Finally a Ten Thousand Yuan Household!

Minutes later, they arrived at the destination.

Fang Bai opened the shop door and turned on the power. Wang Hengli and the other two stepped inside.

"Factory Manager Ma, feel free to try it out." Fang Bai clapped his hands with a smile, gesturing at the drill press sitting in the middle of the room.

Ma Jingsen looked skeptical. "You really fixed it? What parts did you replace?"

"Swapped out some key components. Just those cost me two or three thousand." Fang Bai gave a vague answer. There was no way he'd tell him the specifics—even if Ma tore the machine apart, he wouldn't know, and besides, there was no chance he'd actually dismantle it.

"Why so expensive? It doesn't look like it from the outside."

"The parts I replaced are internal, imported stuff—of course they're pricey. If you don't believe me, take it apart and see for yourself." Fang Bai was betting they wouldn't bother dismantling it. Too much hassle, and even if they did, they wouldn't know which parts were swapped.

"No need. We'll know once we test it." Ma Jingsen smiled and told the driller to start.

Fang Bai handed a cigarette to Wang Hengli, and the two stood off to the side watching.

A few minutes later, the driller tested several steel plates. Using a caliper, he confirmed the hole diameters were well within the acceptable range, and the locking mechanism was working fine.

Everyone there knew the trade—the results were solid. Ma Jingsen had nothing to complain about and let his boss make the call.

The company needed the equipment urgently, and Wang Hengli didn't want to wait. He cut straight to the point. "Brother Fang, name your price. How much will you sell it for?"

"Market price is around fourteen thousand. Give me thirteen, Manager Wang, and it's yours. You know the condition of this machine—it's only been a few years since it was bought, no other issues." Fang Bai already knew what Wang Hengli was thinking. Thirteen thousand was his ceiling, mainly because he needed it fast.

Hearing the quote, Ma Jingsen and the driller coughed, choking on the shock.

Damn, this guy's got some nerve. Actually daring to ask for thirteen thousand!

If the boss weren't there, both of them would've cursed Fang Bai out. They knew exactly how much he'd paid for it.

Wang Hengli shook his head. "That's too steep. You bought it from me for three thousand. Even if the repair cost you the two-plus thousand you said, your total is only five or six thousand. Selling it for ten thousand would still be a profit."

"That's the market rate, Manager Wang. You're a businessman too—cost isn't just that two thousand. There's my space, my time, the risk. If I couldn't fix it, I'd be out several thousand. With that kind of risk, I'm only doubling my money. I doubt you'd take that gamble yourself." Fang Bai shook his head with a wry smile.

Hearing that, even Ma Jingsen found it reasonable.

If it were him, sinking a few thousand into it with the risk of failing to repair it, he wouldn't dare try either.

After mulling it over, Wang Hengli conceded Fang Bai had a point and raised his offer. "Eleven thousand, then."

Fang Bai crossed his arms, looking resigned. "Final price—thirteen thousand. No haggling."

"Two other bosses have already looked at this machine and were willing to pay that much. Manager Wang, I'm offering it to you first because of our relationship, at the same price. Get it back to your shop sooner, and you'll make more in the long run. If you still think it's too much, I'd suggest you buy new equipment instead. I don't want you saying I ripped you off."

Fang Bai had Wang Hengli's thoughts pinned down perfectly—take it or leave it.

And just as Fang Bai predicted, Wang Hengli thought about the workpieces waiting to be drilled in the workshop. Every day of delay meant lost money. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Fine, thirteen thousand it is. I'll give you that. But if something goes wrong, you're fixing it."

"If there's a problem within two weeks, as long as it's not deliberate damage, I'll arrange maintenance. If I can't fix it, I'll refund your money." Fang Bai stuck a self-made maintenance seal on the key nuts of the equipment. Anyone wanting to open it would have to tear the seal.

"Alright."

Wang Hengli nodded, then turned to Ma Jingsen. "When we get back, arrange for the forklift driver to come move the equipment."

With that, he went to his car, grabbed a small bag, counted out thirteen thousand, and handed it to Fang Bai.

Fang Bai took the cash and counted it bill by bill.

Ma Jingsen and the driller stood by, watching him count. It stung a little—the apprentice they'd once looked down on was now making more than them, and in just two days.

After confirming the amount was correct, Fang Bai wrote up a sales contract in duplicate. Both signed, and each kept a copy.

Fang Bai figured he'd keep things formal for big transactions from now on—might come in handy later.

Wang Hengli drove Ma Jingsen back, leaving the driller behind to wait for the equipment to be moved.

On the way back to the company, Ma Jingsen grumbled, "Boss, that Fang Bai's a sly one. Daring to ask for thirteen thousand—what nerve."

Wang Hengli, who was driving, got annoyed. "You guys couldn't fix it either. Otherwise, would I have to buy it back at that price?"

That shut Ma Jingsen up. Pushing the issue would only make his boss angrier.

About ten minutes later, the forklift driver arrived at Fang Bai's shop again.

"Fang Bai, you've got some nerve." The driver, knowing the equipment was being sold back to the company, gave Fang Bai a thumbs-up when he saw him.

"Haha, I told you we'd meet again soon." Fang Bai handed cigarettes to the forklift driver and the driller, telling them to secure the equipment properly and take it easy on the way back. If it got damaged, he wouldn't be responsible.

Two hours later, the drill press was back in its original spot. Ma Jingsen and the driller stood to the side, staring at it with red-rimmed eyes.

"That damn Fang Bai. The equipment's only been out for three days, and now it's sold back. He made nearly ten thousand off it." With the boss gone, Ma Jingsen vented. He didn't believe for a second that Fang Bai had spent two or three thousand on repairs.

But since it wasn't his money, he wasn't about to dismantle the machine to check what parts had been swapped.

That guy had even put maintenance seals on it. If they tampered with it, Fang Bai wouldn't take responsibility. Clever bastard.

Just then, the driller was about to start work when he remembered the tools and drill bits Fang Bai had taken earlier. He reminded Ma Jingsen, "Chief, we don't have the tools or drill bits either. Fang Bai took them last time and didn't bring them back. I told him, but he said this deal didn't include those."

"That damn Fang Bai runs his business like a fox. Don't tell the boss about this, or we'll get chewed out again." Ma Jingsen had just been yelled at once and didn't want another round.

"Well, this Fang Bai made nearly ten thousand in two days—that's more than I've earned in years. Damn."

Ma Jingsen sneered and said, "Jealous? I'm jealous too, but you've gotta hand it to him. Selling the equipment back to his old boss—I couldn't pull off that thick skin if I tried."

"True enough. That old Dorm Manager ended up in jail because of Fang Bai."

"You know it. Even if I don't like how Fang Bai does things, better not mess with him. That kid's got some nerve."

"Yeah, I'm heading to the warehouse to pick up some drill bits, or I can't work." The Driller was a bit sour about Fang Bai—he'd made nearly ten thousand and still wouldn't even give back the tools he'd taken. Stingy bastard.

In the rented room on the second floor, Fang Bai stashed the cash he'd gotten. He didn't plan to deposit it in the bank—queuing for withdrawals was too much hassle, and this money would be turning over fast anyway.

He'd just sold the equipment and made nearly ten thousand. His mood was soaring.

And the fact that it all came from Wang Hengli made it feel even sweeter.

"Haha!"

"I'm finally a Ten Thousand Yuan Household!"

What was a Ten Thousand Yuan Household in 1990 worth thirty years later?

Fang Bai hadn't compared, but earning this money through hard work gave him a real sense of achievement. Selling the equipment had lifted a weight off his shoulders.

His current available cash was about 14,200 yuan. That opened up more options—he didn't have to pinch pennies on meals anymore, and he could help out his Younger Sister.

Other than that, he didn't dare waste it.

Postal remittances were a hassle right now, or he'd have sent some to Qin Shuyu so she could spend freely without scrimping for him.

In a while, he planned to visit her at her school and give her a big surprise.

At noon, Fang Bai treated himself at a small restaurant nearby, ordering one meat dish and one vegetable dish, plus a bottle of iced beer to celebrate.

After eating, he went back to the rented room to rest.

During his nap, he even dreamed of his wife and child. Waking up, he found tears on his face.

He missed Qin Shuyu. Too bad communication was inconvenient—he'd have to wait until her winter break to see her.

Ah, just had to tough it out.

When he kept busy, time flew.

At one in the afternoon, Fang Bai took a cold shower, changed into the new clothes Qin Shuyu had bought him, stuffed ten hundred-yuan bills and some small change, plus two packs of cigarettes, into his backpack, and left the rented room.

He bought a bag of oranges nearby—about eight pounds—and walked to Oubei No. 1 Middle School. Today, he had to register for re-enrollment.