Nobility: Status and Substance

Nobility: Status and Substance

"But."

"But" was a conjunction indicating a turn.

The two words people feared most in conversation were "but."

No matter how much praise came before, "but" was there to set up what followed.

The moment Jiang Hao heard those two words, his heart skipped a beat. He knew the pawnshop was about to bring down its cleaver.

"However, you can't provide an invoice, warranty card, function card, or even the watch box and tag. That greatly affects the price. You understand that if there really is a problem, we have to bear a certain amount of responsibility," the manager said sincerely.

Jiang Hao naturally understood what he meant by a problem. They were afraid the watch had an improper source and might be stolen goods.

"So our offer for this watch is 120,000."

120,000.

120,000.

120,000!

Jiang Hao had never even seen what 120,000 looked like in all his life, but he still resolutely took back the watch and put it on his wrist.

"I'll think about it. Goodbye."

With that, he walked out of the pawnshop without looking back.

This was outrageous. A watch worth 1.2 million, and they offered him only 120,000? Even if Laozi hadn't seen much money, he couldn't sell it off that cheaply.

Jiang Hao felt that bunch was nothing but vampires.

Still, the trip hadn't been for nothing. At the very least, an expert had confirmed that the watch was indeed a genuine Vacheron Constantin, worth over a million.

Unwilling to give up, Jiang Hao visited two more pawnshops. The results were about the same. There was nothing wrong with the watch; it was absolutely authentic. The only issue was their low offers, with the highest being 146,000.

That price was far below Jiang Hao's expectations. Since he had obtained the reward with such difficulty, he naturally hoped to sell it for a good price.

Tomorrow, he would ask at an auction house and see what the situation was.

On his way back, Jiang Hao couldn't bear to take a taxi again and squeezed onto a bus home. By the time he was done running around, it was already evening. He ate a bowl of noodles downstairs before heading up.

When he entered, he saw that the young couple he shared the apartment with had returned and were busy cooking in the kitchen. They exchanged greetings, and Jiang Hao went back to his room.

Lying on his bed, he opened the system manual again and continued studying its contents, afraid of missing even the smallest detail. He wanted to understand the system completely and thoroughly. After all, it concerned his life, his fortune, and his future happiness.

And so time passed bit by bit. He read from six in the evening until midnight before finally suppressing his excitement and making himself close his eyes to sleep.

Early the next morning, after washing up and eating breakfast downstairs, Jiang Hao took the bus to the company. It was an office building more than ten stories tall, reasonably imposing from the outside, with a large sign reading "Anxinda Insurance Company."

He took the elevator to the seventh floor, where their sales department was located. The moment Jiang Hao entered, he saw many of his colleagues already hard at work. When Xiao Yu saw him, she leaned over and asked, "Brother Jiang, how did it go yesterday?"

"Didn't close a single deal," Jiang Hao said calmly.

Xiao Yu looked at him, concern showing in her eyes. "That's dangerous. You're third from the bottom."

At that moment, a woman beside them in a sexy sheath dress put down her compact mirror, shot Jiang Hao a disdainful glance, and said, "Xiao Yu, you can't talk sense into someone like him. If you've got no ability, just admit it. You could at least make use of your strengths. What a waste of that pretty face. Such a stubborn fool—he deserves to get eliminated."

Xiao Yu pushed up her glasses and quickly said, "Sister Ma Su, Brother Jiang works very hard."

"What's the use of working hard? There are plenty of hardworking people these days. How many of them do you see succeeding? If you have capital, use it. Once you're old, you won't be able to use it even if you want to," Ma Su said contemptuously.

That was how things were these days. People mocked poverty, not prostitution. Money was king; without money, you were nothing.

Jiang Hao ignored the woman. He opened a document on his computer and hammered away at the keyboard. In just two minutes, a resignation letter was freshly completed.

Yes, Jiang Hao had come to resign today.

Holding the printed sheet, he knocked on the manager's door.

"Come in."

Jiang Hao pushed the door open. "Manager, I need to speak with you."

The manager was in his thirties, dressed formally in a suit and tie, with every strand of his hair meticulously combed—a successful man's look. When he saw it was Jiang Hao, his expression hardened. "Yesterday, I announced in the office that the bottom three in performance would be eliminated. What, have you come to beg? Let me tell you—"

Jiang Hao knew the guy was about to launch into one of his long speeches. During their usual brainwashing training sessions, he could go on for an hour without drinking water and never repeat himself.

Jiang Hao placed the resignation letter on the desk and pushed it forward. When the manager saw the words "Resignation Letter," he froze and looked up at Jiang Hao.

Jiang Hao said calmly, "Manager, I'm here to resign."

The manager paused for several seconds, and his expression softened considerably. "Actually, I've seen your efforts. I can give you another chance. Work harder next month."

Jiang Hao smiled faintly. "No need, Manager. Goodbye."

Without giving the other man another chance to speak, Jiang Hao walked straight out of the manager's office. The manager watched his retreating back, his face darkening.

Back at his desk, he took off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, found a cardboard box, and began packing his things.

At that moment, Xiao Yu ran over and asked, "Brother Jiang, you really resigned?" The other colleagues in the room also turned their eyes toward him.

"Yeah, I resigned," Jiang Hao answered as he packed.

"Then what are you going to do from now on?" Xiao Yu asked with concern.

Jiang Hao smiled. "Heh, it's not like I'll starve to death. I'll just find another job."

A male colleague beside him, Wu Jinsong, leaned over and said, "Exactly. Brother Jiang works hard. He can succeed anywhere. At our insurance company, real talent gets buried."

But Ma Su, standing nearby, said viciously, "A stubborn fool like him won't become talented anywhere."

Just then, Wu Jinsong happened to notice the watch on Jiang Hao's wrist and cried out, "Brother Jiang, that watch of yours... it can't be real, can it?"

Xiao Yu, who was beside Jiang Hao, looked over curiously. She did not know much about watches and had no idea what brand Jiang Hao's was. "Wu Jinsong, why are you making such a fuss? Isn't it just a watch?"

Wu Jinsong was a watch enthusiast—only an enthusiast, of course. His odd hobby had been inspired by a saying that circulated in society.

Someone once said, "The poor play with cars, the rich play with watches." Playing with cars was about showing off, while wearing a luxury watch reflected personal taste. It was understated, and that better displayed one's noble status and substance.

Wu Jinsong had fallen in love with watches because he thought that saying sounded incredibly pretentious. Still, he mainly learned about watches through magazines and the internet, and he was very familiar with the world's major brands.

Wu Jinsong moved closer to Jiang Hao, grabbed the hand Jiang Hao was using to pack, and examined it carefully. Having his hand grabbed by another man made Jiang Hao uncomfortable. "What are you doing?"

"Brother Jiang, let me take a closer look. Holy shit, no way... a classic Vacheron Constantin! I remember this model—it costs over a million!"

Wu Jinsong stared at Jiang Hao, his face full of shock.