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墨書 Inktalez
After being in the capital for a while, what made him feel proud was probably his ability to navigate the streets; he could quickly find routes just by looking at a map.
When he got home, it was only eight-thirty, so Jiang Yizhou took two programming books he had finished reading back to the library and decided to stop by Yue Tan Post Market to check on the market situation.
As for what he had seen and heard that morning, Jiang Yizhou felt powerless and didn't want to get involved. Deep down, he was still someone who feared death. Seeing that person being questioned by the police and scared to the point of wetting himself made him wonder how he would react in such a situation.
Probably… he would be just as cowardly, pulling out the phone line, locking the doors and windows, turning off the lights, and huddling in a corner, letting the evils outside unfold. Eventually, when it was all over and daylight came, he would be dragged from the corner for questioning…
That would be another version of himself. In his previous life, living in a stable and developing era, the worst experience he had was bare-knuckle fights in school. Even if he couldn't see that deceased person again, it must have left him with scars that far exceeded what he could bear.
Like most people, no matter how serious an issue was, as long as they felt it was far removed from their own lives or unlikely to happen to them, indifference would take over. At most, out of a sense of public duty, they might express some sympathy online for the victims; that was just who he was!
Sometimes he even felt hypocritical but hesitated to show even that little bit of kindness because he knew he couldn't do anything.
"Comrade, could you give this old gentleman your seat?" The Ticket Seller couldn't stand it any longer. Scanning the area, she noticed Jiang Yizhou next to the Old Man who was fidgeting and chose her target.
Jiang Yizhou felt somewhat relieved as he stood up from his seat and politely offered it to the Old Man.
The Ticket Seller didn't know what else to do; it was hard to judge such people. She had to give them a push; otherwise, they might hesitate until they got off.
Having escaped from the awkward situation that started when he got on the bus, Jiang Yizhou happily hummed a tune. Initially, when Jiang Yizhou got on the bus and found an empty seat, he sat down right away. However, at the next stop, several people boarded, leaving only the Old Man standing by the back door next to him.
If only he had known not to sit down; let someone else deal with this awkwardness! Standing was tiring but allowed him to avoid this moral dilemma.
"Yue Tan East Gate has arrived! Anyone getting off?" The Ticket Seller shouted. Besides Jiang Yizhou, a few others began to move.
As soon as the door opened, Jiang Yizhou rushed off towards Postal Market. He bought a ticket for one yuan at the entrance and felt a bit pained as he walked into Postal Market.
"Hey there, brother! You're back again?" Jiang Yizhou was suddenly called out while aimlessly listening for news. Turning around, he saw the shop owner who had sold him a Phone Card last time. Could it be that they remembered him?
With a smile still on his face, Jiang Yizhou turned his head and greeted the shop owner, "Boss, why did you change your spot? Is business good lately?"
"Thanks to you, more and more people have been coming in to buy Postage Currency Cards recently. I've made quite a bit, but I still haven't met many generous folks like you, haha!" The shop owner was in a good mood, chatting with Jiang Yizhou from behind the stall.
Perhaps he shouldn't have bought so many at once? Jiang Yizhou thought about quietly making a fortune! After seeing so much, his imagination had expanded; he had encountered enough paranoid logic to realize that people actually remembered him. He needed to be careful in the future!
"By the way, boss, how's the market for Phone Cards these days?" Jiang Yizhou inquired, though he didn't hold out much hope.
"It's gone up a bit. Take those two items you bought; they've already exceeded their face value. The Map Test Card is at fifty-two, and the Pig Card is at fifty-four now. You've got a good eye, brother!"
Laughing together, Jiang Yizhou chatted with the shop owner for a while. Not long after, someone else arrived, and the shop owner handed him a business card—Zhang Yuejin. Alright, that was quite an old-fashioned name; one could guess his age just by hearing it.
Walking through the Postal Market and seeing the Phone Cards displayed on the stalls made Jiang Yizhou feel as if he were looking at sheets of gold foil. They had risen to their peak; they were indeed not cheaper than gold!
However, when he reached into his pocket and felt it was emptier than his face, Jiang Yizhou could only sigh in despair. Sometimes being able to borrow money was also a skill. In this era where consumer loans hadn't taken off yet, even if he wanted to borrow money, he couldn't. As for loan sharks—forget it! They were just a bunch of ruthless people who would eat you alive; he was terrified of them.
Now he realized how good family relationships could be; at least there were interest-free loans. In his previous life, when his family built a house, they borrowed several thousand dollars and took ten years to pay it back. If there had been interest or even usury involved, that would have been disastrous!
Should he go back home and sneak out the family savings book? His mother probably wouldn't notice...
Jiang Yizhou suddenly shook his head vigorously, dismissing that idea. His mother in this life was a meticulous manager of finances; while she couldn't oversee him outside, she kept a tight grip on major matters at home.
What should he do? This was such a great opportunity; if he missed it, it would be a huge regret!
Feeling the coins in his pocket, Jiang Yizhou exited the Postal Market and boarded the bus back to his residence.
Looking out at the low-rise buildings outside, there weren't many skyscrapers; the light pollution made it feel colder compared to future times.
How could he come up with some money? Jiang Yizhou's mind became increasingly active as he thought about how investing just one dollar now could turn into ten or twenty by next March—even fifty dollars! Such a good investment was truly hard to let go of!
Once a person's desires are ignited, they cannot be extinguished; they only grow stronger until reality douses them with cold water.
Back at home, the old man looked at the somewhat restless Jiang Yizhou and asked, "Where did you go?"
Jiang Yizhou answered honestly, "I went to the Postal Market."
"How was it? Did you lose or make money?"
"I made some, maybe around ten to twenty percent..."
Jiang Yizhou mustered his courage and bowed to the old man. "Uncle, can you lend me a bit more money? I really don't want to miss this opportunity. I think I can at least triple or quadruple it. When the time comes, I'll pay you back double!"
"Bang~~"
The old man slammed his hand on the table in frustration. "Has your brain gone soft? Are you bewitched? At first, I thought you wanted to make some money. I was worried about your impulsiveness, so I told you to hold back your salary and write an IOU. Do you even know what you're thinking right now? You're a gambler!"
After taking a breath and not being able to see his hunched nephew's face, Jiang Maode continued with disappointment, "Can't you just obediently work hard to earn money? Do you think collecting those things is something you can do? That's for people who already have money to play with. Yi Zhou, listen to Uncle; be honest. If you want to improve yourself and learn a skill, I won't stop you, but everything else is off the table!"
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