Just as Xia Liang was about to go home to attend to his new career as an anchor, his phone began to ring.
He frowned, noticing it was from an unfamiliar number. After a moment's thought, he decided to answer.
"Hello? Who is this?"
On the other end was a woman's voice, as pleasant as a songbird's.
"Hello? May I speak with Mr. Xia Liang?"
Hearing the voice, Xia Liang was stunned. He was sure he didn't know this person.
Could it be a phone scam?
Even with that thought, Xia Liang still responded.
"Speaking. What can I do for you?"
Hearing Xia Liang's confirmation, the woman on the phone became more reserved; even her voice grew a little tense.
"The situation is, Mr. Xia Liang, the Boeing 747 you purchased online has arrived in Qingyun City. We would like to know when you can come to sign for it."
Hearing this brightened Xia Liang's mood, and he felt a surge of eagerness.
"Oh? It's arrived? Which courier is it? Can't you just deliver it to the city center?"
"Err—"
Xia Liang's words clearly left the other party speechless for a moment. After a long pause, she finally spoke again.
"The item you've purchased is quite valuable. We would prefer it if you came in person to sign for it."
At these words, Xia Liang was utterly dumbfounded. What kind of courier service was this? If they didn't want to deliver, they should have just said so. A model airplane that costs a little over 3,000 Yuan is considered valuable? Then what about phones that cost tens of thousands, collectible figurines worth even more, bags that cost hundreds of thousands, or watches worth millions?
Shaking his head, Xia Liang found it rare to be at a loss for words. He decided to just go get it himself since it wasn't a big deal.
"Alright, where are you? I'll head over now."
Hearing this, the person on the other end audibly breathed a sigh of relief.
"We're at Qingyun Airport. Just give this number a call when you arrive."
Qingyun Airport? Xia Liang frowned. What kind of courier service is this—air freight? Sending a model airplane via air courier makes sense, I guess. With that thought, Xia Liang readily agreed.
"Fine, I'll be there in a bit."
"In that case, we will be awaiting your esteemed arrival, Mister Xia."
"Mhm."
After hanging up, Xia Liang couldn't help but give the courier company a thumbs-up. Although they didn't offer door-to-door delivery, their customer service was unquestionably top-notch. The caller was a woman, for one, and she addressed him so politely. Using phrases like "awaiting your arrival" and "esteemed presence"... very impressive.
Feeling pleased, Xia Liang freshened up and rushed out the door. He certainly hadn't forgotten that today was the birthday of his future brother-in-law, Yang Wei.
As his girlfriend Yang Ying's precious younger brother, Xia Liang naturally cared a great deal about him. He knew that Yang Wei had been fond of aviation since childhood, so to curry favor, he had spent a hefty sum of 3,210 Yuan on a Boeing 747 model. The goal was to win over his future brother-in-law and reduce any potential resistance to his eventual marriage to Yang Ying.
Grabbing a piece of bread, Xia Liang munched on it as he walked toward the bus stop.
He rented a place beyond the fourth ring road, so to get to the airport, he just had to take a bus. Luckily, the bus stop wasn't far; it was only a five-minute walk.
Since it was Saturday, there weren't many people waiting. In less than five minutes, bus number 168 slowly pulled up. It was the one that went to the airport. Xia Liang reached into his pocket; he remembered he still had the four coins he got back as change from the energy drink he'd bought yesterday.
The bus doors opened, and Xia Liang stepped on board, instinctively asking, "Driver, how much to the airport?"
The moment he spoke, the entire bus, including the driver, burst into laughter. Quite a few people even started to mock him openly.
"How much? Kid, you must still be dreaming!"
"Exactly! If you had that kind of money, would you even be on a bus?"
"Tsk, another youth corrupted by movies and novels."
"Young man, stop daydreaming about winning the lottery. Those stories on TV and in novels about getting rich quick off five Yuan are all fake."
"That's right! Better to study hard, get into a good university, and maybe you'll find a nice job that pays 2 points a month."
Listening to everyone's comments, Xia Liang was once again completely baffled. What is wrong with these people today? Have they all lost their minds? What is all this fuss about? The girl from the blind date earlier was like this, and now these people on the bus, too! Isn't a bus fare just two or three Yuan? What's wrong with asking? Besides, who wins only five Yuan in the lottery? They must be messing with me.
Shaking his head, he decided the whole bus must be a bit crazy. His gaze returned to the driver, his tone laced with helplessness.
"Driver, just tell me how much it is. I'll pay so I don't hold up the others."
Hearing Xia Liang's tone, a middle-aged man on the bus, dressed in a suit and wearing black-framed glasses, grew annoyed. Are all young people nowadays this arrogant? He talks so casually about 'several Yuan.' He probably doesn't know that a large bowl of beef noodles for breakfast costs 12 mils. How much is one Yuan? It's 100 points, or 1,000,000 mils! Enough to buy a BMW.
He was a technician at a company in Qingyun City, earning a monthly salary of just 2 points, which was still considered a high income. To earn a single Yuan, he would have to work without food or drink for over fifty months—nearly five years. He was already in a bad mood because his boss had called him in for overtime. Encountering a "brilliant" kid like Xia Liang just added insult to injury.
He stared at Xia Liang with a mocking expression. "Several Yuan? You wouldn't be worth a single Yuan if someone sold you. Who do you think you are? The son of the richest man in Qingyun City? If you can't afford the fare, then get off! I despise lazy youths like you who do nothing but daydream all day."
Hearing this, Xia Liang shot an unfriendly glare at the man in the suit.
"Are you freaking sick? What's so wrong with me asking how much the bus fare is? And daydreaming about a few Yuan? Just how poor are you that you need to dream about something like that?"
Before the man in the suit could even reply, the entire bus erupted.
"Young man, watch your mouth! That's not one mil, it's Yuan! Several Yuan! Do you even have a clue how much that is?"
"Hey, it's good for a young man to have dreams, but you can't lose touch with reality!"
"Such a good kid, completely led astray by internet culture."
"Exactly! Several Yuan? Judging by his outfit, if he could cough up one Yuan, I'd eat this very bus!"
Watching the other passengers gang up to condemn Xia Liang, the man in the suit couldn't have felt more pleased. Some young punk who doesn't know how the world works. He looked at Xia Liang triumphantly.
"Lucky for you, kid. My car is in for maintenance, so I had to take the bus today. If you can't afford the fare, just call me 'Uncle.' I may only earn a humble salary of 2 points a month, but I can still spare you a mil or two."