Chapter 9

The next day, after getting up, Xiao Feng calculated that he still had three days before his booked flight, so he decided to use this time to buy some things and properly decorate the Purple Bamboo Space.

For the Chinese, owning a house of one's own is always an unbreakable sentiment deep in their bones, and even someone as carefree as Xiao Feng was no exception.

Previously, Xiao Feng had also fantasized countless times about how he would decorate his house if he ever owned one.

What Xiao Feng never expected was that while he was still renting a room in the urban village, fate had given him a magical space. Emotionally, Xiao Feng had already regarded the Purple Bamboo Cottage as his first true home.

However, before going on a shopping spree, Xiao Feng had to sell the gold bars in his possession first!

Xiao Feng had been unemployed four times in the year since he graduated and had not managed to save a single cent. If it weren't for his previous savings, he would have been in dire straits long ago! However, after buying the longevity painting for the old man and purchasing fruit seedlings and bees, Xiao Feng's bank balance had officially dropped below three digits, and he could no longer withdraw money from the ATM.

After much consideration, Xiao Feng decided to sell one gold bar first, as it would be quite embarrassing to ask his parents for money.

In the past two days, Xiao Feng had done a lot of research online about the gold bars in his possession and found that the gold repurchase industry was fraught with many pitfalls. Although many gold shops on the street displayed signs saying "Gold Repurchase," it was not easy to convert gold into cash.

Many gold shops could only use gold to offset the cost of their products and required customers to pay handling fees and processing fees, which meant that Xiao Feng would not only not get any money but would also have to pay a fee and receive a bunch of useless gold jewelry.

Other gold shops used various methods such as underweight scales and aqua regia to steal gold from customers, and most shops offered prices far below the domestic gold price of the day.

Pawnshops, on the other hand, would aggressively lower their quotes, but the gold could be redeemed upon expiration, with most fees ranging from 4% to 5%, making them more flexible compared to gold shops.

As for banks, they only dealt with gold bar repurchase and would not buy homemade gold bars like Xiao Feng's.

To put it simply, Xiao Feng had spent a lot of effort to find a suitable channel to sell his gold bars.

After breakfast, Xiao Feng set out with a backpack as a decoy, which was actually empty, as the gold bar was lying on the floor of the Purple Bamboo Cottage.

Jinling Road is the commercial center of Haizhou, not only gathering major fashion brands from home and abroad but also being the largest jewelry and gold hub in Haizhou. In Alley No. 3 of Jinling Road, both sides are lined with luxurious jewelry stores, which serve as a barometer for the jewelry and gold market in China.

"Longxiangrui" is the oldest and most prestigious local jewelry store in Haizhou, having stood for 160 years since its establishment in the 28th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. It has become one of the city's landmarks. Even after the strong entry of foreign jewelry stores and the continuous competition from new capital, "Longxiangrui" still holds significant influence in the Haizhou jewelry and gold market.

During his research, Xiao Feng found that "Longxiangrui" had a long history of gold repurchase, never shortchanged customers, and offered prices close to the daily gold price, earning it a high reputation among consumers.

After careful consideration, Xiao Feng decided to sell his gold bar at "Longxiangrui"!

...

"Welcome!" As soon as Xiao Feng stepped into the main store of "Longxiangrui," a saleswoman in a cheongsam greeted him.

Unlike other jewelry stores with modern decor, "Longxiangrui" had a more traditional Chinese style. If it weren't for the glass counters and electrical equipment, Xiao Feng would have thought he had traveled back in time.

"Do you buy gold? I want to sell!" Xiao Feng got straight to the point.

"Please follow me!" The saleswoman glanced at Xiao Feng and gestured for him to follow.

"Sir, please wait a moment; our appraiser will be right with you!" After Xiao Feng sat down in the reception room, the saleswoman offered him a cup of hot tea.

Xiao Feng nodded and slowly sipped his tea.

"Is it this young man who wants to sell gold?" A voice with a strong Haizhou accent interrupted Xiao Feng's tea tasting.

Xiao Feng looked up and saw a middle-aged, overweight man, about 1.8 meters tall and definitely over 200 pounds, walk in, making the reception room feel much smaller.

"Yes!"

"I am Zhu Xu, the appraiser at 'Longxiangrui.'" The man extended his hand and asked, "May I know your name, young man?"

"Xiao Feng!" Xiao Feng stood up, shook hands with Zhu Xu, and then sat down.

Xiao Feng reached into his backpack, actually taking out a gold bar from the space and placing it on the table. "Could you please check the quality of this gold bar, Mr. Zhu?"

The main store of "Longxiangrui" had a turnover of over 400 million RMB in 2008, meaning it handled millions of transactions annually. Xiao Feng was confident that a few kilograms of gold would not turn "Longxiangrui" into a black market.

"Good stuff!" The man's eyes lit up, and he quickly picked up the gold bar with surprising agility for his size.

Xiao Feng was startled by the man's action, thinking Zhu Xu might try to snatch the gold bar, but seeing the man's entranced expression, he relaxed.

"Pure gold alloyed with red copper and silver, a typical technique from the early Ming Dynasty. Unfortunately, it has no hallmark, which is a pity!" Zhu Xu stroked the gold bar and gave his assessment.

Hearing Zhu Xu's words, Xiao Feng was secretly impressed. He had immediately identified the smelting technique and era of the gold bar, living up to his reputation as a professional appraiser.

"Apologies for my behavior!" After a while, Zhu Xu realized the customer was still there.

"No problem, no problem!" Xiao Feng waved his hand and said, "I wonder if this gold bar meets Mr. Zhu's standards?"

"This gold bar has no hallmark, so we can only buy it as a regular gold bar, not at the price of an antique gold bar. I hope you understand, Mr. Xiao." The man placed the gold bar on the table and said, "If you agree, we can weigh and test it?"

"No problem!" Xiao Feng had expected this and nodded in agreement.

After they agreed, a staff member took the gold bar to weigh and test it, without Zhu Xu needing to do it himself. Xiao Feng, who trusted "Longxiangrui," stayed in the reception room and chatted with Zhu Xu.

Zhu Xu was a talkative person, making Xiao Feng feel at ease, but Xiao Feng was not foolish enough to reveal all his secrets.

In Xiao Feng's story, the gold bar was a family heirloom, and he was now selling it to raise funds for a business venture.

Soon, the staff member reported the net weight of the gold bar: 3728 grams, which was close to Xiao Feng's estimate, and he accepted the number.

"The current gold price is around 270 RMB per gram. I'll give you a round number: 1,010,000 RMB. How does that sound?" Zhu Xu took out a calculator and gave the final offer.

"Agreed, 1,000,000 RMB by bank transfer, and 10,000 RMB in cash!" Xiao Feng did a quick calculation and knew that "Longxiangrui" was offering a fair price, so he agreed without hesitation.

"Deal!" Zhu Xu extended his hand again and shook Xiao Feng's hand, saying, "I hope we can do business again in the future!"

Seeing Xiao Feng agree to a million-yuan deal without hesitation, Zhu Xu realized that Xiao Feng was not an ordinary person and immediately took him more seriously. As an appraiser, his greatest skill was his discernment, and Zhu Xu was always confident in his judgment.

"Sure!" Xiao Feng was not foolish enough to reject Zhu Xu's overture.

There were still many gold bars in the Purple Bamboo Space, and keeping them would not help him eat. He might need to cash them out someday, and Zhu Xu and "Longxiangrui" would be the best channels. Xiao Feng, by nature, was someone who avoided trouble and did not want to have to find new buyers every time he needed to sell a gold bar.

As Xiao Feng walked out of "Longxiangrui" with 10,000 RMB in cash and thought about the seven-digit balance in his online bank account, he still felt a bit unreal.

Had he really become a millionaire like this?!

PS: Last week, I climbed to 56th place on the new book overall chart in just 4 days. This week's goal is to be in the top 12 of the new urban category books. Please support me, everyone!