Chapter 6

The ground was covered with thick layers of dust.

Ning Weimin, wearing a pair of worn-out cotton shoes, walked into the garbage dump as if he had a corrosion halo effect.

However, he still couldn't start working right away.

Because on various "hills" in the garbage dump, at least a dozen scruffy individuals noticed his arrival.

They stopped their work simultaneously, each holding a two-pronged hook or a wire rake, staring at him.

Their eager eyes were like a group of bandits spotting a traveler passing by the mountain.

But despite the intimidating scene, Ning Weimin was well aware of the situation.

These people were not after his life, but rather the contents of his bag.

So he wasn't the least bit intimidated and walked over to a burly man in his forties who was sitting nearby, smoking a cigarette and resting.

Then he took out a bottle of loose soy sauce, a bottle of loose vinegar, two bottles of loose liquor, and a dozen candles, as well as two bottles of berberine, and placed them all in front of the burly man, nicknamed "General."

Seeing these items, the burly man nodded in satisfaction.

He reached out, picked up the liquor bottle, unscrewed the cap, and took a direct sip.

The other scruffy individuals, seeing "General" enjoying himself, also grinned, revealing their yellowed teeth.

Only then did Ning Weimin truly gain the资格 to enter "Treasure Mountain" and make a fortune that day.

To be honest, this scene, where he had to "pay tribute" to the leader of the beggars, was not at all unusual.

Because there were more clever people in the world than just Ning Weimin.

Long before he discovered this treasure trove, it had already been occupied by a group of men and women from different parts of the country, who had claimed it as their territory.

The burly man in front of him, "General," had established his authority through force and become the leader of the group.

Like all leaders in any industry, "General" also wanted to ensure the maximum benefit for himself and his small group.

To this end, "General" had established two rules that almost all groups followed.

First, all members of the garbage dump had to "pay tribute" to him to ensure his most comfortable life.

Second, to protect the environment, he forbade any outsiders from "mining" here.

There was no doubt that this was the initial form of a monopoly on scavenging.

In theory, as long as these people were in control, no one could approach the garbage pile and make a fortune from it.

But the problem was, how could Ning Weimin, who had been pushed to this point, possibly leave a treasure mountain empty-handed?

As an orphan, in his previous life, Ning Weimin not only got into college but also dove into the speculative industry, learning to make a living from the ground up, and managed to achieve some success.

This itself proved that he was not unintelligent and had a strong ability to adapt to society.

This ability, in simple terms, was being quick-witted and eloquent.

Moreover, as a person from a different era, his perspective and knowledge far exceeded that of this time.

After some thought, he easily discovered an advantage he could use—his Beijing household registration.

He also quickly realized that for the homeless to survive in Beijing, they would face the same shortage of food and light industrial goods as Old Kang.

Thus, instead of backing down, Ning Weimin took the initiative to negotiate with "General."

His proposal was to exchange some rationed goods, which could only be bought with a ration card, for the right to "mine" in the garbage dump.

As it turned out, Ning Weimin's insight was spot on, and he had indeed hit the crux of the problem.

These homeless people, who had abandoned their homes, feared nothing more than being questioned and sent back to their hometowns.

Otherwise, why would they have come to the garbage dump far from the city to make a living?

And why would they live near the garbage dump despite the filth and stench?

These people, apart from selling scrap, dared not easily enter the city and only went to small shops in nearby villages to buy things.

Let alone rationed goods, they even lacked ordinary items like soy sauce, vinegar, oil, salt, candles, and batteries.

In fact, they had no choice but to accept his proposal, as it was exactly what they needed.

Thus, they immediately agreed, and "General" only emphasized that Ning Weimin must keep his mouth shut.

He had to promise not to reveal the situation here or bring others in.

In this way, Ning Weimin, by providing shopping services, temporarily became a member of the garbage dump, starting to bring things for the homeless from the city every day.

For this, he earned a nickname in the group—“Purchaser.”

It must be said that although scavenging here was hard work, it was extremely profitable.

Compared to flipping through city trash bins and only finding a bit of waste paper, the difference was like heaven and earth.

The factories were incredibly generous, throwing away all sorts of valuable items.

Lead blocks, aluminum plates, copper wires, iron plates, iron chains...

The garbage dump was like a small hardware factory, with everything one could imagine.

On his first day, Ning Weimin made over seven yuan, and as he gained more experience, he earned more each day.

However, the downside was that the homeless loved to take advantage of small benefits and faced him as a group of outsiders.

Thus, almost every time he brought things, Ning Weimin would suffer a loss, having to subsidize the costs.

The more he bought for the homeless, the more he lost.

For example, the items he brought this time were the orders the homeless had given him yesterday.

Soy sauce for 15 cents, vinegar for 14 cents, two bottles of liquor for 2.6 yuan, a dozen candles for 30 cents, and berberine for 46 cents.

He had prepaid a total of 3.65 yuan, plus an industrial coupon.

But when he reported the expenses to "General," the only dirty money he received was 3 yuan.

The words he said were even more infuriating.

"Let's round it off, consider it your management fee."

This was precisely why Kang Shude had warned Ning Weimin before he left, fearing that his youthful impetuosity would make him take things seriously.

But to be honest, Kang Shude's worry was unnecessary.

Since he had to make a living in the underworld, Ning Weimin's previous life had involved dealing with all sorts of people every day.

He not only knew when to act humble and when to assert himself but was also skilled at taking advantage of others without them noticing.

He especially enjoyed making others count the money for him, making them think he was a good person.

Now, after mixing with the homeless in the garbage dump for ten days and understanding the situation, Ning Weimin decided to change his approach and start recouping his losses.

"I won't take the money. When I leave, can we exchange it for copper?"

"How do we calculate it?"

"Based on the purchase price. You have a scale, right? We can weigh it and calculate the value."

"Alright, let's do it that way."

To be honest, "General" couldn't understand why Ning Weimin would do such a thankless task.

He genuinely thought Ning Weimin was a fool.

But for him, this was quite convenient.

It saved him the trouble of walking two kilometers to the scrap collection station and the risk of being questioned by the police.

So he agreed without hesitation.

This probably reflected the different levels of understanding between people.

Who was really the fool?

Often, the one who considers others fools is the real fool.