The office was situated in the heart of the city center, boasting a vast lobby. After parking the car, Su Zhantao pulled Zhang Yang out without a word.

“A craftsman must sharpen his tools before he can do his work well. Dr. Zhang, we are partners now, and this is the biggest deal of my life so far. We must be thoroughly prepared beforehand!”

Dragging Zhang Yang along, Su Zhantao muttered continuously as the two of them, accompanied by Mi Xue, entered the main post office hall.

“Hey, what exactly are you planning?”

Zhang Yang was almost exasperated by the dragging. He only managed to pull free once they were inside the hall; to this moment, he still had no idea why Su Zhantao had brought him here.

“To buy a mobile phone. When business starts, we must be reachable 24 hours a day. Pagers won’t cut it; you need a cell phone too!”

Su Zhantao glanced around, and without waiting for Zhang Yang’s reaction, immediately added, “Wait here for me. I have a classmate who works here; I’ll call him to help me get a SIM card. You have no idea how shady these guys are; without an acquaintance, they’ll charge you over a thousand just for choosing a number!”

After saying this, Su Zhantao asked Zhang Yang to wait nearby, then pulled out his own phone, dialed a number, and walked off to the side to talk.

“Buy a cell phone?”

Zhang Yang was stunned. He had considered this idea before, but never expected to realize it so soon.

Firstly, phones back then weren't cheap, had very limited functions, and were incredibly ugly. Compared to the era of ubiquitous smartphones he knew, these were ancient relics.

Secondly, Zhang Yang’s finances were not exactly flush. A basic phone cost at least a few thousand yuan, and the number itself wasn't cheap either. In 1998, getting a landline or buying a mobile phone wasn't nearly as convenient as it would be later.

Just as Su Zhantao had mentioned, buying a phone now required a substantial upfront fee just to select a number, and even then, you weren't guaranteed to secure the number on the spot.

When all was accounted for, even a subpar mobile phone would cost four or five thousand yuan, while a decent one could easily run to seven or eight thousand, or even over ten thousand. In this era, mobile phones were absolute luxuries. It was no wonder Zhou Yichen was so fond of showing off his bulky handset.

“Zhang Yang, you’re really going to buy a cell phone!”

Mi Xue tugged lightly on Zhang Yang’s sleeve and asked quietly.

Zhang Yang considered it. “If we’re buying, then fine. We’ll need one eventually, and he’s right, having a phone would be more convenient!”

“En, so you won’t use your pager much anymore?”

Mi Xue nodded slightly, then whispered the question again, and this time Zhang Yang detected a hint of worry in her tone.

“Silly girl, of course not. Phone bills are so expensive; I’ll only use it occasionally. The pager you gave me will still get the most use!”

Zhang Yang chuckled lightly, understanding Mi Xue’s concern. This pager was a gift from her only recently. Mi Xue was worried that now he had a cell phone, he would neglect the gift she gave him, which, after all, was the first present she had ever given him.

Yet, his words were somewhat insincere.

Zhang Yang knew clearly that no matter how much he cared for Mi Xue, the pager wouldn't last long. Mobile phones were in their infancy, and once call rates dropped and functionality increased, pagers were destined to exit the historical stage. However, he would keep that pager forever because it held a different significance.

“That’s good then!”

Mi Xue smiled sweetly. She had indeed been worried, but Zhang Yang’s reassurance dispelled her doubts.

“He’s still on the phone. Since we’re buying one, why don’t we look around first?”

Mi Xue glanced back. Su Zhantao’s call seemed to be taking a long time; he was still standing near the entrance, pacing occasionally. Mobile phones nowadays truly lived up to the name ‘mobile telephone’—you had to move around to call, and standing still in one spot could easily lead to a poor signal.

“That’s fine too, let’s look around,” Zhang Yang agreed after a moment’s thought. He held no real expectation for the cell phones of this era; he knew that even the best ones couldn't compare to what he used in the future. He simply didn't want to disappoint Mi Xue, who looked eager and excited.

After all, a mobile phone was still a status symbol at this time. If Zhang Yang had one, it proved he was even more remarkable, and the more remarkable he was, the prouder she felt. Moreover, Zhang Yang would be the first among their group to own a mobile phone.

In '98, the postal and telecommunications sectors hadn't fully separated; the Post Office and Telecom Bureau operated together.

This was the main Post and Telecommunications Hall, and walking inside gave Zhang Yang a chance to examine the surroundings closely.

The hall was crowded. Many people were at the counters mailing letters or parcels, while others were handling money orders or withdrawals. Postal money orders were still a very common way to send money, though notoriously slow. Besides mailing and remittances, there were counters selling stamps, envelopes, and postcards—a long row of them, surrounded by many people.

The stamp collecting craze was booming then. Unfortunately, Zhang Yang couldn't recall which specific stamps would appreciate in value quickly, so he just gave a wistful look and moved on. If he remembered correctly, this was another easy way to make money, but only in the short term; he wasn't interested in long-term investments and unwilling to wait.

Mi Xue, however, was quite interested in stamps. As they passed, she bought two full sheets; the price wasn't high, costing only a few yuan. She didn't collect them herself but had friends who did, so she bought them as gifts to make them happy.

The hall was oriented east-west, and the easternmost section housed the Telecom services. Calling it a hall was generous; it was really just a partitioned-off corner, incomparable to the main area they had just left. There were fewer people here than in the main section, only a handful standing around. However, the items here were much pricier than those elsewhere. Besides the cell phones Zhang Yang intended to buy, there were also many pagers on display. At this time, pagers were still truly popular; cell phones were seen by many as unaffordable and unsustainable luxuries.

“Zhang Yang!”

A light call made Zhang Yang turn around. He hadn't expected to run into an acquaintance while buying a phone. Hu Tao from the Sports Department walked into the small section with two girls, one of whom was linked arm-in-arm with him. His call drew the attention of the two girls beside him.

One girl appeared slightly older, while the other was about their age and was the one holding Hu Tao’s arm. Zhang Yang seemed to have a vague impression of this girl but couldn't recall her name.

“Hu Tao, hello!”

Since they were off-campus, Zhang Yang didn't act particularly reserved. Besides, Hu Tao was merely Zhou Yichen's follower, not someone they actively disliked like Zhou Yichen himself.

Hu Tao nodded, his gaze shifting nervously. Zhang Yang noticed a hint of fear directed at him in Hu Tao’s eyes, which puzzled him.

“You are Zhang Yang?”

Hu Tao remained silent, but the girl linked to his arm spoke first. A flicker of hesitation crossed Hu Tao’s face. Zhang Yang’s previous observation was correct; Hu Tao was genuinely somewhat scared of him right now, though Hu Tao himself didn't know why.

“Hello, I am,” Zhang Yang replied with a polite smile. The girl felt vaguely familiar to Zhang Yang, but it was an unfamiliar familiarity—a residue from memories he couldn't fully access. Since even those memories were hazy, it meant he wasn't close to her. Zhang Yang essentially didn't know her and had no intention of making her acquaintance now.

“Hu Tao, is this the Zhang Yang who bullied you?”

The girl sized Zhang Yang up before asking Hu Tao.

“No, Tingting, I never said that!”

Hu Tao’s face changed instantly, and he quickly shook his head. He truly felt a sense of dread toward Zhang Yang now and had no desire to provoke him. It was because he had suggested Zhang Yang go to the External Liaison Department that Zhou Yichen was annoyed with him, redirecting his anger onto Hu Tao for several days without offering him a pleasant look.

Hu Tao knew that Zhou Yichen was plotting a counterattack daily, but unfortunately, in several recent meetings, Zhou Yichen couldn't even handle Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng, having been utterly defeated in the last weekly meeting, losing further face. Hu Tao had come to realize that Zhou Yichen's position in the Student Union was deteriorating day by day, and he would inevitably be forced out. He had followed Zhou Yichen initially because of his status, and secondly, because Zhou Yichen had connections and money, hoping Zhou Yichen would lend him a hand upon graduation. But now, he understood all that was gone; how could Zhou Yichen help him when he was resentful?

The true mastermind behind all of this, Hu Tao understood clearly, was Zhang Yang. It was precisely because he grasped this fact that he feared Zhang Yang. Zhou Yichen was already a formidable figure in his eyes, yet Zhang Yang had managed to neutralize him in just a few exchanges. More importantly, Zhang Yang hadn't even appeared in person, relying only on two pawns to deal with Zhou Yichen. The gap in capability was immense. Because of this disparity, Hu Tao had gradually become terrified of Zhang Yang. If Zhang Yang could manipulate Zhou Yichen as he pleased, what chance did Hu Tao have?

“Look at you, what kind of backbone do you have? I don't know what Tingting sees in you. You get bullied and don’t even dare to let out a peep!”

This time, the speaker was the slightly older girl. By ‘older,’ she meant relative to Zhang Yang’s group; this woman looked to be about twenty-two or twenty-three, perhaps similar in age to Su Zhantao. Hu Tao lowered his head again, remaining silent as the woman scolded him in front of everyone, a truly humiliating display.

Zhang Yang frowned. As the woman lectured Hu Tao, she was boldly scrutinizing him with an expression of disdain. That look made Zhang Yang deeply uncomfortable.

“Sis, I know him. He’s an executive in our school’s Student Union, and Hu Tao is in the Union too. He’s always picking on Hu Tao!”

The girl linked to Hu Tao’s arm spoke again, also looking at Zhang Yang with an indignant expression. Mi Xue, in turn, frowned lightly and quietly moved to Zhang Yang’s side, gently linking her arm through his.