16. Waiting for the Wind (Please add to your favorites and vote for recommendations)

In Room 310 of Dormitory #3 at the University of Business and Commerce, Bao Zhenhai was biting into a bun, staring fixedly at his computer screen, utterly incredulous.

Beside him, Zhang Peng clicked his tongue in admiration. "This girl is nice. Old Chen’s got game~"

They were watching a video circulating on the campus network—Liu Xinyue berating Zhou Jing—which had already been shared hundreds of times and inevitably made its way into the university’s social circles.

"Wait a minute," Bao Zhenhai suddenly realized, "this was filmed today, wasn’t it? Didn’t Chen Ling go to the business hall? How did he end up dating someone?"

"You’re really nosy!" Zhang Peng laughed. "Didn’t everyone say in the group chat that the supermarket owner has already been dealt with? Now we’re getting orders again—just send the phone number to the staff to recharge. Chen Ling can do whatever he wants; it’s his freedom."

Bao Zhenhai shrugged, envious. "Why didn’t we ever notice how awesome he was before? He goes out for half a day, not only solves the problem, but even picks up a girl? Truly a role model for our generation!"

"Don’t mock me! When it comes to picking up girls, I only bow to Zhang Peng!" Chen Ling pushed the door open with a laugh. "Are we taking orders as usual now?"

Zhang Peng nodded. "After the supermarket owner was sent to the police station, we explained in the group; now we’ve got even more orders. Who’d have thought that this whole incident would actually boost our reputation?"

Chen Ling pondered for a moment, then said seriously, "We still need to be wary of him. Once he’s in the police station, he can explain everything, refund the money, and basically walk away unscathed. He’ll probably be released today. We need to find a way to keep him in there—preferably so he can’t get out..."

His words startled Zhang Peng, who asked in surprise, "What are you planning?"

Chen Ling replied with a sly smile, "Aside from the supermarket, he also owns a card room and a foot massage parlor. I’ve been inside that parlor; I think there are some special services... I plan to report it."

"Damn," Zhang Peng exclaimed, "that’s pretty ruthless—but I like it! If it’s verified, he’s the organizer and owner; he could end up facing criminal charges, right?"

Chen Ling sneered, "Cutting off someone’s livelihood is like killing their parents! If I hadn’t sorted out the business hall today, do you think he would’ve shown any mercy?"

Zhang Peng shivered at his words, falling silent.

Though he’d been exposed to such things since childhood, he was still a student living in an ivory tower. He had some understanding of the harsh realities of society, but it was far from complete.

Chen Ling’s words made it clear: what they were doing was no longer just a student game—it was hand-to-hand combat, blade against blade!

It was either you die, or I do.

Bao Zhenhai, listening from the side, was equally unsettled. He didn’t have as many insights as Zhang Peng but understood one thing—never offend Chen Ling!

Otherwise, you’d end up in a really bad way...

The mood grew tense after Chen Ling spoke, and the three fell silent for a while. Then Zhang Peng cleared his throat to break the awkwardness and asked Chen Ling, "Based on what you said over the phone earlier, the phone recharge business is pretty much stable now. No one can easily take it from us. So, what’s your plan for the next step?"

"The next step?"

"Yes," Zhang Peng said earnestly. "I did some rough calculations. With the current pace, the first ten days will be a boom period, at least a thousand orders a day. But after ten days, the numbers will definitely drop, since not every student needs phone credit. Orders will gradually decrease to a few hundred, maybe just over a hundred a day. By the last ten days, we might only get a few dozen orders, if that."

"But overall, the total number of orders could reach around 22,000."

As Zhang Peng laid out his calculations, everyone, including himself, unconsciously started calculating their profits...

Bao Zhenhai’s was the easiest to figure out: ten yuan per order, twenty-two thousand orders—that’s 220,000 yuan!

"Holy crap!" He gasped, stunned.

When Chen Ling had originally offered him ten yuan commission per order, he’d agreed instantly, though later he felt it was a bit low and didn’t have the nerve to ask for more.

But now, after a careful calculation, making 220,000 a month?

That’s nearly the profit his family’s small supermarket makes in over two years!

"Chen Ling! You’re truly my master!" Bao Zhenhai exclaimed with heartfelt admiration. "From now on, if you say east I’ll never go west, if you say pull hard I’ll never pull soft!"

Chen Ling was drinking water and immediately spat it out with a laugh. "Get lost! Disgusting!"

"Damn," Zhang Peng, sprayed in the face, smacked Bao Zhenhai on the head. "Cut the nonsense!"

"Ha ha ha ha~" Bao Zhenhai rubbed his head, unfazed, nothing but joy in his heart.

Meanwhile, Chen Ling had also roughly calculated: after subtracting costs and various expenses, the total profit could exceed four million. According to the agreement he’d signed with Zhang Peng, each would have more than two million in profit!

This figure was far higher than their previous estimates.

Zhang Peng watched Chen Ling closely; seeing the light and heat in his eyes, he knew Chen Ling had done the math, so he waited with a smile for what came next.

Would he just cling to two million like a miser?

He didn’t believe Chen Ling would make such a foolish choice!

What was Chen Ling’s next plan? Zhang Peng was intensely curious.

Chen Ling noticed the anticipation in Zhang Peng’s eyes, pressed his lips together, and started thinking...

After a long contemplation, he finally said to Zhang Peng, "We need to wait for a wind."

"A wind?" Zhang Peng didn’t understand.

Chen Ling smiled and nodded, quoting Lei Jun’s famous saying: "When you stand at the crossroads of opportunity, even a pig can fly! What we need to do is stand at the crossroads and wait for the wind!"

"?" Zhang Peng was still confused.

Just as Chen Ling was about to explain, the dormitory door was suddenly knocked on with a loud bang.

"Coming!" Bao Zhenhai went to open the door. "What’s the rush? Are you dying or something… Ah—hello, Sister Dou!"

As soon as the door opened and he saw Feng Lifang, he forcibly swallowed the word "illness" he’d been about to say.

The other two quickly came over as well.

"Sister Dou, what brings you here?" Zhang Peng said with a grin. "A rare guest! Please, have a seat!"

Feng Lifang strode into Room 310, her face full of anger. She glanced around—the beds were all piled with messy quilts, the chairs draped with clothes, and a faint sour smell made her slightly nauseous.

"It’s like a pigsty—sit? Sit where?" She turned to scold the three, "Your dorm is a disgrace!"

The three remained silent but sensibly started tidying up, only to be stopped. "Don’t move! Stand still!"

Usually gentle, Sister Dou could be intimidating when she was stern, leaving the three at a loss. They looked at each other and obediently stood in place.

Seeing this, Feng Lifang’s expression softened a little. She was silent for a moment before asking, "Bao Zhenhai, tell me, what were you thinking, quitting your internship on the first day?"

"Ah—" Bao Zhenhai snapped out of it. "Sister Dou, did they complain to you? Those people are really…"

"Really what?" Feng Lifang was annoyed. "If they didn’t come to me, would you prefer they complain to the school leaders? How did you beg me, all tears and snot, to help you find the internship? And how did you promise you’d work hard? Forgotten already?"

Chen Ling and Zhang Peng glanced at Bao Zhenhai, their expressions turning strange…

So he’d taken a roundabout approach! They’d thought he’d found it himself.

Bao Zhenhai, though somewhat disgruntled, knew he was in the wrong and quickly apologized. "Sister Dou, I know I was wrong! Sorry! It won’t happen again!"

"Ah…" Feng Lifang sighed deeply. "You think it’s that simple? There won’t be a next time. They said your internship evaluation is ruined. You’re too young and impulsive. Do you know that the internship evaluation directly affects your job prospects after graduation?"

"Then I just won’t look for a job~" Bao Zhenhai muttered, instantly provoking Feng Lifang’s wrath. "No job? So you plan to mooch off your parents? You’re a grown man in your twenties with no sense of responsibility? Have some pride!"

Bao Zhenhai, flustered by her scolding, couldn’t help retorting, "I can make over two hundred thousand this month! Why would I need to mooch?"

"What did you say?" Feng Lifang thought she’d misheard.

"I said I can make over two hundred thousand this month!" Bao Zhenhai insisted. "Chen Ling and Zhang Peng can vouch for me!"

At this, Feng Lifang turned to stare at the two, her face a mix of surprise and doubt…