On the Street
While wondering how to use his "BACK" ability to score big in the antique market, Johny Lee headed for the underpass to cross back to the hospital.
The pedestrian tunnel was damp and carried a faint whiff of urine. Stalls lined both sides: phone charms, mini fans, vegetable peelers. On the outer steps, someone sold sliced pineapple and ice cream packed in foam coolers. It was a lively, chaotic scene.
"Popsicles, a dollar each! Two for one-fifty!"
"Come take a look, latest peeler knife, ten bucks a piece!"
Dodging carrot peels, Johny was about to look at some phone chains at an older woman's stall when a familiar figure appeared. It was the middle-aged man who had bumped into him earlier, the pompous coin expert, Professor Cole.
Cole strolled up to a stall selling rusty ancient coins, bent down, and began flicking through the massive pile of copper without blinking.
Enemies meet on a narrow road! Johny's temper flared again.
Not far away, Cole asked casually, "How much?"
The vendor, a listless twenty-something smoking a cigarette, answered without looking up. "Five bucks each."
"A bit high dear," Cole said.
The youth said nothing and stubbed out his cigarette.
Johny curled his lip. He used to work part-time at an antique mall so he knew these bulk coins were sold by the pound, usually a few cents apiece. There was never anything good in them. This stall's source was probably even worse. The wholesalers were shrewd as they wouldn't leave anything choice behind for street vendors.
An expert, shopping for coins here? Do you even know what you're doing?
While he mused, Johny saw Cole suddenly freeze.
Huh? What's up?
Cole swiftly plucked nine coins with a heavy green patina from the pile, peered at them closely, then clenched them tight in his fist. He kept raking through the thousand-odd coins, clatter-clatter.... before finally swallowing hard.
He spread the nine coins on his palm and said, "I'll take these nine. Forty-five dollars, right? Here's the money."
The previously drooping youth brightened. "Right, four—hey, aren't you...?" He slapped his forehead. "I've seen you! You're the coin expert on TV!"
His eyes slid to the coins in Cole's hand, and he immediately switched tack. "Sorry, five bucks was for those other ones. These... are five hundred each!"
Cole's face darkened. "What do you mean?"
The youth stayed silent, crossing his arms. He wasn't stupid, if a TV expert wanted them, they had to be valuable.
Johny almost laughed aloud. Serves you right!
But before he could enjoy the moment, something unbelievable happened.
Cole gave a cold laugh. "Five hundred? Quite the appetite."
The youth grinned and reached to take the coins back. "No sale, then."
"Wait." Cole frowned, pocketed the coins, pulled out his wallet, and threw $4,500 in cash at the vendor. "Satisfied?"
Johny, the youth, and the onlookers were stunned.
No one expected Cole to actually pay!
Anyone who knew coins understood that, thanks to huge surviving quantities, most old coppers were worth only a few cents or bucks, twenty tops. Yet Cole had just paid $4,500 without haggling. Had the expert slipped up? Impossible!
Did that jerk Cole just score a treasure? Damn...good stuff on a street stall?! The jerk's luck is unreal! Johny's teeth itched with envy.
Then, his mind blazed.
"BACK! BACK! BACK!"
...
Flash!
"How much?" Cole was squatting at the stall again.
The smoking youth replied without looking up, "Five bucks each."
"A bit high dear," Cole said.
The youth stubbed out his cigarette.
Knowing his chance had come, Johny shot forward. He tried to remember where Cole had grabbed the coins from. Was it the lower left? No, the center? No, Cole's hand had stirred everything, the exact positions were lost. Johny was too far away to read the inscriptions.
How do I find them? Am I going to waste this chance?
An idea struck. He ran up and shouted, "Boss!"
The startled youth blinked. "...Yeah? Buying coins?"
Cole glanced up, raised an eyebrow at the interruption, and went back to examining the pile.
Seeing the distraction fail, Johny crouched down, elbowed Cole aside, grabbed the corners of the cloth under the coins, and bundled the whole heap together in one swoop.
"Boss, how many are here, about fourteen hundred? Let me feel the weight." The mass was hefty.
Cole protested, "What are you doing?! I'm still choosing!"
Johny sneered at him. "So what? Have you paid for any?"
The puzzled youth frowned. "Why weigh them? There's about thirteen or fourteen hundred in there. Put them down, he hasn't finished picking."
Johny tightened his grip on the cloth. "Forget counting. I'll take the lot. Name your price."
Both the youth and Cole stared at him. "All of them?"
Johny nodded solemnly. "Yes. Your price?"
The youth, thrilled at the prospect of clearing his dead inventory, did some quick math. "If you clear me out... five bucks each. Thirteen hundred would be $6,500. Let's call it $6,000 even."
Johny didn't let go of the bundle. "Six grand is too much. Four is about right."
"My cost is high," the youth lied smoothly. "Let's split the difference. $5,000? Thin profit, quick sale."
"...Fine!"
The youth beamed. After a year of running street stalls, he had finally found a complete sucker!
Cole gave a contemptuous snort, shook his head, and left. An amateur who buys bulk coins without even looking at them? Pure lunacy!
Johny, short on cash, carried the heavy bundle of coins to a nearby bank branch, withdrew $5,000, and paid the youth.
His bank balance now had only a few hundred dollars left. Yet he beamed, hoisting his heavy, clinking hoard back to the hospital room.
Haha!
So that's how my power can be used!
Authors Note:-
That's chapter 43.
Support with power stones.