6: Chapter 6: First Encounter with Wang Defu, Successfully Moving into the Scrap Metal Recycling Station!

Chen Fan stepped outside. The sky had darkened slightly, and cold raindrops trickled from his hair down his neck, yet he felt no chill whatsoever. His mind was still occupied by the mysterious [Myriad Things Amplification System]; he felt his life was once again filled with hope. Combined with the physical enhancement from the gene milk, Chen Fan's constitution was noticeably stronger than the average person.

The address provided by the future smart brain was in the urban-rural fringe, a place called 'Fuwang Scrap Recycling Station.' As the bus moved further away from the city center, the scenery outside the window gradually shifted from bustling prosperity to messy disorder.

After getting off the bus and walking for another ten minutes or so, a peculiar smell—a mix of rust, waste paper, and a hint of decay—assailed his nostrils. Chen Fan looked up and saw a large sign painted in crooked red characters reading 'Fuwang Recycling,' hanging beside a rusted iron gate.

The iron gate was slightly ajar. Inside was a large yard constructed from sheet metal and asbestos tiles, piled high with mountains of waste paper, plastic bottles, and scrap metal like little hills. Raindrops pattered noisily on the metal roof, making the yard seem even more desolate.

Chen Fan took a deep breath, pushed open the iron gate, and walked in.

"Is anyone here?" he called out.

An uncle wearing a faded blue work uniform, with somewhat graying hair, peered out from behind a pile of discarded appliances. The grime on his face couldn't hide the weariness etched by time, but his eyes held a simple honesty and brightness characteristic of laborers. He held a wrench in his hand, seemingly in the middle of dismantling something.

"Young man, here to sell scrap?" The uncle wiped his hands on a towel hanging around his neck and asked with a smile.

Chen Fan shook his head, trying his best to appear sincere: "Are you Wang Defu, Uncle Wang? I... I'd like to rent a room to live in."

Wang Defu was taken aback for a moment, sizing Chen Fan up and down. Although Chen Fan had just come into some unexpected money, he was still wearing his cheap job-hunting suit, now soaked by the rain, making him look even more disheveled.

"Rent a room?" Wang Defu sounded puzzled. "This is a scrap station, and it's so remote. How did you find this place?"

Chen Fan had already prepared his story. He gave a bitter smile, appropriately letting a touch of destitution show on his face: "I just lost my job and can't afford a place in the city anymore. A friend nearby mentioned you might have an empty room here, cheap, so I took the liberty of coming. I don't mind the noise or the mess, I just need a place to shelter from the wind and rain."

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily swept over the mountainous piles of scrap. To others, this was just garbage waiting to be processed, but in Chen Fan's eyes, it was nothing less than a treasure trove waiting to be unearthed, shimmering with potential! Soda cans, old books, broken appliances... each item held variables and opportunities.

Seeing Chen Fan's drenched clothes and somewhat pitiful state, Wang Defu's heart softened a little. Having worked in this trade for decades, he had seen too many hardships faced by people at the bottom. This young man in front of him didn't look like a bad sort; he probably just had a run of bad luck.

"Sigh, life's tough for everyone," Wang Defu sighed, pointing to an inconspicuous two-story building in the corner of the yard. "There's an empty room upstairs. My son used to live there, but he passed away from illness, and it's been vacant ever since. The conditions are pretty basic, just a bed and a table, no private bathroom—you'll have to use the shared one downstairs." The uncle explained in detail, knowing today's young people often can't handle hardship, so he laid out the poor conditions upfront to see if Chen Fan was truly serious about renting.

"That's fine, as long as I can sleep. I don't have high demands!" Chen Fan said hastily.

"As for the rent..." Wang Deffu pondered for a moment, "800 a month, utilities extra. Does that work for you?"

Eight hundred a month! In a place as expensive as the Magic City, this was practically a steal. A wave of warmth surged in Chen Fan's heart. He knew this wasn't just about the low price; it was also this uncle's kindness.

"Deal! Thank you, Uncle Wang!" Chen Fan nodded vigorously, immediately counting out 4,800 yuan from his pocket. "Grandpa Wang, I'll pay for half a year upfront!"

Seeing the thick stack of cash, Wang Defu was stunned again. Someone who could readily produce 4,800 yuan for rent—how could they be so down on their luck as to need to live in a scrap station? But he didn't ask further, simply taking the money with a simple, honest smile: "Alright then, come with me upstairs to see the room."

The room was indeed as Grandpa Wang had described—very simple, about ten square meters, with somewhat mottled walls but kept relatively clean. One window faced the yard piled high with scrap.

Chen Fan walked to the window, looking out at the 'trash mountains' whose outlines blurred in the rain curtain. Instead of feeling down, a sense of relaxed exhilaration filled his heart. This place was far from the hustle and bustle of the city center and the nuisance of those snobbish people. More importantly, it held an inexhaustible supply of 'raw materials.'

"Grandpa Wang," Chen Fan turned around, a sincere and confident smile on his face, "believe it or not, this place of yours is my favorite place I've ever lived."

Wang Defu simply thought the young man was joking or perhaps talking nonsense due to some emotional setback. He patted Chen Fan's shoulder: "Young man, it's good to be down-to-earth. Settle in first, look for work gradually. This place doesn't have much else, but it's spacious. You can do whatever you want here."

Chen Fan smiled but didn't say anything more.

Chen Fan and Grandpa Wang went downstairs. He took out his phone, the future smart brain, and whispered softly, "Conduct a comprehensive scan of this scrap recycling station, build a 3D model, and help me classify all the items!"

[Command received. Initiating environmental scan... Scan complete. Constructing 3D model... 'Fuwang Recycling Station' holographic archive established. Assessing potential based on item condition, material, age... Assessment complete. 137 high-potential targets marked.]

"Uncle Wang, I'll pack my things tomorrow and move in. I'll head back for today." Chen Fan bid farewell to Wang Defu.

He opened the future smart brain and saw a clear 3D structural diagram of the scrap station materialize in his mind. Dozens of faintly glowing markers were scattered throughout, mostly concentrated in areas of discarded appliances, metal parts, and piles of seemingly useless old books and newspapers.

The corner of Chen Fan's mouth lifted slightly. The starting point of his new life would officially begin from this unremarkable scrap station.