Last night, he went out for an hour, took a punch, and earned 80,000 yuan.
Tonight, in about an hour, he made another 40,000 yuan!
In just two days, he had earned 120,000 yuan—it felt like a dream!
Back at his rental in Xiaoshahe Urban Village, Jiang Tao smoked three cigarettes in a row before his excited mood finally calmed down.
*Click, click, click—*
Jiang Tao took several photos of the fancy numbered bill with his phone to keep as a memento.
The money from selling the watch and the cash hidden in the secondhand sofa weren't easy to explain to his wife, Xu Li.
So, Jiang Tao hadn't mentioned those two things to her to avoid the mental gymnastics of explaining.
But this fancy numbered bill was easier to justify—he could just say a client gave it to him while he was hauling goods.
Sure, the explanation was a bit flimsy, but it was enough to fool his silly wife.
"Tomorrow's a day off. I'll head to Panjiayuan Antique Market and see if I can sell this bill!"
After taking the photos, Jiang Tao carefully slipped the bill into the notebook he used for keeping accounts.
He had no interest in collecting—it was the money that interested him.
Selling this bill would make his silly wife happy for quite a while!
"Time to sleep, time to sleep~"
Calming himself down, Jiang Tao climbed into bed and slipped under the covers.
He slept straight through until 7 a.m.
The alarm he usually set for work woke him up.
The thought of heading to Panjiayuan for a big deal instantly banished any lingering sleepiness.
Jiang Tao sprang out of bed and got dressed in a flash.
Once ready, he grabbed his phone, slung a crossbody bag over his shoulder, and tucked the notebook with the bill inside.
After double-checking everything, he headed downstairs.
At the mutton soup shop in the urban village, he drank a big bowl of mutton soup and ate half a flatbread.
Full and satisfied, Jiang Tao didn't rush off. Instead, he sent a few messages to Xu Li on WeChat.
If you're going to act, you've got to play the full part.
The steps leading up to the deal had to be in place too!
Less than a minute after sending Xu Li the photos he took last night, she called him via voice chat.
"Honey, what's this about? Did you find money or something?"
As expected, Xu Li, a complete novice, didn't even notice anything special about the bill.
"Silly wife, take a look at the bill I sent you. What's different about it compared to a regular one?"
"Huh? No way! Did you get a fake bill while delivering goods yesterday? What happened to trust between people?!"
"…"
Jiang Tao's face darkened at his silly wife's words. What was she even talking about?
"It's not fake—it's as real as it gets! Look at the serial number."
"The serial number? So many 4s! That's so unlucky!"
"…"
Jiang Tao was utterly defeated by his silly wife's thought process.
"Silly wife, this is called a 'sky-high number,' you know! It's got serious collectible value. It might even be worth tens of thousands!"
"What? Tens of thousands? For real? Where'd you get it? Don't tell me someone tricked you into buying it for tens of thousands!"
"If I wanted to buy it, do you think I'd have that kind of money?"
"Well… yeah, you don't have that kind of money."
"I got it yesterday while hauling goods. A client gave it to me. I didn't notice at first, but when I was counting money last night, I saw it."
"Won't he come back asking for it?"
"Silly, if he knew what this was worth, do you think he'd have given it to me?"
"Oh, right! So… are we about to get rich?"
"I wouldn't say we're guaranteed to get rich, but there's a chance. I'm heading to Panjiayuan today to see if I can sell it."
"Finder's fee! If it's really worth tens of thousands, I get half!"
"Hahaha, deal! It's settled then!"
"Then hurry up and go! I'm waiting for your good news! Call me the moment you sell it!"
Hearing Xu Li's excited, jubilant voice on the other end, Jiang Tao broke into a smile.
The call lasted seven or eight minutes before he paid the bill and left the mutton soup shop.
He took a bus to Zhuxinzhuang Subway Station, then transferred through several subway lines.
After an hour and a half, he finally arrived at Beijing's famous Panjiayuan Antique Market.
Jiang Tao knew nothing about antiques, so he didn't wander around aimlessly, lest he be taken for a sucker and ripped off.
His purpose here today was clear: find a buyer and sell the bill for cash.
He was here to make money, not spend it.
The antique street was lined with shops, each filled with items that carried the weight of time—antique vases, calligraphy, ancient coins, various furnaces, tripods, and old objects made of rosewood or huanghuali.
After walking for a while, Jiang Tao stopped in front of a shop called Boya Auction House. He hesitated for a minute before stepping inside.
"Hello, sir. How can I assist you?"
As soon as Jiang Tao entered, a young man in his twenties greeted him.
"Do you buy fancy numbered hundred-yuan bills here?"
Jiang Tao didn't waste time with small talk and got straight to the point.
"What year and edition? What denomination? What kind of fancy number?"
The clerk asked professionally, but Jiang Tao was a complete amateur in this area. He didn't know the details and said, "It's a 100-yuan bill, all the same number, all 4s."
"All 4s? A sky-high number! Can I take a look?"
The clerk's eyes lit up at Jiang Tao's words.
If it was really a "sky-high number" with all 4s, as Jiang Tao described, it was an absolute gem.
Regardless of the year, it could be worth a few thousand yuan.
If it was a rare edition from a scarce year, it could be worth even more!
"Please, sir, come this way. Let's sit down and discuss in detail."
Sensing a potential deal, the clerk's attitude toward Jiang Tao grew even warmer.
He invited Jiang Tao to the guest area, then courteously poured him a cup of water in a disposable cup.
When he saw Jiang Tao pull an ordinary notebook out of his crossbody bag and casually take out a bright red hundred-yuan bill, the clerk's eye twitched.
True bill collectors treated their treasures with utmost care.
They used special laminated folders to store their bills.
When handling them, they'd wear disposable gloves and use tweezers, terrified of leaving even the slightest smudge.
This guy was clearly an amateur!
"This is it. How much can you offer?"
Seeing the clerk approach with the water cup, Jiang Tao casually placed the bill on the table.
"Please wait a moment, sir."
The clerk meticulously took a pair of disposable gloves from a box on the table, put them on, and carefully picked up the bill Jiang Tao had casually tossed down.
Seeing the serial number on the front—a long string of 4s, just as Jiang Tao said—the clerk's eyes brightened even more.
The anti-counterfeiting features checked out; it was genuine.
Flipping it over and seeing the year 1999, the clerk's breathing quickened.
The 1999 edition of the hundred-yuan bill had a relatively low issuance and had been out of circulation for over 20 years.
Among the four issued hundred-yuan denominations, it was the most collectible.
And it was a sky-high number!
This bill could easily fetch twenty or thirty thousand yuan!
"What's your expected price, sir?"
The clerk carefully set the bill down and asked Jiang Tao about his target price with concern.
"Forty thousand."
Jiang Tao held up four fingers, quoting confidently.
Though he didn't know much about bills or collecting, the intelligence system had valued this fancy numbered bill at 40,000 yuan, and there had to be a reason for that.
So, Jiang Tao went straight for 40,000—no less.
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Dear readers,
If you happen to notice any errors, typos, or inconsistencies in the text, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help me improve the story. Together, we can make it as polished and enjoyable as possible!
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