5: Chapter 5 Gold Bars in Hand

The horizon had just begun to turn the color of a fish's belly.

Jiangcheng University was still immersed in a light morning mist. The residential buildings were silent, with only a few scattered lights from early risers casting a faint glow through the fog.

Before the alarm could ring, Jiang Chen's eyes snapped open.

He reached for the old phone by his pillow, its screen glowing dimly—5:40 AM.

Ten minutes earlier than his alarm.

He had slept lightly through the night, yet he didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue. Instead, his entire body felt an indescribable lightness.

He washed up quickly, put on a dark, faded jacket, and found a slightly deformed baseball cap to pull over his head. He hid most of his face in the shadows, keeping as low a profile as possible.

The youth in the mirror still had thin features, but the gloom of being suffocated by life's burdens was gone. His eyes were bright and spirited, as if they held the rising sun.

With everything ready, Jiang Chen walked out of his rented room.

The morning breeze carried a hint of chill, brushing against his face and instantly sharpening his senses.

The campus was deserted, except for a cleaning lady pushing her cart, slowly sweeping fallen leaves by the roadside. The rustling sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet morning.

Jiang Chen walked with a light step, following a familiar path toward the back street.

In the past, he had walked this path countless times, every step heavy and filled with the exhaustion of struggling to make a living.

But today, every step felt like walking on clouds, and even the wind tasted sweet.

The back street hadn't fully awakened yet. The owners of the food stalls were just setting up their stoves, and curls of white smoke mixed with the aroma of food wafted through the air.

Old Zhous Scrap Yard was at the very end of the back street. It was a simple shack made of corrugated iron, with layers of old cardboard boxes and waste plastic piled at the entrance, looking very cluttered.

Jiang Chen deliberately slowed his pace and bought a cup of soy milk and two meat buns from a nearby breakfast stall.

Pretending to be an ordinary student out for an early meal, he slowly munched on his buns while his gaze calmly settled on the scrap yard's entrance.

Time passed minute by minute.

6:15 AM.

A dilapidated small truck chugged over and stopped at the scrap yard entrance. The driver rolled down the window and shouted, "Old Zhou, the goods are here!"

Jiang Chen's fingers tightened slightly around his soy milk cup, and his heart rate uncontrollably quickened.

It's here.

He deliberately waited a few minutes, watching Old Zhou and the driver unload the truck, moving a whole load of old appliances and cardboard boxes before he leisurely walked over.

He looked down and kicked an old cardboard box on the ground, his tone casual. "Uncle, I came to see if there are any usable old appliances."

Old Zhou, who was sweating profusely while moving things, glanced at him. Seeing it was a university student who often hung around the area, he didn't think much of it and waved his hand. "Look for yourself. If you find something you like, let me know. I'll sell it cheap."

Jiang Chen gave an affirmative grunt, his eyes quickly scanning the mountain of old appliances.

Washing machines, refrigerators, electric fans, old televisions... they were packed together in total disarray.

He didn't rush to act, instead pretending to browse aimlessly, casually fiddling with a few old appliances while his eyes accurately locked onto his target.

Soon, that silver-gray Mudan 14-inch old television came into view.

The body was covered in dust, the casing was somewhat yellowed, and there was a clear three-centimeter crack in the bottom right corner—like a shallow scar, exactly as described in the intelligence.

Jiang Chen's heart gave a violent thud, and he subconsciously softened his breathing.

This is it!

Suppressing the wild joy in his heart, he pretended to knock on the television's casing with a look of disdain and tilted his chin toward Old Zhou. "Uncle, does this old TV still work? How much?"

Old Zhou wiped his sweat and glanced over. "It's an antique. It won't even turn on; it's just scrap metal. If you want it, take it for thirty yuan."

Thirty yuan.

Not a cent off.

The Daily Intelligence is truly terrifying!

Jiang Chen was overjoyed inside, but his face still wore a hesitant expression as he muttered, "Thirty yuan... fine, I'll take it back to use for parts."

He pulled out his phone and swiftly scanned the code to pay.

Beep.

Thirty yuan transferred.

In that instant, Jiang Chen felt that this was the most worthwhile thirty yuan he had ever spent in his life.

He picked up the old television, which wasn't too heavy. The casing was cold, and its weight in his arms made him feel incredibly grounded.

After saying goodbye to Old Zhou, Jiang Chen walked at a steady pace and turned into a remote, deserted, and unmonitored narrow alley.

After confirming there wasn't even a stray cat passing by, he gently placed the TV on the ground.

He fished a pre-prepared mini Phillips screwdriver out of his pocket.

One by one, the screws on the back cover were removed. The casing was gently lifted, dust fell in flurries, and the circuit board, picture tube, and high-voltage pack inside were clearly exposed.

Jiang Chen's gaze landed precisely next to the high-voltage pack, where a small hard object wrapped tightly in a black plastic bag was wedged quietly in a gap.

He reached in and gave it a gentle pry, and the hard object fell steadily into his palm. He could clearly feel its heavy weight through the plastic bag.

He held his breath and slowly unwrapped the tightly wound plastic bag—one layer, two layers, three layers.

Suddenly, a warm and dazzling golden glow struck his eyes.

A 100-gram pure gold bar, bright throughout with a heavy texture and regular edges, lay quietly in his palm.

There were no patterns or inscriptions, only a '999' hallmark, so pure it made his heart race.

Gold Bar

Jiang Chen stared at the gold bar, completely stunned for three full seconds. It wasn't until his fingertips touched the cold, hard metal that he dared to believe it wasn't an illusion.

He didn't dare delay any longer. He carefully wrapped the gold bar back in the plastic bag, tucked it into his undershirt pocket, and zipped it up securely.

Then he reassembled the old TV and threw it into a nearby trash can.

He tidied his clothes and made sure the gold bar was snug against his body and wouldn't rattle. Suppressing his pounding heart, Jiang Chen hailed a taxi and headed for the Jiangcheng Department Store.

...

7:50 AM.

A small crowd of the early morning rush had already gathered at the entrance of the Jiangcheng Department Store.

Jiang Chen stood in the shade of a tree to the side, adjusted his jacket, repeatedly felt the gold bar at his chest, and took three deep breaths before the mall doors were unlocked on time.

At exactly eight o'clock, the greeters smiled and bowed, and the mall officially opened for business.

The first-floor lobby was brightly lit. The jewelry, watch, and cosmetic sections were connected, and the warm light hitting the glass counters reflected tiny glints of light.

Jiang Chen didn't look left or right, walking straight toward the brand gold buyback counter at the far end.

This was a formal gold buyback point in Jiangcheng, with full qualifications, transparent processes, and no handling fees. It was also the safe liquidation point clearly marked in the intelligence.

Behind the counter sat a female clerk in her thirties, wearing a neat uniform and proper makeup. Seeing Jiang Chen approach, she immediately stood up with a standard smile.

"Hello, sir, welcome. How can I help you?"

Jiang Chen walked to the counter and deliberately lowered his voice, speaking steadily without any sign of panic. "I want to sell some pure gold."