Chapter 63

"Thank you, Brother Li. I will definitely ask for your help tomorrow!" Xiao Yuanhang was deeply moved. Zhao Bingnan was definitely a capable person. Despite his rough appearance, he was meticulous. During the Tongshui training, Xiao Yuanhang had only mentioned that a friend wanted to buy mountain goods, and today Zhao Bingnan had already gathered all the people who could help in this area.

Li Bin waved his hand and said, "What are you thanking me for? Brother Zhao's friend is my friend. If I can help, I will do it without hesitation. I'll go to the office tomorrow morning to check in, and then I'll take you to the mountain goods market around 8 o'clock. I can still talk to a few big players there."

Zhao Bingnan added, "That's right, Brother Xiao. Li Bin is not only good at the mountain goods market but also familiar with the big players who often run the mountains. Sometimes he can even get some rare items. Don't worry! Come, let's drink tonight, and we'll talk about other things tomorrow." He then raised his glass and clinked it with Xiao Yuanhang and Li Bin, finishing it in one gulp.

Xiao Yuanhang had already drunk a lot and knew that if he continued, he would definitely get drunk. He had 14,000 yuan in his backpack, all in 10-yuan notes, which was a huge amount of money he had borrowed at high interest. If anything went wrong, he would be ruined. He didn't want to drink, but Zhao Bingnan was too热情, so he had no choice but to drink another cup.

They drank until around 10:30 PM, and several people were already drunk before they finally stopped. During this time, Xiao Yuanhang had played a trick, chatting endlessly with Ma Li beside him. Seeing him chatting so enthusiastically with the beautiful woman, everyone evilly assumed that Xiao Yuanhang had a thing for her and didn't want to disturb his "good thing." Instead, they focused on Wang Dahai, drinking him to the point where he could barely stand. If Xiao Yuanhang hadn't been supporting him, he would have fallen over.

After sending Xiao Yuanhang and Wang Dahai to the small hotel they had booked, everyone left. Zhao Bingnan and Linquan station's freight duty officer, Li Yifeng, stayed behind. Once in the room, Xiao Yuanhang helped Wang Dahai to bed, and he soon fell into a deep sleep. Xiao Yuanhang washed his face, sat by the bed, and started chatting with Zhao Bingnan and Li Yifeng.

Zhao Bingnan had kept Li Yifeng to discuss the shipping matters with Xiao Yuanhang. From Xiao Yuanhang's words, he had already sensed that Xiao Yuanhang wanted to purchase prohibited goods like pine seeds, so he had avoided the others. Xiao Yuanhang also understood that he couldn't lie to these people, so he directly told them that he wanted to use two 1-ton containers to transport about 3,000 pounds of pine seeds.

The freight duty officer had significant power, responsible for requesting carriages, inspecting goods, and shipping. He was the second most influential person after the cargo director, who mainly handled administrative work, while the freight duty officer focused on operational matters. The cargo director generally did not interfere with the duty officer's work. Sometimes, requesting a carriage from the duty officer might be more effective than from the director.

After hearing this, Li Yifeng thought for a moment and said, "I can't guarantee the carriage, but using 1-ton containers for less-than-carload shipping is no problem. However, pine seeds are prohibited goods, and the Forestry Bureau checks very strictly. If anything goes wrong, it will be troublesome. But since Brother Zhao has spoken, I will do my best to help you!"

Less-than-carload shipping means that many people who ship goods by rail often send small amounts of goods, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds, with different destinations. A single carriage is at least 30 tons, which is not enough to fill one. Less-than-carload shipping consolidates these small shipments bound for the same or nearby destinations and sends them to the next station that handles less-than-carload goods. The next station unloads the goods that have arrived and adds goods for the next station. The destination of the less-than-carload goods must be the next station or beyond. From Linquan to Guhe, there is only one less-than-carload station, which is Tongshui. This means that Xiao Yuanhang only needs to transfer in Tongshui, and the cycle won't be too long. Moreover, less-than-carload shipping does not require a carriage plan, making it very convenient.

Hearing this, Xiao Yuanhang was very pleased. It seemed he had come to the right person. Zhao Bingnan was generous and his friends were very loyal. However, his pine seed business was not a one-time deal. This time, he was doing it for Zhao Bingnan's sake, but what about the next time? The next next time? He couldn't keep asking them to take risks for him. Before coming, he had already thought about how to handle it: offer them a share of the profits. Money shouldn't be earned by one person alone. Only when everyone had a common interest could the business thrive!

Thinking this, Xiao Yuanhang said, "Brother Li is too generous. I want to express my gratitude first!"

Zhao Bingnan said casually, "We're all brothers, no need to thank me. Brother Xiao, if you say this again, I'll be upset!"

"Alright, alright! Brother Zhao, I won't say it again." Xiao Yuanhang looked at Zhao Bingnan and Li Yifeng and said, "I appreciate your brotherhood, but I want to say that although the business is mine and my friend's, the money must be shared. I didn't come here to do this once or twice. I will often need your help. How about this: for each 1-ton container you load, I'll give you 50 yuan as a risk fee, and for organizing the goods, Brother Zhao, I'll also give you 50 yuan per container. Since I can't come here often, my friend will handle these matters. This time and every time after, no matter how many containers I ship, I'll give each of you 50 yuan per container."

"Ah!" Li Yifeng and Zhao Bingnan were stunned! Linquan station was only a third-class station, and Li Yifeng's monthly salary was not high. He didn't have the train attendant's allowance or income bonus, earning only about 50 yuan a month. Xiao Yuanhang offered 50 yuan per container, which was equivalent to his monthly salary. In the past, when he helped others, he might get a meal or a couple of packs of cigarettes. This was the first time he had encountered someone as generous as Xiao Yuanhang! He was very tempted and looked at Zhao Bingnan.

After recovering, Zhao Bingnan waved his hand and said, "No, no! Brother Xiao, this won't do. We're brothers, and it's normal for brothers to help each other. How can I take so much money from you? Don't say this again!"

Although Zhao Bingnan was a veteran train conductor with a higher salary than Xiao Yuanhang, he worked on a small, slow line and didn't have many benefits. His monthly salary was only about 70 to 80 yuan. Getting 50 yuan per container was very tempting, but he still refused.

Xiao Yuanhang smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, listen to me. Business is business, and brotherhood is brotherhood. We can't mix them up. If I make money, I can't let my brothers down. Money should be shared, and the business will thrive. If you still consider me a brother, you must take the money!"

Hearing this, Zhao Bingnan was at a loss. He looked at Xiao Yuanhang and then at Li Yifeng. This was not a small amount of money, and anyone would be tempted. Seeing the eager look in Li Yifeng's eyes, he knew he was tempted. Thinking about how he was asking Li Yifeng for help and that he was taking risks, it was reasonable to offer some compensation. He finally said, "Brother, since you put it this way, I have to agree. But I can't take so much..."

Xiao Yuanhang waved his hand to interrupt Zhao Bingnan and said, "Brother Zhao, don't say anything more. I know the risks you're taking for me. 50 yuan per container, that's it!"