Old Charlie smiled, his old face instantly coming to life. He stubbed out his cigarette and slowly walked over.
"That's the best advice I've heard all week. What are you looking to buy? If you want to fish for rainbow trout in the river, I have a batch of newly arrived Japanese carbon fiber rods, they're very light..."
"I want to go to sea."
Su Wei interrupted his sales pitch and walked directly to a locked, spotlessly clean, individual glass cabinet.
The store's signature items are displayed there.
I want to try that.
Su Wei pointed to the silver, mechanical-looking reel in the center of the counter.
Old Charlie followed his finger and looked in that direction. His eyebrows twitched, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
" Shimano Stella SW 14000XG. Kid, you have a good eye. But this thing isn't just expensive; it's a monster. One wheel alone could buy half a Honda for all the young guys in town."
"Let's take it out and see."
Su Wei spoke calmly.
Old Charlie gave Su Wei a deep look, as if to confirm that he wasn't joking.
He then took out his key, opened the cabinet door, carefully removed the cord reel, and placed it on the dark blue velvet mat.
Su Wei reached out and grasped the cold metal rocker arm.
It feels slightly heavy in the hand, with the unique texture of a top-tier industrial product.
Turn it gently.
There was not a single misalignment, not a single extraneous sound; it was as smooth as a hot knife slicing through butter.
That mechanical feedback travels directly from the fingertips to the brain, causing a feeling of comfort.
That's the allure of top-tier equipment.
Perfectly fitted and precise.
Only equipment of this level can deal with those frantic, desperately fleeing deep-sea monsters weighing tens or even hundreds of kilograms.
If, at a crucial moment while playing a fish, the line breaks and the fish escapes due to a stuck reel or improper unloading, the loss isn't just about the fish; it's about the module's experience points and future dollars.
For the Su Wei at this time, efficiency was everything.
"Find a pole."
Su Wei put down the reel, his voice steady.
"The rod needs to be strong enough to withstand the weight of this reel, and the guides need to be good. I don't want to hear the rod break when I'm reeling in a fish."
Old Charlie dropped his casual demeanor and gave Su Wei a serious look.
This kid looks like he's really struck it rich, and he's got the skills.
"Wait."
Old Charlie turned and went into the messy storeroom. Several minutes later, he came out carrying a fishing rod that was completely black and had no fancy paint.
"G-Loomis IMX-Pro Blue, heavy-duty boat rod. This rod has a very strong backbone. Paired with that Stellar lug, it's a perfect match."
Su Wei took the pole, weighed it in his hand, skillfully attached the wheels, and tested the balance of the entire set of equipment.
Perfect.
The center of gravity falls precisely at the wrist holding the rod, and this sense of balance means that even after a whole day of swinging, you won't get too tired.
Even before getting into the water, I can already imagine the thrill of battling a deep-sea monster, with the pole bending and the reel going wildly off course.
"How much."
"The reel is 1100, the rod is 600. Plus the high-poundage PE line, leader line, heavy-duty sequins, and steel plates you requested..."
Old Charlie pressed a few buttons on the calculator.
"For Black's sake, I'll give you a discount, exactly two thousand dollars. That's the lowest I can go, or I'll be starving."
Two thousand US dollars.
Su Wei simply and calmly took out his bank card.
"Swipe card."
With the whirring sound of the POS machine printing out the receipt, this top-of-the-line equipment, enough to make countless fishing enthusiasts drool, officially came under Su Wei's ownership.
This is an investment in future industries.
In the future, the manor's exhibition hall will not only display bear skins and deer antlers, but also the giant creatures caught by this weapon that symbolizes the conquest of the sea.
After leaving the gun shop, Su Wei carefully placed the expensive equipment on the passenger seat and even fastened the seatbelt.
Next, there's another big event.
network.
If this problem isn't solved, his territory will forever remain an isolated island.
Following the address in the newspaper, Su Wei drove to a telecommunications service point on the edge of town.
The storefront is small, even rudimentary.
Only one standee with "Starlink" written on it was somewhat noticeable.
There was only one young man in the store, wearing a hoodie and sporting dark circles under his eyes, playing video games.
He didn't even look up when he heard the door open; his fingers were still frantically typing on the keyboard.
"Appointment or just a consultation? Let me make this clear: equipment is in short supply right now, and the wait is at least a month. Damn supply chain problems."
I called last night.
Su Wei walked to the counter, bent his index finger, and tapped the table.
" Su Wei."
The young man then suddenly raised his head, revealing a face that looked like he hadn't woken up yet, and looked Su Wei up and down.
"Oh, that customer who wants two sets in stock and wants it rushed."
His attitude instantly changed 180 degrees. He laboriously dragged two huge white boxes out from under the counter and slammed them heavily on the table.
"The boss specifically instructed that the last two units in the entire town are reserved for you. But I must remind you, I've checked your address."
The young man turned the computer screen, which displayed a satellite image with a complex terrain.
The location of Pilan Creek was marked with a prominent red circle.
"This place is too wild. It's surrounded by mountains on three sides and located in a low-lying area. Ordinary cell towers can't cover this place at all. Are you planning to set up a secret base there?"
That's my private property.
Su Wei's tone was indifferent.
"Alright, territory."
The young man shrugged, his expression saying, "I don't understand, but you're the customer."
"Anyway, you can forget about connecting to any network there except Starlink. And even if you did install it, you'd have to find a high, open spot, otherwise the obstruction would be too great, making it just a decoration."
"You don't need to worry about that. I'll have someone come with me to install it right now."
Su Wei didn't want to hear any nonsense.
"I know the rules, double the labor cost."
Upon hearing "double," the young man whistled loudly and picked up the walkie-talkie to shout a couple of sentences.
Soon, a bearded technician in oil-stained overalls came out carrying a toolbox, looking like he had just woken up from a hangover.
"Let's go, I want to see what kind of hellhole it is that's worth spending so much money to mow down a net."
Swipe card, sign.
Several thousand more dollars have gone out of pocket.
The numbers in his bank account kept dropping, but Su Wei's mood grew better and better.
Once the network is connected, information flows smoothly.
Whether it's checking the latest birch syrup futures prices, promoting your hunting business online, or even relaxing by watching a movie on a snowy night, these are all fundamental aspects of modern life.
They returned to Pilan Creek with the installation technician.
Site selection, setup, and debugging.
Although the technician looked rugged, his work was surprisingly meticulous.
He climbed onto the steep roof of the wooden house, braving the cold wind, and firmly secured the white, square antenna next to the chimney.
"Angle adjusted, searching for satellites... Damn, this wind is really strong."
The technician held the tablet with trembling hands, staring intently at the signal strength bar on it.
Su Wei stood below, looking up.
I felt a little nervous.
The silence, lasting only a few minutes, felt like an eternity.