Chapter 158: Taking on a Big Job

Chu Dong was living quite comfortably at the Beijing Hotel. Once his three-hour performance time was over, he was completely free for the rest of the day. Overtime came with tips, meals were delicious, he slept under silk-embroidered quilts, and the clothes he wore were very expensive.

However, since it was his first time in Beijing, it would be a shame not to look around given the opportunity.

Chu Dong stepped out early in the morning. Jianguo Gate was adjacent to the Forbidden City; he would be doing himself a great disservice regarding the hardships he suffered on the road to Beijing if he did not soak in some imperial atmosphere.

With money in his pockets, taking a taxi was effortless, but Chu Dong instead chose to walk forward along Jianguo Gate Avenue. One could not truly feel the charm of the capital while just glancing at flowers from a galloping horse, but he had not walked far before a small shop caught his eye.

"Seconds and Irregulars Specialty Store." It was a tiny shop of barely thirty square meters with an inconspicuous sign hanging above it. Flower baskets were placed at the entrance, indicating it had opened quite recently.

Chu Dong stepped inside. There was only a female sales clerk and a man who looked like the boss reading a newspaper. The newly built shelves inside displayed tableware such as pots, bowls, and ladles, all looking brand new. However, a closer look revealed minor flaws—either a bowl was slightly out of round or a pressure cooker had a scratch—yet without exception, the prices were about half cheaper than normal.

The man looking like the boss glanced up briefly and then went back to his newspaper. The female sales clerk, however, was quite dedicated. Seeing Chu Dong enter, she walked over and, noticing him examining the merchandise carefully, assumed he was a customer and greeted him enthusiastically.

"Don't let the minor flaws in these goods fool you; they don't affect normal use at all, yet the prices are much cheaper than regularly sold items. Furthermore, the manufacturers provide the same three guarantees for these products..."

"Mm." Chu Dong's mind wasn't on the merchandise, because these items reminded him of a peculiar kind of store he had seen abroad: graded goods specialty shops.

They also sold items with slight exterior blemishes, but with zero functional issues. These were products manufactured by well-known brands that had accumulated minor bumps and bruises during transportation or handling, resulting in exterior damage. On the one hand, this solved the trouble of long-distance transport and repairs for the manufacturers; on the other hand, the price advantage was irresistible, making such businesses immensely popular.

Yet abroad, graded goods were completely different from the concept of defective items; it was simply a thriftier way of consumption. Not a single person considered buying graded goods to be shameful.

As if a string in his heart had been plucked, Chu Dong raised an eyebrow. No such shop had ever been discovered domestically. If he could contact various manufacturers and get their accumulated stock to sell...

Gome, Suning, and other large appliance malls could very well be his future!

Chu Dong felt as though his entire body had been injected with a stimulant. He seemed to see the dawn of hope for the revival of the Chu family, and his hot blood was ignited in an instant.

"Thank you, thank you very much!" Chu Dong showered the female sales clerk with gratitude.

The female sales clerk was somewhat dumbfounded, forgetting to pull her hand away as Chu Dong shook it so vigorously she felt almost shaken apart. From confusion to blankness, she was practically on the verge of a breakdown.

"Hey, what are you doing?" The man reading the newspaper stood up, walked over, and shoved Chu Dong away. "Are you sick in the head? You grab my wife's hand and won't let go—are you trying to play the hoodlum?"

"No, haha, big brother, I'm sorry, just playing around. Is this sister-in-law? She's so pretty." Chu Dong realized he had been a bit overly excited and quickly explained.

The female sales clerk's face turned beet red as she lowered her head in silence.

"Are you buying something or not? If not, get lost." The man didn't give him an ounce of face, directly driving Chu Dong away.

And rightfully so—running into someone's shop early in the morning, taking one look around, and then grabbing his wife's hand without letting go? Anyone would be upset. This brother was already considered restrained; otherwise, a big fist would have flown long ago. Trying to flirt with someone's wife right in front of him—who could tolerate that?

Realizing he couldn't explain himself, Chu Dong had no choice but to turn and leave.

By now, he had lost all desire to go shopping and turned back to the hotel. The wave of excitement hadn't faded yet, and he immediately called Qiangzi.

"Is Rat there?" Chu Dong blurted out.

"Brother Dong? Are you out of your mind? Why are you asking for Rat when looking for me?" Qiangzi had been woken up by Chu Dong before he even got out of bed and was extremely displeased.

"Damn it, I just asked casually. Why do you have so much to say? Get up right now!" Chu Dong yelled into the phone. Despite being snapped at by Qiangzi, his mood remained very good. "I have a mission for you, and it must be completed before I get back to Dalian."

"What mission again? Let me tell you, if you make me do those thankless chores again this time, forget it—go find Rat." Thinking back to the time he was roped into driving around just to please little Yu'er, Qiangzi still felt somewhat resentful.

"Fine then. Next time I give Rat private lessons, you won't participate, right?" Chu Dong had no choice but to pull out his trump card.

"What lessons?" Qiangzi was still drowsy.

"Flirting. This is an exclusive secret manual, you know," Chu Dong said in an exaggerated tone.

"Don't, absolutely not! I'm still waiting to make a glorious comeback as an underdog. Brother Dong, please don't do this. I'll do anything you ask—even if Brother Dong wants me to wash sister-in-law's underwear, I won't say another word..." Qiangzi instantly scrambled out of bed, his previous tough tone immediately turning into pleading.

"Get lost, roll as far away as you can," Chu Dong laughed and scolded. "Find me a spot in the city—a good one, preferably an existing commercial district, around two to three thousand square meters is fine. It needs to be easy to renovate, with heavy foot traffic, and ideally with outdoor space to hang a large advertising banner..."

"Hold on, Brother Dong. What are you even using this for? With a whole list of conditions like this, how am I supposed to remember all of it?" Qiangzi started scrambling for a pen upon hearing him, but after a long while failed to find one and said helplessly.

"To open an appliance mall. Find it for me to the exact specifications of Gome or Suning." Realizing his point, Chu Dong told him directly.

"Why didn't you just make that clear earlier?" Grumbling, Qiangzi flopped back onto the bed. "If you can manage to bring back a chick on your way home—bracketed to be strictly unrelated to you—then I'll get this matter done quickly and brilliantly..."

"Oh, cut it out. Why would some unrelated girl come back with me?" After chatting a bit longer, Chu Dong hung up the phone and began brewing his next plan.

The task assigned to him by Elder Li was to write an analysis of future real estate trends, which amounted to a business analysis unrelated to his own plan. Fortunately, since it was a business report, he could skirt the edges—satisfying the requirement while preventing the other party from gaining anything of real value.

The plans in Chu Dong's own hands were numerous. Just think, what kind of people were in his subordinate team? The ones submitted and handed over to him had been sifted through thousands of choices, unlike Liu An and the others who still had to pick for themselves. Choose right and it yields a tenfold profit; choose wrong, and it leaves a deficit. Yet these plans were immensely valuable, and Chu Dong felt that revealing even a fraction of them outwardly was a loss. Therefore, he preferred to spend his own time and effort writing a fresh one from scratch.

At noon, after his one-hour performance ended, Chu Dong returned to the room arranged by the hotel to continue writing his business analysis. He didn't budge from his spot all afternoon. Close to five o'clock, he found a piece of music online to listen to for a while, tapping his fingers lightly on his thighs to get into the zone.

Playing the piano wasn't something you just sat down and did; even with the sheet music in front of you, it required years of practice. Chu Dong's performance in front of Blue Sky last time was an above-average showing, but henceforth he would need serious preparation to find his state, and today was no exception.

At five o'clock, Chu Dong appeared punctually in the western restaurant. As per routine, after playing a long piece, he stood up to leave when Wang Hai came running over eagerly. "Brother, wait a second, there's a lucrative gig."

Wang Hai had grown quite familiar with Chu Dong over the past few days. Ever since Chu Dong started playing in the western restaurant, the dining occupancy rate had risen noticeably. He had handled this matter well, received recognition from above, and by the end of the month, his bonus was guaranteed. He saved face and pocketed solid benefits, practically treating Chu Dong like a benefactor.

"What lucrative gig?" Seeing Wang Hai like this, Chu Dong knew someone must have requested a solo piano performance again. The past few times, he had received tips of a thousand or eight hundred yuan, and Chu Dong always generously shared a bit with him.

"Master Qian Er from our capital's Three Young Masters has arrived. He heard the news that a top-tier pianist had arrived here, and well, he's treating some guests to dinner and specifically asked me to give you a heads-up. Private room upstairs at eight o'clock tonight, be there on time." Wang Hai was exceptionally excited. "Let me tell you, I've seen Master Qian Er give out tips, and they're always in units of ten thousand! Brother, just this one day could catch up to several months of what others make, haha."

Chu Dong chuckled. There really were people who loved to squander money. He grabbed Wang Hai's hands, which were patting his shoulders, and said, "Doesn't that conflict with my normal shift?"

"Ah, why are you still worrying about that? Never mind it. Handling Master Qian Er properly is better than anything else; leave the rest to me," Wang Hai promised grandly, taking full responsibility.

"Alright then. But to be clear, I'm not serving him the whole night. If it drags on endlessly, no amount of money will make me do it," Chu Dong set the terms in advance.

"No way, people just want to set a mood. They aren't going to make you stay a third wheel all night, are they? Rest assured, rest assured." Wang Hai threw his arm around Chu Dong's shoulder and escorted him to the elevator, watching until the elevator doors closed before turning back.

With about two hours left until eight o'clock, he had plenty of time to prepare. Judging by Wang Hai's words, it was a date between a young couple. Chu Dong deliberately sought out a piece of music about love; this kind of work aimed at pleasing others required thought, otherwise how could one expect larger tips?

He turned off his phone to prevent any incoming calls from interrupting him. With everything prepared, eight o'clock arrived. Dressed in the black tailcoat issued by the hotel and with a pair of cool sunglasses tucked into his pocket, Chu Dong arrived at the private room upstairs from the western restaurant and sat by the piano, waiting for his employer to arrive.

The small private room was about thirty square meters in size, featuring a rectangular dining table with a chair at each end—designed exclusively for couples. In the middle sat a vase of blooming pink roses. The piano was not far from the door, separated from the dining table only by a potted plant partition. Through the gaps in the leaves, one could see the scene on the dining table side, though looking toward the piano from there was rather indistinct.

Two minutes past eight, Chu Dong opened his slightly closed eyes. There was movement outside; the door opened, and a man and a woman walked in. Chu Dong didn't react much to the man, but the moment he saw the woman, his eyes widened...