The first shop location the agent found would've been finalized by Xu Bin, if not for what had happened earlier that day.
The shop was next to the freight elevator on the third floor of the appliance mall—a 20-square-meter standalone stall. It was extremely convenient: goods could be loaded into the elevator, and the exit led directly to the rear freight access. The only drawback was that Xu Bin would need to rent a separate apartment. But with the mix of old and new stalls here, and the steady foot traffic, it was a good match. Next door was a small secondary building, functioning as a secondhand phone and computer market. If Xu Bin did well, this shop could thrive even if hidden in an alley.
Unfortunately, the location was completely exposed—from the stall to the freight elevator and the rear cargo area—anyone could see everything. There was no privacy. Too many people could glance in and possibly discover Xu Bin's trick of turning old into new. Reluctantly, Xu Bin shook his head and walked away. The next two shop options weren't suitable either, so he decided to head to another agency near the train station. That area had a more complex layout, with a winding pedestrian street and commercial zone.
On the short journey from Chongqing Road to the train station, Xu Bin's mind spun with possibilities: What if this happens? What if that happens? It had only been a minor incident with two small-time thugs, and yet it had left him exhausted. He finally understood how hard success really was. Those glamorous business figures in newspapers and on TV might be worn out behind the scenes. Mental strain was far worse than physical fatigue.
Success demanded not only hard work but also unimaginable hardship. This was merely the first step of a long march, yet he was already feeling overwhelmed. He sighed, but it only reignited his inner resolve. So what if it's tough? I've got nothing to lose. I started with nothing. Even if I lose it all, it doesn't matter. I've already walked barefoot—why be scared now? With the system's help, there's no reason to back down. How many chances does one get to turn their life around? Fake thugs? Real thugs? I'm not afraid of any of them.
Clenching his fists, Xu Bin gritted his teeth. Worst case, he'd just rent that open shop, install partitions, and take apart and reassemble old goods into "refurbished" items. Who's going to care? He had nothing to hide.
Fortune favors the brave.
With this in mind, Xu Bin relaxed a little. Facing the new agency staff, he no longer wore a stiff expression. After viewing two properties worse than the first, he was ready to give up when the agent received a call, brightened up, and turned to Xu Bin:
"Mr. Xu, we've got a great shop available now. Excellent location—right at the corner below the Electronics Trade City on the pedestrian street. Not exactly on the main road, but it's prime real estate, and the rent is just 2,500 yuan a month, with a two-month deposit."
Xu Bin wasn't naive. When everything seems too perfect—ideal price, great fit—it usually comes with conditions you won't like.
The situation wasn't complicated. The location wasn't truly "golden"—it was behind the Electronics Trade City facing the backstreet leading to the train station. Even from the pedestrian side, you had to turn half a shop's length inward to find it. The only real perk was that it wasn't within the pedestrian street boundary, so small cargo vehicles could access it. The narrow alley housed five or six shops and a loading entrance to a mall. Compared to the other properties the agent had shown, this corner shop—flanked on both sides by other shops—was decent. One neighbor sold accessories, hiring kids to deliver components nearby. The other sold electric motors. Deeper in were a snack shop and fast food place. All the surrounding shops served the trade zone without needing prime street frontage.
The 2,500 yuan was for half the shop. Xu Bin would be dealing with a sub-landlord—the original leaseholder—a fashionable woman running a "curio store" selling silver jewelry, quirky trinkets, and doing nails. Her outfit was trendy: ion-permed blond hair, smoky makeup—a mix of youthful naivety and mature charm. Many young women dressed like her, alluring and eye-catching.
Her name was Zhong Yu. She had a fairly typical city-girl personality with a bit of drama. She pointed to the already-divided shop and said, "Half each. Shared bathroom. Make sure to inventory your stuff."
The space was divided with a 1.5-meter-high partition topped with glass panels, running all the way to the bathroom. Each side had a small room. Zhong Yu didn't insist on a female roommate. Seeing Xu Bin, an average-looking man, she clearly cared more about whether he could pay than any potential risk of sharing space. In front of the bathroom, they had fenced off a tiny area with lockable doors on each side. The partitions weren't soundproof, but at least gave the illusion of privacy.
Xu Bin was satisfied. The location and nearby wholesalers were perfect for him. The shop was just three meters from the pedestrian street, and Zhong Yu had even let him take the better side facing the foot traffic. If his goods were attractive, they'd surely draw attention.
The only downside was that Zhong Yu demanded immediate payment. She was honest about it—her own rent was due, and she needed Xu Bin to help shoulder the cost.
Xu Bin agreed to sign the contract and pay the next day. Before sunset, he pedaled quickly to Brother Han's secondhand appliance store. Han was closing up, but Xu Bin pulled him and his rarely-seen wife over to see his refurbished items. He didn't hide anything and directly said he needed to liquidate some goods to afford the new place.
He sought out Brother Han instead of Li Jiuren because he trusted Han more. The goods in the shop were decent, and Han didn't take advantage by lowballing him. Han's wife, a savvy businesswoman, sensed that this seemingly ordinary young man might be on the path to fortune. Building goodwill now could pay off. Besides, the goods really were of high quality.
To Xu Bin's surprise, Han gave him 3,000 yuan. If he hadn't worried about arousing suspicion by selling everything he'd hauled from Han the day before, he might've gotten even more. With cash in hand, he felt much better. He wanted to treat them to dinner, but they declined—it was their wedding anniversary, and they had romantic plans.
He went home and overindulged—eating until he was stuffed. He had to chew down chunks of salty pickled vegetables to settle the chocolate cake that had made him nauseous. The price of impatience was a bit of suffering. That truth never goes out of style.
He mixed the appliances from Han's and Li Jiuren's batches, carefully organizing his refurbished inventory. Finally, he had time to check his latest system update—another weekly task completed. Refurbishing five TVs had been easy, but now he was too full to move. Two trips to the bathroom hadn't helped. He paced around trying to digest, avoiding vigorous activity. Luckily, the reward from the new attribute spin brightened his mood.
He'd finally landed the prize that had flashed through his mind when the wheel spun.
Height: +1 cm.
Previously, Xu Bin had claimed to be 170 cm, but in reality he was 169—with shoes. Street height machines had confirmed it multiple times. In today's world, where most guys in their twenties were at least 175 or taller, Xu Bin had always felt insecure. So when he won that 1 cm, he ran to the corner with his height mark. He aligned his hand and pen carefully, and saw he'd finally passed the 170 cm mark.
Pure joy! A brighter future was waiting. In the past, he would've celebrated with beer and skewers. Now, he couldn't even eat. Instead, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through contacts. He found an old number—an ordinary classmate he wasn't close with in middle school, now running a box truck business in the city, delivering goods to supermarkets. They'd only met once since Xu Bin moved here.
"Dapeng? Hey, it's me, Xu Bin—Shuangquan. How are you, busy? Oh, got your own truck now? That's great—you're a boss now. So, I'm opening a small shop and need to move locations. Could you help transport the goods? I'll pay whatever the market rate is—and could you find two movers too? I'll call before dark tomorrow to confirm. Thanks, old classmate. Really appreciate it."