Chapter 6

Update time: March 19, 2013

Zhang Yang bought a hat and put it on, along with sunglasses and a mask. Even his parents wouldn't recognize him if they walked right past him.

Seeing Zhang Yang fully equipped as he walked in, the staff at the welfare lottery center thought he had won a hundred million. When they heard it was only forty thousand, they looked at him with a mix of laughter and tears, thinking he was being too cautious.

Zhang Yang didn't care what they thought and anxiously asked, "When can I take the money?"

The staff member replied, "Soon, I'll call the notary and the bank!"

Zhang Yang nodded nervously and urged, "Hurry up, hurry up!"

By the time Zhang Yang left the welfare lottery center, it was already noon!

Zhang Yang hurried into a public restroom nearby. Seeing no one around, he undid his belt, pulled down his pants, and revealed his triangular underwear. His underwear was unique; Wang Shuang had sewn a pocket into it. The two thousand yuan he had initially brought was also stored there. Zhang Yang took out the bank card from his pocket and put it in the pocket of his underwear, finally feeling relieved. He had been so tense!

When Zhang Yang came out of the restroom, he couldn't hide the smile on his face!

But thinking about the eight thousand yuan in taxes, Zhang Yang felt a pang of pain. Eight thousand yuan, eight thousand yuan, in the past, he would have risked his life for eight thousand yuan. Today, he had to pay eight thousand in taxes.

Looking at the welfare lottery center not far away, Zhang Yang cursed, "Robbers!"

If yesterday was a small gain, today was a leap to prosperity.

Suddenly having money, Zhang Yang felt lost, not knowing what to do. Thinking about the eight thousand yuan in taxes, his stubbornness flared up.

"Damn it, eight thousand yuan, if I don't earn this back, how can I sleep at night!"

Zhang Yang rushed into another lottery station, determined to fight on. Hope was beautiful, but reality was cruel. After visiting two lottery stations, he only managed to win five thousand yuan before his special ability ran out.

With the big win as a foundation, Zhang Yang's appetite for more grew.

Leaving the lottery station, Zhang Yang stomped his foot and cursed, "Damn it, can't you last a bit longer? I haven't earned back my eight thousand yet!"

After a few more curses and a bit of venting, Zhang Yang reluctantly gave up. The cold air lasted only fifteen minutes, not a second more!

Feeling his stomach, and looking at the sun, Zhang Yang realized he was hungry after a busy morning.

Looking around, he saw a Sichuan restaurant not far away. The huge sign, clean storefront, and two welcoming attendants at the door caught his eye. He touched the five thousand yuan in his pocket and the bank card in his underwear, then straightened his back and walked in.

When it came time to pay, seeing the waiter take his hundred yuan, Zhang Yang's frugality kicked in. He was heartbroken; a hundred yuan could buy him so many bowls of knife-cut noodles. Now, a single meal was gone, too extravagant.

That was a hundred yuan, just for two dishes and a bottle of beer, and it was all gone!

Too damn expensive.

Leaving the restaurant, Zhang Yang was still muttering, "A hundred yuan, a hundred yuan!"

Hearing a girl on the street talking on the phone, Zhang Yang remembered he needed to buy a phone.

After walking two streets, Zhang Yang found a phone store.

The counter was filled with colorful phones of various styles, almost dazzling Zhang Yang's eyes. Having never bought a phone before, he looked for a long time but didn't know which one to choose.

Seeing the always-smiling salesperson, Zhang Yang asked, "Can you introduce me to some options?"

The salesperson smiled and said, "What price range are you looking for?"

In real life, salespeople who look down on customers are rare. After all, their salary is a base pay plus commission. To them, any customer willing to buy is a good customer. The scenario in novels where no one pays attention to you only happens if they are busy or have been kicked in the head by a donkey.

"Any phone that can make calls is fine!" Zhang Yang said.

The salesperson almost laughed, not out of mockery, but because phones today are more than just communication tools. They can make calls, use QQ, play music, read novels, watch TV, and post on Weibo. The functions are increasingly comprehensive, and phones are becoming more like computers.

Zhang Yang's simple requirements were rare, especially from a young man who looked so innocent. Not asking for an iPhone was already a sign of maturity!

The salesperson briefly explained the functions of modern phones and asked, "What price range are you looking for?"

Zhang Yang said, "The cheaper, the better. I don't know how to use any of the features you mentioned!"

The salesperson smiled and said, "If it's for your own use, I recommend this one! It's a smartphone, a new brand called Little Pepper. It's not very well-known, but it has all the necessary functions. It has a large screen, low power consumption, good signal, and a nice design!"

She then took out a smartphone.

For new models, salespeople get a high commission. Seeing Zhang Yang's reluctance to spend much, she didn't recommend the branded phones.

Zhang Yang took the phone the salesperson handed him and immediately liked it. It was so good-looking, with a large screen, and could play music and read novels. It was perfect.

"How much is it?" Zhang Yang asked, worried.

"Seven hundred yuan, the national retail price! It's a high-performance phone!" the salesperson said.

Zhang Yang was pleasantly surprised, "So cheap?"

The salesperson said, "Nowadays, the functions of phones don't differ much. The main difference is the brand. A Samsung with the same functions would cost four to five thousand yuan, and an iPhone even more, seven to eight thousand. The functions are not much different!"

"I'll take this one!" Zhang Yang quickly interrupted.

He then took out his money, counted out seven hundred yuan, and handed it to the salesperson.

The salesperson was taken aback by the stack of cash in Zhang Yang's pocket. She had recommended this model because of his simple clothes and insistence on a cheap phone. If she had known he had so much cash, she would have used her charm to sell him a Samsung!

She stomped her foot and cursed in her heart, "Pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, how can young people be so bad these days."

Zhang Yang excitedly left with his new phone, completely ignoring the salesperson's slightly displeased attitude. Her mood didn't matter to him; he was happy.

"Mom, I bought a new phone!" Zhang Yang called home eagerly after getting a SIM card at the mobile hall.

"Good, good, you should have bought one long ago so we can contact you! Son, are you not at work today?" Wang Shuang asked.

"I took a day off today! Mom, is Dad not at home?" Zhang Yang asked.

Wang Shuang said, "No, your father went to the construction site. Someone introduced him to a job!"

Hearing that his father was back at the construction site, Zhang Yang was a bit worried, "Mom, Dad is getting old, he shouldn't go out to work. I'm earning money now, you and Dad can stay home and enjoy life."

Wang Shuang said, "Don't worry, son! Your father said he'll work for two more years to save up for your wedding, then he'll stop!"

"Mom, go get Dad and tell him not to work anymore! I have money! Mom, give me the bank account number, I'll transfer money to you!" Zhang Yang said.

Wang Shuang said, "Why transfer money? Keep it for yourself to spend!"

Despite Zhang Yang's insistence, Wang Shuang finally gave him the bank account number.

Zhang Yang immediately hung up, found a bank, and took out the hidden bank card.

"How much do you want to withdraw?" the teller asked.

Zhang Yang gritted his teeth, "Three hundred thousand!"

The teller handed him the card, "You need to make a reservation for large withdrawals!"

Zhang Yang was taken aback, "I want to transfer money!"

The teller then threw him a transfer form, "Fill it out yourself!"

After filling it out, when the teller asked for a handling fee, Zhang Yang almost jumped up and cursed. Damn, how could they take a cut for transferring money? Is there no law?

The bank is like your home, just transferring money from one account to another, and they charge so much.

The bank's ruthlessness in taking money is no less than the tax authorities!

Too ruthless!

Leaving the bank, Zhang Yang was still trembling with anger. Taxes, handling fees, these actions were hard for him to accept as a newcomer to society. Poor people finally win the lottery, and they have to pay twenty percent in taxes. Transferring money home, and they charge a handling fee.

"Damn, will they start charging a storage fee for deposits in a couple of years?" Zhang Yang spat, furious.

A few people leaving the bank heard Zhang Yang and chuckled.

A chubby young man said, "Bro, you're so talented!"

Zhang Yang said, "It's not that I'm talented, but they're too excessive! Transferring money home, and they charged me fifty yuan in handling fees! It's like robbing me!"

The group laughed, and the chubby young man said, "Not bad, the Agricultural Bank has a cap. Some banks have no cap, and transferring ten thousand yuan costs a hundred yuan. Be grateful, bro!"

Zhang Yang almost jumped up. If that were the case, transferring three hundred thousand would cost him one thousand five hundred yuan. If that were true, he would rather withdraw the money and take it home in cash.

"Are you students from Jindai University?" Zhang Yang noticed the university gate.

The chubby young man said, "Yeah, we're here to withdraw money! Monthly living expenses, can't compare to you!"

He looked at Zhang Yang with admiration, genuinely impressed. Zhang Yang could tell.

These college students usually look down on people, and if they met someone complaining about fifty yuan, they would probably give them the middle finger. But hearing Zhang Yang was transferring money home, they looked at him with respect.

No matter what, at the same age, they still had to ask their parents for money, while Zhang Yang was already transferring money home. The difference was huge!

"University, I envy you so much!" Zhang Yang looked at the university gate and sighed. With his college entrance exam scores, he could have attended Jindai University.

He envied them, but he didn't regret his choice. If he hadn't come to work, he wouldn't have experienced all these events or gained his special ability.

Although the ability was somewhat immoral and unreliable, it was because of this ability that he had earned so much money in a short time and could confidently ask his mother to bring his father home to enjoy life.

When Zhang Yang came to his senses, the young men had already walked away. He clenched his teeth and turned in another direction. At that moment, a red Audi stopped at the Jindai University gate. A girl with a small bag and long hair got out.

Her fleeting face made Zhang Yang stop in his tracks.

Why did this girl look familiar? Where had he seen her before?

After thinking for a while, Zhang Yang couldn't remember. He shrugged it off, thinking he might be overthinking it. She was beautiful, but not his type. With such a nice car, she was out of his league.

Zhang Yang shook his head and walked to the bus stop to head back to his shanty.

But a vague feeling told Zhang Yang that he would meet that girl again, and they might get entangled.

The fleeting premonition quickly disappeared.

Zhang Yang thought it was just his imagination.

After getting off the bus, Zhang Yang bought a box of instant noodles from a nearby supermarket and carried it to his small room.

The old landlady was sunbathing in the yard. Seeing Zhang Yang carrying instant noodles, she was surprised, "Zhang Yang, did you hit the jackpot? Eating Kangshifu now?"

Zhang Yang smiled, "Yeah, I got a raise!"

The old lady blinked, and when Zhang Yang walked away, she muttered, "He got a raise, maybe I should raise the rent! Three hundred yuan for a room is too little!"

The old lady decided to talk to Zhang Yang about raising the rent the next morning.

As soon as Zhang Yang got home, his phone rang. He quickly answered, knowing it must be his parents since he hadn't told anyone else.

"Mom, did you receive the money?" Zhang Yang asked eagerly.

"Da Yang, what's going on? Where did you get so much money? Did you fight again?" Zhang Li asked.

When his wife came to the construction site with a worried look, he was startled, thinking something had happened to his son. When he got home, his wife trembled as she showed him the bankbook, and he was stunned.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he called to ask. He wasn't worried that Zhang Yang couldn't earn money, but that he might take the wrong path.

Zhang Li knew his son better than anyone. Although he was smart, he wasn't a good boy!

Zhang Yang had been weak and sickly as a child. It wasn't until he was in elementary school and apprenticed to an old doctor that his health improved. By junior high school, the tall and strong Zhang Yang had secretly gone to the city to fight in an underground boxing match and earned a thousand yuan. Zhang Li then realized that Zhang Yang had learned more fighting skills than medical knowledge.

After that, Zhang Li strictly forbade Zhang Yang from using his skills unless it was a matter of life and death.

Seeing the large sum of money transferred by his son and the lack of contact for half a month, Zhang Li immediately thought Zhang Yang might have gone to fight in underground boxing matches, which was why he was so anxious.

Zhang Li had seen the world in his youth and knew that those who fought in underground boxing matches rarely had a good end. That's why he strictly forbade Zhang Yang from showing his skills.

"Father, you're overthinking it. Am I that irresponsible?" Zhang Yang said with a bitter smile.

"Then where did you get so much money? Don't tell me you earned it. No boss would pay you that much! Unless you did something illegal!" Zhang Li said.

Zhang Yang laughed, "Father, I won it from the lottery!"

"Lottery?" Zhang Li didn't believe him.

"Really, I bought a thirty-yuan scratch card and somehow won the grand prize. Forty thousand yuan, forty thousand yuan!" Zhang Yang said excitedly. Even after a long time, he still looked excited when talking about the forty thousand yuan.

"Are you telling the truth?" Zhang Li asked, still finding it hard to believe.

"Really, I'm not lying. I have the winning receipt. If you don't believe me, I can send it to you! Unfortunately, they took eight thousand yuan in taxes, leaving thirty-two thousand. I kept two thousand and sent the rest to you. Father, with this much money, you and Mother don't have to work so hard anymore!"

At this point, Zhang Yang almost cried.

Thinking about the hard times over the years and finally being able to help his parents, he felt incredibly happy!

After hanging up, Zhang Li was still in a daze. Wang Shuang asked, "Did you find out where the money came from? Da Yang mustn't do anything illegal! He's my only son!"

Zhang Li said, "Nonsense! He won it from the lottery!"

Wang Shuang was stunned. Such a good thing?

"Tell me what happened!" Wang Shuang asked anxiously.

Zhang Li smiled and repeated what Zhang Yang had said. When he finished, the old couple suddenly burst into tears. For so many years, they had no hope. If not for their son, they wouldn't have known how to make it through.

The heavens have finally shown mercy, that was their only thought.