The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Inspector Ivan looked at Gu’er and her three companions. ’They’re all quite composed,’ he thought. Finding him through his daughter showed they had some skill. Moreover, his daughter had an excellent impression of the girl named Lin Gu’er and had insisted that he help her. He had asked his daughter for a detailed account of her interactions with Lin Gu’er, and she had told him the girl was beautiful, honest, and kind. He found that acceptable. Still, he felt Gu’er’s admission to his daughter that she had "used" her showed a lack of nerve. ’She’s not a true businessperson,’ he mused. ’A businessperson always puts profits first.’

Still, he was comfortable letting his daughter associate with someone like that, confident she wouldn’t be cheated. Otherwise, he would never have let his daughter get close to her. She was much better than the deceitful types. As he observed them, he saw that each of these young people had their own distinct traits. He’d also heard they had a few Vietnamese subordinates, so they would have no trouble managing the stalls if he gave them the spaces.

"Marina gave me a general idea of your situation," Inspector Ivan said. "Go ahead and tell me. What kind of stalls do you need? What are your requirements?"

Gu’er and her friends explained their plan, adding that two stalls would be ideal. They asked for two as a negotiation tactic. ’If we ask for two, you’ll at least have to give us one, won’t you?’

"I can give you two stalls: number four and number twelve," Inspector Ivan said, naming his price. "A flat five thousand US Dollars."

Gu’er and her friends exchanged a look. They were surprised to be offered stall number four, which was in a very good location. The only issue was the number itself. Many businesspeople were superstitious and preferred auspicious numbers like six or eight. The number four, on the other hand, was a homophone for the word "death," so most people avoided it. Gu’er, however, wasn’t concerned with such things.

As for the price Inspector Ivan quoted, five thousand US Dollars sounded like a lot, but Gu’er and the others had already done their research. They knew that without Marina’s connection, they would have been lucky to secure even one good stall for five thousand US Dollars by going through other channels. Now they were getting two, and stall number twelve was also in an excellent spot. Moreover, by establishing this relationship, they knew Inspector Ivan would look out for them in the future.

"Yes, thank you so much."

After a silent exchange of glances, Gu’er’s group accepted the offer and expressed their gratitude to Inspector Ivan.

Inspector Ivan nodded. He could tell the young woman across from him was very pleased and her thanks were sincere, yet she managed to keep her delight from showing. ’Composed,’ he thought. He also noted that her gaze was clear, which left him feeling rather satisfied.

He then informed Gu’er and her friends that the new market street would open in August. He told Gu’er to bring the money at the end of July, and once he received it, he would make the arrangements. The two stalls would then officially be theirs.

After bidding Inspector Ivan farewell, Gu’er went to say goodbye to Marina as well. It wasn’t until they were outside the inspector’s house that they finally let their excitement show.

"This is amazing!" Li Zhi exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over. "Wen Bin said his little stall in that forgotten corner cost him three thousand US Dollars, and we got two great spots for just five thousand! This is incredible! Marina is the best. We have to bring her some really nice gifts next time to thank her properly."

Li Zhi was extremely excited.

Gu’er nodded in agreement.

As for Sun Jiaming, he was happy simply because Gu’er was happy.

Dingzi remained quiet, but he too was pleased they had secured the stalls.

That evening, they met with Wen Bin and his men to share the news. They were astonished that Gu’er’s group had managed to get two stalls, and in such great locations. The man Gu’er had once thrown chili powder at was particularly impressed. He praised her effusively and promised he would help watch over her stalls, guaranteeing no one would dare cause any trouble.

Gu’er thanked him. As she got to know them better, she found them quite endearing and refreshingly frank.

Gu’er’s group didn’t return home immediately. They decided to procure more goods to take back with them. Even if they couldn’t sell everything right away, they knew they would need a massive amount of stock once they opened their own department store.

The next time Gu’er and her friends came home, they brought back a large quantity of merchandise, which they stored at the Sun Family’s house.

"Why is there so much left unsold? Is business not doing well? How about this? Once my leg is a bit better, I’ll go set up a street stall. Whether I sell things for a few dimes or a dollar, at least it’ll bring some money in."

Li Hua said, her face filled with worry as she gazed at all their merchandise.

Aunt Zhao was also concerned.

"I’ll help, too. I can help watch the stall, make sure nothing gets stolen."

Grandma Dingzi was also eager to pitch in. She had watched her grandson and his friends coming and going with all their bags and packages, feeling quite envious. Now that they seemingly couldn’t sell their merchandise, she finally had a chance to help.

Gu’er and her friends were left speechless. ’We saved this stuff on purpose, didn’t we? It’s not that we couldn’t sell it; we were worried we wouldn’t have enough stock when the department store opens, so we decided to set some aside on every trip. And they want to sell it all for a few measly bucks? Can you imagine how much money we’d lose!’

"Grandma Dingzi, Mom, Aunt Zhao, you absolutely can’t sell these!" Gu’er quickly interjected, stopping their well-intentioned plans. "We’re saving them for something important. If you sell them now, we’ll lose a fortune!"

"Oh, we can’t sell them? What a shame. And here I was hoping to help you all out," Grandma Dingzi said, though her gaze kept drifting toward the bags of merchandise. It was clear she was truly itching to try her hand at running a stall.

Li Hua didn’t have strong opinions of her own, so after hearing what Gu’er said, she immediately gave up any notion of selling the goods. If she caused them to lose money, she could never hope to repay the debt.

After spending the better part of the day and eating dinner at the Sun Family’s house, Gu’er returned to the Lin Family home. The moment she walked in, Lin Shan called her into the study, which also happened to be Gu’er’s bedroom.

"Dad, you have good news?"

Gu’er knew that if Lin Shan was calling her aside like this, it had to be about her plan to lease the building.

"Haha, you guessed right, you clever girl," Lin Shan chuckled. "It’s good news. The Secretary reported your proposal to the city leadership, mentioning that you could solve the laid-off workers’ issue. The city is taking it very seriously. They even called me in for a talk." He paused. "Because you’re my daughter and you suddenly have the money for a lease like this, they launched an investigation into me, worried I might have some... financial improprieties. It’s a good thing your father is an honest official, or I’d be in serious trouble right now. They found out you all made your fortune during your trips to the Soviet Union and also looked into Li Zhi, Dingzi, and Sun Jiaming’s backgrounds. Once they confirmed everything was legitimate, the city was finally put at ease. However, Gu’er, the vice mayor wants to meet with you. There are still a few things that need to be discussed."

Lin Shan himself was in high spirits. Although the city’s investigation had been stressful, it had ultimately been a good thing for him. The mayor had even met with him privately to tell him that someone higher up had put in a good word for him. Come September, he would likely be transferred to a post in a smaller municipality to gain more experience. After that, his return would surely come with a major promotion.

Lin Shan knew it must have been Vice Secretary Yuan who had helped him, and he only knew the Vice Secretary because of Gu’er. ’If this deal succeeds,’ he thought, ’Gu’er will have the backing of the city leadership. Even when I’m transferred away, I won’t have to worry about her being unable to stand on her own two feet.’