Chapter 5: A Face-to-Face Deal in the Same City!

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Ringing, ringing, ringing—
At 7 a.m. the next morning, Jiang Tao was awakened by the alarm on his phone.
As soon as he opened his eyes, a slightly goofy smile spread across his face.
He had dreamed last night.
In his dream, the watch he had listed on the secondhand marketplace had sold for 8,000 yuan!
Thinking of this, he reached under his pillow and pulled out the small watch to take a look.
Seeing the watch still there, not just a dream, Jiang Tao let out a long breath of relief.
If he had woken up to find yesterday was all just a dream, that would have been a real disappointment!
After checking the watch, Jiang Tao opened WeChat to look at his winning records.
The winning records were still there; everything from yesterday was real, not a dream!
Then he checked the secondhand marketplace app to see the status of his listing.
The moment he opened the app, Jiang Tao saw that his account had received over a dozen messages!
In just one night, more than ten people had shown interest in his treasure and sent inquiries.
One of them, with the nickname “It’s Jingjing,” was a potential buyer from the same city as Jiang Tao.
She asked if they could conduct the transaction in person, wanting to inspect the item first and then pay and receive it on the spot.
After all, it was over 8,000 yuan for a secondhand item.
Not being able to see the actual product, it was natural for many to feel uneasy.
Jiang Tao thought it over and replied to “It’s Jingjing” that face-to-face trading was fine, asking her to specify the location.
Ding dong!
Less than three seconds after he sent the message, the reply came.
It’s Jingjing: Is the Nanluoguxiang subway station okay?
There was a direct subway route from Jiang Tao’s place to Nanluoguxiang, about an hour’s trip.
For 8,000 yuan, the trip was well worth it!
Jiang Tao immediately confirmed the exact meeting time with “It’s Jingjing,” setting it for 10 a.m. that morning.
It was only a little past 7 a.m., so he had plenty of time.
After getting dressed, he went downstairs to a small commercial street in the urban village and treated himself to a rare indulgence at a lamb soup shop.
A bowl of lamb offal soup with meat and a crispy flatbread cost a total of 33 yuan.
After the meal, he instantly felt warm all over!
Stepping outside, he crunched through the snow as he headed toward where he had parked his vehicle yesterday.
Stopping beside the truck, he looked at the spiderweb-cracked glass and the hole in it.
A wide smile spread across Jiang Tao’s face.
An iPhone 15 worth over 4,000 yuan, plus a women’s watch worth more than 10,000 yuan—
Enough to pay for dozens of windshields!
That broken glass was worth every penny!

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“Jiang Tao, what are you grinning about over there? You’ve got a good attitude, kid. The car’s smashed up like this, and you’re still smiling.”
While Jiang Tao was lost in thought, a man’s voice came from nearby.
Looking up, he saw his fellow villager Wang Lianming gliding over from the side.
“Have a smoke?”
Wang Lianming stopped by Jiang Tao’s side, pulled a pack of Liqun cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, and handed it to Jiang Tao, lighting one for himself as well.
“Thanks, Brother Wang.”
Jiang Tao lit the cigarette, took a puff, smiled, and said thanks before adding:
“Brother Wang, are you working today? I guess with this lousy weather, there won’t be much work.”
“Whether you have dates or not, better to try a couple of jobs. Sitting at home or at the market is the same thing.”
“Maybe you’ll get a gig—then at least you’ve got your daily meals covered!”
“You’re probably going to fix the car, huh? Alright, get going then. I won’t keep you; I’m off.”
Wang Lianming said this, then turned and headed to his truck, started it up, and drove toward the market.
“Life’s tough for everyone.”
Jiang Tao looked up at the sky. Although the snowfall had lessened, it was still snowing.
Even in weather like this, workers don’t get a break.
Especially those like him and Wang Lianming who worked independently; resting a day meant losing a day’s pay.
Without a special reason, they rarely took time off.
Even with a cold or fever, if it was time to work, they had to work.
If he hadn’t found the Daily Intelligence System,
most likely he’d be stuck working at the Hongxing wholesale market for life—
working until his sixties before retiring back to the countryside,
then finding a security guard job to scrape by,
and finally living out his old age at home, waiting to die.
This was the fate of most rural folks.
Finding the Daily Intelligence System yesterday felt like the turning of the gears of his destiny.
His life might be about to change.
“I don’t ask for riches or glory, just to achieve financial freedom—to never worry about food or drink—and I’d be satisfied!”
Jiang Tao pulled himself together, brushed the snow off the glass, and got into his car.
Starting it up, he drove to his regular auto repair shop.
After some bargaining with the owner, the windshield replacement was set at 680 yuan.
He could pick up the car by four or five in the afternoon.
Jiang Tao left the car at the repair shop and took the bus to Zhuxinzhuang to catch the Line 8 subway.
It was just the morning rush hour.
The subway was packed, and finding a seat was nearly impossible.

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Jiang Tao shoved his hands into his pockets, tightly clutching the watch, afraid someone might steal it.
After a bumpy hour-long ride, he finally arrived at Nanluoguxiang subway station, where he had arranged to meet the client.
He followed the crowd off the train.
Taking out his phone, he checked the time—only 9:30 a.m.
Still about half an hour before the meeting.
With nowhere else to go, Jiang Tao found an empty bench and sat down.
He admired the stylish sharkskin pants people wore while waiting for the customer.
After all, Beijing was a big city, with far more beautiful women than in his hometown of Ping County.
Within a short time, he spotted seven or eight beauties as attractive as his own wife.
Ding ding ding—
While admiring the pants, his phone rang, showing an unfamiliar local number.
“Hello.”
Jiang Tao swiped to answer the call.
“Yes, this is Jiang Tao.”
“Yes, that’s my ID card.”
“Yes, that’s my address.”
“Alright, thank you very much!”
“Okay, goodbye! Wish you a pleasant day!”
“I’ll definitely support your iced tea every day! I’ll buy your products daily!”
“Alright, goodbye!”
After hanging up, Jiang Tao’s face lit up with a happy smile.
That was a call from the iced tea company confirming his details—they said the phone he had won would be delivered today!
Ding ding ding—
No sooner had he ended that call than another came in.
“Hello.”
“I’m already at Nanluoguxiang, B2 exit, right? Great, great!”
“Please wait, I’ll be right there!”
“Alright! If I can’t find you, I’ll call again.”
While on the call, Jiang Tao glanced at the station’s signs and headed toward the B2 exit.
At the B2 exit of the subway station,
Jiang Tao immediately spotted a tall girl standing by a window, wearing a white long down coat and a cute pink fluffy hat.