Chapter 53: The Middleman! Too Lavish!
Chapter 53: The Middleman! Far Too Lavish!
After melting down a gold bar, Lu Feng waited a while as the molten gold slowly began to solidify. He then handed the gold melting gun to Lin Jiao and the other three, instructing, “Help me melt down all this gold. Don’t ask why—I’ve prepared some good food for you.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Bin perked up immediately and eagerly took the gold melting gun, imitating Lu Feng as he busied himself with a gold bar.
Lu Feng, however, had a thought and exited the game again. Though he had gained a ton of gold, he still needed to figure out how to handle it.
Just as he planned to call his cousin Yang Ming, Yang Ming’s call came through first.
He pressed the answer button, and Yang Ming’s voice came through: “Xiao Feng, I’ve already checked on the gas cylinder agency. You can directly transfer ownership, and all fees will be about 300,000 yuan. Also, the person who handles the gas cylinders has been found. Want to come take a look?”
“Cousin, send me the location,” Lu Feng replied promptly.
After hanging up, Yang Ming sent the address shortly after.
Lu Feng got into his car and followed the navigation to the outskirts of the city.
Gas cylinder agencies have long been prohibited from operating within the urban area, so they must be located in the suburbs.
He soon arrived at a somewhat remote gas cylinder agency point.
Yang Ming was already waiting outside, accompanied by a middle-aged man in a vest. Inside the agency were neatly arranged gas cylinders and refilling equipment.
“Xiao Feng,” Yang Ming greeted as Lu Feng got out of the car and introduced the elder: “This is Master Lin. He crafted all the gas cylinders before. Once we take over this agency, we can put his name on it. If anything goes wrong, it won’t affect others.”
Master Lin nodded simply, saying, “Don’t worry, Mr. Lu. I have no children or family attachments. No worries if anything happens. Contact me directly if you need anything.”
Lu Feng nodded. Since his cousin had found Master Lin, it meant this person was trustworthy. After all, elderly men like him, without children and family ties, tend to live solitary lives.
Moreover, such elders often possess considerable craftsmanship.
This was a relic of those times. Back in his hometown, an old man even knew how to make homemade gunpowder.
Later, Lu Feng transferred 300,000 yuan to his cousin and asked, “Cousin, how capable is Chen Bo’s channel in handling gold?”
Since they had acquired a ton of gold this time, Lu Feng needed to consider how to dispose of it.
Hearing this, Yang Ming guessed the situation and asked, “Xiao Feng, you got more goods? This time it’s a large amount?”
Lu Feng nodded. “Much bigger than before.”
Yang Ming said straight away, “Let’s go to the teahouse first, then find Chen Bo and inquire.”
“Okay,” Lu Feng agreed.
The two got into the car and headed to the teahouse.
On the way, Yang Ming called Chen Bo.
***
Shortly after Lu Feng and Yang Ming arrived at the teahouse’s office and brewed a pot of tea, Chen Bo arrived as well.
“Young Master Feng, Yang Ming, what’s the emergency?” Chen Bo asked.
Yang Ming invited him to sit and poured him a cup of tea. “Chen Bo, Xiao Feng wants to know how capable your channel is at handling gold.”
Chen Bo immediately understood that the channel behind Lu Feng might have a large shipment of gold this time. He asked anxiously, “Young Master Feng, how much gold are we talking about?”
Lu Feng cut to the chase: “Quite a lot. About a ton of gold bars.”
“Pfft!” Chen Bo was drinking tea and spit out a mouthful in shock.
Yang Ming’s eyes widened as well.
A ton of gold is not just a few ounces or even a few pounds.
“Y-Young Master Feng, really a ton?” Chen Bo asked incredulously.
Though he dealt in gold, he had never encountered so much at once.
A ton of gold, once processed, would be worth hundreds of millions.
Chen Bo murmured, “Young Master Feng, at such a scale, my channel might not be able to handle it all at once. I doubt any channel like mine in Fujian Province could manage it in one go.”
Lu Feng frowned and asked, “Is there any way to find other channels?”
Chen Bo quickly replied, “Channels can be found. I’ve heard of middlemen like that. But they charge extra fees, calculated as a percentage of the total transaction amount—usually between five to ten percent, depending on the middleman’s cut.”
“Could that be problematic?” Lu Feng asked.
If the fee is calculated based on the total transaction amount, it means they take a percentage of the gold’s selling price.
This fee is separate from any gray market activities.
As long as the gold can be sold and the money received, he didn’t mind the fee. After all, this gold was essentially free.
If a trustworthy middleman could be found, he’d be willing to pay the fee.
After all, middlemen in such business take risks; they’re not doing charity work.
Otherwise, why would anyone risk turning a ton of suspicious gold into real cash for you?
He couldn’t just make up a story about importing the gold from abroad and sell it openly.
If authorities investigated customs records, they’d immediately know if the gold had entered the country.
Chen Bo explained quickly, “Young Master Feng, a middleman like that must have powerful backing. No one knows whose hands the fees end up in—maybe people we’d never expect.”
“The risk is that they might not want to work with us. But if it’s truly a ton of gold, they won’t ignore the fees involved.”
Lu Feng nodded. “If we can find such a middleman, I can give you a one percent commission after the deal is done.”
Chen Bo’s eyes lit up instantly.
One percent of a ton of gold is a substantial sum.
Yang Ming also said at once, “Chen Bo, tomorrow you and I will head out and find such middlemen.”
“Alright,” Chen Bo nodded, adding, “But we must bring a sample for them to see—otherwise, it’s just empty talk.”
***
Lu Feng nodded and said, “Wait here. I’ll get a sample.”
With that, he left the teahouse, drove to the rented apartment, locked the door, and entered the game with a thought.
Inside the bank’s vault, Xu Bin and the others were still remelting the gold; it was now Chen Tao’s turn.
After all, 1500 degrees Celsius is intense heat, and prolonged exposure requires breaks.
Lu Feng picked up a cooled gold bar, exited the game, put the bar into a bag, and headed straight back to the teahouse.
Yang Ming and Chen Bo immediately looked at him.
Lu Feng placed the gold bar on the table. “The rest of the gold bars are roughly like this.”
Chen Bo nodded and examined the bar closely; its purity was excellent, which made him even more pleased.
The purer the gold, the more interested the middlemen would be. If he could connect them, they would surely be intrigued.
Chen Bo said quickly, “Young Master Feng, Yang Ming and I will discuss this first, then head out to scout this afternoon.”
“Good,” Lu Feng nodded.
Chen Bo and Yang Ming hurriedly left the teahouse.
Lu Feng also left, then went to the market.
He had promised Lin Jiao and the others some good food; this time, he would treat the four to a feast. After all, acquiring a ton of gold put him in a good mood.
Besides, inside the bank vault, he had seen a simple stove and cooking utensils.
At the market, Lu Feng bought a fresh fish, some chicken and duck meat, various vegetables, and seasonings.
Having entered society early, he was somewhat skilled in cooking. Most of the time, to save money, he cooked for himself in his apartment.
He could have just ordered takeout, but he wanted to cook himself for a bit more meaning.
Soon, he returned to the rented apartment carrying bags and locked the door before entering the game again.
Seeing him come in with all the bags, Lin Jiao rushed forward, and Xu Bin and the others did the same.
All four knew their boss had brought something delicious.
But when Lu Feng put down the bags, revealing the fresh fish, chicken, duck, assorted vegetables, and seasonings inside, they were stunned.
The spread was dazzling and overwhelming.
After the apocalypse, only the few nobles of the East City Alliance probably enjoyed such lavish meals.
(End of chapter)