A few minutes later, everyone arrived at their destination.
Fang Bai opened the shop door and turned on the power, and Wang Hengli and the other two entered the room.
"Manager Ma, feel free to try it out," Fang Bai said with a smile, clapping his hands and pointing to the drilling machine in the middle of the room.
Ma Jingsen was a bit skeptical: "You really fixed it? What parts did you replace?"
"I replaced some main spare parts. Just those cost two to three thousand yuan," Fang Bai answered vaguely. How could he tell him the specifics? Even if he disassembled the equipment, he wouldn't know, let alone that disassembling the equipment was impossible.
"Why was it so expensive? It doesn't look like it from the outside."
"The internal parts were replaced. Imported goods are naturally expensive. If you don't believe me, you can disassemble it and see," Fang Bai said, banking on the fact that they wouldn't disassemble the equipment because it was too much trouble, and even if they did, they wouldn't know which parts were replaced.
"No need, we'll know after a test drill," Ma Jingsen smiled and told the driller to start the test.
Fang Bai offered a cigarette to Wang Hengli, and the two stood watching from the side.
A few minutes later, the driller tested a few steel plates. Using a vernier caliper, he confirmed that the hole diameter was indeed within the excellent range, and the locking mechanism was also fine.
Everyone present was an expert and knew there were no issues with the result. Ma Jingsen had nothing to say and let his boss decide.
The company urgently needed the equipment, and Wang Hengli didn't want to wait, so he asked directly, "Brother Fang, what's your price? How much can you sell it for?"
"The market price is around 14,000 yuan. Mr. Wang, 13,000 yuan will do. You know the condition of this equipment; it was only bought a few years ago and has no other problems," Fang Bai already knew Wang Hengli's thoughts. 13,000 yuan was his upper limit, mainly because he needed it urgently.
Upon hearing this quote, Ma Jingsen and the driller coughed, choking.
Damn it, that guy's really thick-skinned! He actually dared to quote 13,000 yuan!
If their boss wasn't there, both of them would have cursed Fang Bai directly, as they knew how much Fang Bai had bought it for.
Wang Hengli shook his head: "That's too expensive. You bought it from me for only 3,000 yuan. Even if your repair cost is the 2,000-plus you mentioned, your total cost is just over 5,000 yuan. You'd still make a profit selling it for 10,000 yuan."
"That's the market price, Mr. Wang, you're also in business. The cost isn't just that 2,000-plus. There's my venue, time, and risk. If I couldn't fix it, I'd lose thousands. With such a big risk, if I only made a double profit, I estimate Mr. Wang wouldn't dare to do it either," Fang Bai shook his head and smiled.
When he put it that way, even Ma Jingsen felt he was right.
If it were him, throwing in thousands of yuan in costs with the risk of not being able to repair it, he really wouldn't dare to play that game.
After listening, Wang Hengli also felt that Fang Bai made sense and raised his offer: "Then how about 11,000 yuan."
Fang Bai crossed his arms over his chest, looking helpless: "One price, 13,000 yuan!
Two other bosses have seen the equipment and can also offer this price.
Mr. Wang, I'm selling it to you first out of consideration for our relationship, given the same price.
The sooner you move it back and use it, the more you'll earn, won't you?
How about this, if you think it's expensive, then I still suggest you buy new equipment, so you don't say I'm ripping you off."
Fang Bai had Wang Hengli's thoughts completely figured out, clearly implying, "take it or leave it."
Sure enough, as Fang Bai mentioned it, Wang Hengli thought of the workpieces waiting to be drilled in the workshop. Delaying even one day would mean losing a lot of money. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Alright, 13,000 yuan it is. I'm truly impressed by you. If any problems arise, you'll have to handle them."
"If a problem arises within two weeks, as long as it's not intentional human damage, I'll be responsible for finding someone to maintain it. If it can't be maintained properly, I'll refund the money," Fang Bai affixed his self-made repair seal to the critical nuts on the equipment. To disassemble the equipment, the seal would have to be broken.
"Alright then."
Wang Hengli nodded, then turned to Ma Jingsen, "Arrange for the forklift driver to come over and move the equipment later."
After speaking, he went back to his car, retrieved a small bag, counted out 13,000 yuan, and handed it to Fang Bai.
Fang Bai took the money and counted it, bill by bill.
Ma Jingsen and the driller stood by, watching Fang Bai count the money, feeling quite bitter. The apprentice they used to look down on was now earning more than them, and it only took him two days.
A moment later, Fang Bai confirmed everything was in order, wrote a transaction contract in duplicate, and both signed it, each keeping a copy.
Fang Bai now wanted to handle large transactions more formally, as it might be useful in the future.
Wang Hengli drove Ma Jingsen back, while the driller stayed behind, waiting to move the equipment back later.
On the way back to the company, Ma Jingsen grumbled, "Boss, that Fang Bai is really cunning. He actually dared to ask for 13,000 yuan. He's got some nerve."
Wang Hengli, who was driving, got a bit angry when he heard this: "You guys couldn't even fix it. Otherwise, would I have had to spend money to buy it back?"
At this, Ma Jingsen had nothing more to say. If he continued the topic, his boss would get even angrier.
About ten minutes later, the forklift operator arrived at Fang Bai's shop again.
"Fang Bai, you're really something!" The forklift operator, knowing the equipment had been sold back to the company, gave Fang Bai a thumbs-up when he saw him.
"Haha, I told you we'd meet again soon!" Fang Bai offered cigarettes to the forklift operator and the driller, telling them to secure the equipment well and to be careful when moving it back. If they damaged it, he wouldn't be responsible.
Two hours later,
The drilling machine was reinstalled in its original position. Ma Jingsen and the driller stood to the side, looking at the drilling machine before them, their eyes feeling a bit red.
"Damn that Fang Bai! He just moved the equipment out three days ago, and now he's sold it back, making nearly ten thousand yuan!" His boss wasn't there, so Ma Jingsen grumbled. He didn't believe Fang Bai spent two or three thousand yuan on repairs.
However, since the money wasn't his to spend, he wasn't willing to disassemble the equipment to check which parts were replaced.
That guy even put a maintenance seal on the equipment. If they were to disassemble it without authorization, he wouldn't acknowledge it. He was cunning.
At this point, the driller was about to start working and remembered the drill bits and tools Fang Bai had taken. He reminded, "Director, there are no tools or drill bits. Fang Bai took them back then, and he didn't bring them back this time. I told him, and he said this transaction didn't include those tools."
"Damn, that Fang Bai is really shrewd at business. We can't tell the boss about this, or he'll chew us out," Ma Jingsen had just been scolded once and didn't want to be scolded again.
"Alright, that Fang Bai made nearly ten thousand in two days. That's more than I make in many years. Damn it."
Ma Jingsen said with disdain, "Are you jealous? I'm jealous too, but you have to admire him. Selling the equipment back to his old employer, I can't compare to that thick skin alone."
"You're right, that old dorm supervisor was put in jail by Fang Bai."
"Good that you know. Even if I don't agree with Fang Bai's methods, it's best not to provoke him. This kid is quite a character."
"Hmm, I'll go to the warehouse to get drill bits, otherwise I can't work." The driller felt a bit resentful towards Fang Bai. He'd already made nearly ten thousand yuan, and he wasn't even willing to return the tools he'd taken back then. He was too stingy.
...
On the second floor of the rented apartment, Fang Bai carefully hid the money he had received. He didn't plan to deposit the money in the bank; withdrawing cash and queuing was too troublesome, and his money would be quickly used for turnover.
Having just sold the equipment and earned nearly ten thousand yuan, he was overjoyed.
And it was all money earned from Wang Hengli, which made it feel different.
"Haha!"
"I'm finally a 'ten-thousand-yuan household'!"
What would a 'ten-thousand-yuan household' in 1990 be equivalent to thirty years later?
Fang Bai hadn't compared it, but in any case, earning this money through hard work gave him a great sense of accomplishment. With the equipment sold, the stone hanging over him finally dropped.
His current available cash was about 14,200 yuan, which allowed him to do more things. He no longer had to be so frugal with meals and could help his younger sister.
Other than that, he didn't dare to spend recklessly.
Currently, sending money via postal remittance was inconvenient. Otherwise, Fang Bai would have planned to send some to Qin Shuyu, so she could spend freely and not have to save money for him.
After some time, he planned to visit Qin Shuyu at her school to give her a big surprise.
At noon, Fang Bai treated himself at a small restaurant nearby, ordering one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and a bottle of iced beer to celebrate.
After eating, he returned to his rented room to rest.
During his nap, he even dreamed of his wife and child, only to wake up and find himself in tears.
He missed Qin Shuyu a bit, but unfortunately, communication was inconvenient now, and he wouldn't be able to see her until her winter break.
Oh, he'd just have to endure it slowly.
When you're busy, time passes quickly.
At 1 PM, Fang Bai took a cold shower, changed into the new clothes Qin Shuyu bought for him, brought ten hundred-yuan bills, dozens of yuan in change, and two packs of cigarettes, stuffed them into his backpack, and then left the rented apartment.
He bought a bag of oranges, about eight jin, near his rented apartment, and walked to Oubei No. 1 Middle School. He had to register for re-enrollment today.