Era: Rise from the Wilderness

Often, he would ride his bicycle to two or three villages in a morning and only receive a few small coupons, with a total face value of no more than twenty or thirty yuan.

Purchase prices have also become firm due to the scarcity of goods, making it difficult to obtain discounts of 70% or 80% or even lower than before. Often, when the price is negotiated down to around 90%, the other party will not budge any further.

After five days, Li Yunjing's old schoolbag contained only a small stack of treasury bonds tied with rubber bands, with a total face value of no more than five hundred yuan.

The acquisition cost him nearly 450 yuan of working capital.

This is all done while keeping prices as low as possible and without taking into account the time and effort costs involved.

On the last day at dusk, Li Yunjing dragged his tired body back to his home in Dongshan Street.

Instead of going home immediately, he parked his bicycle under the old locust tree on the east side of the mountain, sat on the curb, and watched the magnificent sunset on the horizon being swallowed up by the gray-blue color.

I didn't feel too frustrated; rather, I felt a calm assessment.

"It seems that's about all the 'windfall' around here."

He muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously twirling the dust on the roadside.

Arbitrage opportunities in treasury bonds depend on information asymmetry and regional price differences.

Now, thanks to their previous round of "enlightenment" and the passage of time, the information gap is rapidly narrowing.

Unless they can extend their reach to more distant, completely undeveloped areas, or find upstream sources of goods in larger quantities, this small-scale, door-to-door model is already approaching its marginal effect.

Currently, he lacks both the time and energy, as well as the capital and channels to explore more distant markets.

The few coupons I have, if I go to Bincheng to exchange them, after deducting travel expenses and time, the profit might only be a few dozen yuan, which is not very meaningful.

He dusted himself off, stood up, and pushed his bicycle.

Apart from the eighty-odd coins in his pocket, the inner compartment of his backpack was almost empty, while the "strategic reserves" under the bed remained untouched.

This was the entirety of his five days of "killing two birds with one stone".

The five-hundred-dollar treasury bond, and a clear realization: the old model of relying on personal physical labor to canvass the streets is no longer able to quickly replicate the previous success.

When I got home, my parents had already eaten dinner.

He Ling was crocheting something under the lamp, while Li Hongfeng was holding a small notebook, seemingly calculating the shop's inventory list.

"Where did you run off to again?"

He's never home.

He Ling looked up at him, her tone now habitually reproachful, "I left some rice for you in the pot."

"Yeah, I went out for a walk."

Li Yunjing washed his hands, went to the kitchen to bring out the leftover food, and ate it silently.

My mind was racing.

After school starts, time will be severely fragmented.

He had to find a more discreet and efficient way to make money.

stamp?

cassette tape?

Tutoring materials?

Even... running errands and delivering messages?

The profit margin is too low; it's not going to work!

This is not what he expected!

"What are you thinking about? The food's getting cold."

Li Hongfeng's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"It's nothing, Dad."

Li Yunjing snapped out of her daze, quickly finished the rice in her bowl, and said, "I'm done eating."

"etc!"

"Son, school officially starts tomorrow."

At the dinner table, Li Hongfeng took a sip of wine, his face slightly flushed, and emphasized to Li Yunjing again: "You should also settle down and stop thinking about the small shop's business all day long."

"Getting into university is the key; you need to focus your energy on studying, understand?"

"Yes, Yun Jing, you've been working hard this past month, running around doing all sorts of things."

He Ling chimed in, her tone tinged with concern: "Once school starts, you won't need to worry about the shop anymore. Mom can manage on her own!"

"Just focus on your studies and get good grades; that's more important than anything else!"

"Okay, Dad, Mom, don't worry!"

Li Yunjing sat in the chair, looking at his nagging parents, agreeing verbally but sighing helplessly in his heart.

The knowledge he possessed in high school was no challenge whatsoever for this "pseudo-teenager" who had the memories and understanding of the next few decades.

Do I really have to waste a year like any other child, following the usual routine?

That's absolutely impossible!

His time is precious; he has grander plans to outline.

However, I can't tell my parents these things yet. I can only agree to it for now and then prove with facts that I can balance my studies and "career".

Finally, her parents finished eating. To avoid being nagged any longer, Li Yunjing quickly stood up, cleared away the dishes, and went back to her room.

In the dimly lit room, Li Yunjing stared blankly at the plan sheet with only a few strokes. The idea of ​​a small business on campus was like duckweed on the water, light and rootless, hardly enough to support the behemoth called "ambition" in his heart. Stamps, tapes... these meager profits were not even enough to fill a tooth gap, let alone support the grand ideas in his mind.

Frustration gnawed at his patience like ants.

He stood up, paced around the cramped space, and unconsciously glanced at the room's simple furnishings.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, as if struck by lightning, and a name he had almost forgotten and a slightly greasy face suddenly popped into his mind!

Gao Fu!

The son of the lumber mill manager—I tricked him last time and won over 600 yuan from him!

Back then, this kid had no money to pay back, but I mentioned that treasury bonds could make money. Now, so much time has passed, and he still hasn't come to pay me back?

It's also my fault for getting so caught up in doing great things with Lü Ruoxi that I almost forgot about this!

Li Yunjing was too busy running around Bincheng and the countryside to ask what Gao Fu had received or how much he had received.

"Oh shit!"

Li Yunjing cursed under his breath and slapped himself on the forehead. The crisp sound was particularly clear in the quiet room.

I was so busy I completely forgot about this!

Six hundred yuan!

Right now, that's a considerable sum!

More importantly, Gao Fu himself might still be holding onto those treasury bonds that he hasn't dealt with yet!

That's ready-made "goods"!

A surge of mixed frustration and excitement rushed to the top of his head.

Without further hesitation, he took out the IOU he had kept hidden away and flung open the door.

In the living room, Li Hongfeng and He Ling had just finished tidying up the table and were sitting in chairs watching TV idly.

"Dad, Mom! I'm going out for a bit!"

Li Yunjing shouted as he hurried toward the door.

"Where are you going so late at night?"

He Ling turned her head, her brows furrowing as usual.

"Go find Gao Fu! He's the son of the lumber mill manager! Something's come up!"

Li Yunjing spoke quickly and had already opened the door.

"Gao Fu? What do you want with him? School's about to start..."

Li Hongfeng also looked over, his eyes filled with inquiry.