Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 89 Not everything needs to be fought

Film and television equipment is specialized and the circle is not large. As long as it hasn't been leaked too far, there is a chance to find it back.

For film crews, the daily costs of labor, equipment, and venue rental are not small. Even a single day's delay can result in enormous expenses.

We can pay the money, but filming can't stop, and we can't afford to waste any more time.

Qi Yue acted quickly. Without alerting too many people, he found a middleman who ran a second-hand equipment business around Hengdian based on the clues written down by Lao Zhou.

"Brother...where are we going?"

Just as I stepped out of the hotel lobby, a slightly hesitant voice came from behind me:

Qi Yue turned around and saw Jiang Jinfu, dressed in sportswear, standing there somewhat awkwardly.

"What's up?"

"N-nothing's wrong."

Jiang Jinfu quickened his pace to catch up, but hesitated somewhat.

"Is Brother going out on errands?"

"Yeah, I'm going out to take care of something."

Qi Yue walked to his black SUV, opened the car door, and...

"Want to come together?"

"Huh?" Jiang Jinfu was taken aback. "Sure, sure! Of course! You can call me Xiao Jiang or Jinfu, it's fine!"

Only after the car drove out of the hotel did Jiang Jinfu calm down a little from his excitement.

"Brother, where are we going?"

Qi Yue hung up the phone and looked him up and down, paying particular attention to his strong shoulders and arms.

"How many can you take on by yourself at most?"

"ah?!"

......

Saying they'd fight was a joke, of course. We live in a society governed by law, and the other side isn't a gangster, so why would we fight?

He's got a muscular build and is over 1.8 meters tall; he's definitely good at helping to hold things up.

The car made several turns and finally stopped at an electronics store near Hengdian.

Based on the address provided by Lao Zhou, they found a shop with a sign that read "Lehang Film and Television Equipment Repair and Second-hand Trading".

Jiang Jinfu got off the car. He knew from the car that they were there to find a batch of stolen equipment, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

This place doesn't look like a legitimate business at all.

The room was dimly lit and filled with various photography equipment, both new and old. There was a smell of machine oil and dust in the air.

A lean, middle-aged man wearing greasy overalls was wiping a camera lens behind the counter.

Seeing Qi Yue and Jiang Jinfu enter, especially Jiang Jinfu's obviously trained physique and his tense, deliberately serious expression, he paused in his actions.

"Boss, what would you like to see?" The middle-aged man put down the camera, his tone indifferent.

"Find Old Cat," Qi Yue said bluntly.

The middle-aged man's eyes flickered, and he said with a forced smile:

"What old cat? We don't have anyone like that here. Are you sure you haven't come to the wrong place?"

Without further ado, Qi Yue pulled up a photo on his phone, a close-up of the model and serial number of a missing special-purpose camera:

"Three days ago, someone sold a batch of goods from you, including this. I am the owner."

The middle-aged man's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and chuckled:

"Sir, you can't just say things like that. I only deal in legitimate secondhand goods; the sources are all clean. There are tons of machines of the same model in your photo; how can you prove it's from me?"

"Old Zhou introduced me," Qi Yue said, carefully observing the other person's reaction.

Upon hearing "Old Zhou," the man's eye twitched noticeably, indicating that he could no longer deny it.

His smile faded, and his eyes darkened.

"So it was him... that good-for-nothing. He didn't even clean up his own mess, and he still brought customers to my door. Fine, let's not beat around the bush, the goods are with me. But the rules of the trade are that once the money and goods are exchanged, there are no refunds. If you want them back, you can have them, at market price plus a 30% service fee."

He quoted a figure higher than the price of a brand new purchase, clearly taking advantage of Qi Yue's eagerness for the equipment and wanting to rip him off.

Jiang Jinfu listened from the side, his brows furrowed and his fists clenched. Wasn't this blatant robbery?

"In Hengdian, quick wit and observation are crucial for making a living," Qi Yue laughed, completely unfazed by the other party's blackmail.

"That equipment is the crew's special equipment, with internal markings and the rental company's code on it. If you consume it, it's stolen goods. Since I've found this place, I have a way to make sure you get nothing from this batch of goods, not earn a single penny, and get yourself into a lot of trouble."

"I've already spoken to the leasing company. As soon as this batch of equipment appears on the market, someone will be eyeing it. Of course, you can also sell it piecemeal, but I'm not afraid to tell you, you probably won't even break even if you sell the parts."

The man's expression changed. In his line of work, what he feared most was getting involved with tough guys like this—people with connections, influence, and knowledge of the industry's rules.

Qi Yue observed the changes in his expression and knew that the time was right. He then handed over his business card.

"I'm not here to haggle with you today, I'm here to resolve the issue. I'll buy back the equipment at the original price, the same price you paid to Lao Zhou, plus a 20% markup. You can do the math yourself."

Old Cat quickly weighed the options in his mind, cursing Old Zhou again for making such a promise that nothing would happen!

We've really messed up today. The other side isn't bluffing; they genuinely have the resources and the means. Add to that the burly man behind us who's clearly not someone to mess with...

"Director Qi, right?" Old Cat's tone softened. "Wait a moment, I'll make a call and ask..."

He needed to consult his supplier, since such a large shipment couldn't be decided by him alone.

Qi Yue didn't urge him, but just watched him leisurely.

A few minutes later, Old Cat hung up the phone, walked back with a complicated expression, and gritted his teeth:

"Alright! Director Qi, you're agreeable, and so am I! We'll do as you say, add 20%, and you can take the equipment! But one thing, this matter ends here! As for Old Zhou, and the loan sharks..."

"Old Zhou has already reported it to the police, and the law will handle his case. As for the loan sharks, they're after Old Zhou. As long as the equipment is returned to Zhao intact, I have no interest in causing any further trouble."

Qi Yue made a promise. His goal was simply to retrieve the equipment and ensure filming, and he didn't want to get involved in more complicated江湖恩怨 (jianghu grievances).

"Deal!" Old Cat finally made up his mind.

Soon, deep inside the warehouse, Qi Yue and Jiang Jinfu spotted the stolen equipment.

After verifying that everything was correct, Qi Yue transferred the money on the spot.

Watching the equipment being carefully loaded onto the vehicle, Qi Yue nodded to Old Cat, who was forcing a smile:

"Thanks. I'll conduct business properly in Hengdian from now on."

After saying that, he turned and left with Jiang Jinfu.

Back in the car, Jiang Jinfu let out a long sigh of relief. Although he hadn't said anything, he had been on edge the whole time.

"Bro, you were so awesome just now! I thought we were really going to have a fight."

Qi Yue started the car. "Jinfu, we are civilized people. We can't solve everything with a fight."

Jiang Jinfu nodded blankly, "Oh, I understand, Chinese people don't fight Chinese people."

"You don't understand anything!"