Chapter 145

"First Master and all the neighbors present, whoever wants to eat at the banquet, pay your contribution now, and I'll go buy the food tomorrow."

Cao Cao Weiguo reached out his hand toward the neighbors present, the smile on the corner of his mouth making their scalps tingle.

As soon as they heard they had to pay a contribution to eat at the banquet, those who had been clamoring for it immediately shut their mouths.

10 Brother Yuan for a meal? You think you're playing the landlord here!

"If you don't pay the contribution, you'd be too embarrassed to eat at the banquet, right?"

"We are all people from Jingcheng; I know you wouldn't do something as shameful as eating for free."

"Since that's the case, everyone should disperse."

Cao Cao Weiguo gave a cold laugh, then looked at the First Master with piercing eyes:

"First Master, the neighbors are living in hardship, but you, old man, are an eighth-grade machinist with a salary of over ninety Brother Yuan a month."

"Why don't you contribute an extra one or two hundred Brother Yuan to subsidize everyone and let me set up a banquet with eight cold and eight hot dishes?"

Although the Sihe Academy was full of animals, people still cared about their faces.

Seeing that they couldn't take advantage, these people stopped talking.

The First Master was so angry that his face turned blue:

"Cao Cao Weiguo, we are all neighbors. How can you have the nerve to charge such a high contribution for a banquet? Aren't you afraid of people pointing fingers at your spine?"

Cao Cao Weiguo sneered: "I walk straight and act upright; I don't steal, rob, or cheat, so I'm not afraid of people pointing fingers at my spine. It's you, First Master, with your two-faced behavior—be careful of retribution, dying alone at home with no one to take care of you."

"You! You! You..."

The First Master was so angry he couldn't speak, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, almost fainting from a lack of breath.

He had no children, and his biggest worry was his old age.

He bought people's hearts in the courtyard precisely so he would have something to rely on when he was old.

Now, being publicly mocked and cursed by Cao Cao Weiguo, he was so angry he wished he could take a wrench and kill Cao Cao Weiguo.

"You hypocrite with a sanctimonious face! Get lost!"

"Don't wag your tail and beg like a dog."

"Despicable!"

Cao Cao Weiguo's sarcasm immediately made the Second Master laugh out loud.

These words were truly cutting!

It was simply throwing Yi Yi Zhonghai's face on the ground and stomping on it.

Seeing that Cao Cao Weiguo was stubborn and unyielding, Yi Yi Zhonghai glared fiercely at him and left after throwing out a harsh threat:

"Cao Cao Weiguo, you're finished! Don't come looking for me when you run into trouble in the courtyard!"

As for Yi Yi Zhonghai's bark being worse than his bite, Cao Cao Weiguo didn't take it to heart at all.

A hypocrite acting all high and mighty!

Steel Rolling Mill

At the end of the month, Chi Ping'an successfully entered the First Workshop and became a machinist apprentice.

This left the neighbors of the Sihe Academy dumbfounded, and upon learning that Cao Cao Weiguo had helped arrange it, it immediately caused a sensation.

First, he got the Yan family's Yan Yan Jiecheng into the steel mill as an electrician apprentice.

Now he had operated to get Chi Ping'an into the steel mill as a machinist apprentice.

Such ability made the neighbors of the Sihe Academy itch with desire, like jackals smelling meat.

In this day and age, job positions were even scarcer than supplies; it was almost like one radish for one hole.

Let alone entering a large unit like the steel mill; getting into the factory was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Seeing that Cao Cao Weiguo was so capable, many people wanted to beg him for help to secure an iron rice bowl at the steel mill.

It was just that they had never had any dealings with Cao Cao Weiguo, and even when they thickened their faces to ask for help, they were dismissed in a few words.

This made many people regret it so much they wanted to hit their heads against a wall, regretting that they had misjudged him and hadn't noticed Cao Cao Weiguo, this potential stock, earlier.

Before, they ignored him; now, they couldn't afford to climb up to him.

Although Cao Cao Weiguo shut these neighbors out, it didn't stop them from fawning over the powerful.

The Lu family and the Chi family were both closely surrounding Cao Cao Weiguo.

The Yan family, led by the Third Master, was also reaping benefits from Cao Cao Weiguo.

Xu Xu Damao and the Second Master, Liu Haizhong, were also thinking of currying favor with Cao Cao Weiguo to help them get promoted and rich in the steel mill.

Other neighbors also wanted to suck up to Cao Cao Weiguo, hoping to build a good relationship and then obtain some help and benefits.

Compared to the First Master, who was all show and no power,

Cao Cao Weiguo, the man of real power, could bring them tangible benefits.

As long as one wasn't a fool, everyone knew who it was more beneficial to follow.

Unknowingly, Cao Cao Weiguo's influence in the Sihe Academy was becoming heavier and heavier.

This atmosphere made the First Master, Yi Yi Zhonghai, keep a gloomy face every day, finding everyone an eyesore.

He even regarded Cao Cao Weiguo, who refused to be managed, as a thorn in his side.

It was just that Cao Cao Weiguo was not interested in the trivial matters of the courtyard.

He was focused on living his own life, busy with "procurement in the countryside," preparing supplies for the steel mill.

On the surface, he was busy running around for the steel mill; in secret, he was getting rich and picking up bargains.

With Cao Cao Weiguo's massive amount of supplies, the two groups led by Liu Shan and Dong Dong Xiaoxue were earning more and more.

In order to sell the supplies better and faster, the two also expanded their manpower.

They made a name for themselves in the pigeon market and quickly grew bigger and stronger.

Cao Cao Weiguo did not treat them unfairly; although he did not increase their share, he increased the supply of materials.

This made them earn more and more, and their lives were getting better and better.

The tangible benefits made them full of gratitude toward Cao Cao Weiguo, and they worked harder and harder.

After all, the more and more expensive the supplies sold, the more they would earn.

In addition to selling supplies, Cao Cao Weiguo used the steel mill's introduction letter to travel to surrounding communes as a procurement officer.

On one hand, he procured various supplies; on the other, he collected quite a few old items.

Now, the antique cultural relics in his warehouse alone would be worth hundreds of millions in the 21st century.

One day, Cao Cao Weiguo and Officer Li headed to the Yunyan Commune, more than thirty miles away from the steel mill.

On the way, Officer Li gave Cao Cao Weiguo a rough introduction to the situation in the commune.

After arriving at the Yunyan Commune in the afternoon, Officer Li led Cao Cao Weiguo to find the commune's party secretary.

"Secretary Gu, this is our steel mill's cafeteria deputy director, Cao Cao Weiguo."

"Director Cao, this is Secretary Gu."

After introducing each other, Secretary Gu Gu Shouye warmly received Cao Cao Weiguo.

Officer Li often came here to procure, and he was very familiar with the local cadres.

After some small talk, Officer Li stated the purpose of this trip:

"I heard that there are wild boars on the commune's mountain, so the leaders immediately ordered us to come and help."

"The leaders said the peasant brothers are working hard, and they instructed us not to lower the acquisition price of the wild boars; we must give the peasant brothers real benefits."

After Officer Li finished speaking, Gu Gu Shouye said in a dilemma: "I appreciate the leaders' understanding and concern, but Officer Li, you also know that although we have killed a few wild boars, there are many procurement officers coming to the village to collect wild boar meat,"

"and no matter whose procurement officer it is, we can't afford to offend any of them."

Although wild boars that destroy crops are a scourge, a dead wild boar is meat.

So, as soon as they heard that the Yunyan Commune had a wild boar problem, Deputy Factory Director Li and the procurement director hurriedly sent people to collect the wild boar meat.

Officer Li often ran to the Yunyan Commune and was the main force in this procurement.

Cao Cao Weiguo came, one, to assist in procurement, and two, to expand the scope of business.

Officer Li and Gu Gu Shouye bargained, but there was no progress.

Cao Cao Weiguo took a stack of grain coupons out of his briefcase and quietly stuffed them to Gu Gu Shouye.

"I know the peasant brothers are having a hard time. I am willing to increase the price of this wild boar procurement by 20 percent, just as a token of my heart for the peasant brothers."

Cao Cao Weiguo's generous move surprised Gu Gu Shouye, who then said with a face full of joy: "Thank you, Director Cao, for your care. This time we caught a total of 12 wild boars; 5 have already been bought by procurement officers from other factories, so you can take all the remaining 7."

Although the procurement price was much higher than expected, being able to bring back four wild boars was enough to complete the task.

After agreeing on the price, Gu Gu Shouye took Cao Cao Weiguo and the other person to inspect the four dead wild boars.