Chapter 4

"Here!" Yang Xiaoshuang handed the broken phone to Hao Meng. Hao Meng flipped it over, the screen was shattered, and the internal components and circuit board were likely damaged as well. No wonder the seller said it couldn't be repaired anymore.

"500!" Hao Meng took out five red bills from his bag and handed them to her.

Yang Xiaoshuang was overjoyed, stuffing the five red bills into her pocket. She then asked, "Do you really buy anything? Can you trade in old items for new ones?"

"Of course!"

"Give me your phone number, and when I go back to school, I'll help you expand your business!" Yang Xiaoshuang smiled and took out her phone.

It was the latest model, the Apple 6, which had just been released and cost around 6,000 to 7,000 yuan. It seemed the little girl wasn't short of money at all!

After saying goodbye to Yang Xiaoshuang and leaving the neighborhood, Hao Meng found a place where no one was around. He put the old items, including the broken tricycle, into his storage.

"Xiao Meng is here. What good stuff have you collected recently?"

Old Zhang's Appliance Repair Shop!

In the past, whenever Hao Meng collected old appliances, he would bring them here and sell them to the shop owner, Old Zhang San. They had been doing business for a long time.

However, Old Zhang San was the type who liked to take advantage. The prices he offered for the old appliances Hao Meng brought were never very high, but they were definitely higher than what the scrap recycling station would pay.

"Nothing special this time. I mainly came to discuss something with you, Brother San!" Hao Meng said with a smile.

"What's up?"

"I have a relative at home who wants to open a restaurant. They need a batch of old air conditioners and refrigerators. They don't have to be brand new, but they must work. The brands must be good, not outdated models. So, I thought of you, Brother San. Do you have any in stock?" Hao Meng said with a smile.

Old Zhang San had been in the appliance repair and second-hand appliance business for over ten years. He was well-versed in the trade and was a shrewd person. As soon as he heard Hao Meng's words, he realized there was a profit to be made. He quickly invited Hao Meng to sit down and had his wife bring tea and water.

"I do have some in stock. How many does your relative need?" Old Zhang San asked with a smile.

It was about to be the peak season for second-hand air conditioners and refrigerators, as summer was approaching.

Hao Meng thought for a moment and said, "About thirty-five air conditioners and ten refrigerators."

"Alright!" Old Zhang San slapped his thigh and agreed. He had already calculated the profit. A minimum of 300 yuan per old appliance, and 45 appliances would net him over 10,000 yuan. He didn't have that many in stock, but he could contact other sources and gather them.

Hao Meng said seriously, "Brother San, this batch is for my relative, so it must work well. As for the price..."

"Don't worry, you can trust me, Brother San." Old Zhang San patted his chest confidently.

"Alright, do you have any in stock now?"

"Now? I have seven air conditioners: three floor-standing units and four wall-mounted units. The floor-standing units are 3,000 yuan each, originally priced at 6,800 yuan, 3 horsepower, all branded products. The wall-mounted units are 1,200 yuan each, 1.5 horsepower, and they work perfectly. If any problems arise within a year, I'll fix them for you. How about that?" Old Zhang San promised.

"Brother San, isn't that a bit expensive? This is for my relative. How about this: 2,000 yuan for the floor-standing units and 800 yuan for the wall-mounted units, and I'll pay in cash!"

"No, no, at that price, I can't even cover the cost of acquisition!" Old Zhang San's face changed, and he shook his head vigorously. In fact, that price was roughly what he paid for them.

After some negotiation, they settled on 2,600 yuan for the floor-standing units and 1,000 yuan for the wall-mounted units, a total of 11,800 yuan for the seven air conditioners.

"Brother San, here's 11,800 yuan. Count it. I'll have someone come to pick up the air conditioners right away; they're needed urgently!" Hao Meng smiled, took out the money, and paid in cash. People like Old Zhang San wouldn't let you take the goods without payment.

Old Zhang San took the money and chuckled, "What's the rush?"

Hao Meng called a freight truck and had the seven air conditioners delivered.

After leaving Old Zhang San's repair shop, Hao Meng felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, and a smile appeared on his face. The hardest part was starting, and he had taken the first step.

"Manager Zhang, right? I'm Hao Meng. We've met before."

Hao Meng took out his phone and called Manager Zhang, who was in charge of a second-hand market. In the past, he had sold items to the second-hand market, and he had met Manager Zhang once.

"Oh, hello, hello. Is there something you need?" Manager Zhang responded, probably not remembering who Hao Meng was.

"Here's the thing. I have a batch of nearly new old appliances. I wanted to ask if you need them... They are as good as new, barely used, and some are even brand new and unopened... You can have someone inspect them, and if there are any issues, I'll have them removed immediately... Alright, I'll send them over later!"

After hanging up, Hao Meng smiled and walked back. Good products don't lack buyers. What he needed to do now was to use the 'recycling station' repair system to fix the old appliances and make them look new.

In the recycling station, 1G was equivalent to about 250 to 280 yuan. The cost to repair an old air conditioner, as long as it wasn't too damaged, was about 1G.

After repairing the seven old air conditioners, they looked brand new, and he had them delivered to the second-hand market.

"Manager Zhang, hello! I called you earlier!" Hao Meng smiled and walked towards Manager Zhang, holding the repaired 'gold' phone.

"Hello, hello, Mr. Hao, you're quite young and capable." Manager Zhang shook Hao Meng's hand and got straight to the point, "What about the batch of goods you mentioned?"

"They're all on the truck!" Hao Meng smiled and pointed.

Manager Zhang turned and called someone to inspect the goods. In the second-hand market, the eyes of the inspectors were sharp. They could tell that Hao Meng's batch of nearly new appliances was genuine.

"Manager, the goods are excellent, no signs of being opened, almost like new!" After about ten minutes, the appliances were unloaded, and Manager Zhang's repairman came over and whispered.

Manager Zhang understood and smiled, inviting Hao Meng to the office. After they sat down, he couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Hao, where did you get this batch of goods?"

"Manager Zhang, just call me Xiao Meng. These goods are in perfect condition, either factory surplus or store display models. They are so new because I got them through connections!" Hao Meng smiled.

"Alright, I'll take this batch. What about the price?"

"Sixty-five percent of the original price. How about that?"

"Alright, deal!"

The old appliances from Dong Yun's home were relatively expensive, all branded products. Adding the seven air conditioners Hao Meng bought from Old Zhang San, he sold them for a total of 70,000 yuan. After the transaction, Hao Meng made a profit of about 45,000 yuan!