The Joy of Finding a Bargain

"Manager Wang, how about selling me this machine?"

Fang Bai's words startled Ma Jingsen and the two workers nearby.

Even if the equipment was broken, it was still worth a considerable amount—far beyond what an ordinary worker could afford, let alone an apprentice.

"Fang Bai, even with some issues, this machine is still worth a lot of money." Ma Jingsen didn't outright say Fang Bai couldn't afford it, but he clearly had his doubts.

Wang Hengli, hearing that Fang Bai wanted to buy the equipment, grew curious. "Fang Bai, what are you going to do with it?"

"I have my own use for it, but I can't say just yet." Fang Bai smiled. "Manager Wang, name your price. I know the condition of this machine—it can't be fixed. You might as well get rid of it and buy a new one. It's just taking up space here."

"Five thousand. It's still barely usable, and even if you scrap it for parts, the components are worth a fair bit."

Wang Hengli gave a knowing smile. He knew Fang Bai had five thousand yuan, and if he asked for more, Fang Bai wouldn't be able to afford it.

"Manager Wang, you're joking. Who would buy used lathe parts? Even if someone did, finding matching ones would be nearly impossible. This kind of equipment is only good for scrap metal."

Fang Bai said with disdain. There weren't many identical second-hand lathes around, unlike cars, which were easier to piece together.

Wang Hengli shook his head. "Selling it as scrap is out of the question. Just tell me what you're willing to pay. If it's reasonable, I'll sell. Otherwise, let's drop it—no hard feelings."

Only when Wang Hengli said this did Fang Bai gauge his true thoughts and figure out his bottom line.

The lathe had been bought for twenty or thirty thousand yuan and used for only a few years. Most of its functions were still fine, so selling it as scrap was out of the question. Steel prices were around 1,500 yuan per ton, and the machine's net weight was 3.5 tons, with steel accounting for about 3 tons. The highest recycling price from a steel mill would be under 2,500 yuan. If sold to a junk dealer, 1,500 yuan would be a good deal—Wang Hengli certainly wasn't happy with that.

"Three thousand."

Fang Bai replied. That was Wang Hengli's bottom line.

For Fang Bai, if he could repair it, he'd have a profit margin of seven to ten thousand yuan. If he couldn't, he'd only take a small loss, which was acceptable.

"Deal."

Wang Hengli hesitated briefly. Three thousand exactly matched his minimum price—as long as it was higher than the steel mill's offer, it was fine. As a boss with assets worth over a million, he wouldn't dwell on small amounts. If it felt about right, that was enough.

This machine, if he replaced the entire spindle assembly and maintained the column, would cost seven or eight thousand yuan to fix, and even then, success wasn't guaranteed. He might as well buy a second-hand one.

"Have someone loosen the bolts securing the machine to the floor. I'll come by in the next couple of days to move it, and I'll pay you then." Fang Bai said, spreading his hands. "I don't have the money on me."

"No problem!"

Wang Hengli chuckled, feeling like he'd resolved a headache. He turned to Ma Jingsen. "Have someone dismantle the machine. I'll buy a new one."

"Got it."

Ma Jingsen hadn't expected the boss to agree to the deal. Three thousand yuan was no small sum, and he never imagined an unremarkable apprentice could have that kind of money! As for the price, it was about right. He really wondered what Fang Bai planned to do with it—he'd probably end up being a sucker.

No, he was bound to take a huge loss!

Too young!

Did he really think making money was that easy? Where did Fang Bai get the nerve?

Fang Bai didn't know what Ma Jingsen was thinking and hadn't paid much attention to him. He nodded to Wang Hengli, then went to the finance office to collect his wages.

He'd worked less than two months, earning just over a hundred yuan, but that wasn't pocket change. Fang Bai had to budget every single yuan carefully.

Back then, one yuan was no small amount!

It was enough to cover most people's daily food expenses.

At the Wen City market, a pound of pork belly cost about one yuan and seventy cents. For most families, having meat for a meal was a rare treat.

Fang Bai remembered that only when he and his younger sister came home from school on weekends would their parents splurge on meat—and even then, not much. It was just enough to satisfy a craving, and his parents would try to give the best pieces to him and his sister.

The fatty parts were rendered for oil to cook vegetables, adding a few pieces of fried fat to each stir-fry. The lean meat was usually boiled into soup or stir-fried with melon; they rarely fried it for char siu.

Five-spiced beef was out of the question.

Eggs were cheaper than meat, but still not something they could eat every day.

Fang Bai and his sister were boarders at school, bringing rice from home to exchange for meal tickets. Since their family didn't farm much land, they often had to buy rice from the market. They brought pickled vegetables from home, occasionally with a bit of meat. Pickled veggies were mainly for storage and saving money, while they bought plain rice from the school cafeteria. The school also sold meat dishes, but most students couldn't afford them.

Back then, everyone was thin. Fang Bai, at 176 centimeters tall, weighed only 125 pounds.

During his time in the hospital, Fang Bai could afford a bit of pork from fast food every day, but his parents mostly survived on thin porridge and steamed buns to save money.

So, Fang Bai's dream now was to solve his family's food problems and have meat on the table every day.

Especially since his younger sister was still growing—she looked like a wilted cucumber.

He had five thousand yuan now, but he couldn't afford to waste it.

At the same time, he was racing against time, cherishing this golden age to make as much money as possible. He couldn't afford to waste time just to save money—spending when necessary was the way to go.

After leaving Hengli Company, it was already noon. Fang Bai found a restaurant for lunch, then returned to the inn for a short rest before packing up and checking out.

Next, he planned to rent a place to start his own business while also studying to retake the college entrance exam.

During his time in the hospital, he had already thought about how to accumulate the initial startup capital.

Now was the golden age of economic development. The market had suddenly opened up, and the long-suppressed demand was bursting forth. The market was a blank slate, completely a seller's market—opportunities were everywhere.

Walking down the street, you could see stalls offering all kinds of food, clothing, and trinkets, carrying people's every desire and passion.

Even with just a few dozen yuan, as long as you could find a supply channel, setting up a stall to sell small items like calendars was better than working a regular job.

Of course, without mobile phones or the Internet, information was sealed off, and capital wasn't the main issue.

It was the asymmetry of information, followed by whether one had the guts to dive into the business world.

Fang Bai had thought about having his parents start something instead of working for others, but changing their mindset was difficult for now. Only after he succeeded first and let them taste the benefits would they change.

There were plenty of profitable industries and paths—like trading canned goods for airplanes, buying electronics from Zhongguancun to sell elsewhere, opening supermarkets, running arcades, promoting overstocked products through raffles, playing the stock market, flipping real estate...

However, the economic system wasn't fully developed yet, and the business environment wasn't great. Not every opportunity suited him.

For instance, trading canned goods for airplanes—Fang Bai wasn't confident enough to think he'd be lucky enough not to get offed in Bear Country. A person dies like a lamp going out; no amount of money earned would matter.

Running an arcade—many of the players were thugs who would threaten violence and demand protection money. Getting the machines smashed was the least of it; it could even drag his family into trouble.

Going up north to stock up took days each trip. Having experienced the convenience of high-speed rail, he had no desire to relive the crowded, slow, and pickpocket-ridden green trains.

From a god's-eye view, everyone who reincarnates thinks they're incredibly awesome.

If he didn't have the Golden Finger, he might have followed the same path as other reincarnators.

But with the Golden Finger, his ways to make money were much broader.

So, after considering his situation comprehensively, Fang Bai found several profitable paths that suited his pre-college rules.

Two chapters a day, brothers—remember to help boost the follow-up reads! It affects the Recommendation Slots. Don't hoard chapters—stable updates of 4-6K words daily. I feel the plot is pretty tight, basically no filler.