"I knew you'd be here. If you don't come to me, I'll just have to come find you."
Yu Zhou hadn't been chatting with Qin Siyue at the exchange for long before he spotted a familiar figure.
Indeed, it was Chen Aiguo, looking utterly delighted.
It was as if he had finally managed to get rid of something for the first time in his life.
No wonder. His business involved digging things up from the ground, a venture with almost no technical skill involved.
As long as there were people and equipment, tons of that black stuff would come out, and the money would be all his.
In such circumstances, many would think of indulging in a life of pleasure.
But Chen Aiguo was different. He was desperate to prove his capabilities.
Merely digging things up from the earth didn't bring him satisfaction.
Therefore, the subscription warrant was his first venture, and its resounding success made him undeniably happy.
"It's just that I haven't had the chance yet. Like you, I'm still overjoyed, still trying to process it all," Yu Zhou explained with a smile.
One had to admit, this explanation wasn't mere flattery.
As of today, who among those holding subscription warrants wasn't celebrating? The profits were astronomical.
Even those who had previously thought the whole thing was a scam, but were forced to buy, were now incredibly relieved. That was tangible, undeniable money.
"I won't beat around the bush with you. The highest market price right now is about 1,400 per successful bid."
"I'll give you 1,700 each, a premium to account for the expected future price increase. How about it?"
"Of course, even if the successful bids go up to 2,000 later, you can't come asking me for more. If you agree, we'll trade."
Chen Aiguo, being forthright, didn't even try to play any subtle games this time.
After all, everyone was well aware that the price was bound to rise in the next couple of days.
However, the extent of the price increase wouldn't be as dramatic as it was today.
The price of 1,700 was, to be honest, quite high. At least, Yu Zhou wouldn't be able to get that much if he sold his successful bids now.
"No problem, this saves me time too."
Yu Zhou agreed with a smile, but then added, "I have quite a few successful bids, over a thousand. Are you sure you can take them all?"
Even though he knew Chen Aiguo was wealthy, he couldn't help but ask.
Chen Aiguo chuckled and produced the duffel bag he was carrying.
"Over a thousand, you say! Don't worry, I'm not just buying from you today. I'm buying from others too, so I've already prepared the cash."
With that, he unzipped the duffel bag. With a swish, stacks of bluish banknotes appeared before everyone's eyes.
My word, this man brought millions in cash, all for buying successful bids today?
Alright, a million in cash back in those days was truly impressive.
Even Yu Zhou, despite being mentally prepared, couldn't help but feel his heart pound at the sight of so many stacks of bluish currency.
The impact of these numbers and cash was entirely different.
Especially now, in the era of the blue banknote, having even a few of these large bills was considered fortunate. A monthly salary was only about one such bill.
One could imagine the immense impact of an entire bag full of money.
Next, the two parties began a meticulous process of sorting and accounting.
"A total of 1,098 lots. Let's round it up to 1,100, that's 187,000. Count it carefully."
First, Chen Aiguo took out a full bundle, then another, before taking a stack and stuffing 3,000 yuan into his own pocket.
Handing the money to Yu Zhou, with the goods and payment exchanged, the transaction was complete.
Thus, Yu Zhou's income after the first lottery was over 180,000, a profit of 150,000 from the initial 30,000 he brought.
This capital was truly a golden goose.
After receiving the money, they proceeded to exchange the successful bids.
It took about an hour to complete the entire transaction. Yu Zhou walked away with a fortune, and Chen Aiguo obtained what he desired.
For both of them, it was a win-win situation.
Of course, the happiest among them was Chen Aiguo.
Despite the substantial capital involved, for him, nothing was more important than his reputation.
Now, having secured so many successful bids, even if he didn't do anything with them, but simply resold them, whether he made a profit or not was secondary. The important thing was that he gained face.
To people like them, for whom reputation was everything, face was more precious than money, because with face, the things in your hands could be more easily preserved.
These people valued authority above all else. With authority, everything became incredibly simple.
Conversely, once your authority diminished, everything you controlled would crumble.
After receiving such a large sum of money, Yu Zhou no longer lingered at the exchange.
It held no further significance for him. He knew very well that even if he wanted to sell the second batch, it would be at least a month or two later.
There might be another surge then, but these matters held no appeal for him now.
After declining Chen Aiguo's invitation to a meal, Yu Zhou and Qin Siyue left the exchange.
This endeavor had been incredibly fruitful for Yu Zhou.
From the 180,000 earned from selling subscription warrants and the 150,000 from acting as an intermediary, he had converted a total of 330,000 into cash, which he once again concealed on his person.
In those times, there were few secure ways to transport money.
Even if he deposited the money in a bank in Wanghai and withdrew it in Jiangbei, it was impossible. The procedures involved were so cumbersome they could drive one to despair.
"The matter is settled. Are you planning to go back, or what are your plans?"
Back at the hotel, Yu Zhou let out a long sigh of relief. However, Qin Siyue's question followed immediately.
Yu Zhou knew that Qin Siyue was eager to cooperate.
Originally, he had intended to leave quickly.
After all, the Lunar New Year was approaching.
But in the end, he made up his mind. Even if there was a slight delay, it wouldn't be by much.
As long as he could get back before the New Year, it wouldn't matter.
"I can stay for a few more days, but I definitely need to go back for the New Year," Yu Zhou said softly.
Qin Siyue understood immediately and broke into a smile.