"Bro, what's the deal here, Hacker Empire?"
In the taxi, the driver was very curious about Zhao Guang, who was dressed in a suit and sunglasses and carrying two suitcases.
Zhao Guang vaguely responded, barely speaking the entire trip. His butt wound hadn't healed yet, and he endured without half-leaning back, afraid of being seen as a pervert again.
Before leaving the house yesterday, Zhao Guang had cleaned and dried all the Gold Coins.
Today, carrying two small suitcases, one in each hand, while trying to look nonchalant. But he hadn't walked far before his hands began to tremble; the contents of those suitcases were just too heavy.
Seeing that Zhao Guang was not fond of talking, the taxi driver lost his enthusiasm for the conversation.
"This is the place," Zhao Guang said, flexing his wrists while eyeing the gold shop in front of him. It was a large store; hopefully, they wouldn't cheat him. Still, without any connections of his own, what choice did he have?
He had been quiet during the trip, even switching taxis three times.
The mere cost of transportation was more than 500 yuan—this was how much he feared being discovered.
Entering the shop, Zhao Guang wasted no time and spoke in a low voice, "I have a large amount of Gold to sell; get your manager."
The receptionist, upon seeing Zhao Guang's appearance and the suitcases, decided it was best to get the manager.
Whether he had actual gold or just mental issues, it was up to the manager to handle it.
"Hello, my last name is Wang. And yours, sir?"
"The honor is mine; last name Li," Zhao Guang replied quietly, now regretting not having bought a voice changer beforehand.
Indeed, missing the smallest detail could be critical, but since he had already come this far, he could only continue.
"Sir, you mentioned you have Gold to sell; let's see it."
Without hesitation, Zhao Guang opened one of the cases and pulled out a handful of Gold Coins. The manager was taken aback by the unfamiliar coins.
"Do you have an invoice?"
"Do you think I should have an invoice?"
The two stared at each other until the manager realized that his question was rather stupid. How could such standard Gold Coins possibly have an invoice?
"If you don't mind, may we test them?"
"Be my guest," Zhao Guang watched the manager leave, his heart pounding rapidly.
This kind of huge transaction was a first in his life, filling him with excitement. If not for the sunglasses, he might have given himself away.
After regaining his composure, Manager Wang returned with several people and some equipment.
After some incomprehensible tests, an old master spoke, "It's gold, but the smelting quality is poor, too much impurity, only about 72%."
While speaking, they checked each Gold Coin carefully as if paranoid about fakes. Upon confirming the gold was real, Manager Wang's smile became more natural; successfully handling this deal would be a significant achievement.
"Well, although the Gold is real, we are a legitimate shop with official channels for acquiring gold. Your Gold here is obviously illicit, so…"
"Name your price," Zhao Guang knew this was the beginning of a price negotiation.
"How about 200 yuan per gram? That's quite a high offer already."
"Don't try to fool me; I've checked, and the gold price has already hit 500 today."
"Your gold isn't pure, and we'd need to refine it. Moreover, the price you mentioned is due to the international influence and isn't sustainable, is it?"
Zhao Guang pursed his lips, "It could also continue rising, right? The official channels' price can't be lower than this. Besides, this is just the first batch; if the price is not satisfactory, it will be the last one."
One rule of survival—always have a backing, even if you have to invent one.
Manager Wang didn't find it strange, after all such a large amount of gold couldn't possibly come from one person alone. Whether there were more to come or not was another matter.
After some haggling, the other side stubbornly held onto the price of 280 yuan per gram, leaving Zhao Guang without options.
Maybe this was the bottom line, considering he didn't understand the industry.
"Fine, I'll keep looking around for other deals. If the price doesn't work out, I won't come looking for you again."
Manager Wang bowed slightly, "Rest assured, you won't find a higher price anywhere else. Shall we make the transaction now, or do you need more time to think it over?"
Zhao Guang pondered; he didn't have time to waste—greater wealth awaited him in another world.
"No need, let's proceed with the transaction." He gave a card number to the manager.
As his phone chimed with each new deposit, Zhao Guang felt waves of excitement. Over ten million yuan—more than he could ever earn in a lifetime of regular work. At this moment, he considered the possibility of retiring on this windfall.
But suddenly, Zhao Guang shook his head, realizing this was just the beginning—he couldn't squander this opportunity given by fate.
"Where to, sir? We could offer you a ride."
"I'm off to the tax bureau," Zhao Guang said with a smile at Manager Wang. Whatever the manager was thinking, let him dare make a scene at the tax office.
"Ha-ha, you're quite the joker, sir. If you plan to pay taxes, it's better to set up a company and trade under its name, that way you can save a lot. If you don't trust someone to do it, we can recommend one for you."
"Thank you for the advice, but there's no need for a lift."
Zhao Guang left without even his suitcases, unafraid of what the manager might find, and went on his way.
"Manager, why offer such a high price? It's clear that these are illicit goods; we could have pressed for a lower price."
"What do you know? These aren't commemorative coins; they show wear and tear. Though I don't recognize them, who knows which era or region they might be from? If we package them right, they could fetch an even higher price," Manager Wang said while pulling out his phone and stepping aside to make a call, leaving the others looking at each other in bewilderment.
That's why he was the manager, and they hadn't noticed it themselves. No wonder he was so confident letting that man inquire elsewhere—the price they were offering for these dubious items was already quite generous.
Having left the shop, Zhao Guang carefully considered and decided to look for ways to set up a company.
"Just spend a little more money, and it can be arranged in a few days. After all, it's only a shell company; not a big deal." Zhao Guang hailed a taxi and set off toward his goal.