chapter 6 smoothly carried out

Coming out from Benjamin's "den," Nicholas was greeted by a sky full of stars, the biting cold unable to extinguish the fiery determination in his heart.
For a young man of his age who roamed the station, the allure of making money was far outweighed by the tantalizing prospect of following Benjamin to seize the world.
"Every hundred pounds I transport, Benjamin pays 2 dollars as tips. I move over a thousand pounds a day." After he dropped this statement on his father, things progressed smoothly. Nicholas quickly leveraged his father Michael's connections to establish rapport with Lucas, the freight duty officer in Ertai Town. Once he received confirmation, Benjamin considered for a moment and immediately dispatched Simon and Robert, two resourceful fellows, over. This was both to quickly build rapport and to find a local big shot in Ertai Town to investigate the pine nut market.
After settling the two, Benjamin gestured for Nicholas to go to the department store by the station and buy two packs of premium cigarettes, which he wrapped in newspaper before heading straight to the freight yard.
In the freight room, Kevin Zhao was on duty. Seeing Benjamin come in, he was momentarily stunned before hastily greeting him. Although the crew from Little Red Robe relied on the freight yard for their livelihoods, Kevin had witnessed Benjamin's aura from beginning to end. In his words, he was exceedingly polite.
During this period, the railway system operated somewhat independently from local practices. Kevin, being a young man, often frequented local spots to go on dates and watch movies. Young folks had hot tempers, so there were inevitably some minor conflicts. Benjamin was very accommodating, always sending Simon to help mediate. Over time, the roles between them became somewhat reversed.
"Benjamin, what can I do for you? Want some tea?" Kevin said, standing up enthusiastically to pour some tea.
Benjamin didn't stand at the ceremony. He directly tossed the newspaper-wrapped cigarettes into Kevin's arms and said, "Kevin, I'm delivering Feng City's goods. When it arrives in a few days, don't bother inspecting it. Just take it straight to the freight station."
Kevin hurriedly received the newspaper, opened it to take a look, and a hint of delight appeared on his face. He quickly said, "No problem, Benjamin, you're welcome."
Benjamin patted Kevin's shoulder, thanked him, and left. He understood this guy; he was timid and frugal. Before leaving, he casually said, "One pack for you, and the other for a few forklift operators who can use it. If you move a whole crate for me, I'll give you an extra 10 bucks. We'll settle up after each trip."
Kevin was stunned by his words! He was a young guy who had only been working for a few years, and his salary was less than 70 dollars. He could only nod and bow to usher Ian out of the freight yard, then happily went back with a big smile.
Simon and Robert had been in Ertai Town for three days. Benjamin, upon noticing that those under him had tattoos, immediately enforced a policy of wearing long sleeves. Both of them were obedient, even enduring sweat-soaked discomfort when drinking, keeping themselves covered up without complaint.
Simon and Robert's meeting with Lucas went very smoothly. In three days, the three had already started to become close. After Michael's recommendation, the two kept in mind Ian's arrangements. They were practically inseparable, from breakfast to dinner. Regardless of what Lucas did, they always fought to foot the bill, making Lucas a bit embarrassed. They even took the initiative to help find a local big shot from the Board of Market Regulation.
The big shot from the Board of Market Regulation was a young guy named Jason Li. In this era, young people with a bit of street smarts all had a ruffian-like air about them. When they met, they immediately felt a camaraderie. So, after a few meals and a few drinks, they quickly became close friends. After accompanying Jason to a few places to scope out the market, Simon immediately had Robert rush back.
Benjamin hadn't been idle these days. With Peter and Nicholas in tow, he thoroughly inquired about the pine nut business. He didn't even need to personally visit the farmer's market for sales. In a seemingly casual conversation, he mentioned a few things to several merchants heading to Yun Port. This immediately piqued their interest.
The price for bringing goods to Wu City was 7.2 dollars. One person even hinted privately that if the supply was large and stable, the price could be higher. Benjamin was quite satisfied with this. With only 40,000 dollars in capital, he couldn't afford to take everything at once. Starting a resale business first was the most suitable option for him.
Based on the information Robert brought back, top-grade pine nuts in Ertai Town could be acquired for around 2.4 dollars. With so much merchandise coming in, the freight yard would not have enough space. They immediately sent people out to find a suitable storage location. After inspecting several places, a run-down factory on a shabby street less than 5,000 meters from the station caught his eye.
Nicholas found this place, possessing the unique innocence of youth. For Benjamin's sake, he almost put in his utmost effort. The factory had everything: two workshops of over 60 square meters each, and three offices. Most importantly, there was a separate yard with a large gate. Though it was right next to the subdistrict office, it was a distinct location, making it very convenient.
The factory was already in a state of disrepair, with parts of the roof caving in, and not a single intact piece of glass in the windows. Inside, it was piled with foul-smelling garbage and broken tiles. The offices were smaller, with the largest being around 15 square meters. Compared to the factory, the offices appeared even more dilapidated. Doors and windows had been removed, and human waste was scattered all around. Benjamin estimated that the locals used this place as a toilet.
Ignoring the disgusted looks from the others, Benjamin was very pleased with this place. Especially when he heard that the subdistrict office was considering selling this factory, he clenched his fist without a word. Benjamin knew that as Wu City developed in a few years, this place would turn into an exceptionally bustling commercial street.
He nodded and said to Nicholas, "Good job." It was the first time Nicholas had heard Benjamin praise him, and the child's disposition immediately overflowed with joy. Peter also gave Nicholas's shoulder a firm pat; he liked this kid who had no hidden agenda.
Benjamin continued, "Let's set up some desks and beds in the three offices for now. We'll move in first. With so much goods here, someone has to keep an eye on it."
Director Zhang from the subdistrict office was a slightly chubby woman in her forties. When she heard that they had decided to rent the place, she breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, they resolved this headache for the subdistrict office. After negotiating back and forth for half a day, they finally settled on a monthly rent of 180 dollars. However, an extra clause was added to the lease, a sort of "robber clause"—if someone wanted to buy the property, Benjamin would have to vacate.
Benjamin had great confidence in his ability to make money quickly, and he already saw this yard as something in his pocket. He agreed readily. Both parties wrote up the agreement at the subdistrict office and, once they had the keys, it was almost evening. So Benjamin warmly invited the subdistrict office team to a moderately-sized restaurant for dinner.
With both intentional and unintentional efforts, Benjamin quickly got to the bottom of this factory. When he heard that the property rights were clear and it even had a land certificate, he completely saw it as his own. A land certificate—having this meant you could do whatever you wanted. No matter how you built it, it was all reasonable and legal. In the end, you just needed to apply for a property certificate.