Chapter Seventeen: The Winding Road

The next day truly marked the one-year anniversary of Qin Jing’s venture into the recycling business. Of course, this so-called anniversary celebration was little more than a marketing ploy, a shield to justify his high purchase prices. After posting about it on his social feed, the first stir came not from his own circle, but from Chen Hua’s. Lenghai Academy of Fine Arts was Qin Jing’s largest market; many female students had bought or sold items through him, typically through Chen Hua’s connections.

“Hua, is it true that Qin Jing is having a one-year anniversary sale?”

“Chen Hua, I have a Gucci belt I bought for my boyfriend, but we broke up. Can you help me sell it?”

At that moment, Chen Hua was in her dorm, explaining the day’s events to her roommates. Seeing the flood of messages, she was both frustrated and annoyed.

“If you ask me, it’s really your fault, Chen Hua. You should’ve broken up with him earlier and saved yourself all this trouble.”

“Just post on your feed and clear things up. That Qin Jing is really something—still haunting you even after the breakup.”

Following her friends’ advice, Chen Hua posted: “Qin Jing and I have broken up. If any of you need to sell things, please contact him directly. I have no further connection to him.”

Breakups were common enough in college, yet Chen Hua and Qin Jing’s relationship had been well-known on campus, so her post drew a wave of responses.

“Broke up? Hua, come to me now!”

“Fantastic—does this mean I have a chance now?”

“Qin Jing was never good enough for you. Good riddance.”

In no time, those who had been contacting Chen Hua vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, Qin Jing found his own messages multiplying. He saw Chen Hua’s post, but since it was just the truth, he didn’t mind. If anything, he felt even more motivated to make money.

Among those who break up, the greatest wish is that should they meet again, one stands tall and accomplished, while the other remains as before. Qin Jing harbored the same ambition.

Between 10 and 11 p.m., his business peaked. He secured five luxury items in a single stretch, all from Lenghai Academy: some luxury goods, some phones, all from returning customers. Qin Jing offered generous prices, and they promised to come to his shop for the transactions the next day.

He calculated—though these five orders were sizable, the average transaction was only about ten thousand, totaling just fifty thousand yuan, still a long way from his goal.

Yet he wasn't discouraged. After so long in the business, he knew success came one bite at a time. Finishing his last chat with a client, Qin Jing logged off and went to bed.

He slept in the shop itself, with a curtain dividing the space and a portable single bed behind it. Once he lay down, he was soon fast asleep.

He slept straight through to six in the morning. Upon waking, he got up at once, grabbed his large tea mug, and headed to the entrance to brush his teeth and wash his face. He had breakfast at a small stall at the mouth of Erdaozi Alley, and, returning, found someone already waiting at his door.

“Zhang Cheng, you’re here. Come in and let’s talk.”

Zhang Cheng was one of the clients from the night before, with a platinum necklace to sell. Qin Jing had already appraised it by video call, and since the system’s evaluation had given a high price, it stood out in his memory.

“I bought it for my girlfriend, but we broke up the next day. See, the box isn’t even opened. Take a look.”

Zhang Cheng entered and produced the box, setting it before Qin Jing. It was a Tiffany necklace, a quality brand, with receipt inside: thirty-eight thousand yuan.

“Alright, just like last night—thirty-six thousand, I’ll take it.”

Last night, the system’s appraisal had surprised Qin Jing; after an upgrade, it could now assess a wider range of items, even through video calls, providing detailed information just as if seeing the item in person.

Now, confirming the necklace’s authenticity, he transferred the payment immediately and without fuss.

“That’s it? You’ve bought it just like that?”

Zhang Cheng was taken aback. In this line of work, it was basically pawnbroking—dealers typically lowball the price and nitpick the item upon inspection. None were as straightforward as Qin Jing.

Qin Jing smiled, clapped Zhang Cheng on the shoulder, and said, “Take the money and pay off your debts, brother. If you’ve broken up with your girlfriend, find another, but don’t risk your future over this.”

Every recycled item came with a short video or a brief on the owner. Qin Jing knew Zhang Cheng’s circumstances were similar to his own—a poor boy, honest and devoted, buying gifts for his girlfriend even on credit.

In such cases, it was hard to judge. It wasn’t entirely Zhang Cheng’s fault, but taking out loans to buy gifts spoke of a certain vanity.

Hearing this, Zhang Cheng was stunned, his face flushing red. After a while, he stammered, “How did you know?”

Qin Jing replied casually, “I’ve spent my time around campus too—I hear things. Otherwise I wouldn’t have offered you that price. We’re both struggling in this world; if I can help, I will.”

News of Chen Hua’s “declaration” had spread through campus last night, and Zhang Cheng immediately realized this must be what Qin Jing meant, feeling an unexpected sense of closeness.

Just then, another customer arrived. Qin Jing quickly welcomed them, while Zhang Cheng, instead of leaving, offered, “Qin Jing, let me help greet your customers. You focus on negotiations.”

Qin Jing glanced at him, realizing Zhang Cheng could be useful. With his skills improving, he was bound to get busier. He said, “How about this, Zhang Cheng? From now on, come work part-time here—fifty an hour. I’ll call you when things get busy. How about it?”

Zhang Cheng hurriedly refused, saying, “I’m just helping out—no need for money.”

“Don’t say no. We’re all just trying to make a living here,” Qin Jing replied, and went back to work.

Zhang Cheng was moved, and immediately set about helping Qin Jing as best he could.

By noon, Qin Jing had completed five transactions—three were pre-arranged from last night, and two were sales from his own inventory. These items had been purchased at higher prices earlier, so he let them go almost at cost today—all for the sake of G-points.

Business was better in the afternoon—eight more transactions, though most were acquisitions, not sales. Since RMB could be directly converted into G-points, buying items was a “loss” in the short term; the G-points only came once the items were sold.

Thirteen deals in total brought Qin Jing twenty-four G-points—a significant improvement over his usual business, but still far from the target he set last night.

It was worth noting that Zheng Qiuying, as expected, did not show up. That was understandable—even if she valued the beauty elixir, after yesterday’s “unpleasantness,” she’d surely wait a few days before returning.

Qin Jing was in no rush. That evening, he treated Zhang Cheng, who had helped all day, to a meal. Then, returning alone to his shop, he stood before the mirror once more.

He still had more tricks up his sleeve.