up somewhere else; you're right at my entrance, and the impact is truly terrible."

Zhang Daqing heard him say "Uncle" again and again, calling so warmly, and seeing that the other's age was similar to his own son's, his heart softened, his tone followed suit and became gentler, and he patiently offered good advice.

"Uncle Zhang, I am the Deputy Factory Director of the Yangcheng Meimo Electronics Factory; the reason we placed the display stand at the entrance of our Chongqiao Inspection Station is mainly for safety considerations."

Chen Yansen introduced himself with a smile.

"You? A Deputy Factory Director?"

Zhang Daqing's mouth split into a grin; he simply didn't believe it and, unable to hold back for a moment, burst out laughing.

"The factory director is my old dad."

Chen Yansen, speaking in a plastic Cantonese accent, lowered his voice and leaned close to Zhang Daqing.

"Even the factory director's son can't set up a stall willy-nilly!"

Zhang Daqing nodded, his gaze falling on the suit Chen Yansen was wearing, which looked quite expensive; instantly, he believed it by thirty percent.

After all, in Chenshen, no one would be so flashy in the middle of summer.

"Uncle Zhang, I don't know, I don't know; please don't worry; let me explain slowly to you! Didn't our county issue a 'Guiding Opinion on Promoting Economic Development in Surrounding Townships' the year before last?"

Chen Yansen explained slowly.

"Did it? Oh yes, yes, yes, it seems there was."

Zhang Daqing didn't understand any of this; he only heard him speak extremely fluently and professionally, thinking that if he said he hadn't heard of it, how much face would he lose.

"This document mentions that government and enterprise units with the means should provide assistance to unemployed and laid-off workers willing to seek their own livelihood; I thought this piece of land at the Inspection Station entrance was quite suitable, originally wanted to report it to you, but this is it, we just set up the display stand and haven't had time to tell you yet."

Chen Yansen, with a smile on his face, spoke in a measured, serious manner.

Actually, there was indeed such a document, but in terms of content, it differed somewhat from what he said.

After hearing his explanation, Zhang Daqing couldn't help but feel a murmur of doubt in his heart.

The other claimed to be a Deputy Factory Director from Yangcheng; his words were soft yet hard, and he kept talking about reporting and guiding opinions.

He worried that insisting on blocking them would invite trouble.

To put it plainly, whether setting up a stall at the Inspection Station entrance was allowed had no clear regulation; even if someone really did set one up, it would be the work of the Urban Appearance Office.

This item was not within the scope of the Inspection Station's duties; it was completely unrelated!

"As for the problem of blocking the road, I will immediately guide the flow, have everyone line up along the street, and absolutely it will not affect traffic."

Seeing his expression hesitate, Chen Yansen immediately added.

"You several, who among you are laid-off workers?"

Zhang Daqing frowned, staring straight at Chen Yansen, his face clearly written with the expression, 'Don't you think I'm a fool.'

"Uncle Zhang, if the inventory in our factory isn't sold, we will all be laid off."

Chen Yansen said with a bitter face.

"Alright, alright, let's do it as you say."

Zhang Daqing waved his hand somewhat helplessly and finally agreed to Chen Yansen's request.

"Uncle Zhang, these two models are our factory's flagship products; please take them and help inspect the quality."

Chen Yansen breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly took an MP3 and an MP4 from his pocket, and without further ado stuffed them into the other's hands.

"This... this, I cannot accept."

Zhang Daqing's old face turned red; his reaction was extreme. He had lived most of his life, always upright and honest, never taking others' things for no reason; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to work as the gatekeeper of the Inspection Station.

Don't look at the fact that this salary isn't high; in this area of ten miles and eight villages, countless people are trying to break their heads just to do this job.

"It's my fault for not explaining clearly; how about, I give you a ninety-percent discount?"

Seeing him refuse so strongly, Chen Yansen asked tentatively.

"No way, no way!"

"Then twenty percent off!"

"Young man, I really can't take it, I'm not just being polite with you!"

"Thirty percent off — that's our factory's cost price, we really aren't making a single cent off you!"

Chen Yansen held up three fingers and said with great seriousness.

"You little punk, are you trying to fool a ghost? Something this good only costs fifteen?"

Zhang Daqing couldn't stand his shameless haggling and spat as he spoke.

"You've still got to be Uncle Zhang — sharp eye! To tell you the truth, sixty percent off is its real cost price!"

Chen Yansen feigned astonishment and sighed in admiration.

"Then I'll buy an mp4, at the sixty percent off price you mentioned."

Zhang Daqing, flattered into a state of bliss, cheerfully pulled out his money to pay. When he spoke, he bit down especially hard on the word "buy," afraid the people around him wouldn't hear.

He didn't want to give anyone a handle against him!

"Haozi, give Uncle Zhang a set of freebies, and grab one of the best storage bags."

Chen Yansen said with a smile, turning his head to give the order.

The best storage bag?

Wang Zihao was a bit dumbfounded when he heard that — weren't all the storage bags identical except for the color?

"Dummy! Just grab any one!"

Wang Ziyan reminded him in a low voice.

"Oh, oh."

Wang Zihao suddenly saw the light. With nimble hands, he stuffed the data cable and Bluetooth earphones into the storage bag together, then handed it to Zhang Daqing.

"Tell them to clear the road quickly."

Zhang Daqing took the things and kindly reminded him.

If someone saw them, even if setting up a stall was originally allowed, they wouldn't let you set up now.

"Got it, don't you worry."

Chen Yansen naturally understood the reasoning behind it — in most cases, if you don't go out of your way to make trouble for others, others won't come making trouble for you either.

"That's good then."

Zhang Daqing, seeing that he knew the score, said no more. He swung a leg over his old-fashioned 28-inch bicycle and turned into the courtyard of the Patrol Station.

"Come on, come on! Uncles, aunties, handsome guys, pretty ladies — everyone line up properly, first clear the road."

"Otherwise it'll affect traffic order, and we won't be able to sell our goods either, right?"

Chen Yansen stood on a stool, holding a megaphone, and shouted loudly.

The subtext of his words was fairly clear — if they didn't line up, he wouldn't sell.

The crowd had no choice but to fall into a long line, grumbling and cursing as they went.

"Yansen, when did you become the deputy factory director?"

Wang Zihao tilted his head and said with a sly, sneaky grin.

"Haozi, remember one thing — out there in the world, your identity is whatever you make it."

Chen Yansen didn't pay any attention to his teasing, and instead said with a perfectly solemn expression.

"This Boss Chen really does speak differently to different people."

Huang Boxiang, standing at the back, couldn't help but start complaining.

Although his nature was simple and honest, he was only simple, not stupid. He understood perfectly well that the words coming out of Chen Yansen's mouth were probably ninety percent fake, with at most only ten percent true.

(End of chapter)