After the policy was implemented, the tenants at the time began to use the civil defense projects to open underground hotels, but the number was not large.
However, by the late 1990s, with the influx of a large number of migrants, the situation had changed dramatically. By 2004, Beijing had reached a peak in renting out civil defense facilities. According to statistics, the number of people living in basements in Beijing had reached nearly one million.
This kind of basement is completely different from the basement where Wang Qiming, played by Jiang Wen, first went to New York in the TV series "A Native of Beijing in New York". It is usually only three to five square meters in size, and after putting a bed down, it becomes difficult to even turn around.
Even a basement like this costs around three or four hundred yuan a month to rent. Most of the people living here are migrant workers who toil during the day, doing the most menial jobs and earning the meager wages. At night, they return to the ground and curl up in a space the size of a matchbox, waiting for dawn.
Because of the low room rates, management is naturally lagging behind. Unlike hotels and inns where you have to show your ID to check in, landlords don't care as long as you can afford the rent. As a result, it's a mixed bag and extremely chaotic place.
The people who live here used to be quite well-educated. Many celebrities, such as Sun Nan and Xu Wei, came from basements when they were working in Beijing. However, in recent years, basements have lost their reputation.
We often see news reports of bizarre deaths in basements. Without a doubt, it's because prostitutes brought clients home for business, or the price wasn't agreed upon, or they encountered someone who tried to rob them after taking advantage of them. In short, basements have slowly become places of crime.
Most people would find these basements damp, decaying, cramped, stuffy, and dark, but for Yu Zhenping, they brought a sense of relief after suppressing his emotions for more than half a year.
Compared to the sunlight outside, Yu Zhenping prefers to stay in such a place, which is damp, decaying, cramped, stuffy, and dark, just like a tomb.
Having lived for 32 years, half of which he has spent underground, Yu Zhenping is very adapted to this environment. If he could, he would like to live in such a place for the rest of his life, as the darkness makes him feel very safe.
However, Yu Zhenping is in a very bad mood right now. The reason is simple: several antique dealers he has contacted recently have all expressed interest in his two items, but they are offering very low prices. One dealer was even willing to offer only 5,000 yuan for each item, or 10,000 yuan for both.
Yu Zhenping knew that these people could tell that his items were of dubious origin, which was why they were lowering the prices. While Yu Zhenping was angry about this, he felt more helpless, because he was now almost at his wit's end.
After escaping from Shaanxi, Yu Zhenping was penniless. His bank accounts were in the hands of his boss, Yu Laoda. He dared not go home or go to crowded places.
Yu Zhenping walked along the railway for four days. When he was hungry, he would steal food from the homes of scavengers by the railway and drink water from valve repair shops when he was thirsty. Finally, he arrived in Zhengzhou, Henan, where Yu Laoda had set up three places to stay.
The cultural relics they had unearthed over the years but had not sold were all hidden in these three places. However, to Yu Zhenping's despair, he only found six hundred yuan from the three places.
Although Yu Zhenping was short, what could he do with 600 yuan? So Yu Zhenping took a bronze candlestick, used the 600 yuan for travel expenses, went to Hebei, and sold the bronze candlestick for 20,000 yuan. However, during the transaction, he was spotted by the police.
Yu Zhenping threw down the candlestick, grabbed the money, and, taking advantage of his small size, managed to hide and escape in great danger.
However, what made Yu Zhenping so angry afterward was that of the 20,000 yuan he had risked his life to get back, 15,000 yuan of it was actually counterfeit.
Chapter 679 Yu Zhenping (Part 2)
Boss Yu was as cunning as a fox and extremely suspicious. Although the core members of this tomb raiding gang were all family members, Boss Yu still divided their work into detailed divisions, with each person responsible for their own tasks, and strictly forbade them from questioning each other's responsibilities.
As for the money, it was naturally in the hands of Boss Yu. Boss Yu was responsible for facilitating communication with Hong Kong. After he was shot and killed in a standoff with the police in Guangdong, only Boss Yu knew about this line of communication.
After Yu Laoda impulsively self-destructed in Shaanxi, all contact with Hong Kong was completely severed.
Yu Zhenping was in charge of finding and excavating tombs. As for the location of these antiques, he only found out after Yu Laoliu was killed. Because of his short stature, Yu Zhenping had always disliked interacting with people, so he didn't know anyone in the antique circle.
The reason he went to an antique market in a city in Hebei to trade items was to avoid arousing suspicion about his hiding place in Zhengzhou. However, to Yu Zhenping's surprise, trouble still broke out.
Risking his life to sell antiques, Yu Zhenping only managed to get five thousand yuan, along with a pile of worthless counterfeit money, which nearly drove him crazy. After thinking about it carefully, he felt something was wrong; this was very likely a setup by the other party.
Even if he understands, what good will it do? Should he run back and kill all those people? If Yu Laoba were that brave, he wouldn't be hiding at home like a rat crossing the street all day. He would probably have already smuggled a few valuable antiques out of the country.
After this incident, Yu Zhenping knew he wasn't a businessman, and anyone who saw him like that would probably want to rip him off. Plus, he saw the wanted poster for him during his trip. After returning to Zhengzhou, Yu Zhenping went into hiding and dared not make any rash moves again.
Although Yu Laoba was small in stature, he ate quite a lot. And although the housing was free, the water and electricity bills still had to be paid. A mere five thousand yuan was simply not enough to cover his expenses. After seven or eight months, Yu Zhenping was almost out of money.
The room full of antiques was indeed valuable, but they couldn't fill an empty stomach. Yu Zhenping was truly sitting on a gold mine and almost starved to death.
With only 400 yuan left, Yu Zhenping climbed onto a coal train and arrived in Beijing, where he spent 280 yuan to rent a basement room with only one bed and a total area of no more than four square meters.
What might be an unbearable place for others, Yu Zhenping found quite comfortable. If it weren't for the groans that occasionally drifted from the opposite room, which was separated by wooden boards, Yu Zhenping would have wanted to stay there forever.
However, his purpose in coming to Beijing this time was to sell those two bronze artifacts. Yu Zhenping had already planned to sell the two items for 200,000 yuan, then return to Zhengzhou to hide for three to five years, and then find a way to go abroad after things calmed down.
Yu Zhenping knew that, given the crimes he had committed over the years, if he were caught, although he wouldn't necessarily get a beating on the head, he would be locked up behind bars for the rest of his life, singing "Tears Behind Bars."
Plans are subject to change. The two bronze wine vessels that Yu Zhenping thought were worth at least 500,000 yuan were unexpectedly offered lower and lower prices by everyone in Beijing. The highest bidder was the young man he had met yesterday.
After receiving the call from that monkey, Yu Zhenping spent a whole day holed up in his bed in the basement, finally deciding to sell. Circumstances forced him to act; if he didn't sell, he wouldn't even have enough for his living expenses, let alone phone bills. How was he supposed to survive without money?
"Brother Zhuang, that guy surnamed Ren agreed. Two items for 100,000 yuan. Hey, you're really a genius..."
After receiving the call from "Ren Mouren," Monkey immediately dialed Zhuang Rui's number. As far as Monkey knew, several people in Panjiayuan had their eyes on that item, but he didn't expect Zhuang Rui to be so ruthless in negotiating the price, and even then, they were willing to sell.
"Okay, I understand. Wait a minute, I'll find somewhere else to talk..."
Zhuang Rui is currently at home with his mother, wife, and the famous Xu, playing mahjong. However, Zhuang Rui's luck is really bad. In a game of mahjong that costs one yuan a hand, he has lost almost 100 yuan by discarding the winning tile and having others win by themselves.
After apologizing to his mother and inviting Peng Fei, who had been watching from the sidelines, to the table, Zhuang Rui took his phone and walked out of the private room, saying, "Monkey, when is the transaction? Does the other party want a card or cash?"
"Brother Zhuang, that guy surnamed Ren said he'd call me tomorrow morning. He wants cash and insists on going to the bank with us to withdraw the money..."
The monkey was a little confused. Direct bank transfers were so convenient, but little did he know that Yu Zhenping didn't have a bank account at all. All the money was originally in the hands of Boss Yu. Besides, even if he did, Yu Zhenping wouldn't dare to use it, as he might attract the attention of the police.
As for going to the bank to withdraw the money, Yu Zhenping was afraid that the money would be counterfeit again. Having been cheated once, he didn't want to be fooled again. He couldn't possibly see the money withdrawn from the bank counter with his own eyes still being fake, could he?
"Okay, no problem. I'll go to Panjiayuan first thing tomorrow morning and give you the card. You can find someone to take him to withdraw the money. Remember, you're just the middleman; someone else is buying something..."
Although there are some things you can pretend you don't know, that's still illegal. Of course, even if Zhuang Rui were to shout all over the street that he was doing something bad, the police wouldn't arrest him. They would most likely just call him and send him to a mental hospital.
But since they'd already started this charade, they had to keep going. For the sake of the big prize later, Zhuang Rui wasn't worried about the hassle, since it wasn't him who was actually making the deal.
"Don't worry, Brother Zhuang, I'll definitely get this done for you..."
The monkey thumped its chest on the other end of the phone. ...
"Brother Zhuang, this is Brother Niu, a friend I met in Panjiayuan. He's a really good guy, a very loyal buddy..."
When Zhuang Rui arrived at Panjiayuan early the next morning, there was a new face in his shop. As soon as he entered the shop, Monkey busied himself introducing him.
"What 'Brother Niu'? Boss Zhuang can just call him 'Old Niu'..."
"Old Niu, this matter has really troubled you..."
Zhuang Rui sized up Lao Niu. He was in his thirties, chubby, and his skin was slightly dark, probably from years of setting up a stall in Panjiayuan. He looked like a kind and honest man. Of course, these days, if you judge a book by its cover, you might end up being taken advantage of and still helping the seller count the money.
The man waved his hand, interrupting Zhuang Rui, and said, "I usually get along well with Monkey, this little thing is nothing, Mr. Zhuang, you're too kind..."
In Panjiayuan, you can't do business without a keen eye. Lao Niu could tell that Zhuang Rui's shop alone meant he was at least a multi-millionaire. If you got along well with someone like that, even if he managed to get something from someone else's pocket, it would be enough to feed you for years.
"Alright, then you have to take this old ox too. Not taking it would be disrespecting your little brother..."
As Zhuang Rui spoke, he took out a stack of RMB from his bag, handed it to Lao Niu, and said, "Just a small token of my appreciation..."
"Thank you very much, Boss Zhuang..."
Old Niu wasn't pretentious at all; he simply reached out and took it. "In our line of work, there are risks involved, so taking this money is perfectly reasonable."
Because they were waiting for Yu Zhenping's call, Zhuang Rui invited Lao Niu to sit down in a private room and have some tea. At 11:30 a.m., Monkey's phone suddenly rang.
"Hey, Mr. Ren, my friend and I have been waiting for your call. Name your place, and after we finish the deal, we'll treat you to dinner..."
The monkey has honed his skills; he speaks eloquently and persuasively, making Zhuang Rui nod in approval. He figured that if the monkey received some professional training, he could easily become a guide at his museum.
"No need, let's just each get what we need. After you leave Panjiayuan, turn right and walk straight for fifty meters. We'll meet there, okay?"
Yu Zhenping was still carrying a cake box. Opposite him was an elementary school. It was dismissal time, and groups of students were coming out of the school. The school gate was crowded with parents who had come to pick them up, creating a chaotic scene.
The clothes Yu Zhenping was wearing today were stolen from a family living on the first floor last night. In addition, he was wearing a sun hat that is very common in Beijing. Unless you stare at Yu Zhenping's face closely, you would not be able to tell his age at all.
"Mr. Ren, where are you? I'm right here, in this mess, and I can't see you anywhere..."
Unbeknownst to the monkey and the bull, just twenty or thirty meters away, Yu Zhenping was looking around, checking if anyone was following the monkey.
Yu Zhenping was already being quite cautious, but little did he know that the police were right behind him, and at least five or six of the students' parents were members of the special task force.
"Walk another fifteen meters forward, there's an ATM on the left side of the road. Just withdraw money from there..."
Yu Zhenping had already scouted out this area. It would be chaotic after school at noon, and even if the other side brought people or police, he was confident he could escape.
Upon hearing Yu Zhenping's words, the monkey became somewhat dissatisfied and grumbled, "Hey Boss Ren, you should at least show your face..."
"Young man, you'll see me after you withdraw the money..."
After Yu Zhenping finished speaking, he immediately hung up the phone and slowly moved towards the ATM. His eyes peered out from under his sun hat, scanning the area. If anything seemed amiss, he would immediately disappear into the crowd of students.
"Hello, hello? Mr. Ren? What... what kind of person is this..."
Monkey called out several times, but all he heard from the phone was a busy signal. Helpless, he could only drag Old Niu to the ATM to withdraw money. There were bank cameras on both sides of the ATM, so Old Niu was naturally in charge of withdrawing the money.
Chapter 680 The King of Thieves (Part 1)
"Hey, Mr. Ren, this ATM only allows withdrawals of 30,000 yuan per day, so there's no way to withdraw 100,000..."
After operating the ATM for a while, Lao Niu reluctantly stopped. After withdrawing 30,000 yuan, he reached the limit. Monkey quickly called Yu Zhenping again.
"Then you can go to the bank and withdraw the money. I'll wait for you at the entrance..."
Yu Zhenping saw clearly what Monkey and Da Niu were doing. He also knew that the two of them came with empty hands, so they probably wouldn't try to fool him with counterfeit money like last time.
However, Yu Zhenping will not follow him into the bank, because he knows that there are surveillance cameras inside, and he doesn't want to leave any trace.
"Alright, Mr. Ren, where are you?"
More than 10 minutes later, Monkey and Da Niu walked out of the bank. In Da Niu's hand, there was a plastic bag with "People's Bank of China" written on it, and 100,000 yuan was inside. Da Niu was very careful and put the plastic bag in front of his chest with both hands.
"I'm behind you..."
Yu Zhenping's voice rang out behind the two monkeys.
"Damn, Mr. Ren, don't be so scary. They're just two little gadgets, why are you being so cautious?"
The monkey was startled by Yu Zhenping's words. How could this guy appear and disappear so mysteriously? He turned around and stared for a while before recognizing the boy in the school uniform and sun hat. It was none other than "Boss Ren." "Boss Ren, this is Boss Niu. The money is all here. Where are your goods?"
Monkey patted the plastic bag on Da Niu's chest, then looked at the cake box in Yu Zhenping's hand. There were many cases of switching things in the antique business. If he paid for two fakes, he would have no face to see Zhuang Rui again.
"The item is here, you can take a look first..."
When Yu Zhenping saw the pink RMB banknotes revealed inside the slightly opened bag of Boss Niu, he felt reassured. They had been carrying several stacks of money when they went in, so it probably wasn't fake.
"Brother Niu, can you cover me up?"
The monkey, carrying a cake box, came to the school wall, opened the box, and took out a bronze wine vessel to examine it.
"Boss Niu, the goods are correct, you can give him the money now..."
Before coming, Zhuang Rui had told Monkey about two minor flaws on the bronze jue, so Monkey recognized it at a glance. It was indeed the same two bronze jue he had seen yesterday. He then gave Old Niu a wink, signaling him to hand over the money.
Seeing "Boss Ren" reach into the plastic bag to count money, the monkey didn't pay any attention. After he finished counting, the monkey held out his hand and said, "Boss Ren, if you ever get any good stuff in the future, please take care of me..."
"Definitely, definitely..."