A Net Profit of 3,700? Sleepless Night…

Upon hearing Lao Dao agree, Li Junsheng was overjoyed, though he tried to keep his excitement in check. His gamble had paid off! This was the first business deal he had successfully negotiated since his rebirth. However, Li Junsheng wasn't ready to celebrate just yet; they had only reached a preliminary agreement.

Lao Dao gave Li Junsheng a friendly pat on the shoulder, and with a hint of excitement, they shook hands.

"We've made a good connection today. Next time you come to the black market, remember to wear a mask. There's a lot of people and a lot of prying eyes here. If someone who doesn't like you sees you, they'll definitely report you."

Li Junsheng nodded. This was his first visit to the black market, and he realized he had overlooked some critical details. Lao Dao's advice was genuinely for his benefit. If by chance Chen Dazhu were to see him there, things would escalate for sure.

After agreeing on a rendezvous point with Lao Dao, Li Junsheng was blindfolded and escorted out of the black market.

Returning home, he found the place empty. Neither Li Guojun nor Wang Xiuhua was home, and Chen Dazhu and Ma Yulian were nowhere to be seen. Li Junsheng enjoyed the quietude.

Checking his room, he noticed it was somewhat disheveled; the bedding was a mess, and the wardrobe had been rifled through. Clearly, Ma Yulian and Chen Dazhu had been searching for his money. Little did they know, he had already invested it in procuring leftover electrolytic copper from Chief Zhou for a mere eight yuan.

At midnight, Li Junsheng dressed all in black and left the house, successfully meeting up with Lao Dao at the prearranged street corner. Lao Dao had brought a car and a few reliable associates. Together, they weighed, loaded, and cleared out the stockpile of copper scraps from Chief Zhou's home. Zhou himself stayed away, visiting his in-laws to avoid suspicion, leaving only a spare key for Li Junsheng.

Lao Dao's associates, some acting as lookouts, executed everything with meticulous precision. Every member, including Li Junsheng, was heavily disguised in black clothing, making them nearly invisible in the night. With swift and silent efficiency, the team moved everything onto the truck.

Lao Dao then drove Li Junsheng to a secluded area with little traffic and no streetlights before stopping the car.

"You saw how much the load weighed. I'm giving you three yuan per unit. In a while, you'll need to get out here and head home on your own."

Lao Dao counted out 4,500 yuan and thrust the hefty bundle into Li Junsheng's arms.

"Count it."

"No need. I trust you."

Li Junsheng shook his head, organizing the stack of money before tucking it securely into his pocket. Such a sum in this era was enough to drive anyone to madness.

Lao Dao, gripping the steering wheel, urged, "Get in touch with my guys when you have more goods. We'll make more money together!"

"Sure, I won't keep you. It's dark, and you should go."

Li Junsheng got out of the car and watched as Lao Dao and his crew drove off into the night. With a substantial amount of money in his possession, he knew he couldn't dawdle outside for long. He hurried back home, ensuring to lock the door behind him.

Later that evening, Ma Yulian returned, but aside from brief exchanges, they lived separate lives, each going to their own room. As she slept soundly in her bedroom, Li Junsheng tiptoed into his small room, locking his door as a precaution.

He didn't dare let Ma Yulian discover his newfound wealth; otherwise, she would undoubtedly use underhanded means to seize it. Without turning on the light, he used a flashlight tucked beneath his blanket to discreetly count the money.

After a quick check for counterfeit notes, he found every bill intact. Lao Dao had been more than fair. With over four thousand yuan in hand, he lay on his bed, momentarily dazed by disbelief. A profit of 3,750 yuan was something he'd never imagined, a fortune that was a lifetime's savings for many.

Even Chen Dazhu, at his age, barely had a thousand yuan saved, struggling to spare just two hundred. As for Li Junsheng himself, despite working in a well-paying state-owned factory job, he'd never seen such a sum.

"Sometimes, you just can't afford to be too honest…" he murmured.

Reflecting on his past life, he realized a lifetime of honesty had left him with nothing but betrayal by Ma Yulian and Chen Dazhu, culminating in the loss of his job, estrangement from his son, and ultimately, tragedy.

Now, he swore, he would avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Li Junsheng felt he was on the right path this time, and today's significant gain only strengthened his resolve. With one profitable deal under his belt, he was determined to pursue this trade, expanding it further until he made a name for himself.

It was bound to be a sleepless night. The thrill of earning a tidy sum and the determination to achieve success kept him wide awake, adrenaline coursing through him.

He carefully hid the money and lay in bed, his mind growing calm. Business was necessary, and money needed to be earned, but everything must be done legally. Otherwise, no matter how much he earned or how far he went, it would all be in vain.

Staring into the darkness, his eyes sparkled with clarity, no longer dull and lifeless, like a man resigned to a living death. Through meticulous thinking, he had devised a rough plan for conducting business within legal bounds.

Primarily, the copper scraps he dealt with were surplus materials sanctioned by Chief Zhou. Li Junsheng simply needed a legal identity to purchase these from him and market them as recycled goods. This would render the transactions above board, dispelling any suspicion.

If he wasn't under scrutiny, he wouldn't have to worry about how or where he sold these materials. His priority now was figuring out how to obtain that legal status; without it, his plans, no matter how polished, would remain futile.

With legitimate credentials, he trusted that Chief Zhou would prefer dealing with him openly rather than riskily using intermediaries to offload the surplus to the black market. This much, Zhou certainly understood.