Ding-a-ling-ling—
At exactly 5:00 AM, the alarm clock set on the phone went off.
Jiang Tao lingered in a daze for another five minutes before, in a moment when his mind wasn't paying attention, he jolted upright from the bed.
After putting on his clothes, he quickly washed his face, grabbed a high-powered flashlight from home, and headed out the door.
It was the depths of winter, and at 5:00 AM, the sky was still full of stars.
A breakfast shop Jiang Tao often visited, called "Old Guo's Shop," had just opened its doors.
The owner, surnamed Guo, ran the shop with his wife. The couple were part of the migrant worker crowd, having come to Beijing from out of town to make a living.
Jiang Tao stopped outside the breakfast shop and asked, "Boss Guo, are the steamed buns ready yet?"
"Three more minutes. Master Jiang, come inside and wait. Here, have a cigarette first. By the time you finish it, the buns will be ready—nice and hot!"
The breakfast shop owner greeted Jiang Tao with a cheerful smile while pulling out a pack of Yuxi cigarettes from his pocket, offering one to him.
"Thanks, boss. I'll wait then. Gotta do some heavy lifting later, and I won't have the energy on an empty stomach."
Jiang Tao didn't stand on ceremony with Boss Guo. Smiling, he took the cigarette and stepped into the shop.
It was only 5:12 AM, so there was still time to grab breakfast.
After greeting Jiang Tao, Boss Guo went back to kneading dough, preparing for the next batch of steamed buns.
Don't be fooled by the shop's small size—barely over 30 square meters.
In a single morning, they could make over 1,000 yuan in sales.
The couple ran the shop, serving only breakfast and lunch, resting and sleeping in the afternoon and evening.
After a month of hard work, even after expenses like water, electricity, and rent, their net profit was around 15,000 to 16,000 yuan.
That was more than Jiang Tao earned hauling goods.
But their hard work was real too.
Jiang Tao already felt miserable waking up at 5:00 AM, but the breakfast shop couple started their day at 2:00 or 3:00 AM to prepare for the morning rush.
"Master Jiang, the buns are ready. What filling do you want?"
Jiang Tao hadn't even finished his cigarette when Boss Guo called out that the buns were done.
"Give me a basket of pork and scallion buns! And a bowl of tofu pudding."
"Coming right up, Master Jiang! Just a sec!"
Boss Guo grabbed a steaming basket of plump, white meat buns from the top of the steamer.
He also served Jiang Tao a big bowl of tofu pudding from an insulated bucket, adding a savory brine.
Jiang Tao sprinkled a bit of chili from the table into his tofu pudding.
A basket of buns and a bowl of tofu pudding cost 12 yuan in total, and he was stuffed.
After eating his fill and settling the bill, Jiang Tao lit another cigarette, grabbed his flashlight, and headed toward the village entrance.
As he walked, his flashlight beam swung, and he spotted a short, chubby guy in a green military coat walking ahead.
The chubby guy was about 1.7 meters tall, round as a ball, wearing a Lei Feng hat.
Jiang Tao quickened his pace and patted the guy on the shoulder.
"Little Liu! You seem chipper! Did your family already set up a blind date for the New Year?"
"Yo, Brother Jiang! You're up early today!"
Little Liu, whose full name was Liu Zhiyuan, was from the village next to Jiang Tao's. Two years younger than Jiang Tao, he was single and unmarried.
Jiang Tao said with a smile, "I'm heading to the fruit wholesale market today to pick up some tangerines for the boss of Fat Dongdong Supermarket."
"That's perfect, we're going the same way! And, funny enough, I'm also picking up tangerines to sell at the Shahe market!"
Liu Zhiyuan always spoke with a grin, his small eyes squinting into slits, giving him a comical look.
Not wasting time with small talk, Jiang Tao got to the point:
"By the way, Little Liu, since I ran into you, I've got something to discuss.
Tonight, I'm calling Xiao Dan and Xiao Zhang over to my place for a chat.
I've got a money-making deal to talk over with you guys."
"A money-making deal? Come on, Brother Jiang, give me a hint!"
Liu Zhiyuan's small eyes lit up. A money-making deal was something no one could refuse.
"It's related to the fruit business you guys are already in. I'll explain the details tonight at my place when everyone's there."
"Seven o'clock tonight, don't be late."
With that, Jiang Tao headed toward his truck nearby.
"Got it, Brother Jiang! I'll be there!"
Liu Zhiyuan promised Jiang Tao before hopping into his own vehicle.
The two trucks drove one after the other toward the Huilongguan Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market.
Though both were picking up tangerines, they dealt with different wholesalers, so they split up after entering the market.
Following the address Yu Dongdong gave him yesterday, Jiang Tao arrived at Area D, Stall 245 of the fruit wholesale market.
It was early morning, still dark, and there were already a dozen trucks lined up waiting to load goods.
Jiang Tao went to a temporary office inside the stall, checked in, got his pickup slip, and joined the queue outside to wait for his turn.
It took about an hour before it was his turn.
The tangerines here were packed in blue plastic crates, each holding 11 pounds. Jiang Tao, being strong, could carry five crates at a time.
For 200 crates, it took him about twenty minutes.
After loading the truck, he drove straight back to Xiaoshahe Village, delivering to the temporary warehouse behind Fat Dongdong Supermarket.
Jiang Tao finished unloading by 8:00 AM, not delaying his daytime hauling jobs at all.
After settling the bill with Yu Dongdong, Jiang Tao drove his truck to the Hongxing Secondhand Wholesale Market to pick up more work.
In the morning alone, he made three trips, earning a cool 240 yuan.
At noon, he stopped at a roadside diner and ordered a plate of stir-fried pancakes. Jiang Tao pulled out his phone to check his current savings.
"Damn it, if I'd known about this tangerine intel, I would've held off on paying back those construction debts!"
Seeing his balance at a measly 18,000 yuan—not even 20,000—Jiang Tao instantly regretted paying off his debts too early.
Over the past few days, he'd made over 100,000 yuan thanks to his intel system.
Part of it went to paying off family debts, and he'd also transferred over 50,000 yuan to his wife, Xu Li.
The money in Jiang Tao's hands came quickly but went even faster, leaving him with little left.
With what he had, he could buy, at most, 500 or so crates of 11-pound tangerines—not enough to make a big splash!
At best, he'd earn some hard-earned pocket change.
To make real money, you needed a decent amount of capital to invest!
"This tangerine intel is an incredibly rare opportunity."
"The price is set to rise by 100%. Even if I only raise it by 50%, I'd still make a fortune."
"When God hands you a meal right to your mouth, if you don't dare eat it, you'll never amount to much!"
"Why bother with an intel system if I'm just going to keep hauling goods for the rest of my life?"
"Being cautious isn't the same as being a coward. Knowing a product's price will rise and still not acting—that's just pathetic!"
Having been tied to the intel system for a while, Jiang Tao had a lot of confidence in the information it provided.
A phone in a bottle cap, hidden cash in a secondhand sofa, rare bills in an ATM…
Every piece of intel had been accurate and reliable.
After finishing his stir-fried pancakes, Jiang Tao made up his mind.
This batch of tangerines before the New Year—he had to make a big move!
Whether he could have a good New Year depended on this!