Chapter 37: A Ten-Year-Old Soft-Shelled Turtle, Three Hundred Yuan Earned

Manager Fan’s mind was in a bit of a fog. He clearly remembered Su Yu coming to his restaurant to sell game the day before yesterday, and he also remembered Su Yu stopping by for wontons that evening. He knew Su Yu hadn’t returned home that night, and since he hadn’t gone back, he must have been wandering around the city. Who would have thought he’d end up playing the hero, only to stumble upon a group of thugs who were actually black-market hoodlums?

Could it really be such a coincidence? Yet, the wounds on Su Yu’s back were undeniable. This meant that not only had Su Yu endured excruciating pain to complete the task he had assigned, but he had also ended up getting beaten indirectly because of the black-market address he had provided.

Manager Fan was a shrewd man. He naturally understood that Su Yu was telling him this to stir up some guilt and encourage a more generous price. However, he also believed it was likely the truth. There was no need to go through the trouble of self-inflicted harm just to hike up the price, was there?

This was just an ordinary transaction, not some massive deal worth hundreds of thousands. So, nine times out of ten, the story was genuine.

Understanding a person's motives was one thing, but to say he wasn't moved at all would be a lie. It was a fact that the man had endured severe pain just to deliver the goods the very next day.

He wasn't moved to tears, but given this level of commitment to their agreement, what was wrong with letting the kid make a little extra?

"Oh, my dear brother, sit down, sit down! It’s my fault, all my fault. I didn't know the situation. If I had known, I never would have urged you so much. If it was delayed, it was delayed—as long as my brother is alright, that’s what matters. How could I let my brother put himself in danger over a turtle? How can I live with myself knowing that?"

"You’re also too stubborn. If there was no turtle, I could have found another way. You make me feel terrible, brother."

*Ahem.* When it came to acting, Su Yu had to admit he was no match for the man. This speech nearly made him gag. This fat man—truly, every fat man has the potential to be a great actor. Regardless of how much was true or false, it sounded pleasant, didn't it? It made one feel that sticking to the contract was worth it. What kind of nonsense was this?

"Cough, cough... no need to sit. I’m not that delicate. To be honest, the only reason I’m working so hard is that I want to save up enough money to buy a rifle so I can hunt larger animals."

"Haha, what an ambition! A rifle isn't cheap. How much are you short, brother?"

"Sigh... I’m ashamed to say, I originally planned to buy a Type 56 semi-automatic, but after asking around, the price is way out of reach. I’ll just settle for a Mauser rifle. I’m still four hundred short."

Upon hearing this, Manager Fan wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to go and ask? The kid had the nerve to say he was four hundred short—was he really just four hundred short? That meant he only had one hundred to his name.

A Mauser rifle cost about five hundred, assuming it was a relatively newer model. After all, these were World War II-era guns, considered old by current standards—only slightly better than the Hanyang or old-fashioned rifles—but even so, they went for around five hundred, with older ones costing around three hundred.

For Su Yu to say he was four hundred short meant he only had one hundred in his pocket. *What is that look you’re giving me? That’s not how you negotiate a price hike.*

"Cough, cough... brother, your dream will come true. Let’s talk about the turtle first."

Manager Fan felt uneasy under the boy's gaze, terrified that the next words out of his mouth would be, "Why don't you let me mortgage this turtle to you, and you lend me four hundred?" Would he give it to him? Of course not. But after being so warm and brotherly, and with the idle staff in the restaurant listening, if he suddenly did an about-face and turned cold, what about his reputation?

So, he hurriedly changed the subject to business. At worst, he’d just have to lose a little money to keep the peace. It was true that the man had been injured while upholding his end of the bargain.

"Brother, let me be honest with you. I’m paying for this turtle out of my own pocket; it has nothing to do with the restaurant."

The subtext was clear: this wasn't official business, it was a personal matter. If it were for the state, he could offer a high price since it wasn't his money anyway—an extra few yuan here or there wouldn't matter, seeing as he was the manager.

But this was his own money. He wanted to be generous, but the state paid him a fixed, transparent salary. He couldn't just pull out a large sum of cash. If he did, people would report him for corruption.

"Mmhmm, I understand. You’re looking out for me, brother. Don’t worry, you name the price, and I won’t haggle."

*Damn it,* Manager Fan thought to himself. *A young fox meeting an old fox.* Since he had already said that, if he offered the market price, what would others think of him? That he was intentionally cheating him? That he was stingy with his "brother"? That the kid suffered for nothing? That he was cold-blooded?

Although he was grumbling internally, since the kid said he wouldn't haggle, not haggling was actually the biggest form of haggling. If he offered too low, it would only show his own lack of class.

"Old Liu, Old Liu! Come out here and take a look at my brother Su’s goods."

There was no help for it; he had to give the boy a price that would satisfy him. He knew the kid wasn't greedy, or he wouldn't be doing business with him.

"Coming, coming!"

Old Liu had been waiting nearby, so he walked over the moment Manager Fan called.

"Manager, young brother Su has a great eye. This turtle is at least ten years old—it couldn't have grown this big otherwise. And it’s a deep-water turtle; the nutritional value is extremely high."

He had seen the wounds on Su Yu's back earlier and was quite satisfied with his integrity. To be so young and yet keep his word like this—as an older man, he appreciated it.

Su Yu’s estimate of eight years had been a guess, while Old Liu’s was based on experience. It might not be perfectly accurate, but with Old Liu’s expertise, it wouldn't be far off.

Manager Fan glared at Old Liu, thinking, *Can’t you hear the subtext in this kid's words? Why are you adding fuel to the fire?*

"Cough, cough... brother, before you arrived, I chatted with Old Liu and got a sense of the market price for this turtle. Of course, you’re doing this for me, so I can’t pay you the standard market rate—if people found out, they’d say I don't know how to treat a friend. The same goods cost more for a rush order, and besides, you risked your safety and got injured for my sake."

"Here’s the thing: the market price for an eight-pound, ten-year-old turtle is usually around two hundred. If you took it to other hotels, getting one hundred and fifty would be considered pretty good."

"I won't let you lose out. Two hundred and eighty? No, let's make it three hundred. That extra twenty yuan is just a token of my appreciation for you to buy some supplements and take care of yourself."

This price was the limit. Su Yu knew that if he walked out that door, he wouldn't get such an offer. The market price was between one hundred and fifty and two hundred, but the latter was only for those dealers who held large quantities of rare goods and knew exactly who needed them, allowing them to gouge the price.

Regardless, even if they didn't know how to feed them, turtles wouldn't die for months, so they could hold them for a higher price. But an individual could never sell one for two hundred yuan. Manager Fan giving him three hundred was the result of his own eloquence and the emotional cards he’d played.

More importantly, Manager Fan couldn't necessarily procure such a turtle even if he spent a fortune, because an eight-pound, ten-year-old wild turtle was something you could encounter but not necessarily find.

He would have been happy if he spent less, but if he did, how could he show his "heart" when the higher-ups found out? Many people knew about today’s scene. The more benevolent he was toward Su Yu, the more satisfied his superiors would be if they heard of it. After all, no leader wants to keep someone without class by their side, as they are likely to ruin important matters.

But if he spent too much, his superiors would suspect his motives. However, the fact that Su Yu was injured changed things. By paying more, he could frame it as helping a person in need, and since he was willing to sacrifice his own money to present the catch to his leaders, it made the gesture even more admirable.

"Ah... three hundred? Isn't that too much?"

Su Yu wasn't stupid. Even if he didn't understand all the nuances, he knew he had to pretend to be polite. If he agreed immediately, would he ever be able to sell game here again?

"It’s not much. Aren't you trying to buy a rifle? Just consider it a small gesture from your brother."

Su Yu pretended to be simple-minded, scratching his head with a goofy smile. He had learned this expression from Huzi on the fly, and it looked convincing enough.

"Hehe, alright then. Thank you, Brother Fan."

That extra one hundred yuan—intentionally giving eighty more, plus another twenty—was, in reality, what he had intended to pay all along. And it certainly wasn't out of being moved. Su Yu didn't understand all the ins and outs, but he knew better than to believe it was out of genuine sentiment. For a state-run restaurant manager to be willing to put on a show and play along was already giving him plenty of face; actually shelling out his own hard-earned cash just like that was impossible.