Chapter 7: The Old Man's Television Set

Inside the "Treasures Hidden Pavilion," the shopkeeper, an old man whose hair had retired long before the rest of him, was leaning back in a recliner behind the counter, watching television.

He glanced at Zhai Da with a sidelong look, immediately lost interest, and turned his gaze back to the screen. He couldn't be bothered to engage with a kid like this, whose pockets were cleaner than his underwear.

The television was tucked under the counter, playing something so blood-boiling that the old man’s face was flushed red.

Zhai Da looked around. The shop was a "master of spatial utilization." In a space of little more than ten square meters, it felt as if even the corners were stuffed with "antique chamber pots." With hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pieces of junk scattered about, his eyes began to swim.

Thinking to probe for a general price range, Zhai Da picked up a small object and asked, "Boss, what is this? Is there a story behind it?"

The boss didn't even lift his head. "That's a genuine antique from the Kangxi era, an authentic piece from the imperial kiln."

Zhai Da looked at the second-hand pager in his hand and fell into deep contemplation.

So... how did the Eight-Nation Alliance dare to do it back then?

"How much?"

"A similar one was auctioned at Sotheby's two years ago for 20 million. Mine is cheap—only 200,000."

I see. It must have been looted from the Forbidden City... maybe even snatched right off the waistband of the Empress Dowager Cixi!

This old man was truly on another level.

Zhai Da pointed to a faded Hello Kitty doll in the display case. "And what about this?"

The old man actually looked up this time, perhaps because he wasn't as familiar with the items in the display case.

"That is the world’s first Kitty cat, originating from Japan in 1974. There are only eight in the world. You have a good eye, young man; it’s of immense collection value."

Zhai Da was amused. *You’re a real professional bullshitter!*

"How much?"

"Twenty thousand. I'll let you have it for a bargain."

"Twenty."

"Deal!"

The old man immediately stood up to pack it for him, but Zhai Da pressed firmly on his shoulder. "You’d better keep watching your show. I’ll look around some more."

So far, he hadn't received any system notifications, which was slightly disappointing. However, he couldn't rule out the possibility that things were being blocked, so he patiently continued searching.

Ten minutes later, having gained nothing but a handful of dust, Zhai Da clapped his hands together and prepared to leave to check out the other two shops.

As he walked to the door, curiosity about what the old man was watching made him stretch his neck to get a glimpse.

On the hidden TV under the counter, a handsome man jumped from the free-throw line, stepped onto an excavator, turned in mid-air for thirty-some seconds, and soared over forty meters.

He dunked the ball.

Then, a woman on the sidelines said in shock, "Could this be the 'Invincible Whirlwind Dunk'? Even NBA players couldn't do this!"

Zhai Da thought to himself: *Never mind NBA players; even 'NMBA' players couldn't do that.*

*Basketball Fire*, one of the currently trending idol dramas.

Given this setting, the American NBA must be filled with Homelander-level beings for the power scale to remain intact.

The old man’s absurd persona was becoming even more vivid.

But then, a thin dashed line appeared from the old TV, pointing to a phantom text box in the upper right corner.

"White rarity special item discovered: [Old Man’s Television]. Nobody can watch TV for twenty hours a day unless they own a shop with no customers."

"Status: Unowned, inactive."

"Effect: Addiction to the content being played +300%. Not yet activated; requires the host to acquire ownership."

"Note: The obsession in adulthood is meant to comfort the child one used to be."

Zhai Da’s eyes lit up. *Hey, there really is something!*

Wait, this effect...

Zhai Da leaned over the counter, forcing a smile. "Boss, is this TV an antique too? The world's first television?"

The boss turned to look. Perhaps even he couldn't keep up the act, so he replied truthfully, "Not exactly. It's just an ordinary TV."

"My family used a big-backed TV like this when I was a kid. It looks so nostalgic. Is it for sale? I want to heal my inner child."

The boss had probably never encountered someone wanting to buy a TV, but after a brief moment of distraction, he immediately gave a quote.

"Two thousand."

There was nothing in this shop that couldn't be sold; if the price was right, he'd even sell you the self-propelled tank upstairs.

Zhai Da gritted his teeth. "This TV of yours—even a scrap collector would only give you fifty. You want two thousand? What’s the basis for that?"

"Because if I buy a new one, it really will cost me two thousand."

That sounded surprisingly reasonable.

Zhai Da definitely didn't have two thousand; he couldn't even produce two hundred. The high school student Zhai Da was a "paycheck-to-paycheck" kid, and his reborn self had only inherited a four-yuan stash, which he had already spent on breakfast...

But naturally, he wouldn't show his desperation, as that would only let the absurd boss hike the price.

This served as a reminder: discovering a special item and acquiring its "ownership" were two different things.

Some things could be bought with money, which was ideal, but others might not be so simple. It might take a bit more effort.

After leaving "Treasures Hidden Pavilion," Zhai Da visited "Treasures Pavilion," "Rare Treasures Pavilion," and "Gathering Treasures Pavilion" on the same street, but he came up empty-handed at all of them.

He then took a few laps through the old Red Flag Mall, but it was all small, run-down shops—mobile phone repairs, plus-size women's clothing, and the like. The result was the same: nothing found.

Time drifted toward noon. Zhai Da had fed his buns to the malnourished earlier, so he was getting hungry quickly.

After a brief recollection, he thought of how to solve his lunch problem. There was an old cold noodle shop in the Red Flag Mall.

Dongyang County was located in the northern part of the province, where dietary habits were a blend of north and south. Influenced for millennia by the Qilu region, the cuisine featured many wheat-based dishes and bold flavors.

Cold jelly noodles and cold skin noodles were popular not only in the northwest and northeast but also in Dongyang County. They had a unique flavor, and Zhai Da had been craving them for years.

He wanted to eat his way through all the hometown delicacies he had missed.

He had been coming to "Everyday Cold Noodles" since elementary school. It had been open for over a decade; the shop was small, but it had a bit of a reputation throughout Dongyang County.

As soon as he walked in, he saw seven or eight people huddled together. How to put it? The "student aura" was very obvious, especially in a group.

Even without uniforms, the moment they sat there, the scent of "poverty and youth" wafted out.

Poverty: no money. Acidic: the awkward hormonal atmosphere of teenage boys and girls. Stinky: the boys' sneakers.

One pair wasn't noticeable, but try a whole bunch of them huddled together.

The group of seven or eight looked up. One tall, burly boy’s eyes lit up, and he waved. "Zhai Da? Are you here for the gathering too?"

It was Pu Peng from his high school days, the future dishwasher Wu Yue.

Zhai Da scanned the group. They all looked familiar, though it wasn't exactly the same lineup that had visited him in the hospital yesterday.

Lin Shuyao, the girl he had written a love letter to, was also among them. That made things a bit awkward.

Zhai Da asked in confusion, "Aren't you guys in class today?"

Wu Yue looked blank. "Isn't everyone on a one-day break after the second mock exams?"

Zhai Da: *That homeroom teacher gave me a 'chicken neck' of a day off!*

It had been too long since his student days; how could he remember such trivial things? Just yesterday in the hospital, he had thought the teacher was quite decent...

Still, this class gathering was truly pathetic, meeting in a cold noodle shop... Didn't the class have a single rich kid who liked to show off?

Zhai Da had no interest in joining this so-called class gathering; he still had to find equipment in the afternoon.

Besides, eight people were crowded around a long table; if he went over, he'd have to sit on Wu Yue's lap.

He waved his hand. "You guys eat. I just happened to come here for a meal."

Walking past them, Zhai Da sat directly at the table in the very back and tapped the table lightly. "Is this seat taken?"

The girl looked up, scanned the many empty tables in the shop, but nodded silently.