Chapter 131: Shaolin Temple Takes the Nation by Storm

Chen Huajiang twitched the corner of his mouth. They had come to buy beer, so how did it turn into watching a movie? However, seeing the excitement and anticipation on the faces of his two companions, he could only nod. But the queues were immense, a sea of people; even if they managed to buy tickets, it would likely be days before they could actually watch the film. Chen Huajiang decided to give up.

"Brother Chen, let me go check over there."

"Don't."

Er Mao spoke up, and Chen Huajiang grabbed him with a stern expression. "I know what you're thinking, but don't get involved in that kind of thing." He glanced toward the direction Er Mao had pointed—an elderly woman in a patched cotton jacket, accompanied by two children, holding movie tickets. It was clear Er Mao intended to act as a scalper, buying the tickets from them at an inflated price.

"Some things can be done, and some things cannot," Chen Huajiang said firmly, turning to leave. "This movie isn't going anywhere. If all goes well, the next stop will be Nanming City, and we can buy our tickets and watch it then. Let's go; we have real work to do."

Er Mao looked aggrieved; he did not understand why Chen Huajiang was so serious about what he considered a trivial matter. In his mind, he would pay extra, the old woman would get the money, and he would get the tickets—it was a win-win. But for Chen Huajiang, the film *Shaolin Temple* held a certain sanctity. The ten-cent ticket price was intended to ensure that all common people could afford it, regardless of their wealth; it represented a zeitgeist, a sense of meaning.

Every era has its own defining spirit. He could use information gaps to gain advantages, but he would never do anything that went against his conscience. Just as there were no so-called elite schools in this era, no rigid social hierarchy, and no "VIP" bank windows—this in itself was the rhythm of the times. Besides, who could guarantee that the grandchild the old woman was holding wouldn't grow up to be someone like Wang Baoqiang, who was inspired by this very movie to study martial arts and pursue acting? *Shaolin Temple* had influenced many, including Chen Huajiang himself. When the film was a hit, he had watched it and felt the urge to learn martial arts, which was why he later sought out professional coaches and tried to apprentice under Master Gao Laogen.

With that, the three of them left the station and headed to the Laoshan Brewery.

"You want to be agents for our brewery's beer?"

"Yes."

In the reception room, Chen Huajiang met the sales clerk in charge, a man in his early thirties wearing work clothes. His name was Li Yuanchao—a name very characteristic of the era—and he was looking at Chen Huajiang with surprise.

"That's right. I'm from Nanming City, and I've come all the way to your Laoshan Brewery to buy beer. Is it that surprising? Who says people from Nanming can't come to Lao City to buy beer? The state hasn't forbidden it." Chen Huajiang smiled, his tone playful.

"I'm sorry, I cannot make that decision, and I cannot sell to you because there is no such plan," Li Yuanchao replied after serious consideration, shaking his head and rejecting Chen Huajiang's request.

Damn the planned economy. Chen Huajiang nearly cursed out loud, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Your brewery isn't performing well, is it? I noticed there aren't many delivery trucks coming or going. I'm here to place a massive order—a hundred tons a month! And that may increase in the future."

Chen Huajiang looked at him earnestly. Earlier, he had observed the scale of the brewery and the frequency of truck traffic, which paled in comparison to the Gushan Brewery. He knew this was related to the situation in Lao City, which had a small urban population of only about 100,000. In these times, urbanization was slow; the vast majority of the population still lived in rural areas.

Chen Huajiang’s words left Li Yuanchao conflicted and clearly tempted. But just as Chen Huajiang let out a sigh of relief, the man shook his head again. "I'm sorry, that won't work. It violates regulations."

Chen Huajiang felt like stomping his feet. To refuse profit was truly bizarre! He felt helpless, realizing the stubbornness of the planned economy in this era. He knew things would improve in a year or two, but time was of the essence. For a moment, he even regretted his ambition—had he moved too fast in trying to build the "Food Street"? Without beer, what was the point of a food street? Was he really going to have to beg the shameless Yang Shan? He felt a wave of panic. He truly did not want to bow to Yang Shan; his pride wouldn't allow it. Could he start his own brewery? He lacked the technology and the time.

Just as Chen Huajiang was sinking into despair, Li Yuanchao spoke again, offering a glimmer of hope. "Our Laoshan Brewery can only ship within this city, but if you really think our beer is good and want to get your hands on it, it's not impossible. We can ship to the townships under our jurisdiction, such as Wuxing Township."

Li Yuanchao looked at Chen Huajiang, his mind racing. A hundred tons a month was a major client. While policy forbade supplying neighboring cities, Wuxing Township was part of Lao City, so supplying them did not violate the rules.

"Good! Wuxing Township. As long as you deliver the beer to Wuxing, that works for us. I hope we have a pleasant cooperation!" Chen Huajiang’s eyes lit up as he reached out, his voice filled with excitement.

"Pleasant cooperation," Li Yuanchao replied with a smile, clearly understanding the implication. City boundaries were often blurred, and villages straddling the line were common. As long as the beer was delivered to a township belonging to Lao City, what the buyer did with it afterward was no longer his concern.

The two parties signed a contract, and Chen Huajiang paid the deposit. Leaving Lao City, he made a trip to Wuxing Township and rented a warehouse at the border. This would serve as a transit point, though externally it would be registered as a wholesale department; he would need to return to Nanming City to apply for the business license. He decided to put the license in Er Mao's name—it was a shell company anyway, meant purely for transporting Laoshan beer.

The next day, the Laoshan beer was delivered to Wuxing Township, and Chen Huajiang arranged for trucks to transport it to the "Green Shade Trail," which should now be called the Kunlun Dining and Food Street. With the beer problem solved, business on the food street picked up again.

Er Mao was on cloud nine these days, grinning at everyone he met and putting on airs with his subordinates. After all, he was a "boss" now—the legal representative of the Wuxing Wholesale Company! The poor kid had never been hardened by the realities of the world and thought that being a legal representative made him a boss. He didn't know it was merely a role for taking the fall; in the future, countless shell companies would crash, leaving the legal representative to face the consequences while the true owners behind the scenes walked away with pockets full of cash, leaving behind a mess of debt.

And this wasn't the future era where "deadbeats" could easily evade justice. In these times, there was no room for such behavior; if you crossed the line, you went to jail. If you didn't pay your debts? The iron fist of the law would teach you a lesson. Chen Huajiang wondered, when Er Mao eventually learned the "truth," would he be scared pale?