chapter 5 golden opportunity

Benjamin's venture was focused on the pine nut business. The memories in his mind had led him to make this decision early on.
The pine nut business would go on to become one of the largest export businesses in Tiannan Province over the next thirty years. Countless individuals prospered in this industry, showcasing the immense profits it held.
Benjamin's assertive personality was fully displayed in his plans. He aimed to maximize this golden opportunity, creating an integrated production and distribution chain. When it came to making a move, Benjamin was going all in.
Tiannan Province was Xia Country's largest exporter of mountain products, with Feng City, located 700 kilometers from Wu City, holding an 80% share of Tiannan Province's exports.
Furthermore, 90% of the production in Feng City was concentrated in areas like Bai Mountain and Ertai Town.
Benjamin's golden opportunity stemmed from a local policy in Feng City.
All pine nuts in Feng City could only be sold to a local produce company under the jurisdiction of the Board of Forestry. External sales were strictly prohibited.
During this period, Wu City's transportation conditions and mindset were far more advanced than the remote Feng City. A large volume of goods from the mountains was transported to Yun Port, one of the earliest ports to open up after Xia Country's reform and opening up.
Yun Port attracted a large number of Japanese merchants, and pine nuts were considered by their people to have health benefits, leading to a high demand in the market. Therefore, Japanese merchants in Yun Port would buy as much as they could, causing the price of top-grade pine nuts in Wu City's agricultural market to skyrocket to 7 dollars per pound, and they were still in short supply.
Benjamin set his sights on Ertai Town in Feng City.
Although the profits from pine nuts were very good, the local produce companies in Feng City had managed to depress the prices at the source. To monopolize, it was almost impossible to transport goods by road due to the strict blockades enforced by the local Board of Forestry.
Benjamin had already planned this out thoroughly; he would utilize the railway. During this period, the railway system operated somewhat independently, and a local policy from Feng City was practically unheard of to them.
Upon his return to Wu City, Benjamin immediately took swift action. Time was not on his side.
By the following year, Feng City realized its mistake and quickly rescinded this policy. At that time, to encourage the development of private enterprises, Tiannan Province would even grant import and export trade licenses to enterprises with registered capital exceeding 300,000 dollars. Therefore, Benjamin only had a brief six months to achieve a certain scale. Only then would he have a chance to continue his venture.
Everyone around Benjamin began to work tirelessly, putting their plans into motion.
Benjamin knew that the feasibility of his chosen path depended on three key positions.
First, the duty officer at the freight yard in Ertai Town's train station. This position held significant authority; the freight yard director primarily signed documents, leaving the actual loading and sealing of goods to the duty officer. If necessary, he could even bypass the director to secure a railcar.
Second, the train conductor on the route from Ertai Town to Wu City. As long as they didn't cooperate with the local inspections in Feng City, goods could enter Wu City's freight yard under the pretext of being other items.
Third, a well-connected local figure in Ertai Town. With this person's assistance, Benjamin could sweep up pine nuts and avoid the scrutiny of the local Board of Forestry.
Benjamin's orders to his subordinates were direct and forceful. "No matter how you handle things, I want to befriend the train conductor running between Feng City and Ertai Town," he commanded.
A person proposed by Robert entered Benjamin's view.
Nicholas Zhang, the son of Michael Zhang, the seasoned train conductor running the Wu and Feng Line.
Nicholas was the second child in the family. It was made clear early on that his elder brother would be taking over, leaving him dissatisfied with the family situation. After graduating from technical school, he couldn't find a job, so he idled around Wu City, exhibiting a rough and reckless nature, a bit of a street tough.
Beneath the South Station's department store in Wu City was a billiards hall. In an era where entertainment was scarce, it had become a gathering spot for the unemployed and local ruffians, a place filled with chaos and smoke.
With a cigarette in his mouth, Nicholas watched the rolling billiard balls with a grim expression, muttering curses under his breath.
He was gambling with someone; every ball pocketed earned 2 dollars, and he was already behind by five balls, losing ten dollars. For Nicholas, who had no fixed income, this was quite a heavy burden.
"Bang!" The billiards hall's door was kicked open forcefully, instantly releasing a cloud of smoke generated by the cigarettes. For those unaware, it might seem like the place was on fire.
The billiards hall erupted in a chorus of discontent and curses, and Nicholas, feeling his temper rise, joined in the shouting.
Those with keen eyes quickly recognized the men who kicked in the door. Word spread like wildfire, and soon the billiards hall fell into an eerie silence.
Nicholas also recognized who the newcomers were. It was Peter, the lead henchman of Little Red Robe, who ruled over the South Station's freight yard. He immediately tightly shut his mouth.
These people were genuinely menacing. While Nicholas had always had a good opinion of himself, he couldn't help but be somewhat awed by them. He had been on the scene when the Four Seas Gang was driven away, and it had left him weak in the knees.
"Who's Nicholas?" Peter surveyed the room. The lighting inside was dim, making it impossible to see who was who. He had no choice but to call out loudly.
"It's me," Nicholas replied, steeling himself.
Peter stared at Nicholas for a while, remembering Benjamin's instructions, and looked somewhat awkward.
Among the three men under Benjamin, Simon was ruthless but sweet-tongued, Robert was steady in his actions, and both were very adept at dealing with others. Only Peter, aside from being ruthless, had a personality as dull as a doorknob. Asking him to establish connections with people was an incredibly difficult task.
Since Benjamin had assigned Simon to find a suitable location for storing a large quantity of pine nuts, and Robert had to stay at the freight yard, Benjamin had no choice but to ask Peter to find someone. Knowing the disposition of his brother, he emphasized that Peter had to be polite, even excessively so.
After much internal struggle, Peter couldn't quite grasp what it meant to be excessively polite. In the end, he could only speak in a low voice, saying, "Nicholas, my boss would like to treat you to a meal."
Nicholas looked at the imposing figure before him and was half scared out of his wits that it took him a long time to respond with a hesitant, "Sure, bro."
This incident later became a classic joke among the group, poking fun at Peter's attempt at politeness.