Chapter Fifteen: The Torrential Downpour That Was Bound to Come

"Alright, no problem." Zhao Haidong nodded quickly. After days of running around, things had finally settled down. The shop was destined to open anyway—the sooner it opened, the sooner it would start making money.

"But first, let me make it clear: this shop doesn't belong to me alone. Both of you have a share in it. I'll give each of you a twenty percent stake, which means I keep sixty percent, and you both get twenty percent each."

It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky!

Neither Liu Wentao nor Zhao Haidong had anticipated such an offer from Zhang Ye.

"No way. We haven't put in any investment—how can we take advantage of you like that?" Liu Wentao frowned and spoke coldly, "I know you want to help me. Even five hundred a month feels like too much. To take a share on top of that—I, Liu Wentao, simply don't have the face for it."

"If you're my brother, don't disgust me with this. All we did was put in a bit of effort," Zhao Haidong said seriously, his gaze at Zhang Ye growing stern.

If it were a small amount, they wouldn't care so much, but they had been there through the whole process these past days: three hundred tons of watermelons, which would sell for at least sixty thousand yuan. Even after deducting costs, it was still an astonishing sum—far more than they'd ever handled. Taking this money felt like holding a hot potato.

Zhang Ye was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the two of them and could only smile wryly. "Listen, there's no way this shop could have opened without you two. Take the shop rental, for instance—without your help, Brother Tao, they wouldn't have rented to a kid my age. And Dongzi, if it weren't for you, how would I have gotten in touch with your uncle? So, sharing the equity with you is something I'm happy to do. It's just a small shop—you don't need to make such a fuss."

To Zhang Ye, it really was just a small shop. As someone who had lived another life, he had plenty of ways to make money. Earning money on his own meant little; what truly mattered was that those around him could profit as well, making his efforts worthwhile.

"But…"

"If we're brothers, let's not split hairs. This never would have worked without you two. Besides, it's not even certain we'll make a profit."

After all, even with so many watermelons, it was still questionable whether they could sell them all after accounting for costs. Hearing this, the two of them fell silent, their resolve wavering.

"Then, Xiao Ye, I won't take a salary—let's just count my labor for my share," Liu Wentao hurriedly said. If he took both a share and a salary, it would be too much for him.

Zhao Haidong nodded as well. He had initially considered asking Zhang Ye for wages if they made money, but now he could hardly do so.

"Good, it's settled then." Zhang Ye didn't push further and agreed. Then he added, "Let's all get to bed early tonight and prepare ourselves. Come early tomorrow so we can be ready for opening." It was his first time opening a business, and a thrill of excitement surged within him.

Crack—rumble!

"Thunder? It's raining?" Lying in bed, Zhang Ye was surprised. "Could it really be such a coincidence?"

The next day, the entire county of Lihua, and even the surrounding areas, were inundated with torrential rain. The river's water level rose relentlessly, and in some low-lying homes, water had already gushed into the hallways and rooms.

In Qiyuan Town, as the downpour continued, the pressure on the upstream dam increased until, in a sudden moment, the cement wall of the dam collapsed. The muddy, raging river burst forth like a furious dragon, sweeping over the banks, surging across the fields, and flooding the endless farmland…

In the end, Zhang Ye's shop never managed to open that day. It wasn't until two days later, when the water had receded and the sun once again shone upon the land, that Zhang Ye, Liu Wentao, and Zhao Haidong stood at the doorstep of the fruit shop at the end of Wenhua Street.

They had kept the original sign, "Jade Heart Fruit Shop," but it had been refashioned—larger than before, now adorned with a string of tiny camouflage lights that made it stand out in the night.

Crackling—pop, pop, pop…

With the long crackle of firecrackers, Zhang Ye's fruit shop officially opened for business. There were no friends, no officials, just the three of them, grinning as they watched the onlookers drawn by the noise, their faces full of anticipation.

Obviously, however, the rain had just passed, the weather had cooled, and watermelons were not in demand. Only a neighbor or two, out of sympathy for their sparse business, bought one or two to take home.

"Zhang Ye, what about this afternoon? We have so many watermelons—can we really sell them all?" After an entire afternoon, they hadn't sold even ten. It was only natural that Zhao Haidong had lost confidence. They had nearly three hundred tons of watermelons stored, filling the entire old residence and the warehouse. Hardly any had sold, but every day, as soon as dawn broke, dozens of yuan seemed to vanish into thin air. Who wouldn't be worried?

"Don't worry. If I say we'll sell them all, then we'll sell them all," Zhang Ye replied, then glanced at the sky and muttered, "It should be about time."

"Here's what we'll do. Tao, you know a lot of people on the street, right? Get in touch with everyone you can—I need them to help me with something." After thinking for a moment, Zhang Ye frowned, then shook his head. "Actually, it's better if you do it, Tao. It wouldn't be good if I showed up myself. I'll give you some money—just help me spread the word. I need them to get a message out."

Liu Wentao nodded in confusion, saying nothing.

"Dongzi, there's something for you too. You're familiar with Qiyuan Town. Go over there and check how many watermelons are left. Let me know roughly how much was lost in the flood."

Thanks to Zhang Ye's intervention, the losses from this inevitable downpour weren't as great as they might have been. Except for one or two households who hadn't sold because of price disputes, virtually all the watermelons had been bought up by Zhang Ye and his friends. The locals were feeling grateful and relieved. If Zhao Haidong went to ask, he'd surely get the information.

"No need to go to all that trouble. I'll just call my uncle," Zhao Haidong said, and immediately ducked into a neighbor's house to make the call.

A few minutes later, he came out, calling out, "The flood really did a number on Qiyuan Town—swept away the dam and submerged all the watermelon fields. Especially Liu Dong's family—they're likely ruined. As soon as I called, my uncle couldn't stop thanking us. He said if it weren't for us, their losses would have been catastrophic." He looked positively gleeful as he spoke.

Liu Dong's family, the largest watermelon growers in Qiyuan Town with nearly a hundred acres, had about a hundred tons of watermelons. They had snubbed Zhang Ye's offer, thinking themselves untouchable because of their connection to the mayor's family. When Zhang Ye and his friends approached them, not only did they refuse to cooperate, but they also tried to fleece them, raising the price by ten cents per jin with brazen arrogance. Zhao Haidong was clearly taking pleasure in their misfortune.

"Enough with the nonsense. Just tell me—how many watermelons do they have left?" Zhang Ye laughed, scolding him.

Zhao Haidong's chubby cheeks twitched. He opened his mouth, "Ah, I forgot to ask."

"Then hurry up and go!" Zhang Ye gave him a swift kick, sending him on his way.

Turning to Liu Wentao, Zhang Ye said, "Tao, you don't get to rest either. Here’s five hundred yuan. Go and grease the wheels a bit. Spread the word that all the watermelons in Qiyuan Town have been destroyed. Anyone who wants watermelon this summer is out of luck. That’s all you have to say—just get people talking, never mind whether they believe it or not. Just make sure the message spreads."

Because of his unique background, Liu Wentao had a lot of pull on the street. If he was the one to spread the word, it was sure to have the desired effect.