Chapter 247 Finally Took the Bait

Zhou Dafu stepped forward and asked, “Hello, comrade!”

The middle-aged man pretended to be a little wary and replied with a question, “Comrade, is there something you need?”

Seeing the man’s guarded reaction, Zhou Dafu became even more convinced that this guy probably wasn’t a scammer. He pulled out a cigarette, handed one to the man, and even lit it for him enthusiastically.

Then he said, “I accidentally overheard just now that you’re transferring a job post at the steel factory?”

“That’s right. Are you interested?” The man looked Zhou Dafu up and down. From his clothes, he didn’t look like someone who could produce several hundred yuan.

Zhou Dafu replied, “Yes. I was wondering how much you’re asking for it?”

He had eight hundred yuan on him, but only about two hundred was actually his. The rest was borrowed from his hunting buddies. He planned to repay it gradually after he started working, paying back a bit each month until it was all settled.

Seeing how eager this guy was to sell, Zhou Dafu knew he had to press the price down. After all, money didn’t just fall from the sky—every bit saved counted.

The middle-aged man could barely contain his joy, but he had to hold it in. He said, “Eight hundred is the minimum. You can ask around—that price is already as low as it gets.”

Zhou Dafu had done his homework. Eight hundred was indeed the going rate for a steel factory job—but that was under normal circumstances. This guy was clearly in a rush. Not haggling now would just be doing himself a disservice.

“Eight hundred is too much. I just heard someone offering six hundred and eighty. Since you won’t take that, I’ll add twenty. That’s all I’ve got. If you won’t take it, I’ll have to look elsewhere.

To be honest, I’ve already checked with the subdistrict office. Some factories only require a bit over five hundred.”

If the guy agreed to this price, he’d save a full hundred yuan. And based on what he’d learned, starting as an apprentice only paid a little over ten yuan a month—this was equivalent to months of wages.

The man put on a troubled expression and, after thinking for a moment, said, “Seven hundred is still a bit low. Seven hundred and twenty—if that’s fine, I’ll sell. If not, I’ll find someone else.”

With that, he pretended to leave—but walked so slowly it was obvious he was giving Zhou Dafu time to think.

Zhou Dafu fell into deep thought. He was afraid that if he didn’t agree, the man would walk away. This was a rare opportunity, right in front of him. He’d missed chances like this before—just one step away, and someone else took it.

After thinking it through, he said, “Alright, let’s go with seven hundred and twenty yuan. When will we make the transaction?”

The man didn’t expect this bumpkin to actually have that much money, but that money would soon be his. He suppressed his glee and said, “Right now is fine. I’ll go get a transfer agreement for you.”

Then the two of them walked over to a spot near the subdistrict office. The man said, “Comrade, wait here. I’ll go inside and get the agreement drafted. Then we’ll do a proper handover—cash for the contract.”

Zhou Dafu immediately grew suspicious. “Why can’t I come with you?”

The man tried to smooth-talk him. “The government doesn’t really encourage these kinds of private transfers. If you came along, it’d be obvious we’re not relatives. That might cause problems later. When you report to work, just say you’re my nephew.

Besides, we’re right outside the subdistrict office. If I were planning to scam you, would I really bring you all the way here? Aren’t I afraid of getting caught?”

Zhou Dafu thought it made sense. He really didn’t know much about official policies, so he said, “Alright, I’ll wait for you here.”

The man nodded. “Okay, don’t wander off. Just wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

He had gone through a lot of trouble to trick this bumpkin—even preparing a fake transfer agreement. He needed to buy enough time to get out of city quietly.

When he got to the subdistrict office, the gatekeeper didn’t stop him. This guy was a known figure around here—a petty thief who made frequent trips to the police station. But his crimes were always minor, so he usually just got a lecture at the office.

Inside, he found Clerk Liao and immediately changed his demeanor, smiling ingratiatingly. “Clerk Liao, could you please write me a letter of introduction? I want to head south and try my luck.”

Clerk Liao couldn’t stand the sight of this man. If it weren’t for him, he wouldn’t constantly be getting chewed out by Director Li. Hearing that the guy was finally leaving his jurisdiction, Liao didn’t bother with small talk. He just wrote the letter of introduction and sent him on his way.

The man took the letter and left. As he turned, he pulled the fake job transfer agreement from his pocket and swapped it in, putting the real letter away.

Once done, he strutted out of the subdistrict office.

Zhou Dafu saw the man return with a transfer agreement in hand, and all his doubts vanished.

The man approached and said, “Alright, now we can make the trade—cash for the agreement.”

This time, Zhou Dafu didn’t hesitate. He pulled out the money he’d stashed in the inner lining of his coat, counted out seventy-two large bills, and handed them over. “Comrade, please count it.”

The man took the money, counted carefully, and, seeing it was all there, handed over the transfer agreement. “We’re square now.”

Zhou Dafu took the paper like it was a treasure, checked it over, and, seeing no problems, quickly took off.

It was already getting dark. Walking back to the village would mean arriving late at night—and walking at night wasn’t safe. Better to stay over at Uncle Sixteen’s place.

After spending the night, he could borrow Uncle Sixteen’s bike to go back to the village and pack a few things. He was about to become an honorable factory worker, and the joy in his heart was indescribable.

The subdistrict office wasn’t far from Zhou Yimin’s house. Zhou Dafu came here often, so no one stopped him when he arrived at the courtyard—they all knew he was Yimin’s older nephew from the countryside.

Zhou Yimin was surprised. “Who’d be looking for me at this hour?” He opened the door—and there stood Zhou Dafu.

“Dafu? What are you doing in city? Brought back more game?”

Zhou Dafu replied, “Uncle Sixteen, I came to the city to buy a job—and I got one at the steel factory!”

He even waved the transfer agreement in his hand with pride.

Zhou Yimin was speechless. This guy was still chasing the factory worker dream?

But buying a job wasn’t cheap. Looks like he poured all his hunting earnings into this—probably even borrowed a bunch.

“Let me see. Which workshop were you assigned to?”

Zhou Dafu quickly handed over the agreement. Since Uncle Sixteen was familiar with the steel factory, maybe he could help him find a good mentor.

Zhou Yimin took one look and immediately spotted a problem—the stamp on the agreement was wrong. It was clearly a fake.

His tone darkened. “Dafu, you’ve been scammed. This transfer agreement is fake.”

(End of Chapter)