parallel imports from Hong Kong

Zhao Dongchuan was clearly prepared. He pulled out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes and tossed them to the man in black.

“Brother, please take this pack of cigarettes. It’s a gift for our first meeting.”

“I know the rules,” Zhao Dongchuan said, then pulled out another 5 mao.

The man in black looked at the cigarettes in his hand and Zhao Dongchuan’s additional 5 mao, immediately understanding that this wasn't a government official, but someone introduced by an elder.

The rule for newcomers here was a pack of cigarettes plus 5 mao, like a secret signal. More or less was incorrect. Zhao Dongchuan had paid an old farmer for this information.

“Alright, go in. Remember, even though we’re not exactly legitimate here, business is about mutual consent. No forced buying or selling!” With that, the man in black opened a side door.

Zhao Dongchuan entered the door and walked a short distance along an alley. Suddenly, his vision opened up. It was a place that looked like an open-air market, with many people setting up stalls, displaying various goods in front of them.

Zhao Dongchuan looked around, suspecting there were several entry routes, and he had only taken one of them.

He didn't have time to think much, so he walked around the market, observing. There were sellers of meat, vegetables, cigarettes, and even bicycles and sewing machines – all kinds of things. None of these required tickets, but they were a bit more expensive than goods in department stores on the market.

At this time, without tickets, even with money, a supply and marketing cooperative wouldn't sell to you. The black market offered this advantage: no tickets, and a wide variety of goods. He didn't know where these items came from.

Soon, Zhao Dongchuan spotted his target. At one stall, there were electronic watches, tape recorders, televisions, and other electronic products.

He walked closer, observing without speaking, just watching the boss talk to customers.

The stall owner was a young man in his twenties, dressed fashionably, wearing a watch, and sporting a center part!

“No, no, the lowest is 30 yuan. Take it or leave it. Otherwise, go look somewhere else,” the stall owner said impatiently to a haggling customer.

After a period of observation, Zhao Dongchuan understood a few things. The most people were looking at electronic watches, but very few were buying. At 30 yuan per watch, calculated by purchasing power, it was equivalent to about 1600 yuan today. It wasn't too expensive. If this were in Huangyuan, a remote area, where scarcity drove up prices, an electronic watch would cost over a hundred yuan, which was several months' salary for an ordinary worker, and even then, it might not be available.

However, most people's living standards around here were not high, so they were reluctant to spend a lot of money. Moreover, most people had relatives in Hong Kong and could ask someone to bring one back. These items cost only a few yuan to produce on the assembly line in Hong Kong.

Other traders who dealt in goods generally had their own fixed supply channels and wouldn't buy from him.

Zhao Dongchuan walked over calmly and asked, “Boss, will you sell these watches for 15 yuan each?”

“No, no, go away!” The stall owner made a gesture to shoo him off.

“Don’t be so quick, brother. I want this many,” Zhao Dongchuan said, holding up two fingers.

The stall owner saw this and thought, “Well, a big customer has arrived!” He immediately dropped his annoyance and enthusiastically began chatting with Zhao Dongchuan.

“Hehe, you want 200? Brother, you’ve got guts! Come, come, come, sit, sit, sit!” The stall owner found a wooden stool nearby and motioned for Zhao Dongchuan to sit down and talk.

Zhao Dongchuan inwardly complained, “Damn, is business here really that big? Such big talk.”

He had only shown two fingers, meaning 20. The stall owner thought he wanted 200, a complete misunderstanding.

Of course, Zhao Dongchuan couldn't clarify at this moment.

“It’s like this, I came from the north. I heard there’s an opportunity to make a fortune here, so I came to check it out. To be honest, this trip is just to scout things out, just testing the waters. If my family thinks it’s promising, we can cooperate long-term,” Zhao Dongchuan said, staring into the stall owner's eyes.

“Oh, I see… Understood… So, how many do you want?” the stall owner asked.

“My first batch will be 20 pieces. If there are no problems, I’ll reorder later,” Zhao Dongchuan said.

“Alright, twenty watches. I’ll give you a wholesale price of 15 yuan each. Brother, I have high hopes for you, let’s consider it making a friend,” the stall owner said, opening a snakeskin bag, counting out twenty watches, and exchanging them with Zhao Dongchuan for cash.

Zhao Dongchuan carefully inspected the watches. There were no problems; they weren't plastic fakes. Some plastic fakes looked fine but would only run for a few days before breaking down.

After their business transaction was complete, Zhao Dongchuan didn't leave but started chatting with the stall owner.

Perhaps to show off his own strength, the stall owner also bragged to Zhao Dongchuan.

This person's nickname was Li Dadan. He had an older brother who, in earlier years when checks weren't so strict, luckily followed a relative to Hong Kong and settled there.

His brother was also capable and had done quite well in Hong Kong over the past few years. He was said to have opened an electronics factory and often transported goods by rowing a boat from Yuen Long to the sea, then bringing them over when the Hong Kong British police changed shifts.

Zhao Dongchuan was noncommittal about this; he only cared about getting the goods, selling them for money, and completing his system task.

“How do I find you if I need more goods later?” Zhao Dongchuan asked after he finished his spiel.

“You can find me here later. I usually set up my stall here every Wednesday. Brother, I have a bit of a reputation in this area. Just ask around and you’ll find out,” Li Dadan said with a chuckle.

“Alright, I’ll look for you again in a while.” With that, Zhao Dongchuan, carrying his bag, walked into the crowd and disappeared.

Watching Zhao Dongchuan’s retreating figure, Li Dadan muttered to himself, “This kid is quite interesting.” He had deliberately exaggerated the numbers earlier to put Zhao Dongchuan on the spot, hoping to curb his momentum and raise the price. He hadn’t expected Zhao Dongchuan to not take the bait and just lay his cards on the table, being so direct.

Although Li Dadan seemed to act carelessly, he was bold yet meticulous, which allowed him to build his business. Otherwise, he would have been caught long ago.

When doing business, it's best to be straightforward. If Zhao Dongchuan had boasted about being able to get two hundred watches, while he wouldn't have chased him away, he would have certainly thought less of him.

Zhao Dongchuan walked along, pretending to adjust his backpack, and put the watches into his storage space.

He had previously thought about emptying his space to hold a large quantity of goods, but he clearly underestimated the prices. These watches were indeed much cheaper than those sold outside, but he didn't have that much capital.

“Slowly but surely!” Zhao Dongchuan said, then returned the way he came.

The man in black was still hiding in a dilapidated corner of a wall, as if blending into the darkness.

Zhao Dongchuan opened the small door, quietly closed it, and walked straight away.

The man in black didn't even look up, appearing as if he didn't care about anything. However, Zhao Dongchuan knew that if anything went wrong, he would definitely notify the people inside through secret channels to evacuate.

As a qualified lookout, he vigilantly hid himself.

He stayed crouched like that. Without extraordinary patience, one would surely not be able to endure it and would easily be exposed.

The “ticket” money wasn't wasted. On the way back, Zhao Dongchuan silently pondered everything that had just happened.

On the surface, Zhao Dongchuan looked natural on the way, but inwardly, he was extremely cautious. Although the items were already in his space where no one could find them, others didn't know that. If someone with ill intentions followed him, intending to rob and kill, he would be in trouble.

Fortunately, after observing along the way, there were no tails. Zhao Dongchuan smoothly blended into the crowd, deliberately took a few detours, and then found a corner to take off his glasses before returning to the guesthouse.