Hu Tao froze, not daring to move at all. It was only when Xia Ting, who was beside him, nudged him that he managed to stand before the counter.

A paging machine with Chinese display sat on the counter. It was small, with a sleek, glossy black casing, and its crisp little screen was remarkably captivating. Looking at it, a flicker of excitement stirred in Hu Tao's chest.

In this era when pagers were all the rage, everyone longed to clip one onto their belt, especially within school grounds—it was a symbol of status.

“This Motorola Little Elite is currently on special promotion: only 1499 yuan each, and we’ll throw in a year of service fees free. The event ends soon, so now is the best time to buy!”

The saleswoman smiled warmly, addressing Xia Lan with palpable enthusiasm.

Pagers were different from mobile phones. Phones were exclusively operated by the Post and Telecommunications Bureau; it was a monopoly. However, several paging companies had sprung up, allowing private investment in the business.

Competition meant pressure. Even the largest entity, the Post and Telecommunications Bureau, had to alter its old marketing methods, starting to assign sales quotas to various departments to push more units.

Thus, when selling pagers, they made sure to present themselves well.

Moreover, today presented an entertaining spectacle, and typically, such scenarios greatly increased the likelihood of a sale.

1499?

Xia Lan hesitated slightly. Xia Ting watched her, and even Hu Tao lifted his head, a hint of longing in his eyes.

Hu Tao knew he certainly couldn't afford this price.

They had actually come today specifically to buy a pager. After getting together with Hu Tao, Xia Ting felt communication was sometimes inconvenient and wanted to gift him one. Initially, she had mentioned getting him a standard digital model, not this superior Chinese-display version.

Hu Tao was aware of this, which was why he accompanied the two sisters. However, he hadn't anticipated running into Zhang Yang here, leading to the dispute between the Xia sisters and them.

“What’s the big deal about a little over a thousand? We’ll take this one!”

After just a moment’s hesitation, Xia Lan nodded firmly, waving her hand dismissively, projecting an air of someone unconcerned with the price.

A thousand-plus yuan truly wasn't much for their family. Her hesitation stemmed from not wanting to make things easy for that boy, Hu Tao. Her sister was fond of him, but she disliked him, always sensing he was a freeloader. Today, however, the situation demanded action. Even if only to win a point, she had to buy this pager and reclaim her dignity.

Saying this, Xia Lan let her small shoulder bag drop, placed it directly on the counter, and opened it.

The first thing she pulled out was a large Motorola mobile phone—one of those bulky "brick" models. The phone was visually crude, but in this era, it was the ultimate status symbol; without several thousand yuan, you weren't getting one.

As she displayed the phone, she glanced disdainfully at Zhang Yang beside her, radiating immense arrogance.

Beneath the phone was a small pager, also a Little Elite. Only after presenting both items did she retrieve her wallet and count out fifteen 'old grandfathers' (hundred-yuan bills), handing them over to the saleswoman with a flourish.

Her wallet contained significant funds. Even after pulling out fifteen bills, there were easily twenty or thirty more large notes inside. Onlookers cast envious glances.

In this era, carrying four or five thousand yuan on one's person definitely marked someone as wealthy. An ordinary person's monthly salary was only a few hundred yuan; this cash represented years of income for some.

“Please wait a moment, I’ll prepare your invoice!”

The sale was secured, and the saleswoman was pleased. After accepting and verifying the cash, she immediately went to a side station to print the receipt.

Invoicing, registering the number—the saleswoman worked swiftly. Before long, the pager was in Hu Tao’s hand. Holding it, Hu Tao still found it hard to believe.

A crowd had gathered, murmuring amongst themselves.

The focus of the discussion was naturally the Xia sisters. They weren't exceptionally beautiful, but they were rich. Even if they weren't 'Bai Fu Mei' (fair, rich, beautiful), they certainly possessed the 'rich' component—though that term hadn't even been coined yet.

The whispers reached the Xia sisters.

Xia Lan appeared even more haughty, casting a challenging look at Zhang Yang. Xia Ting, meanwhile, smiled smugly, looking down on Mi Xue from a superior position. Xia Ting was also a student at Changjing University, and her jealousy toward Mi Xue was days, if not years, in the making.

“Weren’t you going to look too? Why stop now? I’d love to see which model you plan on buying today!”

Xia Lan crossed her arms, sneering coldly. She was deliberately trying to humiliate Zhang Yang to retaliate for his earlier disdain toward her.

A woman's heart could sometimes be truly inscrutable. Zhang Yang felt utterly helpless. He simply didn't wish to engage with them, yet they pursued him relentlessly, determined to make him look foolish.

“I wonder how this young man offended that girl. He’s probably going to be thoroughly embarrassed this time!”

“Heh heh, who cares how he offended her? As long as there’s a good show!”

The surrounding crowd began to discuss again, mostly adopting the air of theatergoers, keenly observing Zhang Yang. Many assumed Zhang Yang and Mi Xue had only come to look around while intending to buy stamps. If that were the case, Zhang Yang and Mi Xue would indeed be cornered. If they hadn't brought enough money, they were guaranteed a public loss of face today. Even if, by some miracle, they had the cash but ended up buying something they hadn't intended to, the aftermath wouldn't be pleasant.

“You really want to know which model I’m buying?”

Zhang Yang looked up, lightly tapped the glass counter, and asked Xia Lan directly. This woman had truly managed to irritate him, and Zhang Yang certainly wouldn't remain polite with someone like her.

“What, are you too embarrassed to say? Did you not bring enough money? I can ask Hu Tao to lend you some!”

Xia Lan scoffed loudly. Seeing the attention they had drawn and Zhang Yang’s demeanor, she finally felt a surge of satisfaction. She felt she had successfully retaliated against Zhang Yang, at least causing him to lose face, which, in turn, meant she had regained her own.

“No need. Actually, this is what I want!”

Zhang Yang gently shook his head, then pointed his finger again at the counter. This time, his aim was clear; visible through the glass, Zhang Yang was pointing at a black mobile phone.

Not a pager, but a mobile phone—and a newer model at that. While still somewhat bulky, it was vastly superior to the brick Xia Lan had just pulled from her bag.

Zhang Yang’s statement caused an immediate hush. Everyone stared at him, eyes wide. If a middle-aged man or someone who looked genuinely wealthy had said that, it might be believable, but a young man, one who looked like a student, invited widespread skepticism. Even the saleswoman’s eyes held a measure of disbelief.

“How much is this phone?”

Zhang Yang continued to point toward the items inside the counter, asking the saleswoman in a low voice.

“Ah!” the saleswoman gasped, apparently surprised that Zhang Yang was actually making an inquiry.

“Excuse me, I’d like to know the price of this phone you have there.”

Zhang Yang repeated his question, his finger still fixed on the black phone inside. Mi Xue, meanwhile, looped her arm through Zhang Yang’s and shot a fierce glare at Xia Ting opposite them. Today, she had developed a strong grudge against this woman. Mi Xue was only gentle around Zhang Yang; to others, she could be terrifying.

“This is a brand-new model released this May, the Nokia 5110. We just received it, we only have this one unit, and the price is 6998 yuan!”

The saleswoman finally snapped back to attention and began her introduction. Everything she said was true. This phone was the smallest one displayed inside the case; it was a true new arrival, but certainly not cheap—nearly seven thousand yuan. With a service contract, it would run closer to eight or nine thousand.

Many in the crowd were now watching Zhang Yang. Eight or nine thousand yuan was the entire annual household income for many people in the country, sometimes even more than some families earned in a year.

“This phone has many features. Besides making and receiving calls, it even has built-in games. Oh, and it’s the first phone with interchangeable casings. It comes with colored shells, though we don't have them here yet!”

The saleswoman continued her pitch, though she wasn't entirely sure why she was detailing these features. In her eyes, Zhang Yang didn't look like someone who could afford such an expensive item. But his eyes were so sharp that, catching a glimpse of them, she couldn't help but elaborate.

“It has games?”

Mi Xue looked over curiously and reached out to pick up the phone the saleswoman had placed on the counter. Before this, phones were strictly for calls; the concept of games didn't exist. As for colored casings, that was even more appealing, though it was a shame they didn't have them available now.

“Yes, it has the built-in Snake…”

“Stop talking, it doesn’t matter what you say. Didn’t he just say he was only looking?”

Before the saleswoman could finish, Xia Lan interrupted, sneering. She stared pointedly at Zhang Yang, clearly communicating her contempt.

Zhang Yang was utterly speechless regarding this woman. Mi Xue felt deeply annoyed and was about to speak up when Zhang Yang suddenly pulled her back.

“I’ll take this one. Please pack it up for me; I’m buying it.”

Zhang Yang indicated the phone on the counter, speaking flatly. Throughout the whole exchange, he hadn't even touched the device. He paid no mind to the features the saleswoman was describing; none of this would matter in the future. Future smartphones would rival computers, possessing even greater capabilities. These features held no real appeal for him. He simply needed a phone for now and would settle for this relatively smaller model until something better came along.

“You’re buying it?”

The saleswoman froze initially, remaining stationary.

“Yes, I am,” Zhang Yang nodded again. He wore a simple shoulder bag, the canvas type students used, not leather—an item left behind by the former ‘Zhang Yang.’ He hadn't packed anything specific, just grabbed what was on hand when he left.

The bag was ordinary, but its contents were not. Zhang Yang reached in and pulled out a thick wad of cash, every bill bearing the image of the four old grandfathers. Sharp-eyed people noticed that the stack was substantial—at least ten thousand yuan, maybe more.

………… Thank you friends for your support over the past month. The book will be put up for subscription next chapter, which is the most severe test a novel faces. If you enjoy this book, I sincerely hope you will support Xiao Yu with subscriptions. One chapter subscription only costs a few cents, but those few cents mean a great deal to Xiao Yu. The final success of this book depends entirely on all of you! C