Chapter 14 – First Pot of Gold
Having secured a connection to someone influential, Yang Wendong no longer cared about whether he sold a few extra traps at the market that day.
The street vending business was now secondary—his top priority was completing Elena's order for 1,000 traps.
After some thought, he decided to bring in three more helpers from the shantytown.
First, this would slightly speed up production; second, it would allow the new recruits to learn the process. If they became proficient, they could be relied on later when scaling up.
By the fourth day, they had completed the 1,000 bamboo traps. Since they were so bulky, seven people were needed to carry them in fourteen large baskets to their delivery location.
Elena's office was part of a government body known as the Urban Council. Yang Wendong had asked around and learned that this department handled all kinds of public matters—sanitation, public works, transportation, even religious affairs and welfare.
No wonder Elena and her group could influence the police and had pushed for the creation of the Vendor Enforcement Team.
"You folks, what are you doing here?" the gate guard at the Urban Council building asked, stopping them as they arrived.
"We're here to see Miss Elena," Yang Wendong said respectfully, immediately presenting her business card and offering a small pack of cigarettes.
The guard glanced at the card and discreetly checked the cigarette pack—inside, there was a folded bill. He nodded. "Alright, I'll go report it. But you guys can't block the gate. Wait over there by the road."
"Of course," Yang Wendong replied with a smile.
In this era, even gatekeepers had to be handled carefully. He had no intention of messing this up.
A short while later, Elena came out with the guard.
"Miss Elena, it's those people over there," the guard said eagerly, his tone now flattering and pleasant.
"Got it," Elena said indifferently before walking over to Yang Wendong. "Everything's ready?"
"Yes," Yang Wendong said. "Each basket has fifty traps. All of them are tied up properly."
Elena gave a glance at the load and asked, "These aren't fully assembled, are they?"
"No. A thousand fully assembled traps would be too bulky and hard to transport," Yang Wendong explained.
That was one of the main limitations of the bamboo traps. They were lightweight but took up a lot of space—especially with the mechanism parts attached.
"True. If they're too big, it'll be hard for us to distribute them to the warehouses as well," Elena agreed.
Yang Wendong then asked, "How far are these warehouses from here?"
"About a mile or so. But they're all in different directions," Elena replied, looking slightly troubled. The logistics of moving all the traps wasn't easy.
Yang Wendong immediately saw an opportunity. "Miss Elena, how about we handle the deliveries for you?"
"You'll deliver them? But that's not part of our agreement," Elena said in surprise.
"No worries—it's a service we'll provide for free. In Western business culture, there's a saying: 'The customer is king.' I'm happy to help the client solve problems," Yang Wendong said with a grin.
"Alright, that sounds good," Elena replied. "Let's start with the first warehouse. It's 10 a.m. now—afterward, I'll treat you all to lunch."
"Great!" Yang Wendong said cheerfully.
For Elena, hiring laborers to transport the goods would've cost quite a bit. But for Yang Wendong and his group, it was just a matter of a day's work.
In 1958 Hong Kong, time was the cheapest thing a poor person had. Many people worked all day just for a single hot meal. Getting lunch in return for delivery was a fair trade.
The first warehouse they visited was in Jordan District. A foreign man greeted them and spoke with Elena in English for a while.
Yang Wendong couldn't follow all of it—his past self didn't speak much English. Still, he caught a few words here and there.
After their conversation, Elena turned to him. "Mr. Yang, this is Mr. Brian, the manager of the Jordan warehouse. He'd like your team to help place the traps inside the storage area as well."
"Us? Enter the warehouse?" Yang Wendong asked, surprised.
These types of facilities were usually tightly controlled. Outsiders weren't easily let in.
Elena explained, "The port's been extremely busy lately. Most warehouses are over capacity, and the staff are overwhelmed. They don't have time to do any extra work. That's why Mr. Brian asked if you could take care of setup too."
"No problem at all," Yang Wendong agreed immediately. "We'd be happy to do it."
He knew that Hong Kong was in the middle of a logistics boom. Trade was growing fast, and warehouses were a crucial part of the operation.
"Great. After we finish delivering to the other three warehouses and return to the Urban Council, I'll issue your payment. Then, you can return here to handle the setup," Elena said. "Mr. Brian will pay you separately for that."
"Sounds good," Yang Wendong replied. It was another income stream—and a valuable networking opportunity.
They then visited the remaining three warehouses and dropped off their deliveries. After that, Elena took them to one of the warehouse canteens for lunch.
It was the best meal Yang Wendong had eaten since arriving in this world—plenty of meat, and rice with no limits.
Back at the Urban Council headquarters, Elena handed Yang Wendong a check for 300 Hong Kong dollars.
It was the largest sum he had ever earned.
His first true pot of gold.
Of course, the money wasn't all his—he still had to pay wages to his crew and set aside funds for materials. But he was thrilled nonetheless.
"Miss Elena, I have a small token of appreciation for you," Yang Wendong said, handing her a notebook with something tucked inside.
"You're not the first person to try that," Elena said with a smile. She peeked into the notebook, saw the bill hidden inside, and handed it back. "I don't need a thank-you gift. Just keep your word—if you make it big someday, give people like us a chance too."
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