6: Chapter 6 Two Unexpected Fortunes

The reason he didn't explain much was that having an encounter as bizarre as possessing a system was simply impossible to explain straightforwardly.

It wasn't that he intended to hide it from his parents; it was just that such an inconceivable thing, if spoken aloud, would most likely lead his parents to think he was mentally ill!

Thinking of the scene where his parents might send him to a psychiatric hospital or invite a shaman to perform an exorcism, Zheng Jing couldn't help but shudder.

It was best not to say anything!

After hanging up the phone, Zheng Jing braved the pouring rain and hurried towards the bus station.

Before long, he arrived.

Due to the increasing number of private cars and the arrival of the railway, the bus station in Hezheng County had long since lost its former bustle.

The walls were mottled and peeling, the old station signs were rusted, and the few scattered pedestrians walked in a hurry; the hustle and bustle of its peak period was nowhere to be seen, and a sense of desolation and decay permeated everywhere.

Zheng Jing shook the rainwater off his umbrella and stepped quickly into the waiting hall.

He bought his ticket first, checked the time, and saw that there was still half an hour before departure.

Just then, his stomach suddenly let out a "gurgle."

Zheng Jing gave a wry smile; earlier, the dopamine secreted by his excitement had controlled his brain, so he hadn't noticed that he hadn't eaten a single grain of rice since the morning!

Thinking he had plenty of time, Zheng Jing walked out of the station entrance, found a noodle shop that looked relatively clean, and ordered a large bowl of ramen.

Back when he was in Shanghai, to please Liu Meng, he had economized wherever he could, and even when eating noodles, he only dared to order the cheapest basic option.

Adding meat was an absolutely impossible luxury!

Now, no longer having Liu Meng as a parasitic girlfriend and possessing the system, Zheng Jing felt very confident!

When a person has confidence, their mindset is naturally completely different!

Zheng Jing not only generously asked the boss to fry two eggs, but even specifically added twenty yuan worth of freshly sliced braised beef!

It wasn't that Zheng Jing was stingy; it was just that a poor person who suddenly becomes rich doesn't yet know how to squander money.

No, strictly speaking, he wasn't rich yet; he was still a standard poor loser.

The ramen shop owner was very efficient; in no time, he brought over the cooked noodles and fried eggs, and with a turn, he served the sliced beef in a shiny little stainless steel dish.

The thickness of those beef slices was truly worthy of a master from Lanzhou!

However, Zheng Jing didn't complain; after all, for a mere twenty yuan, did you expect them to serve you a whole cow?

Taking the garlic cloves handed to him by the boss, Zheng Jing peeled several of them in a few quick movements.

With the steaming bowl of meat-topped noodles, a bite of garlic and a mouthful of noodles—it was such a satisfying and fulfilling meal!

While eating the noodles, Zheng Jing subconsciously looked at the metal detection radar in his mind and silently scanned his surroundings.

But after a full scan, there was absolutely no high-intensity metal energy reaction.

He sighed inwardly, thinking that it seemed his radar interface had been quiet ever since he returned to the county.

It seemed that these ownerless metal objects weren't something you could just run into anywhere.

Come to think of it, this wasn't some remote wilderness; the crowd was so dense that, let alone gold or silver, even an ownerless iron nail would have likely been picked up by sanitation workers or old folks long ago—how could it possibly still be lying there waiting for him?

If the streets were really full of ownerless metal, why would anyone bother working? Wouldn't it be better to just go scavenge for scraps?

After eating his fill, Zheng Jing hurried into the bus station and boarded the bus to Pingnan City.

He closed his eyes for a short nap, and the forty-minute journey flew by as the bus slowly drove into the urban area of Pingnan City.

Compared to the cramped and old small county, the streets of the prefecture-level city were much more prosperous and lively, with an endless stream of traffic and people.

But to Zheng Jing, it still seemed quite ordinary... After all, having stayed in Shanghai for so long, he subconsciously compared the two different cities.

Once compared, there was naturally a huge gap, and the thought of "nothing special" naturally arose.

After getting off the bus, Zheng Jing followed his phone's navigation and walked all the way, arriving at his destination—Zhongxing Antique City—before long.

Stepping into Zhongxing Antique City, the interior was decorated in a beautifully antique style.

Shops were scattered about, with an eye-dazzling array of ornaments, ancient coins, and old artifacts of various shapes.

The merchants and collectors coming and going spoke with decorum, and the atmosphere was far more professional than that small pawnshop in the county.

Strictly speaking, they weren't even in the same league.

Zheng Jing reached his right hand into his pocket, fiddling with the ten silver dollars, and walked along the roadside, observing as he went.

Perhaps because silver dollars were a relatively common antique, many shops bought them, but the quotes varied wildly.

Some still lowballed him ruthlessly, not much different from that fat Shopkeeper in Hezheng County; it seemed unscrupulous merchants were everywhere.

Some quotes were slightly better, but they were only barely reasonable and didn't meet Zheng Jing's psychological expectations.

After comparing a few places, he finally walked into an old shop with a modest storefront.

As the saying goes, one's face reflects one's heart; the owner of this shop looked steady and amiable, without a hint of mercenary calculation.

Zheng Jing didn't waste any words; he took out a Republic of China Year 3 yuan datou silver dollar and handed it over.

The Shopkeeper didn't rush to take it, but first poured Zheng Jing a cup of tea, then took it and examined it carefully, checking the reeded edge and the patina, repeatedly confirming its authenticity and condition with professional and seasoned movements.

"The item is authentic, the condition is above average, no problem."

The boss gave a direct, honest price: "I don't play games; 920 per coin."

This price was in the upper-middle range of the market value provided by the intelligent assistant; it could be considered fair and honest.

Compared to the 250 offered by that fat Shopkeeper in Hezheng, it was like heaven and earth.

Zheng Jing didn't hesitate and nodded in agreement immediately. "Alright, I have ten in total. Do you want them all, Shopkeeper?"

The Shopkeeper smiled and said, "Opening a shop is for doing this kind of business; the more, the better."

Zheng Jing also smiled, then took out all ten silver dollars and laid them out in a row.

The Shopkeeper verified them one by one without issue, then took out his phone and asked, "WeChat or Alipay? I don't have enough cash on hand."

Zheng Jing opened his phone's WeChat payment code and handed it over.

The Shopkeeper was also very straightforward and transferred the 9,200 yuan directly.

With his solid first pot of gold successfully in his pocket, Zheng Jing felt both relieved and satisfied, and the frustration of the past few days was swept away!

The transaction was complete, and after exchanging a few polite words with the Shopkeeper, he prepared to turn and leave.

Zheng Jing's fingertips accidentally touched his chest bag, which was bulging, and he suddenly remembered what was inside.