At seven o'clock in the evening, at Zhanan Port, near a private warehouse.
At this time, it started to drizzle, and dark clouds covered the sky above Longcheng. In the distance, the rain seemed to be even heavier on the sea, and occasionally a flash of lightning could be seen, splitting the dark night.
Several cars stopped in front of the warehouse rented by gambler Lao Pi. Kong Zhengqi, along with the financial staff and several casino staff, got out of the cars holding umbrellas.
“Crash!”
Lao Pi squatted there and lifted the shutter door with force. A faint musty smell floated out. The warehouse was not big, but the ventilation was not very good, and there were some mold spots on the walls.
Rows of goods sealed in wooden boxes are piled up in the warehouse. The quantity is not too large, but the boxes are relatively new. According to Lao Pi, these are a batch of electronic products he smuggled in. Although there are no formal procedures, they can flow into the market with a little operation.
"It's been raining non-stop recently. I hope your things won't get damp?" Kong Zhengqi glanced into the warehouse and couldn't help but turn his head to ask Lao Pi.
"Millions of dollars' worth of goods, how could it get damp? They came by water, and the boxes they are used in are specially made, there is nothing wrong with them." Lao Pi explained, "These things are made by big factories in District 1. You can't get them without some connections. They are brand new, there won't be any problems, you can open them and inspect them."
"Okay, let's open the box and take a look." Kong Zhengqi raised his chin. Two security guards came forward, holding crowbars, and directly opened one of the boxes.
Inside the box, rows of brand new mobile phone packaging boxes were stacked neatly like soy milk cubes. The staff member took out one of the boxes, tore off the plastic wrapping, and handed it to Kong Zhengqi.
Kong Zhengqi opened the box, threw it aside, and took out the phone inside. The phone was heavy and looked like the most popular model on the market, but the brand printed on it was different.
"What brand is this?" Kong Zhengqi asked as he fiddled with his phone. "Why haven't I seen this before? Is it a knockoff?"
"Don't worry, it's definitely not a knockoff." Lao Pi said quickly, "If it were those cheap ones, I wouldn't have to go through so much trouble to smuggle them in. Don't you think..."
Kong Zhengqi pointed to the logo on the phone and asked, "Why is the brand different?"
Lao Pi explained: "This batch of goods is specially supplied to the army. They are internal machines. Small brands are easier to sign contracts. You know."
Kong Zhengqi listened to the explanation while turning on his phone. The operating system and the feel of the phone were indeed no different from the original brand.
Lao Pi pointed at the phone and introduced it: "Try it, the contents are exactly the same. It is also waterproof and drop-proof, and the quality is better than ordinary models. There are many buyers in the market who like to buy this kind of goods. I was originally hoping that this batch of goods would turn around, and I could sell it for at least 5 million..."
Seeing the old gambler's expression, Kong Zhengqi did not respond, but handed the phone to the finance officer next to him. The latter took the phone, took several photos carefully, and finally sent them out.
After a while, the finance department received a call and the other party told the market quotation and wholesale price of this mobile phone.
"Return to zero! Beep, beep!"
The finance department took out a calculator and started to calculate on the spot, and soon came up with the retail value of the goods, which was about four million. However, because it was an item to pay off a debt, there would be a certain discount.
Ten minutes later, the finance department calculated the money and whispered something into Kong Zhengqi's ear.
Lao Pi looked at them, looking a little nervous.
After they finished talking, Kong Zhengqi thought for a moment and said to Lao Pi, "Your batch of goods can be used to pay off your two million yuan."
"So little?" Lao Pi was sweating profusely and said hurriedly: "These goods of mine..."
Kong Zhengqi waved his hand and interrupted Lao Pi: "That's all. If it works, sign the contract. If not, just pay back the money."
Lao Pi gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, two million!"
"That's great!" Kong Zhengqi smiled again and patted Lao Pi on the shoulder. "But I have to say this in advance. If this batch of goods cannot be sold, I will return it to you intact, and you still have to pay me back. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Lao Pi nodded: "I'm sure the goods will be sold well, don't worry."
"Okay, let's check it out. If there's no problem, we'll sign a contract." Kong Zhengqi said, waving to the staff.
Several security guards immediately walked into the warehouse. With so much cargo, they certainly couldn't count them box by box, so they could only select a portion for spot inspection. Soon, they opened seven or eight boxes, and after confirming that there were no problems, they made an OK gesture to Kong Zhengqi.
"Okay, pack it up if there's no problem!" Kong Zhengqi ordered, turning his head to look at Lao Pi: "Let's go."
Lao Pi nodded and followed him back to the business car next to him. An employee from the legal department had been waiting for a long time. According to the agreed payment, he printed out two contracts with a portable printer and handed them to the two for review.
While the two were looking at the contract, the staff lifted boxes of heavy wooden boxes and loaded them into the van next to them.
After carrying the boxes twice, one worker was so exhausted that he could not help but shout to Lao Pi in the car, "Lao Pi, why is this box so heavy?"
"Oh, there is a moisture-proof board in this box." Lao Pi explained: "The things were transported by water, and it is the rainy season recently, so we have to put in a moisture-proof board. These things are quite expensive, but it is also quite laborious to take them out. How about giving me a discount..."
Kong Zhengqi raised his head and glanced at Lao Pi: "I want the goods. If you feel bad about it, just take those boards out yourself."
"Forget it, forget it. I'll give it all to you." Lao Pi sighed, picked up the pen, and signed his name in two quick strokes.
The two signed the contract, and Kong Zhengqi drove the goods back to the casino.
…
An hour later, the goods were piled up in the warehouse behind the casino. In addition to these large wooden boxes, there were also some other miscellaneous goods.
For casinos, this kind of collateral is not uncommon. Many gamblers who cannot pay back their debts often pledge their valuable jewelry, goods, cars, and even their houses to the casino as collateral to pay off their debts.
For Kong Zhengqi, today's work was just a part of his daily job and he did not take it seriously.
…
At the same time, at Longcheng Police Station Hospital.
“Click!”
Hou Guoyu took the key and unlocked the handcuffs used to restrain Zheng Guang. The burns on the latter's body have not healed yet, but it does not affect his ability to move.
Zheng Guang sat up with the help of the bed and looked up at Su Tianyu.
Su Tianyu pointed at Dai Quan who was standing beside him and told Zheng Guang: "Just follow him and catch the person who planned this behind the scenes, then you can make amends for your crime."
Zheng Guang looked at Dai Quan and nodded slowly.