Chapter Twenty-Six: The Campus Belle Yan

Cheng Yu took out a tote bag and placed bundles of red banknotes on the table.
“In total, two hundred and thirty-six thousand. Brother Qin, please count it.”
His business carried risks, so he always kept cash ready. Now, seeing that Qin Jing was indifferent to those “customers,” he fetched the money straight from the car. Nearly twenty-four stacks of cash piled high on the table, dazzling everyone in the room; the air grew tense, and their breathing quickened.
“All right, give me a moment.”
Qin Jing produced a small cloth pouch and began to count the bills carefully. In business, counting money was crucial—no matter the profit, a single miscount meant a pure loss.
The sound of “shuffling” echoed through the little shop. The others held their breath, eyes following the movement of Qin Jing’s fingers as he turned the notes over.
“One thousand.”
“Two thousand.”
“….”
“Ten thousand.”
“Twenty thousand.”
“Twenty-three thousand.”
With each bundle, Qin Jing used his bill detector, then tucked the money into his pouch. In the end, not a single yuan was missing: the full amount of two hundred and thirty-six thousand entered Qin Jing’s waist pouch, and with it came the income for twenty-three completed deals.
“Qin Jing, you really hit the jackpot this time.”
When Qin Jing finished counting, a girl teased him with a smile.
Qin Jing replied politely, “Every business needs capital. Don’t be fooled by the amount here—there’s not much profit.”

“Hello, I’m Yan Yizhen from the Cold Sea Performing Arts Class. You just sold a bag, and inside were some items I recycled.”
The girl reached out to Qin Jing and introduced herself.
“Hello. I’ve heard there’s a campus beauty in the performing arts class, said to resemble the South Korean star Song Hye Kyo. That must be you.”
Qin Jing smiled casually. He had told Zhang Cheng the same thing before; Cold Sea Art School had many clients, so Qin Jing was familiar with the people and happenings there. The girl standing before him was indeed one of the academy’s campus beauties.
Campus beauties in college were usually hyped up by the crowd—any pretty girl might be called one. Cold Sea Art School was different: only those rated above ninety points were considered beauties. Chen Hua had once held the title, but not as famously as the girl before Qin Jing now; she was already dabbling in the entertainment industry, playing a key supporting role in a popular wartime drama, and had even set up her own studio at school. With beauty and achievements, her reputation as a campus beauty was more deserved.
First meetings were always full of mutual compliments. Facing Qin Jing’s flattery, Yan Yizhen responded modestly, saying that being a campus beauty didn’t matter—she still had to buy and sell things with him, subject to the exploitation of a “wealthy boss.”
Qin Jing quickly replied that it was only hard-earned money; if the famous campus beauty visited often, she’d surely enjoy discounts.
Yan Yizhen didn’t seem to have any specific purpose, just wanted to get acquainted with Qin Jing, and soon left.
Qin Jing didn’t realize that Yan Yizhen left with Cheng Yu. They exited the shop one after another, and Yan Yizhen stopped Cheng Yu.
“Is there something you need?”
Facing Yan Yizhen, a stunning beauty, Cheng Yu was respectful, though as a middle-aged businessman with a wife and children, he harbored no ulterior motives.
“Hello, Mr. Cheng. I saw your transaction with Qin Jing just now. My classmates and I were discussing it, so I followed you out to ask a few questions.”
“Go ahead.”
Yan Yizhen recalled the scene and, after some thought, asked, “Qin Jing traded with you openly, and you know the price. If you wanted to lower your costs, shouldn’t you deal directly with those of us who have items to sell?”
She had paid attention to Qin Jing’s “business”—she’d even considered doing it herself, conducting a market survey within the school. Just as she was about to start, news broke that Qin Jing had been reported and expelled. Not wanting to jeopardize her studies, she put the idea aside.
Yesterday, Yan Yizhen caught rumors at school—none favorable to Qin Jing. Many said his business was failing. Her curiosity piqued, she came to investigate, hoping to seize an opportunity: if Qin Jing truly was struggling, she might invest and acquire his shop, or even employ her charm to bring Qin Jing under her wing and launch the money-making venture she’d long eyed.

But upon arriving today, Yan Yizhen realized the rumors were unfounded. How could Qin Jing’s business collapse? In just half a day, he closed nearly twenty deals, his capital exceeding half a million yuan. Then came the large transaction with Cheng Yu—earning ten thousand in one go! If he had such deals daily, his little shop would make at least half a million a month.
All that aside, Yan Yizhen was most curious why Cheng Yu was so cooperative with Qin Jing. Knowing Qin Jing profited, why was he unconcerned? Was today’s deal a special case? That was why she pursued him—hoping for an inside scoop and a chance.
Cheng Yu laughed and looked at her earnestly. “Young lady, if I bought from you individually, it’d cost time and effort. I’m not in this line of work—how could I guarantee authenticity? Even if items are genuine, some are used longer, some shorter. Can I price them as accurately as Qin Jing?”
“It’s better this way: Qin Jing buys, I purchase in bulk. It saves trouble. Besides, we’ve all known each other for years. If there’s a quality issue, I can simply stop sourcing from Qin Jing—he’d suffer greater loss. Qin Jing won’t cheat me, so even if I pay a little extra, it’s worth it.”
Yan Yizhen, a student with no hands-on experience in recycling, suddenly understood. She laughed, “I was overthinking it. I thought you and Qin Jing had a secret agreement. As you said, it’s best to leave professional matters to professionals.”
She thanked Cheng Yu, then returned to the shop.
It was nearing noon, and the crowd in Qin Jing’s shop had dwindled. Yan Yizhen entered and immediately asked, “Boss Qin, have you ever considered opening a branch at Cold Sea Art School?”
Hmm?
Qin Jing glanced at her and smiled, “Of course. Are you interested, Miss Yan?”
In the past, Qin Jing’s branch at Cold Sea Art School was Chen Hua’s dormitory—she would collect the items and store them there, waiting for Qin Jing to come and price them, then handle the transactions.
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Thanks to Miao Yongying and Yang Mingwanli for their rewards.