Having a storefront was already half the battle. It gave people a basic sense of trust. Even if it looked a bit shabby, most would think: Hey, this young guy has his own shop. He must be legit—no way he'd scam us over a few hundred yuan.
The couple from yesterday showed up and were instantly reassured. Xu Bin had already draped both refrigerators in cloth before leaving. Now, he discreetly slid a hand underneath and activated Refurbish. The cloth lifted to reveal a gleaming, like-new fridge—same size, same model as theirs.
To make it look more believable, he snapped the wire clip on the back before unveiling it. A small flaw made it all the more "authentic."
With their old fridge traded in for a hundred yuan, they only needed to pay 400 for a unit that looked factory-fresh and functioned perfectly. After a short test to confirm the cooling worked, they handed over the cash—no hesitation.
It was getting late, and hiring movers wasn't an option. The man scratched his head and offered, "Brother, you're local, right? If we borrow a tricycle, can you help me carry the new fridge upstairs? I'll help carry the old one down. We both save some money."
Before receiving that +10kg strength buff, Xu Bin would've declined on the spot. But now? A two-man job like this was nothing. He grinned and nodded.
As they loaded the fridge, the woman pointed to the refurbished TVs from yesterday. "Hey, you selling these too?"
Xu Bin nodded. He noticed the sweat glistening on the man's forehead. The Attribute Wheel reward had already paid off.
"How much for the smaller one?" the woman asked. She wanted a TV in the bedroom—watching while curled up in bed beat sitting on the couch any day.
"Six hundred. Fixed price."
She turned to her husband. "What do you think?"
After poking around the set—checking the ports, frame, and screen—they whispered for a moment. The man finally said, "Five hundred, bro. We're not hagglers, just being fair."
Xu Bin hesitated. Selling brand-new products as "refurbished" old goods? It was frustrating. He wasn't getting what they were worth. For the first time, he started thinking: Maybe I need a better shop—a real store, not a fixer-upper's front.
He forced a smile. "Alright, deal. Consider it a favor between friends. If you or your family ever need appliances, come to me. I may be cash-and-carry, but my goods speak for themselves."
"Count on it, little bro. You've got a new customer for life."
Just like that, they'd gone from strangers to "brothers." A good deal, a little friendliness, and a sweetener in the form of a free fridge—who wouldn't be thrilled?
TV cost: recovered. Fridge: 400 yuan pure profit. One out, one in.
Xu Bin returned the tricycle to the fruit vendor down the street and, as a thank-you, bought 30 yuan worth of fruit. Back at the shop, he couldn't sit still. Over 700 yuan in a day, not counting the ¥3,000 system reward? That was more than he earned in an entire month before.
Even his old passions—games and secret "video folders"—felt dull now.
"Should I get a massage? I'm twenty, man. That's not too much to ask, right?"
"Xu Shuangquan, don't lose your head. You finally made some cash today and already blew 22 yuan on cigarettes, and now fruit? What if this all disappears tomorrow?"
"Screw it. I'm twenty. Live now, worry later. What's the point of youth if not to enjoy it?"
"Right. Let's go. A hundred-something bucks can buy a hell of a good time."
An hour later, he was lying face-down in a blind massage parlor two streets away. One of the city's best massage therapists was cupping his back, and Xu Bin felt like he'd ascended to heaven.
This… this is what life is all about.
The next morning, at 10 AM, Xu Bin woke up lazily. Shirtless, with circular marks all over his back, he yawned like a cat who'd slept too well.
If only every day could be like this. Simple. Painless. Satisfying.
Skipping the usual toothbrush routine, he lit a cigarette, grabbed the high-calorie food chart he had copied by hand last night, and headed to the bathroom for some "morning reading."
"Hmm… nut porridge with fruit juice, plus ham and bread. Yep, sounds solid."
He chugged half a bottle of Coke before even brushing his teeth. Then, with his system-powered rice cooker now fully refurbished, he tossed in nuts and grains and set it to cook. Out the door to buy bread, ham, jam, and salad dressing—flavor matters now.
Before, he avoided fatty foods for health. Now? Eating high-calorie meals was his fuel for profit. He no longer hesitated to spend.
He missed a few calls that morning. One was for a washing machine repair. Xu Bin guessed it was a bad motor and immediately turned it down. The job might net 30 yuan at best—not worth the time. Washing machines didn't flip for much, either.
I have the right to say "no" now. I'm not just some poor repairman anymore.
After his gourmet breakfast, it was already noon. With full heat energy, he refurbished the second fridge in the shop.
Lounging in a chair outside the shop, basking in the sun, Xu Bin propped his legs on a nearby crate.
This… this right here is bliss. Sunshine, warmth, and profit in the air.
But reality kicked in. This marketplace was too rundown. There were no new faces. Locals all knew him as the guy barely scraping by with repairs. Suddenly having brand-new goods in stock would raise eyebrows.
And if someone figured him out? Worse—what if he got taken away for "research"?
Xu Bin knew himself—he wasn't built for interrogation.
I need to move. I can't risk exposure here.
Repairs were still useful—for now. It gave him excuses to pick up used goods. But the big money would come from flipping phones and computers when those system missions unlocked.
He needed:
A new location that wasn't too visible
Good foot traffic but no nosy neighbors
Near a parts market
Independent shop—not a mall stall
Bonus if it could sell spare parts, so "refurbishing" looked natural
Without hesitation, he pulled out his laptop and searched rental listings. He hated that the system-forged appliances were being sold like junk. Every person was a secret ambition addict—who wouldn't want more profit?
But nothing good showed up. After an hour, he sighed and closed the laptop.
Can't be too greedy. I need to stay grounded. The system might not be around forever. Focus on finishing tasks, cashing rewards. One fridge left to refurbish for the week. The 30,000-yuan monthly goal? Still miles away.
He was still on day two.
Suddenly, ding!—a system alert.
"Main Mission Triggered: Locate a Suitable New Shopfront. Time limit: 10 days. Reward: Anti-theft Smartphone x1. Failure = Erasure."
"Fuck!"
There it was again—Erasure.
Xu Bin flipped it the bird. Anyone would. But reading carefully… the mission wasn't unreasonable. Ten days to find a shop? Totally doable.
These main missions aren't there to kill me—they're meant to push me forward. Force me to level up. And I'm not planning to stay weak.