Chen Lan heard Brother Hu's words and thought, "Good heavens, what a coincidence!" She was also staying at the Zhanqian Hotel in Nan'gang District. It was no wonder people said he had connections. The fact that he had a warehouse for storing goods in the Northern Grand Building showed something. It showed that Brother Hu had people above him, people in control of the entire black market in Harbin. Brother Hu was merely a pawn.
Why say that? Because the Northern Grand Building in the seventies was the largest and most prestigious hotel in Harbin, directly affiliated with the provincial government, and renowned throughout the province and even the country. Its primary purpose was to host important figures and hold large conferences.
What can be said? It's no wonder Brother Hu had the capital to be fearless. This was a case of "the darkest spot is under the lamp." Who would have thought that the black market goods would appear in a small, abandoned warehouse in the Northern Grand Building?
Brother Hu saw that Chen Lan and Jiayao looked a bit stunned and thought they were new to Harbin and didn't know where the Northern Grand Building was. So he immediately explained, "The Northern Grand Building is easy to find. The tallest building in Nan'gang District is the Northern Grand Building, and it's also the tallest building in Harbin. My small warehouse is also very easy to find, by the wall behind the building. Because it's quite far from the kitchen, they abandoned that warehouse. I got this information from a friend and asked a contact to help me rent it for a small fee, so I can store some things there."
Chen Lan nodded without saying anything. Who didn't understand the hidden machinations here? Moreover, Chen Lan was from the future and had seen too many such coincidences in TV shows. There weren't so many improbable coincidences in the world.
So, the group discussed the specific details again and decided to go back and prepare separately. An hour later, they would meet at the small warehouse behind the Northern Grand Building for the exchange of money and goods.
Before leaving, Chen Lan took out all the items from her backpack and laid them out on the table in front of Brother Hu. The table was immediately piled high. Then Chen Lan coolly said, "These are all good items. Give me a good price, and we can treat the brothers who helped us to a meal at the state-run restaurant."
Brother Hu carefully examined the table full of items. He had to admit they were indeed good things: enamel basins, enamel cups, a very compact radio, a watch, Warrior sneakers, a flashlight, and even a relatively light electric fan. There were also bars of soap and scented soap, and various bottles and jars, though he didn't know what was inside.
The corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably. He thought he had underestimated these people's capabilities. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel fortunate that his attitude had been good earlier, otherwise, he would have offended a god of wealth.
So he immediately stood up and said very respectfully, "Please wait a moment, I'll be right back." He then turned and entered a room, and after a short while, he came out with a wad of Da Hei Shi bills and various colorful ration coupons, which he handed to Chen Lan.
Chen Lan didn't look closely, took them, and casually put them into her pants pocket.
Since the matter had been settled, Chen Lan and her two children prepared to take their leave. Chen Lan and the others needed to prepare the goods, and Brother Hu and his men needed to prepare the payment. Both sides reconfirmed the delivery time: meet at the back door of the Northern Grand Building in one hour.
As soon as Chen Lan and her two children left the gate of the house and the door closed behind them, they all let out long sighs of relief. However, time was short and the task was heavy. The three of them didn't speak and quickly left the alley according to the route Brother Hu had described. To their surprise, as soon as they exited the alley, they were on the main road. Chen Lan thought to herself, after all that winding around, the tall man had been deliberately leading them in circles to confuse them, making her think they had traveled a great distance.
Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead, startling all three of them. Jiayao was about to sprinkle the man with powder when he heard the person say, "Don't be scared, it's me." It was Xu Mingxuan's voice. It was unclear where Xu Mingxuan had come from; there had been no warning at all. Truly worthy of being the best scout.
Xu Mingxuan quickly walked over and said in a low voice, "Let's go! We'll talk as we walk."
As he spoke, he took Chen Lan's hand and whispered, "Lan'er, get the car out. We'll drive to the delivery location to prepare in advance."
Upon hearing this, Chen Lan immediately used the system's search function. Finding no abnormalities in the vicinity, she instantly summoned the old Jiefang from the system's warehouse. The couple quickly opened the car doors and got in. The twins, a boy and a girl, also agilely climbed into the back of the car.
As the car started, Chen Lan couldn't wait to ask, "Brother Mingxuan, where are Er Zhuang, Jia He, and Jia Xing?"
Xu Mingxuan replied in a low voice, "I sent the three of them to keep an eye on Brother Hu and his men, to prevent them from betraying us."
Driving was fast, and they soon arrived at the Northern Grand Building. Xu Mingxuan drove the old Dongfeng around the Northern Grand Building once and then parked the car not far from its rear.
They all got out of the car and hid in a nearby grove of trees to wait.
Although the system's search function was not very effective today, Chen Lan still used her will to open the system's search function, scanning for people within a fifty-meter radius. At this point, accuracy didn't matter; the most important thing was to ensure the safety of her husband, herself, and the children.
Chen Lan prepared the goods with her mind while leaning against a tree and waiting. Fortunately, not long after, Brother Hu arrived as promised, carrying a bag with his men.
Chen Lan carefully observed their surroundings and found no abnormalities. There were no tails following Brother Hu and his group. So, Chen Lan and her two children walked out of the woods to meet them. Chen Lan instructed Jiayao and Jiahui to wait with Brother Hu and his men at the bottom of the car. Chen Lan climbed into the old Jiefang and instantly took out the prepared goods. When the inspectors climbed onto the car, they saw the entire carriage filled with goods. Fortunately, both inspectors were seasoned veterans who often handled such matters, and they quickly finished their inspection.
Since the goods were correct and there were no problems, the remaining task was to complete the payment and then move the goods.
Brother Hu was truly a straightforward person. As soon as the inspectors reported that the goods were fine, he immediately opened the bag he was carrying and handed it to Jiayao to check. Jiayao took the bag and casually passed it to Jiahui, who was standing beside him.