A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 86

The sound of chaotic footsteps echoed from the main road, heading straight toward the docks.

Sisi Shen looked up and saw a large group of people—roughly thirty or forty sturdy men—swarming the area, armed with shoulder poles and wooden clubs.

Leading the pack was none other than Hua Cao.

Hua Cao was dressed in a shiny leather jacket, his hair meticulously styled with mousse, and wearing a pair of bell-bottom trousers that made his legs look exceptionally long. He strode toward Sisi with an air of authority.

“I’d like to see who dares to touch one of my people,” Hua Cao said arrogantly, stepping to Sisi’s side and giving her a reassuring look.

“Don’t be afraid. Even if the sky falls, your Big Brother will hold it up for you.”

Sisi Shen wasn’t actually that frightened, but she was deeply moved. She nodded at him. “Brother Hua, you showed up just like a ‘timely rain.'”

Hua Cao raised his voice. “Of course I did…”

He had been waiting for Sisi to deliver the goods and, when she didn’t show, he sent Xiaojiang Dong to check along the route. Xiaojiang had spotted Sisi being bullied at the other dock. Being a sharp kid, Xiaojiang didn’t alert the bullies; instead, he bolted back to find Hua Cao.

When Hua Cao heard the news, he was livid. He immediately gathered the brothers from the docks, grabbed their work tools, and rushed over to surround the place so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak out.

Seeing this display of force, Rong Yang’s legs began to tremble. No wonder this young girl dared to roam the docks alone; she had serious backing. And it was Hua Cao, of all people!

Hua Cao might not have been the absolute “overlord” of the docks, but he was a prominent figure that no one dared to provoke lightly. Realizing how protective Hua Cao was over this girl, Rong Yang swallowed his temper and forced a flattering smile.

“So it’s Brother Hua! Truly, the ‘Flood at the Dragon King’s Temple’—we’re all family here, just didn’t recognize our own…” Rong Yang tried to offer a cigarette, but Hua Cao didn’t even look at it, giving him no face at all.

Rong Yang’s heart sank as he finally realized the gravity of the situation. “I’m sorry. We didn’t know she was yours. It’s all a misunderstanding; please, be merciful.”

Hua Cao snorted coldly. “Oh, now it’s a misunderstanding? I heard you loud and clear just now—claiming my sister’s medicinal oil has problems. You represent a century-old shop, yet you frame others without a shred of proof. Do you have no shame?”

The men from the docks raised their clubs in unison, shouting, “Shameless! Shameless!”

Rong Yang knew he had crossed a line, but Sisi Shen’s business was genuinely hurting their own sales. As the saying goes, “men die for wealth as birds die for food.” Sisi’s sudden entry into the market had severely impacted their revenue.

Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud. Seeing the crowd’s mounting fury, Rong Yang swallowed hard and stepped forward. “Brother Hua, we’re all just trying to make a living. You have to give us a path to survive, don’t you?”

“The spring orders for medicinal oil have almost all been given to this ‘Golden Phoenix’ brand. Our sales have been cut to the bone! How are we supposed to live?”

Sisi Shen listened, feeling confused. What “spring orders”? She knew nothing about this.

This was, in fact, the “great news” Hua Cao had been waiting to tell her. Just two days ago, a buyer who specialized in the Russian trade route had approached him. For the upcoming spring batch, eighty percent of the market share had been allotted to Golden Phoenix Medicinal Oil. This boss had heard somewhere that the brand was superior and sought them out personally.

Hua Cao had been overjoyed when he heard the news. Sisi, however, felt that something about this was incredibly fishy.

First, no one had ever recommended Golden Phoenix to this specific buyer. Second, the order was massive—eighty percent of the spring export meant tens of thousands of bottles. Her business had only just begun; she hadn’t even registered the trademark yet. Why would a major financier trust her so blindly?

After a moment of thought, she asked, “Brother Hua, do you know this person?”

“I’ve seen him a few times; he definitely runs cargo ships to the Russian region, though I’ve never done business with him personally.”

Sisi asked, “Can you take me to see him?”

“Probably not right now,” Hua Cao replied. “He mentioned over tea that he was heading to the county to collect some mountain goods. He won’t be back for several days.”

Several days… why would it take that long?

Sisi still felt uneasy. Noticing the rows of cargo ships nearby, she had an idea. “Brother Hua, can you show me his ship?”

The man could run, but the ship couldn’t. Hua Cao didn’t understand what she was up to, but seeing her cautious expression, he figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

He looked around. Fortunately, the merchant’s ship was docked nearby. It was a mid-sized cargo vessel with its name and number painted on the side. Sisi didn’t understand the technicalities of shipping, but she immediately noticed the large canvas covers and the small number of crew members smoking on the bow.

If she recalled correctly, the ocean currents in winter flowed from north to south. If they were heading north to Russia, they would be sailing against the current. Furthermore, the wind direction was wrong for such large sails, and there were far too few workers on deck.

Moreover, at this time of year, the further north one went, the colder the water became. Near Russia, the sea might even be frozen. A real cargo ship wouldn’t take the sea route north right now; if they did, they would need an icebreaker.

The more she thought, the more she felt a trap was being set. Her sixth sense was screaming that this was a setup.

“Brother Hua, I think this ship is suspicious,” she said quietly. “Look at the season, the currents, and the wind. A normal cargo ship wouldn’t plan a trip like this. And with so few workers, a journey north would be nearly impossible.”

Hua Cao looked at the ship again, his brow furrowing. He had spent years at these docks, but he hadn’t paid attention to these specific details before. “There really is something strange about it,” he muttered. “You’re more observant than I am.”

Sisi bit her lip. She thought of Xiaofang Wu’s glass factory—how they had suddenly received a massive order, rushed into production, and ended up with all their liquid capital frozen. This felt exactly the same.

She whispered to Hua Cao, “Has he paid a deposit yet?”

Hua Cao shook his head. “Not yet. I told him your rules, and he said to start production first. He’ll bring the deposit as soon as he returns from the county. He seemed in a rush and emphasized that we must deliver on time.”

In all his years on the docks, no one had dared to scam Hua Cao. But Sisi’s words made him alert; this “big buyer” might truly be a fake.

“What do you want to do?” Hua Cao asked, deferring entirely to Sisi’s judgment.

Sisi didn’t hesitate. “We cannot take this order!”

She then glanced at Rong Yang nearby. “As for the others… if they want to wade into these muddy waters, let them go.”

Hua Cao understood instantly. He turned to Sisi and said, “Fine, leave the rest to me.”

A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes as he walked over to Rong Yang and slung an arm around his shoulder.

“Shopkeeper Rong, you think my sister is stealing your business, right?” Hua Cao said. “We’re all in this together. If you give me an inch of respect, I’ll give you a foot of the same. Harmony makes money.”

He continued, “How about this? We’ll pass on that big order as a gesture of our sincerity. In exchange, you and your people stop making trouble for my sister. What do you say?”

He patted Rong Yang’s shoulder heavily. The young man’s face immediately lit up with joy. “You’re really giving up such a huge order?”

Hua Cao nodded. “I’m passing on it. My word is my bond.”

Rong Yang was so excited his lips trembled. “Then it’s a deal!