SFS Chapter 918 Pawnshop Opening
Chapter 918 Pawnshop Opening
Not long after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wu Mingqiang told Guier that the pawnshop had been chosen and was in Yau Ma Tei, close to where they lived now. Moreover, there were many mainland immigrants living there, so there would be more customers.
"I've asked Chen De to choose an auspicious day for the opening. I hope Miss will go and preside over the worship ceremony then."
Gui'er hadn't expected Wu Mingqiang to be so quick and efficient, finishing the work so quickly. However, she knew she'd inevitably run into some neighbors if she went to worship, and she wasn't sure if her status dictated such public appearances. So she smiled and said, "I think I have classes that day. I'll see if I can get some time off. It doesn't matter whether I go or not. I trust you."
Wu Mingqiang smiled happily and said, "I'm glad that the young lady trusts me, but after all, you are the boss, so you should show up."
Gui'er felt that what he said made sense, so she asked Chen Zhongyu when she went to the newspaper office to submit her manuscript.
Chen Zhongyu thought for a moment and said, "The pawnshops in Hong Kong nowadays are simply taking advantage of recent immigrants from the mainland. They take advantage of their urgent need for money, buy valuable items at low prices, and then sell them at high prices to make a profit. Many pawnshops collect antiques and cultural relics and then resell them abroad."
Gui'er felt a little ashamed. "Brother Chen, I know this isn't right, but I can't completely control Wu Mingqiang. He wasn't always well behaved when he was under my brother's command, but he's very capable. That's why I sent him here to protect me because I saw that he had that ability. But the downside is that he often disobeys my orders. This time, I asked him to exchange the Shanghai banknotes that Sha Yanxiao left behind, but he ended up getting the money from the Japanese. He acted without my permission, and I was completely helpless."
"When I was in Nanjing, I think I heard Sha Yanyao talk about this thug left behind by the Ji family. The underworld is quite ruthless. It's normal that a little girl like you can't control him."
"So what should we do now? My bodyguard, Ah Cheng, is obedient to me. I asked him to help Wu Mingqiang run this pawnshop so that he wouldn't dominate it all. But Ah Cheng is actually one of his former subordinates, so I'm afraid he can't control him."
Chen Zhongyu pondered for a moment and said, "If that's the case, let's keep things as they are. You can go on the opening day, but tell Wu Mingqiang that you don't want to face those frivolous people, so he should be happy to do it. However, people like them are usually very ambitious, so you have to be careful."
Gui'er nodded. "I also think he's an ambitious person, but given our friendship, he probably won't do anything bad to me."
Chen Zhongyu smiled and said, "As long as you can ensure your own safety, today is my last day at the newspaper office. From now on, I will be the owner of the bookstore. You can find me in this bookstore. It just so happens that you can buy some medical books in my bookstore." Then he wrote an address to Guier.
"But I hope you can continue doing this part-time job. If any of our former colleagues come here, you can bring them to me."
Gui'er was in a dilemma: "I'm not here every day. Even if I were, people wouldn't look for me when they come over. How would I know he's our comrade?"
"Actually, we still have comrades lurking here, but it's not convenient to tell you now. If there's an emergency, he'll take out a Bible and ask you, do you want to go to church together?"
Gui'er suddenly understood, but she really couldn't think of who else in this newspaper was one of her own.
On the day the pawn shop opened, Wu Mingqiang brought Gui'er to the shop. Gui'er found out that this was not a shop on the main street, but a branch section of the main road. The main street was full of foreign banks, big hotels, and companies run by foreigners, while the branch sections were filled with small foreign companies, small shops, small teahouses, and daily necessities stores. However, the flow of people was still acceptable.
This is a building with an arcade facade. The signboard is newly painted dark brown, and the gold-plated words "Juzhen Pawnshop" are dazzling. The glass window is spotless, and displays a few silver bracelets and pocket watches that are the store's treasures.
The counter was made of newly hammered rosewood, gleaming with a warm sheen. A brand-new bamboo abacus and blank account books sat on it, neatly tied with cotton ropes. The brass locks of the tall cabinets in the corner gleamed brightly. As a court official, Chen De, specially dressed in a new long gown and a small silk jacket, was wiping the counter with a soft cloth. The air was filled with the crisp scent of new wood and wax.
A square table had already been set up in front of the shop, decorated with a roasted pig, an incense burner, and candles decorated with gold ingots. Before leaving, Gui'er had told Wu Mingqiang that she didn't want to show up, nor did she want others to know she owned the shop, so she would just watch the fun from the side.
Led by Wu Mingqiang and Acheng, Chen De, who was serving as a court attendant, and the subordinates Wu Mingqiang had recruited earlier, they bowed three times reverently in front of the incense table, and then set off firecrackers.
Firecrackers crackled and Wu Mingqiang stood up. He tied a red silk ribbon with the words "Good luck in opening the market" to the pawnshop sign. He yanked the string, and the sign was hoisted onto the pole, with the sound of bells jingling. He grabbed the copper coins on the table and scattered them to the onlookers, shouting, "Let's get some good fortune!"
The neighbors who were watching around bent down to pick up the items. Wu Mingqiang also invited a photo studio, and the group took a group photo in front of the pawnshop. Wu Mingqiang asked Gui'er to stand in the middle. Gui'er was the youngest, and the people watching around only guessed that she might be a member of the boss's family.
After taking the photos, Chen De bowed to the neighbors around him and said, "Our shop is open today. Please keep our shop with you in the future." Then he turned and went inside.
For a moment, the neighbors were curious and looked around, and customers who wanted to pawn their items were also attracted. The clerk hurriedly put the first pawn item - a jade bracelet - on the counter, dipped the red pen in red, and wrote "
Pawn item: A jade bracelet, bluish-white in color, with faint watermarks and slight wrinkles on the edges. Pawn period: six months. Monthly interest: three-tenths. Pawn principal: ten yuan in foreign silver. This was considered the first business deal.
One after another, the shop owners of the neighboring shops came to say hello and visit, and Chen De greeted them one by one. Wu Mingqiang also watched with a smile on his face, occasionally interjecting a few words. Those bosses regarded him as the boss behind them, and would come forward to say hello and say a few auspicious words.
Ah Cheng said to Gui Er, "Miss, let's go to the second floor and have a seat and some tea."
Gui'er didn't want to be seen by too many people, so she nodded and followed Acheng to the second floor. She saw that the entrance to the second floor had a separate door with a sign on the top of the door that read "Warehouse is a restricted area, no entry for outsiders."
Acheng brought Guier to the second floor. The total area of the house was not large, with a total ground area of only about 80 square meters. The first floor was a business hall and a private room for entertaining guests. The second floor was divided into a hall and two private rooms.