Making Money Just By Breathing (Patreon)

Chapter 8: Who's That?

Before hitting the road, Wang Yangguang dialed a phone number he had copied from a telephone pole at the village entrance.

"Hello, who is this?" A polite yet cautious voice came from the other end of the phone.

Following his prepared script, Wang Yangguang pulled out all the stops: "Brother, I'm a friend of Brother Hu from Xiawu Village. Can you help with certificate stamping and engraving?"

"Oh, a friend of Brother Hu? Sure, sure! What do you need?"

"A set of documents and a radish stamp."

"Oh! That's easy! I'm near Xiawu. Can you come over?"

"I'll come to you. How long will it take to get it done?"

"At most two hours!"

Wang Yangguang checked the time; it was 11:10 AM. Two hours later would be just in time for the afternoon work.

Alright, after lunch, it's time to get to work!

Feeling motivated, Wang Yangguang drove straight to the printing factory behind the Xiawu Education Bureau.

On the way, he received a call from his aunt.

"Auntie, I haven't finished my business yet. Don't worry about me. Just go home and cook for Yaoyao!"

"You little rascal, drive slowly!"

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I value my life more than anyone now!"

That was the plain truth, which made his aunt burst into laughter. "You naughty kid, what could possibly scare you?"

Do you understand the different circumstances now?

I'm precious now!

Wang Yangguang chuckled triumphantly, then suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked, "Auntie, is that small factory behind your workplace still open?"

"Which one? The one that makes student adhesive, pencils, and rulers, the school-run factory?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"It's still open. What do you need it for?" Wang Xiumei was curious.

"I'm going to have them make some adhesive labels and print some flyers and brochures. It's not much money, just simple stuff."

"Let me talk to their manager first. What you're asking for, even if you pay, they might not be willing to do."

"Oh, that's nice of you. I won't bother with the formalities then. Can I just mention your name when I get there?"

"Sure, sure, consider it done! It's owed to you!"

Wang Xiumei scolded on the surface but couldn't hide her smile.

As an elder, she was happy when her children were involved in legitimate matters and could lend a hand.

"Alright, you go about your business. Goodbye!"

Wang Yangguang bid farewell to his aunt happily, then started the car parked by the roadside and drove onto the main road.

He truly valued his life.

Upon arrival, before he could even honk, a security guard popped his head out of the guardhouse and asked, "Are you Director Wang's child?"

"Yes, that's me!"

"Oh, come on in!"

Things went extremely smoothly. The other party readily agreed to Wang Yangguang's requests.

Then came the design and printing.

Unexpectedly, a problem arose, one that Wang Yangguang hadn't anticipated.

"Young man, the cost of the color brochures is a bit high. It's not just about the copperplate paper. To achieve the quality you want, the design alone would take at least a day and a half, and you'll have to provide the content."

The young designer responsible for the computer hesitated, leaving Wang Yangguang feeling even more troubled.

"What specific content do you need?"

"Images and text, at the very least."

"Alright, let's change tactics!"

Wang Yangguang immediately adjusted his approach, showing no stubbornness.

It was obvious that he had been too simplistic in his previous thinking. He couldn't let pride get in the way.

In the past, Wang Yangguang would have prioritized appearance over substance. But now, with time pressing, he had to distinguish between what was important and what was not.

Another change, one that Wang Yangguang himself hadn't realized, was that since getting the system, the young man's mindset had suddenly become much broader.

The designer was quite pleased and said with a smile, "Okay, buddy, tell me what you want to do, and I'll give you some ideas!"

"I have a batch of watermelons, a new variety from the research institute, in the experimental promotion stage. The cost is high, but the quantity is small. I want to retail them at a high price, so I need some high-quality publicity..."

Wang Yangguang bluffed so convincingly that even he almost believed it. Plus, his concise and straightforward answers made the content clear, leading the designer to believe it as well.

"Do you have any proof we can use?"

"After we produce the brochures, I can take them to the research institute for stamping."

"How about we produce a test report?"

"Yes!"

Wang Yangguang slapped his thigh, suddenly enlightened.

After all, he was just a student. There were some things he hadn't considered thoroughly. Being reminded by others immediately opened up a new line of thought.

"Wait here, I'll go find a template!"

As for where he can get one? It’s by asking his aunt of course.

Wang Xiumei not only arranged for the template files with just one phone call but also helped Wang Yangguang settle another matter.

"After you bring the watermelons, take two of them to the Food Inspection and Testing Institute. You'll get an official report in just two hours, saving you the trouble of dealing with fake ones."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Wang Yangguang was overjoyed. "Turn on the computer for me. I have a new idea to check out!"

The internet nowadays is really convenient. With minimal effort, Wang Yangguang found a research report on Anong No.2 on CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure).

He copied the key terms verbatim and made some modifications to non-essential points, approaching it with the attitude of writing a high school essay, quickly producing a promotional document.

Back at the school factory, he completed the task well ahead of schedule in less than half an hour.

After finishing up, Wang Yangguang rushed to the place where he was getting the certification and carving the "radish stamp."

Calling it a "radish stamp" was just a euphemism, of course, it wasn't actually made from a radish.

The guy was quite skilled, but he kept hinting at Wang Yangguang's relationship with "Brother Hu" while working.

Where did Wang Yangguang know anyone named Brother Hu?

He just happened to be from the same Downhill Village and had heard of the so-called "reputation," so he used it as a calling card.

Humphing and laughing it off, Wang Yangguang wasn't surprised when his true colors were seen through. He didn't even try to bargain and just paid the high price of 200 yuan.

Wang Yangguang didn't care at all. As long as it got done, it was okay.

What was 200 yuan anyway?

Experience points +200, and that was that.

After finishing up, he headed straight home. Passing by the noodle shop at the village entrance, Wang Yangguang ordered a random bowl of noodles. Once he got home, he collapsed onto the wicker chair.

He had been busy all morning, tired to death, but it was a fulfilling kind of exhaustion like never before.

A month ago, sitting in the examination hall for the college entrance exam, Wang Yangguang would never have imagined he would be where he was today.

It was the system that had expanded his horizons.

Spending two or three thousand yuan a day, living in a dream for more than ten days, and continuing to live in that dream after the system upgraded, raising the system to level 4 before going to college, what kind of skill was that?

If he wanted to play, he had to play big!

Habituation was key, and he was sure to succeed!

If business went smoothly, the next goal would be raised even higher.

For example...

Rushing to upgrade the system level at the fastest speed!

Of course, it was equally important to shake off the naive, poor student vibe.

What kind of man can be called a tycoon, Wang Yangguang is not sure, but he can tell just by thinking about it that he's still far from being a successful man.

If he could manage the street stall business well, then it would be considered a bit of experience gained.

With this in mind, Wang Yangguang's heart was once again filled with fighting spirit, and the exhaustion and heat caused by the high temperature were no longer torture.

Just endure a little longer, victory is within reach!

...

After finishing dinner, taking a shower, exhaustion flooded over him. Wang Yangguang was tired, hot, and hungry, sticking his tongue out.

In the hot summer, it wasn't easy to be running around everywhere.

The air conditioning in the old truck wasn't working properly, unable to blow cold air. Otherwise, if it could, with the air conditioning on and a light breeze blowing, things would be done comfortably. There was no need to suffer like this.

Yeah, when he saved up enough breathing wages, he would definitely go buy a small car!

The Audi A4L seemed nice, stylish exterior, and priced right. When the time came, driving it around the university campus would definitely be cool.

Actually, Wang Yangguang had never seen any luxury cars before. Born in a village in the outskirts of the city, he was what people call a rural kid.

Among the various car models parked at the entrance of the school, picking up and dropping off children, the A4L was the one Wang Yangguang admired the most. Purely based on its appearance, he deemed it a good car.

Daydreaming about driving an A4L, Wang Yangguang gradually fell asleep.

He had gone to bed early yesterday but tossed and turned unable to sleep, and today he woke up early and was busy all morning. He was really tired.

In his dreams, the sky was interwoven with light, forming a palace. Inside the palace, there were beautiful women carrying exquisite food and wine, constantly offering them to the throne. The hall was packed with wealthy merchants from various countries, waving various exotic items, trying to win the king's favor.

The person on the throne was leisurely and relaxed, with a majestic aura, but his face couldn't be seen clearly.

Who was that?

...

Waking up from the chaotic dream, Wang Yangguang received a call from Manager Wu from the paper box factory.

"Is it done? Good, I'll be right over!"

...

Manager Wu was rough around the edges but very efficient. He shaved the edges of the plastic mesh boxes cleanly, and they didn't feel rough at all.

Wang Yangguang was very satisfied with the quality of the boxes and immediately paid Manager Wu.

Casually, he asked, "Manager Wu, do you know where I can get sponge blocks of the right size?"

Manager Wu gestured with his arm, pointing to the right, "Go out and turn right, there's a small sponge factory 200 meters away. Let them cut the sponge to the size of the boxes for you, and they also sell bubble wrap for cushioning."

Getting sponge blocks was very simple; they had sponge strips blocks specifically for filling boxes.

"And that thing isn't expensive, it only cost Wang Yangguang 250 yuan to get enough goods, and then all the way without stopping, he drove back to his home in Wang Jia Ao.

He arrived home at 5:30, calculating the time, it would take at least until 10 o'clock to return to Gujiao. Wang Yangguang didn't go home and went straight to find Wu Ye.

"Kid! Have you eaten? If not, come and have a piece of melon!"

Wu Ye's voice was loud, and indeed, being a melon seller, judging by his appearance, it seemed he treated watermelon as his meal.

Wang Yangguang grinned and didn't stand on ceremony, he directly asked, "Uncle, lend me some melons, I'll take them to sell in the city!"

Wang Jia Ao only had over twenty households in total, each one related to each other, and Wu Ye was also straightforward, not needing to play tricks.

"Tomorrow, you go pick them in the field yourself! No need to weigh them, just give 5 yuan each!"

Wu Ye flicked off some ash from his cigarette and waved his hand.

Wang Yangguang was surprised, "What the heck! 5 yuan each, aren't you losing money?!"

Even if the market price in the fields was 50 cents per pound, calculated on average of 15 pounds, each melon would be more than 7 yuan.

Moreover, the melons grown by Wu Ye were really good varieties, so the cost would be even higher.

"No big deal!"

The old man spat on the ground, bluntly cursing, "Relying on these few melons to eat, the whole family would starve to death early! You pick more and it'll save me the trouble!"

Alright, Wu Ye's family wasn't short of money - there weren't many families in Wang Jia Ao who were short of money - so Wang Yangguang didn't stand on ceremony, accepting the goodwill.

"No need to wait till tomorrow, I'll go right away, you show me the way."

"Hurry up!!"

Despite the scolding, Wu Ye still got up from his small stool and walked out with wind.

"Let's go, I'll take your kid to see the melons!"

The soil in Wang Jia Ao couldn't grow rice, but it was top-notch for watermelons. As soon as they left the village, there were watermelon fields everywhere.

But the melons from other families were not as good as Wu Ye's variety - even Wang Yangguang's uncle's melons weren't good.

When they arrived at the field, Wu Ye picked up the tobacco pouch pot and gestured, "This side is all Black Honey, over there are two Big Crispy... Forget it, just pick the Big Crispy ones to eat, don't pull them out, they'll break as soon as you touch them!"

"I'll be damned! Wu Ye, what were you thinking? How dare you grow those things?!"

Wang Yangguang was surprised at first, then overjoyed, and dashed towards the east.

"I'm going to check out your crispy skin!"

Wang Yangguang didn't know the scientific name for Big Crispy, but that melon was really delicious, and it was hard to come by.

He dashed over in a flash and quickly found a row of low watermelon fields. After feeling around for a while, he intuitively picked out a watermelon the size of a rugby ball.

The skin of the Big Crispy was green, with fine and intricate patterns, oval-shaped, not very large in size, and hardly weighing over 10 catties.

The one Wang Yangguang picked was at most 8 catties, a beautiful emerald green.

He pinched the stem, lifted it up vertically, and rubbed it haphazardly against the hem of his clothes. Wang Yangguang flicked his finger on the melon's bottom.

Snap!

Crack!

With two crisp sounds, the watermelon's skin cracked open, and spiderweb-like patterns spread out.

Wang Yangguang held the melon with his left hand, and with his right hand, he grabbed the crack in the melon's skin and peeled it off like peeling a pomelo.

In just a few moves, half of the melon's skin was completely peeled off, revealing the ruby-like flesh inside.

And then?

He just bit into it!

Wang Yangguang held the intact watermelon, took a big bite, and instantly felt the sweetness filling his mouth, with juice flowing everywhere.

Sweet!

Incredibly sweet!

Not only that, but the texture of the flesh was extremely crisp and fresh. It came off in big chunks with a bite, but it wasn't tough; it melted into juice as soon as it touched the mouth.

It was incredibly delicious!

Wang Yangguang couldn't remember the last time he had eaten such a perfect crisp melon. In less than ten seconds, he finished half of the melon, leaving his face covered in juice.

Old man Wu slowly strolled over, laughing and scolding, "You little rascal! Haven't you eaten yet? Come, have some melon!"

Wang Yangguang gave a thumbs up, "Old man, your melons are grown so well! They're really sweet!"

"Humph, they're barely useful!" Old man Wu grumbled, "I must have lost my mind to plant them. Can't sell them, can't even finish eating them ourselves!"

The characteristics of Big Crispy were extremely peculiar; its advantages were unbeatable, but its disadvantages were equally fatal.

Naturally, the advantages lied in its taste and texture. The premium quality of the melon was no joke: fragrant, crisp, and extremely sweet.

Its biggest drawback was its thin and brittle skin, which would burst open with a little force, making it extremely difficult to transport and store. Additionally, it had a long hanging fruit and ripening period, vulnerable to birds and animals, and came to market right in the peak season of watermelon sales... and so on.

So, despite the excellent taste of Big Crispy, few farmers planted it, and it was now on the verge of being completely phased out.

To find such a large patch of Big Crispy at Old Man Wu's place was an extreme delight for Wang Yangguang.

"Others can't sell them, but I can! Old man, I'll take 50 Big Crispy melons!"

"Nonsense! Where are you going to take them?"

When Wang Yangguang drove the truck to the field, Old man Wu was stunned.

"You wasteful brat! You drive out for a trip and bring back a hundred boxes? Is gas free this day?!"

"I'll definitely find a way to make it back, what are you worried about!"

Wang Yangguang enthusiastically began picking melons.

Difficult to transport?

Just wrap them tightly with two layers of plastic bubble wrap, put them in the sponge box, stuff some sponge strips on top, seal the box, and it's done!

Isn't it just bumpy mountain roads?

Let's go, then!

50 boxes of Black Honey melons, 50 boxes of Big Crispy melons. Black Honey melons didn't need sponge, so they were all packed into the middle boxes, tightly protected.

The process of picking melons was straightforward, just using his eyes to scan and pick.

It was just tiring running back and forth.

After picking the melons and packing the boxes, Wang Yangguang didn't even take a break. He bid farewell to Old man Wu and hurriedly drove back to the city.

At his aunt's warehouse, he unloaded the melons, washed them one by one, wiped them dry, labeled them, discarded the plastic bubble wrap covered in soil, replaced them with new ones, and then repacked them.

He started bustling as soon as he returned, and only finished everything around 2 o'clock.

During this time, Wang Yangguang only hurriedly ate a bag of bread, but he didn't feel hungry at all.

The excitement surging in his chest could bring infinite motivation.