RPAGF 0007 Illegal Construction
0007 Illegal Construction
The sale of jade hairpins at Yushang Jade Shop went very smoothly. 15.8 yuan was not a large sum for Zheng Shihui, and the transfer was completed on the spot.
As for the origin of the jade hairpin, Zhu Shiting did not say that it was an heirloom, but rather that he had received it by chance when he went to the countryside to deliver goods.
Lin Yuling and Zheng Shihui both found it unbelievable that they had such a lucky break experience, which had a hint of making a fortune.
Both of them thought that Zhu Shiting was a very capable young man with connections, and they exchanged WeChat contacts while chatting over tea.
Around 3 p.m., Zhu Shiting went to the first floor to scan the QR code and pay 3000 yuan for tea. He then left the largest jade shop in Ruixian County with a full haul.
Having traveled back to the late Ming Dynasty, he earned several years' worth of money in one trip, accumulating a bank account balance of over 30. Zhu Shiting's ambition also slowly grew.
"Take your time, you'll be able to buy a car and a house in the city eventually."
Zhu Shiting muttered to himself, looking around at the buildings in the Anyang area.
This area is full of high-end residential buildings where the wealthy people of Ruixian live. They are large apartments with four bedrooms and two living rooms, and a single unit can easily cost three or four million yuan.
In the past, Zhu Shiting would never have even considered buying a house in the city.
But after earning more than 15 yuan in half a day, the high housing prices seemed to become less unattainable.
……
A few minutes later, I received a call from the insurance company.
Zhu Shiting hailed a Didi ride on the roadside and headed straight for the Kaijun Repair Shop, designated by Ping An, more than ten kilometers away.
In the spacious workshop, he saw the second-hand pickup truck that had followed him around for years and driven nearly 30 kilometers.
The claims adjuster in charge led him around to the side of the truck, pointed to the twisted and deformed side suspension and frame, and said, "Brother, it's definitely not worth repairing this truck. We looked at the repair quote, and the parts and labor alone will cost at least 4 yuan. Even if you sell this truck after repairs, it won't be worth 2 yuan. Why don't you just file for total loss and scrap it? That way you can save some money."
Because he only had third-party liability insurance and no vehicle damage insurance, the insurance company was only willing to cover part of the cost of the rollover caused by the tire blowout, and Zhu Shiting had to pay the rest of the repair costs himself.
Faced with this situation, insurance companies usually advise car owners to scrap the vehicle and squeeze out any remaining value.
However, looking at the safety charm hanging on the rearview mirror, Zhu Shiting felt a sudden urge. After offering a cigarette to the accident investigator, he started smoking one himself.
"I've had this car for many years; it's what made me rich."
"I've grown attached to it, so let's keep repairing it! I'll pay for any extra costs myself."
After exhaling a cloud of smoke, Zhu Shiting rejected the other party's suggestion.
After finding a way to make a lot of money, he discovered that he valued relationships more than ever before.
The deliveryman understood the driver's impulsive behavior.
As any driver knows, a car is like a pet; the longer you drive it, the deeper your attachment to it becomes.
Many families keep several old cars in their collections, preferring to leave them in their place rather than scrap them, all because of sentimentality.
After confirming with Zhu Shiting that the repairs were needed, the other party immediately called over the repair shop staff, gave them a few instructions, filled out the repair order, reported it to the system, and arranged for the small truck to enter the repair area.
"The repair will take about half a month. We'll leave the rice on the truck outside the workshop. Remember to take it with you." The claims officer pointed in the direction outside the repair shop.
Zhu Shiting thanked them and then walked to the more than 100 bags of Wuchang rice that were covered in rainwater and mud, and began to ponder.
The rice packaging was crushed and deformed during the overturning, affecting its resale value. The owner certainly wouldn't want it if it were taken back to the farmers' market, and his parents in the countryside wouldn't be able to finish it anyway.
So Zhu Shiting had a bright idea. He used Lalamove to call a 4.2-meter truck that could handle heavy loads and loaded all the rice onto the truck.
He rented an older Nissan Sylphy from the repair shop for a discounted price of 50 yuan per day to drive and lead the way for the truck.
The two cars left Ruixian County one after the other and drove westward along the Ruifeng Line to the suburbs.
About half an hour later, the two cars arrived at a U-shaped place called Xie'ao Village.
Surrounded by mountains, this place is quiet and secluded. In the past, many old houses in the village were illegally converted into family-run workshops by the villagers.
Scattered along the foot of the mountain are a dozen or so tin-roofed factory buildings, some making hardware and auto parts, some doing e-commerce, and some even running chemical plants.
However, in recent years, Ruixian County has cracked down on illegal construction in the suburbs, and many heavily polluting and noisy factories in Xie'ao Village have been forcibly relocated to the more distant Bailian Industrial Zone.
With fewer factories, the migrant workers who used to live in the village no longer come. There is only one road in and out of the entire village, and it is so quiet that you can hear the birds chirping.
The sun had already begun to set, and a dozen or so elderly people were chatting under a big tree at the village entrance.
After arriving at the destination, Zhu Shiting rolled down the car window and asked them, "Grandpa, I'm from Qianyang Town. Does anyone have a factory for rent? I want to rent one to use as a warehouse."
"Young man, you want to rent a factory?"
Seeing that the young man spoke with a local accent and lived not far away, an old man playing chess soon came over to chat with him.
After chatting for a few minutes, the other person got into the passenger seat of the Sylphy and, while talking, gave directions, quickly leading the two cars to a factory building nestled at the foot of the mountain deep in the village.
The factory building is quite large, estimated to be over a thousand square meters. It is constructed of half sheet metal and half concrete bricks, and looks somewhat rusty on the outside.
Two large iron gates were covered with red "For Rent" signs, and chain locks hung on the gates.
Upon arrival, the old man surnamed Chen quickly took out his key, opened the lock, and let Zhu Shiting in for a casual look around.
"Does it have a private office and a restroom?"
Zhu Shiting went inside and took a look around. Although it was small, it had all the essential parts.
According to Grandpa Chen, this place was previously rented to a shoe factory. Amidst the dust and debris piled on the ground, you can still vaguely see a few discarded shoe molds and insoles.
"How much does it cost to rent this place for a year?" Zhu Shiting asked directly.
"I can't rent it for a year, it's going to be demolished at the end of the year, I can only use it for 8 months at most! I'll give you a discount, it'll be 6 yuan."
Grandpa Chen took a demolition notice out of his office, indicating that he hadn't escaped the crackdown on illegal construction either.
"68,000 yuan a month?"
"No wonder nobody's renting it; they're going to demolish it!"
After glancing at the demolition date on the notice and learning this crucial information, Zhu Shiting began to negotiate with the other party.
These factory buildings in the nearby villages were highly sought after for decades, with annual rents for buildings of over a thousand square meters easily reaching 200,000 yuan.
However, factory owners prefer stable operations and making money. Once large processing equipment and production lines are in place, they ideally want to be able to operate for ten years.
These illegal rural buildings, which may be demolished at any time, have gradually become less popular in Ruixian County in recent years and are difficult to rent out.
After much persuasion and haggling, Zhu Shiting finally bought the factory from Chen Agong for a paltry price of 5.8 to use as a warehouse.
The lease agreements were readily available; they were signed and payment made on the spot. After the water and electricity meters were read and the keys were obtained, Zhu Shiting immediately directed the 4.2-meter truck outside to unload the rice into the factory area.
The driver and the unloading workers were both shocked by his decisive actions.
Renting such a large factory building so readily—that kind of boldness is nothing like what other companies on Lalamove do.
"Boss, a bunch of us brothers drive around Ruixian. Contact me anytime if you need to deliver goods!" The driver asked Zhu Shiting for his WeChat after unloading the goods.
"No problem, I'll contact you if I need anything," Zhu Shiting said with a smile.
After hauling goods for others for several years, I've finally experienced the joy of being called "boss."