Investment Life

Chapter 13

13 - On The Road

　　On the land of China in the early 1990s, highways were still only a thing of dreams. Other than that pitiful, roughly 300 kilometers long Chenda Expressway, which was the only one in the country, most drivers didn't even know the concept of a "dual four-lane roadway". Complex road conditions, pavement in bad repair, and poor connections between provincial and national roads were the real conditions facing long-distance transportation. Therefore, in these years, as long as one had some qualifications, most of the people travelling far from home would rather take the train instead of jolting around on the cement and asphalt roads.

　　After driving through a provincial road, the scarface let out a long sigh of relief. Even if they avoided most of the unpaved roads in the countryside, this ride still wouldn't be very pleasant. Every time they drove past potholes in the road or bridges, he couldn't help but turn his head to look behind him, only hoping that the ropes bundling the goods could be stronger to better secure the precious electrical appliances. It was still a clear day, and if by any chance they were unlucky enough to encounter a rainy season, the canopy and tarpaulin would have to be put up to the test. This wasn't just an ordinary fear, they had to constantly be on edge.

　　Fortunately, this time the driver was really good. Glancing at the teenager beside him, the scarface finally became a little more convinced. They had set out in the early morning, and had been driving for nearly ten hours all the way. Besides stopping once in the middle to eat lunch and to refuel, there were barely even a few minutes of rest. With such high-intensity driving, the child never uttered a few words of exhaustion, and even the expression on his face hadn't changed much. He didn't know what to say about him, but he was glad that the kid hadn't yet been corrupted by society and turned into someone sly and shrewd. One should know that in these years, being a driver was regarded as a well-liked, secure occupation. Not to mention favouring and giving gifts, there were practically no people who'd even dare to offend the drivers of those expensive cars worth tens of thousands of dollars.

　　When they looked at the road signs by the side of the road, they had almost reached the boundary of Chenzhou [1], which should also be their first delivery point.

　　"Little Chen, turn right at the next intersection, we should be there soon."

　　He didn't mention where they were going, but Chen Yuanming didn't care. He followed the other person's instructions and drove onto a relatively flat dirt road. About 20 minutes later, a small village appeared before them.

　　"The third house west of the village entrance, park by the door."

　　The playful demeanor that he had put on for the entire trip also slowly vanished, and the scarface sat up straight, paying attention to their surroundings. Due to the fact that they were participating in a smuggling trade, a little more care should be taken in regards to the handover of the goods. This wasn't the smuggling paradise of Zhuhai, the farther you go inland, the greater the intensity of cracking down on the crimes of speculative buying and selling. Both of the parties doing the deliveries must avoid densely populated, middle-to-large tier cities, and they also had to make sure that the place of reception wasn't too remote. The two sides both had to have credible, reliable people present, to prevent some people from taking advantage of things. In their small network, Chenzhou was just an appetizer.

　　A few minutes later, the truck stopped outside a small yard, and the scarface jumped out of the car and knocked on the door with a fairly rhythmic beat. With a squeak, the door opened. A head poked out from inside, it was a kid with a round head, and he looked like he hadn't even reached the age of 12 yet. He looked around them with his eyes before opening the door. The scarface waved to Chen Yuanming, and the big truck slowly entered the courtyard.