"Mr. Liu, just as we discussed on the phone, I hope we can establish a long-term cooperative relationship. Do you have any thoughts on this?" Du Ziheng inquired, his eyes full of anticipation.
Liu Yifeng smiled and nodded, "I see Boss Du as a straightforward person. If I can have a long-term collaboration with you, it would be my honor."
"Since Mr. Liu feels the same way, then let's be completely open with each other. For our mutual interests, I hope we can sign a contract. You guarantee that all your crayfish will be sold to me. As long as you provide crayfish of the same quality, regardless of whether I can sell them all, I will purchase them at 20 yuan per jin. You won't have any worries and can focus on raising crayfish," Du Ziheng stated.
"Alright, I don't want to bother finding other buyers. It's too much trouble." At twenty yuan per jin for crayfish, while there was still room for prices to rise, Liu Yifeng wasn't willing to run around for a few yuan of profit. Besides raising crayfish, he also grew vegetables and fruits, and simply didn't have the energy to manage the market.
Seeing how readily Liu Yifeng agreed without any hesitation, Du Ziheng was in a great mood. "Come, Mr. Liu, I'll toast you again. From now on, we are friends."
After the meal, Du Ziheng said he would bring the contract when he came to buy crayfish next time. Once both parties signed it, they would be partners. Liu Yifeng told him to draft the contract, and he would sign it after reviewing it and finding it satisfactory.
Since he had been drinking, Liu Yifeng hired a designated driver. The driver was stunned when he saw Liu Yifeng's incredibly dilapidated minivan. It was the first time he had encountered someone driving a minivan hiring a designated driver, especially such a run-down vehicle. However, having already accepted the job, he had no choice but to drive.
After getting into the car, Liu Yifeng waved goodbye to Du Ziheng. Du Ziheng watched Liu Yifeng leave before driving off himself, eager to share the good news with his family.
In the car, the designated driver looked at Liu Yifeng, who was sitting in the back, and smiled, "Sir, you're quite safety-conscious, knowing not to drink and drive."
"Mainly to avoid being caught by the police. It's better to be careful," Liu Yifeng replied, looking out the window. Although he had drunk some baijiu, he wasn't drunk. He could have driven himself home, but as the saying goes, don't drink and drive. Especially now that he had Tong Tong, he had to be responsible for his own safety.
The designated driver drove very slowly the entire way. It wasn't due to poor driving skills, but rather the car's age. He feared it might fall apart on the road and he'd be blamed. The journey, which usually took about half an hour, took him forty to fifty minutes.
Upon reaching their destination, Liu Yifeng paid him a hundred yuan for the designated driving service, considering the extra amount as a tip. It was the first time the driver had encountered such a generous customer, especially one driving such a worn-out minivan that wouldn't sell for more than two thousand yuan. Yet, this seemingly poor person was surprisingly generous. After saying thanks, the driver left on his electric scooter.
Liu Yifeng then took the Transformer out of the car. The box was quite large, requiring him to hold it with both hands. The neighborhood children, seeing Liu Yifeng carrying such a big toy, ran over to have a look. Four or five children, some as young as Tong Tong and others around eight or nine years old, filled the moderately sized living room.
Tong Tong proudly announced to the other children, "This is a Transformer my daddy bought for me."
"Your daddy is so nice!" one of them responded enviously. Liu Yifeng, seeing his son showing off, knew he had made the right purchase. He then opened the box containing the Transformer in front of everyone. Inside were numerous parts for assembling the Transformer, along with an instruction manual. Liu Yifeng began assembling it while referring to the manual.
Tong Tong acted as his assistant, occasionally handing Liu Yifeng the parts he needed. The other children couldn't resist wanting to touch it, but Tong Tong stopped them. Like a little adult, he sternly told the children, "You can look, but you can't touch." The children in the living room dared not touch it, as it wasn't theirs.
Liu Yifeng spent about half an hour assembling it. A one-meter-tall Optimus Prime was completed. Tong Tong, standing next to it, was only slightly shorter. When he saw the magnificent and imposing Optimus Prime, he couldn't help but hug it, his admiration genuine.
"Daddy, this Optimus Prime is so cool. Tong Tong really likes it. Thank you, Daddy!" Tong Tong said, hugging Optimus Prime. Seeing how much Tong Tong liked it, Liu Yifeng was genuinely happy. This Optimus Prime was the first toy he bought for Tong Tong, and he planned to collect all the Transformers in the future.
For the rest of the afternoon, Liu Yifeng's house almost became a village museum. Ever since he assembled Optimus Prime for Tong Tong, the news spread like wildfire. More and more children gathered in the living room, and eventually, there wasn't enough space, with some standing at the doorway. Tong Tong, meanwhile, explained how Optimus Prime was assembled, captivating the children. Even teenagers were drawn in and reluctant to leave.
Liu Yifeng didn't have time to stay home. He specifically called Xiao Yong to help look after Tong Tong and protect the Transformer. He was mainly worried that once he left, the children might not listen to Tong Tong, and if the toy got damaged, Tong Tong would be very sad. Although Xiao Yong was less than ten years old, he acted and spoke with the maturity of an adult. Coupled with his stature, few children dared to challenge him.
"Brother Feng, don't worry, go ahead and take care of your business. I'll look after Tong Tong and the Transformer. I guarantee nothing will happen to them," Xiao Yong declared, patting his chest.
Liu Yifeng ruffled Xiao Yong's head. "Good, I'll be back later to make crayfish for you." Hearing about crayfish, Xiao Yong's eyes lit up. He licked his lips in anticipation and then nodded heavily. "Thank you, Brother Feng. You can rest assured leaving the house to me."
Then Liu Yifeng turned to Tong Tong. "Tong Tong, Daddy has something to do now. Be good and listen to Uncle Xiao Yong, okay?" His voice was very gentle, for fear of scaring Tong Tong.
Tong Tong obediently replied, "Daddy, it's okay. You go ahead and do your business. I'll play with my toys."
After a few more instructions, Liu Yifeng left. However, he didn't go far but hid nearby, wanting to see if the children would cause chaos in his absence. He saw Xiao Yong standing in front of all the children, directing them to step back a few paces and not to get too close to Optimus Prime. The children, eager to get a better look, obediently complied.