"Master, how much can you make in a month driving a taxi?"
"It depends on the business. When business is good, it can be over ten thousand, but when it’s bad, it’s only a few thousand," the taxi driver replied.
"Why such a big difference?" Tang Fei asked curiously.
"Now, with unmanned taxis and smart driving everywhere, who wants to ride in a manually driven cab?" The taxi driver said with a forlorn expression, "The taxi driver’s job nowadays is just a welfare position provided by the Imperial Government to take care of the poor and unemployed... it’s enough to keep you fed and clothed; you don’t expect to get rich off this, do you?"
"Oh," Tang Fei nodded and said, "Are you from the poor population or the unemployed?"
"I’m unemployed... Young fellow, why are you asking this? At your young age, are you thinking of applying for this job?"
"Not really," Tang Fei said. "I’m conducting a social survey."
"Social survey? What’s the use of investigating that?"
"It’s not very useful," Tang Fei said. "It’s just to help those who have recently arrived in New Star to integrate into the life here more quickly, to increase their understanding and recognition of this society."
"Are you kidding, young man, New Star has long stopped accepting immigrants from the Old Land."
"Even if one has saved the Princess?"
"We can’t even see the Princess, how could we possibly save her? Stop joking, young man," the taxi driver said with a chuckle.
"What if?" Tang Fei said. "What’s the difference between a man without dreams and a salted fish?"
"If I were forty years younger, I might believe that. Now I can’t afford to believe. I am the salted fish."
"Lying down where you fall?"
"I used to try to get up when I fell. But later I found that getting up just made the falls harder. So eventually, I just stopped trying. Lying down feels normal after a while. Doesn’t seem so bad. People need to learn to accept their fate."
"You really are a wise old man," Tang Fei gave a thumbs up.
"Why are you so talkative, young man? It’s rare for young people to want to talk to old guys like us these days."
Tang Fei looked at the taxi driver and said softly, "Besides you, I don’t know who else to talk to..."
The taxi driver fell silent for a moment, then said soothingly, "Young man, this ride is on me. I won’t take your money."
He understood too well the desolation in those words. People like them were mostly in a state of life where "I don’t know who to talk to."
The world is bustling with noise, but the excitement all belongs to them.
Whether standing in front of others or hiding in a corner, actually no one cares or pays attention.
Because their eyes simply don’t see you.
"That’s not necessary," Tang Fei said with a smile. "Believe it or not, old man, I’m so poor all I have left is money."
The old man truly did not believe.
Not until Tang Fei gave him a generous tip.
Tang Fei came to the Galaxy Mall again, the place where Phoenix had taken him to buy clothes before.
The twenty million star coins in his bank account made him feel incredibly inflated.
Even the Princess had said it was the best mall in Phoenix City, so of course, he had to spend here to match his status.
He already had enough clothes, and the refrigerator was packed full by Phoenix.
This time, Tang Fei mainly came to find a weapons supplier to upgrade his Training Room. On the way here, he had already checked online that the three main civilian weapons suppliers in the Phoenix Empire were Sun, Huacai, and Fire God.
Other military weapons suppliers also produce civilian gear but don’t run their businesses as well as these private enterprises.
Having checked the location, Tang Fei took the elevator straight to the twenty-ninth floor.
Here, one could say it was a world of weapons—Flying Cars, escape pods, miniature flying discs, Water Flying Boots, and so forth, along with a dazzling array of firearms, ammunition, and other weapons equipment.
Of course, firearms cannot be bought at whim. He needed a gun permit for that.
Tang Fei went straight to his target, first coming to the Sun Group’s display store.
Lin Qingyou was a part-time salesperson here. Seeing that the regular staff were all busy attending to other customers and ignoring Tang Fei, she came over herself and asked with a smile, "Hello, sir, what would you like to look at?"
Tang Fei pointed to the Gravity Chamber and asked, "How much for this?"
"Thirty million star coins," Lin Qingyou answered with a sweet smile.
She did not express any disdain or discrimination because of the high price of the product Tang Fei inquired about. Customers came to inquire every day; some deals were made, but most were not.
It was to be expected.
It would be foolish to mock or look down on customers who are young or less finely dressed... Would that not be idiocy?
Such staff would get fired on their first day at work—how could they then wait for the destined hero to come and slap them in the face?
"Oh, I was just asking," Tang Fei said indifferently.
My head was a bit foggy, and as the saying goes, "the student dies before the master succeeds," I opened my mouth only to encounter a firm rebuke.
I had thought the Gravity Chamber in the school was quite nice, and having one at home to practice with Little Fatty would be a delightful thing, right?
Now it seems that my thinking was indeed quite idyllic.
Just now, I was boasting to the taxi driver that I was so poor all I had left was money, and now... luckily the old man is no longer by my side.
"It’s no big deal," Lin Qingyou said with a smile.
"The thing is, I’d like to transform my basement into a Training Room. Do you guys have a complete quote for the project?" Tang Fei asked.
"Training Room renovation?" Lin Qingyou paused for a moment and said, "Sir, do you have any specific requirements? The price varies with different models of Training Rooms... Furthermore, we need to design a renovation plan according to the actual size and use of your basement..."
I had assumed Tang Fei was here to buy some small items, like the latest model of Flying Boots or wearable equipment; I didn’t expect him to want a Training Room renovation.
This project may not be as expensive as the Gravity Chamber, but it is still a major item, and the company could make a considerable profit from it. Thus, the commission I could earn from sales wouldn’t be small, either.
"No problem. I brought the 3D design drawing of the basement," Tang Fei said with a grin: "Shall we add each other on Star Chain? I’ll send the design to your Star Chain in a moment."
People of the Phoenix Empire primarily use a social app called Star Chain, and after Tang Fei got a phone, he and Little Fatty each downloaded one. It made getting in touch with each other more convenient.
"Sure," Lin Qingyou quickly took out her phone and exchanged Star Chain contacts with Tang Fei.
"You work up a plan based on the design and send it to me with the quote, of course..." Tang Fei said, "I’ve got some things to take care of, and I’ll come back to you later."
"Okay," Lin Qingyou said with a full smile, diligently asking, "May I know how to address you, sir?"
"Mr. Tang, we will definitely provide you with the most practical plan and the best possible price," Lin Qingyou assured him.
"Heh... I hope so," Tang Fei said with a laugh.
After leaving the Sun Group’s flagship store, Tang Fei headed straight for the Fire God opposite.
A manager with glasses came over to greet him, smiling and asking, "Sir, can I help you with anything?"
He had already noticed Tang Fei coming from the Sun display store...
Such a man generally has a genuine desire to buy something, otherwise, he wouldn’t bother browsing from one store to the next.
"What should I call you?" Tang Fei asked the duty manager.
"Chen Kai," the duty manager said. "I’m the manager on duty at this store. Whatever you need, sir, I can introduce it to you."
"Manager Chen, hello. I’d like to transform my basement into a Training Room. Would it be convenient to add you on Star Chain? I can send you the 3D design drawing of the basement..."
"Of course, it’s convenient. To serve Mr. Tang is an honor for us at Fire God. We will definitely give Mr. Tang the best quote, and you’ll find it excellent value for money."
Tang Fei added Chen Kai on Star Chain and immediately sent him the 3D design, saying, "I’ll go look around elsewhere and then come back for Manager Chen."
"All right, all right, we’ll discuss the design with our designer now. We’ll have a response for Mr. Tang within half an hour."
"Thank you for your trouble."
Leaving the Fire God store, Tang Fei then walked toward the Huacai Display Store up ahead.
Chen Kai frowned slightly; this kid was quite cautious...
Too bad, no matter how shrewd you are, you’ll still have to drink our bathwater.
Don’t you know that even though we are competitors, we also form an offensive and defensive alliance?
All the brands follow an "unspoken" market price, and everyone abides by that base price. Even if you visit all the stores, the quotes you get will be about the same.
At most, they might offer a bit more in terms of free gifts...
Chen Kai shook his head, turned around, and went to convene a meeting with the design and sales team.
They also needed to determine a plan as quickly as possible; this order wasn’t small, and if they could secure it, the whole team would earn a substantial bonus.
Lin Qingyou was in a meeting with the team, discussing how they could offer a price that would secure them the renovation order, when her phone notification sounded.
She picked up her phone and saw that she had been added to a group by Tang Fei.
In the group were not only herself but also a man named "Chen Kai" and a woman named "Wang Juanning."
Lin Qingyou was curious about what Tang Fei was up to when she saw him speak in the group: "Hello, friends. All the responsible persons from the three major suppliers, Sun, Fire God, and Huacai, have arrived. Your time is precious, so I won’t delay you all any longer."
"I’ve sent the 3D design to all three companies. Once your design and quotation are ready, please send them to me in a private message. I will choose the company with the best value for money to work with."
"I wish us a pleasant cooperation."
Everyone was unhappy, except for the cheerful Tang Fei.