Chapter 22

Carrying a carefully prepared gift, Li Shanshan first went to visit Chen Bing.

She knew where Chen Bing lived. In her previous life, after marrying Zhou Yuqi, she had dealt with the leaders of Fengcheng and their families. At that time, Chen Bing had already transitioned from Deputy Mayor to Mayor.

As she stepped into the spacious three-bedroom apartment with Chen, his wife, Zheng Huijuan, came out with a warm smile to welcome her. "You must be Shanshan? Please, have a seat. I've heard Chen Bing mention you. He said you were very capable, but I didn't expect you to be such a beautiful young lady."

Anyone who met Li Shanshan noticed her beauty first. Today, she was wearing a cream-colored long down jacket she had specially selected from a batch of original surplus stock, paired with a red woolen hat, scarf, and earmuffs, which made her fair skin look even more delicate and her features more refined. Her hair, especially, was thick and pitch-black, draping over her shoulders like shining black satin.

Li Shanshan spoke with poise, "Forgive my unannounced visit. I hope I’m not disturbing you."

"Not at all, not at all," Mrs. Chen said, looking at the items in her hand. "But please, don't bring gifts in the future. Old Chen has to be careful about his reputation."

"Don't worry, I understand the boundaries. I didn't buy anything expensive. Aside from some pastries, there’s just a Yixing clay teapot I found at a flea market and a painting. The total cost was less than a hundred yuan." Li Shanshan knew how to give gifts that would be appreciated.

Chen Bing accepted them gladly, primarily because these items were indeed inexpensive.

Mrs. Chen, the more she looked at Li Shanshan, the more she felt the girl possessed an extraordinary aura and ethereal beauty. She couldn't help but want to play matchmaker. "Shanshan, do you have a boyfriend? Would you like me to introduce you to someone?"

"Don't get too carried away; the girl isn't even eighteen yet," Chen Bing intervened.

Li Shanshan also laughed, "I'm a second-year high school student. My priority right now is my studies, so I’m not considering marriage."

Mrs. Chen couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. "Only eighteen!" She was indeed quite young. However, she certainly remembered Li Shanshan.

Chen Bing quickly changed the subject. "Little Li, what are your plans next?"

"I'll go home for the Lunar New Year first, then return after the holidays to continue selling clothes," Li Shanshan replied without holding back.

Upon learning that Li Shanshan and Zhou Yuqi had already finalized a deal for 800,000 pieces of foreign trade surplus stock, even the well-informed Chen Bing was stunned. "So, you're set to make another fortune."

Li Shanshan said modestly, "It’s all thanks to the support of leaders like you."

Chen Bing waved his hand. "Our support is negligible. It’s mainly due to your own courage. If it were someone else, who wouldn't be afraid of having hundreds of thousands of pieces of clothing stuck in their hands? You were able to sell them in such a short time—you deserve this success. 800,000 pieces is no small amount. Can your warehouse hold them? Will it affect your studies?"

"It will fit, and it won't interfere," she said. Taking a few days off was no problem at all. Huaihua High School wasn't particularly strict, and being in the second year, it wasn't as critical as the final year.

Mrs. Chen, having listened for a while, couldn't help but ask, "Shanshan, is that foreign trade business really that profitable? I heard Old Chen say your cost was only 300,000."

Li Shanshan shook her head without hesitation. "That’s impossible! The shipping alone cost 100,000, and the surplus stock had to be paid for separately."

Chen Bing was surprised. "Didn't John say it was 300,000?"

Li Shanshan smiled shyly. "He did say 300,000, but we can't be ignorant of the reality. Compared to general trade goods, these original surplus items are high-quality, expensive, and easy to sell, so I transferred 500,000."

Chen Bing nodded slightly. "Plus rent and labor costs, that’s over a million."

"Exactly," Li Shanshan said. She hadn't actually spent a million, but she felt no need to elaborate. "My luck lies in not having to go through middlemen, so I didn't have to share the profits. If it were anyone else, they would definitely have had to pay a large commission."

"You are indeed lucky," Chen Bing remarked with a hint of envy.

Li Shanshan intended to sell all the clothing as quickly as possible and discussed with Chen Bing the possibility of advertising in the newspapers, limited to Fengcheng and the surrounding cities. Chen Bing found it feasible. "I’ll write you a note. Go to the *Fengcheng Daily* and see Editor-in-Chief Zhao."

Li Shanshan was very grateful. After visiting the other leaders, she headed straight to the newspaper office.

***

Editor-in-Chief Zhao didn't refuse after learning her intent. Firstly, Li Shanshan was favored by the city leadership, and secondly, she was paying; there was no reason not to publish the advertisement she had drafted herself. The headline was particularly eye-catching: [Come to Fengcheng! Large quantity of foreign trade surplus available—high-quality T-shirts for only 5 yuan!]

Li Shanshan also asked Zhao to act as a bridge, contacting the editors of newspapers in neighboring cities via telephone to run the same ad for the same fee. Editor Zhao was happy to build a connection with someone with such a promising future, and he handled the task beautifully.

When she finished, Li Shanshan stepped out of the newspaper office and felt a slight chill on her face. Looking up, she saw fine, scattered snowflakes falling. Unaccustomed to checking the weather, she felt caught off guard. She quickly pulled her scarf up to cover half her face and tugged her down jacket hood over her woolen hat, the thick fur collar shielding her from the wind. She had worked hard to achieve her smooth skin and needed to protect it.

After walking only a few steps, she suddenly heard a woman scream, "My bag!"

At the same time, a motorcycle roared past her, heading into the distance. Li Shanshan was quick-witted; she instinctively reached out to grab the strap of the leather bag that was dangling and fluttering from the rider's hand. She missed by just a hair's breadth at first. She pushed off with her feet, sprinted after the bike, and after a few seconds, successfully leaped forward, grabbed the strap, and managed to yank the bag back.

The motorcycle rider, wearing an old leather jacket, glanced back at her but didn't dare stop, speeding away quickly.

The owner of the bag came panting up from behind. "My bag, my bag!" Seeing the bag Li Shanshan had retrieved, she rushed over, breathless. "That’s my bag! Thank you so much, miss."

Li Shanshan handed it over. "Be more careful in the future. The streets are chaotic." She never used shoulder or handbags when going out, nor did she wear valuable jewelry, as it made her a target. Moreover, since recovering her appearance, she generally kept her face covered when walking alone.

The owner of the bag was in her thirties, tall and slender, with bold eyebrows, large eyes, and bright red lips. She was wearing a brand-new snow leopard fur coat—a famous luxury brand costing over four thousand—and her bag was a Louis Vuitton. Upon checking and finding her diamond ring still inside, the woman was filled with gratitude and insisted on taking Li Shanshan to dinner.

Li Shanshan politely declined, "It was just a small effort, no need."

"Your 'small effort' saved me from a huge loss. I must treat you to a big meal." The woman introduced herself, "My name is Tang Jiatong. My husband is the famous swimmer Tan Mingming. He won an Olympic silver medal and returned to Fengcheng after retiring to coach the city swim team to take care of his parents."

Li Shanshan had heard of him. Years later, a famous international-level swimmer from Fengcheng named Lin Xu would train under Tan Mingming, while Tang Jiatong was a presenter for the Fengcheng TV station—though not a particularly famous one.

Adhering to the philosophy that an extra friend is an extra path, Li Shanshan accepted the invitation.

It was indeed a grand meal at the Yipin Xian restaurant. After sitting down and seeing Li Shanshan remove her scarf, Tang Jiatong was struck dumb. After a long moment of recovery, she couldn't wait to say, "Shanshan, let me recommend you for commercials! I never knew there was such a beauty in Fengcheng."

Li Shanshan smiled, her expression even more graceful. "I'm still in high school and have no plans to do commercials." The entertainment industry was too messy, and she wasn't so desperate for money that she had to enter it. She was already a millionaire.

Tang Jiatong felt a pang of regret. "You are so beautiful; you should let the audience see you! It’s such a treat for the eyes. And you are so brave—you ran so fast, covering dozens of meters in seconds to catch up with the thief. Don't do that again next time; those thieves are dangerous. What if they bullied you because you're beautiful?"

Li Shanshan immediately expressed her gratitude for the advice. In truth, it had been a purely instinctive reaction. She cherished her life above all else and didn't possess the burning desire for heroics.

When they exchanged phone numbers, Tang Jiatong promised, "I have some influence in Fengcheng. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to reach out."

"I will," Li Shanshan didn't refuse the offer. In this life, no one could guarantee a smooth path forever. Of course, she wouldn't seek help from Tang Jiatong unless absolutely necessary.

After the meal, they parted ways, and Li Shanshan went straight to the wholesale market. The snow was falling, and she needed to check on things. After the incident with the stolen bag, she changed her mind: she would ask her father to stay with her and only head home just before the Lunar New Year. Staying in a hotel was much more comfortable.

Li’s father and uncle had just finished lunch. Before the snow intensified, they had moved the selected autumn and winter clothes from the warehouse onto a motorized tricycle, binding them securely under a tarp. When Li Shanshan arrived, they were cleaning the warehouse and taking waterproofing and fire-prevention measures.

Seeing her, her seventh cousin, Li Aiguo, immediately pulled her aside. "Shanshan, I have to tell you something," he said mysteriously.

Li Shanshan asked with a smile, "What is it?" He was two years older than her eighth cousin, only twenty-four, newly married, and had a lively, restless personality. He had inherited his mother's love for gossip.

Li Aiguo whispered, "Several stalls in the wholesale market have been cleared out. When I was in the restroom, I heard one of the merchants complaining that someone else is taking over their stalls to sell foreign trade surplus goods, and they've already gone to Guangdong to source stock." He was anxious, wanting to tell his father and uncle but afraid of worrying them.

Li Shanshan was stunned for a moment, then said, "Let them do it. It’s not like it’s my exclusive business."

"Are you stupid? If they steal your business, how will you sell your clothes?" There were only so many wholesalers who came to buy. If they sourced from the others, they wouldn't buy from her. They were outsiders with little influence, and these people who could clear out existing merchants without anyone daring to speak up were clearly powerful. If they forced wholesalers to only buy from them, wouldn't her stock be trapped? She had told them the investment was massive.

After hearing Li Aiguo's analysis, Li Shanshan reassured him, "I never intended to do this for the long term. After this run, I have to go back to school to prepare for next year’s college entrance exam. I don't have time to run a business. Making enough money is enough. These two batches of goods are from large enterprises that had years of backlog; it’s not easy for others to get hundreds of thousands of pieces from a standard factory."

"Are you really going to give up such a profitable business?" Li Aiguo felt it was a shame.

Li Shanshan nodded. "I know my priorities. We have no roots in Fengcheng; leaving while things are good is the most dignified way to avoid unnecessary trouble."

From the beginning, she had only wanted to seize the opportunity John gave her to make a quick fortune. With her first pot of gold, what couldn't she do afterward? The world was full of opportunities. She just hadn't expected the competitors to show up so quickly.

Who exactly was it? Such sharp eyes, such courage—their ability to follow a trend was truly first-class.