Kai Zi’s words made An Xin roll her eyes.
“Kai Zi, isn’t this stating the obvious? Of course, I don’t know as much about freight as you do.”

Even in the dim light, An Xin noticed the faint smirk tugging at the corners of Kai Zi’s mouth. Without hesitation, she continued,
“But you seem to misunderstand something. To do freight business, you don’t need to be an expert. As long as there’s profit, why bother? Do you need to raise a pig just to eat pork?”

She couldn’t wrap her head around his logic. Did running a freight job require deep expertise to get started? If that were the case, most people would starve before ever earning a penny. Profitability was the key. Knowledge would come with experience.

Kai Zi was momentarily speechless.
An Xin’s blunt logic left him without a counterargument. Indeed, why overcomplicate things? As long as there’s money to be made, why obsess over understanding every nuance?

Standing in the shadows, Bai Yichen watched An Xin and Kai Zi converse. The two stood at a reasonable distance—close enough to talk, yet distant enough to remain formal. It was clear they weren’t as familiar as Bai Yichen had feared. They didn’t even seem like friends, more like business associates.

This realization brought a surprising lightness to Bai Yichen’s heart. The tension and gloom he’d been carrying began to lift. Perhaps this woman of his was far more capable than he’d imagined. The thought only deepened his curiosity about An Xin.

Meanwhile, Kai Zi finally broke the silence.
“Alright, An Xin. You said you want my trucks and drivers for ten days. What’s your offer?”

He had come around to her way of thinking. This woman was indeed something else. His trucks were idle anyway—better to make some money than none. As long as the deal wasn’t too unfavorable, he was willing to cooperate.

After all, business relationships start with small deals. Only through collaboration could he gauge her capabilities further.

An Xin exhaled discreetly, relieved. If he was discussing price, the deal was already 60% done. She quickly calculated and replied,
“Kai Zi, let’s cut to the chase—8,000 yuan. How about it?”

Hearing this, Kai Zi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the petite woman in front of him.
“An Xin, you want me and my team to work ten days for just 8,000 yuan? Does that sound fair to you?”

It was clear to him now—An Xin was no pushover. She was sharp and calculating, unwilling to overspend a single cent.

But 8,000 yuan for ten days of work? This girl had some nerve.

An Xin noticed his narrowed gaze but maintained her composure, even smiling slightly.
“Well then, Kai Zi. How much do you think is fair?”

Her initial offer was just a starting point to gauge his reaction. From his response, she could tell his expectations weren’t far from her ideal range.

Her subtle smile made Kai Zi uneasy, as though he’d fallen into her trap. Irritated, he scratched his head and said plainly,
“Fine. Let’s not beat around the bush. My team and I will do the job for ten days—make it an even 10,000 yuan. Take it or leave it.”

That sly smile of hers had him feeling like he was being played, but Kai Zi was a straightforward man. In the world of business and backroom deals, he was more used to making direct offers than haggling like this. Still, An Xin’s approach wasn’t distasteful—it was clever.

And honestly, based on their past collaboration, she seemed trustworthy enough. He decided to take the slight loss and settle for 10,000 yuan.

An Xin was surprised by his straightforwardness but pleased. Her smile grew wider.
“Deal!”

She had anticipated that 10,000 yuan was his bottom line. Knowing her initial bid was low, she was prepared to meet him there.

However, being a fair negotiator, An Xin quickly added,
“For these ten days, I’ll cover all fuel costs and meals for your team. No deductions from your payment.”

In other words, Kai Zi would walk away with a clean 10,000 yuan.

An Xin believed in fairness. If the other party was upfront and cooperative, she wouldn’t let them feel shortchanged. Besides, she had plenty of supplies in her storage space. Fuel and food were no problem; she could easily stash them in her rented courtyard.

Kai Zi didn’t expect her to take on the additional costs of fuel and meals. His surprise melted into a broad grin.
“An Xin, I didn’t think a little girl like you could be so generous.”

He’d calculated his price to include these costs, yet here she was, offering to cover them separately. It was clear she genuinely valued their collaboration.

An Xin, ever gracious, replied with a playful tone,
“Generous? Don’t say that! We’re partners. If we make money, we make it together.”

Her candidness impressed Kai Zi. This freight job was just the start—she was planning for long-term collaboration.

Kai Zi felt a rush of camaraderie.
“You’re right. Let’s make money together!”

Over the years, he had started as a car-wash boy, witnessing all kinds of people and experiencing the warmth and coldness of human nature, which had brought him to where he was today.

To outsiders, he was a young man who held the top position in the provincial capital’s taxi industry, and also managed a moderately sized freight team. But no one knew how difficult the road he had walked was.

He didn’t know how many businesses he had fought for from others, nor how many times he had lost business to others. In the face of money and interest, he had seen the ugly faces of many people.

But he never expected that one day, a young, lively girl would stand in front of him and say they would make money together.