[TEASER] The Scum Gong Begs Me to Get Back Together, but I Just Want to Get Rich

10: Friend of Girls

The glass counter with the MP3 players was the focal point of the shop. It was like the little cube-shaped boxes were beckoning Jiang Xiao from the future.

As he took a closer look, it evoked a lot of memories. MP3 technology was developed abroad but it wasn't too complex. At the end of 2002, domestic MP3 players had been out for a while. The smaller size and greater convenience were key. But right now they weren't cheap. The domestic price was seven or eight hundred yuan. Foreign brands sold for four digits.

But this was just a snapshot. Technology would develop at a rapid pace in the future

Many well-known smartphone manufacturers from later years made MP3 players. Jiang Xiao saw the predecessors of what eventually would become famous brands. Because the technology wasn't difficult and the devices were well-received, they would spread over the next few years. After small manufacturers mastered the technology and the MP4 format became more functional, there would be a wave of big price reductions around 2006. You could buy a low-end music player for just a few dozen yuan. But right now in Houlin, this was cutting edge.

Jiang Xiao counted the money he had on hand. Not enough. After the initial surprise, he wasn't in a hurry to buy. The price was still too high. He would only be able to buy three or four at most, and there was no way to lower the price. More importantly, the players would be almost impossible to sell to students in Houlin. He wouldn't be able to find buyers for something that cost hundreds of yuan.

"I'll come back during winter break," Jiang Xiao said. "Keep an eye on it for me."

By then he would have made a few more trips to Liujiang, so he should have more money. And right now the domestic MP3 market was fighting a price war. He vaguely remembered that at the end of this year a factory would launch a 499 yuan MP3 player, which would be regarded as the king of cost performance. In his last life, Jiang Xiao bought one in the first semester of his second year in senior high. By that point, MP3 was no longer a new thing in Houlin.

The development of technology was rapid. If Jiang Xiao hit just the right time window, students on winter vacation would get their New Years' money, and people would be more relaxed about spending. But digital devices got stale quickly. If the unit price was too high, Jiang Xiao wouldn't be able to afford it.

With two heavy bags of goods he went back to the motel to find Ye Bing. He'd been racing against the clock as he bargained down prices. When he put down his things he noticed he was hungry. The truck was already loaded and parked not far from the hotel. Ye Bing had to drive a long distance, and he'd already fallen asleep, so Jiang Xiao gingerly slipped out to grab a late night snack.

There was a snack bar not far away. Jiang Xiao ordered the cheapest bowl of noodles. He lowered his head and ate the bowl clean. The light was better under the streetlight. His face was clearly exposed.

Jiang Xiao started to get a strange feeling while he ate the noodles. It felt like someone was sizing him up. He glanced around unobtrusively and noticed a table of people sitting diagonally across the way. Several of them looked at him from time to time, then quickly avoided his eyes, whispering to each other.

Jiang Xiao was instantly on the alert.

It was late at night. He was young and probably looked easy to bully. He didn't want any trouble when he left, so he waited as one of the people at the table stood up and went to the checkout. He took advantage of the distraction, sprang to his feet, and ran.

For a moment the people at the table were stunned. Then they all stood up and chased him.

Jiang Xiao saw the situation and ran as fast as a rabbit. There was a voice behind him: "Don't run!"