Chapter 11: First Steps in Procurement, The Pigeon Market Strikes Back
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The new identity documents for He Yuzhu as a Procurement Department clerk were quickly approved, and he was simultaneously appointed as the team leader of the third canteen. He Yuzhu became one of the rare “dual-role” employees in the factory.
At the canteen, he promoted Ma Hua to oversee daily kitchen operations, assigned Liu Lan to manage the storeroom, and focused himself on overall supervision. His main attention shifted to the Procurement Department.
The Procurement Department office was more spacious and brighter than the canteen’s kitchen but carried a subtle tension. Several old clerks either sipped tea while reading newspapers or calculated with abacuses, casting scrutinizing, curious, and sometimes rejecting glances at the newcomer He Yuzhu.
“Xiao He, you’re here?” A man in his forties with slicked-back hair and a somewhat arrogant gaze put down his newspaper. He was Deputy Section Chief Qian Youfu, said to be a protégé of Deputy Factory Director Li. “Our department has only one rule: whoever can get things is the boss! Whoever can’t, better get out early!” He tapped the desk and pointed to an empty spot in the corner. “That’s your seat. Lao Chen!” he called out.
An older clerk with dark skin and glasses looked up with a cold expression.
“Lao Chen, from now on, Xiao He will run errands with you to get familiar with the ropes,” Qian Youfu instructed.
“Mm,” Lao Chen replied indifferently, returning to his paperwork.
He Yuzhu ignored this obvious warning and sat down. The desk was covered in a thin layer of dust.
He took a rag and carefully wiped it clean. The fragments of basic accounting knowledge he had gained from signing in with the system became clear in his mind. Seeing the format of the documents, he felt surprisingly at home.
In the afternoon, Qian Youfu called He Yuzhu over and tossed him a slip of paper. “Xiao He, you’re new and need some training. This week, the factory is urgently demanding labor protection gloves for the workshops. The planned quota isn’t enough. You have three days to find 300 pairs of wear-resistant cotton gloves. The price cannot exceed 120% of the planned price.” He gave a forced smile. “This is both a task and a test. If you fail, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Three hundred gloves? Outside the plan? Price strictly capped? The old clerks secretly glanced up with amused looks.
Lao Chen frowned deeply. This task was clearly designed to make things difficult for the newcomer. Gloves were in short supply; they could be found at the pigeon market in the city, but prices were more than double—and dangerous to procure!
He Yuzhu glanced at the slip calmly. “Understood, Deputy Section Chief Qian. I’ll deliver in three days.” Without hesitation, he turned and left.
“Hmph, a rookie unafraid of the tiger!” Qian Youfu sneered, warning Lao Chen, “Keep an eye on him. Don’t let him cause trouble that drags down our department!”
He Yuzhu returned to his desk and closed his eyes to focus. In his mind, the “Simple Map of the Pigeon Market in District Forty-Nine and Some of Its Unwritten Rules” he had obtained from the system’s sign-in floated clearly.
Outside Dongzhimen Gate, the ghost market; under Deshengmen Bridge; the old city wall near Xizhimen… several secret locations, opening times, inspectors to watch out for, and a few reputable old-timers flashed through his thoughts.
The ghost market by Dongzhimen was open tonight! He had a plan brewing.
After work, He Yuzhu didn’t return to the courtyard house. He changed into a worn, inconspicuous blue cloth jacket, mounted his bike, and headed straight for Dongzhimen.
The sky was darkening, the outskirts barren. Following his memory, he twisted through alleys into an abandoned brick kiln area.
In the darkness, shadowy figures moved silently. No one spoke, only hushed bargaining and the rustling of goods. This was the ghost market, the underground trading place hidden from daylight.
He Yuzhu pulled his hat brim low, folded his arms like those around him, and scanned the stalls sharply. Food, fabric scraps, old parts, even live chickens and ducks—an assortment of goods. His goal was clear: find gloves.
Finally, in a corner, before a man wrapped in a tattered cotton jacket with his hat pulled low, lay bundles of labor protection gloves—the very wear-resistant cotton gloves the steel mill needed!
He crouched, picked up a pair, and, by the faint light, inspected the stitching and thickness, squeezing the wear-resistant layer.
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“Price?” His voice was hushed and indistinct.
The man held up three fingers, then indicated a seven: 3.7 yuan per pair! More than double the planned price—far beyond Qian Youfu’s limit!
He Yuzhu put down the gloves, shook his head, held up two fingers, then gestured five—trying to bargain.
The man scoffed and waved him off, indicating no deal.
He Yuzhu didn’t press; he stood and walked away. He recalled from the information fragments that the ghost market had a figure called “Old Chen San,” with wide connections and relatively fair prices, but only dealt with regulars or those in the know. Trusting this vague impression, he searched the crowd.
At last, behind an unremarkable dirt mound, an old man wearing a sheepskin coat and smoking a dry tobacco pipe sat alone. In front of him was only a small stool, no goods displayed. Passersby seemed to recognize him and greeted him respectfully.
He Yuzhu approached silently and, mimicking the gesture from the memory fragments, tapped three times on his left palm with his right thumb, index, and middle fingers together, then cupped his hands in his sleeves to mimic “gloves.”
The old man paused mid-puff, lifted his cloudy eyes, and appraised He Yuzhu carefully, as if verifying something. After a moment, he drew the number twenty-eight quickly in the dirt.
He Yuzhu understood immediately: 2.8 yuan per pair! Much cheaper than the previous stall but still above Qian Youfu’s limit. He shook his head and, holding up two fingers again, made a gesture indicating “lower.”
The old man squinted, took a few drags, and seemed to be weighing the offer. He Yuzhu waited patiently, knowing veterans like this valued safe, long-term transactions.
[Beep! Suitable location detected: Dongzhimen Ghost Market. Sign in?]
“Sign in.”
[Sign-in successful! Obtained: Information on disposing of two rolls of defective labor fabric (minimal). Information delivered.]
A flood of data entered his mind: Tomorrow morning, at the back gate of the Red Star Cotton Mill in the eastern suburbs, a batch of labor fabric with minor defects will be handled internally, offered at low prices, suitable for making work clothes or glove linings…
He Yuzhu’s eyes brightened. He lowered his voice to the old man: “San Ye, 300 pairs of gloves. Price is negotiable. Also, I have a lead: tomorrow morning, at Red Star’s back gate, there’s cheap labor fabric perfect for glove linings. If you’re interested, I can show you the way, and you can knock a bit off the glove price?”
The old man’s smoking froze; a sharp gleam lit his eyes. Cheap labor fabric? That was hard currency! He fixed He Yuzhu with a piercing gaze, testing his sincerity.
He Yuzhu met it calmly, with quiet confidence.
A few seconds of silence.
“Deal!” The old man’s hoarse voice spat out the words and held up two fingers: 2.2 yuan per pair! The fabric details could be discussed later.
2.2 yuan! Right on the edge of Qian Youfu’s price limit. He Yuzhu’s heart confirmed: “It’s settled!”
They quickly finalized the details and agreed to meet again at the ghost market the next evening for the exchange of goods and payment. He Yuzhu only said the fabric was an “internal disposal” he had stumbled upon.
Leaving the ghost market, a cold wind invigorated He Yuzhu.
Step one, accomplished! Not only had he completed the difficult task but also gained a connection with Old Chen San. More importantly, the information gained from signing in had become the key to breaking the impasse.
The next day, He Yuzhu clocked in at the Procurement Department as usual. Qian Youfu sneered, “Xiao He, any progress on the gloves? Don’t hold up the workshops!”
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“Don’t worry, Deputy Section Chief Qian. Delivery will be tomorrow,” He Yuzhu replied calmly.
Qian Youfu was taken aback by his confidence, then sneered coldly, “Fine! I’ll be waiting. If you don’t deliver or the price’s over budget, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
He Yuzhu ignored him and approached Lao Chen. “Master Chen, any errands today? I want to get familiar with things.”
Lao Chen looked at him surprised, then pushed a stack of slips over. “Take these material requisition slips to Workshop Three storeroom. Find Liu the custodian for signature.”
Without a word, He Yuzhu took the slips and left.
On the way, he deliberately detoured near the back gate of the Red Star Cotton Mill in the eastern suburbs.
He saw several people in factory uniforms whispering in the guardhouse’s small room. Bundles of deep blue fabric lay on the ground, with uneven patches visible on the edges. The information was accurate!
That night at the ghost market, He Yuzhu arrived as promised. Old Chen San was true to his word: 300 pairs of brand-new labor gloves neatly bundled.
He Yuzhu inspected the goods carefully and paid the agreed price. The deal completed, he quietly gave Old Chen San the exact time and contact details for the Red Star factory back gate.
Old Chen San looked at He Yuzhu deeply, nodded silently, and disappeared into the dark.
Early the next morning, He Yuzhu carried two large bundles of gloves into the Procurement Department office, placing them on the floor with a thud, under the stunned eyes of Qian Youfu and several veteran clerks.
“Deputy Section Chief Qian, here are 300 pairs of wear-resistant labor gloves for inspection. Price: 2.2 yuan per pair. The receipt is here.”
He handed over the simple receipt issued by Old Chen San.
Three hundred pairs at 2.2 yuan each struck Qian Youfu’s face like a sharp slap.
A brief silence fell over the Procurement Department, followed by sharp intakes of breath and astonished glances exchanged among the old clerks. This kid actually did it? And at such a tough price?
Qian Youfu’s face darkened. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the crude receipt. He stared at He Yuzhu’s calm, unreadable expression, burning with silent fury.
He forced down his rage and gritted out, “Fine… He Yuzhu, you’ve got skills! Lao Chen! Arrange people immediately to send these to the storeroom for signing! If the workshops get delayed, you’re the one responsible!”
Lao Chen responded quietly and hurried to call workers to move the gloves, casting a complicated glance at He Yuzhu.
He Yuzhu seemed not to notice the barbs in Qian Youfu’s words. He nodded to Lao Chen, “Thanks, Master Chen,” then returned to his desk and began reviewing a warehouse report.
Qian Youfu snorted coldly and slammed the door to the small private room he had set up with a filing cabinet.
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