Chapter 49: Something More Valuable Than Gold

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Chapter 49: Something More Valuable Than Gold

Holding his ring, Li Yi couldn't help but laugh.

This was most likely... No, it definitely was a mistake. If things went as expected, the old man had made a small profit and was probably feeling a bit cheated.

Li Yi had just wanted to test the old man and see if he could haggle for a one-tenth discount. But unexpectedly, the old man, who was a fellow trader, nodded in agreement.

Although this deal was a loss for the old man, Li Yi understood an important principle: The price of antiques doesn't really matter. It's all about the asking price.

The sky-high prices initially quoted were meant to fool the uninformed!

These stall owners were skilled at judging people. The old man quickly realized that Wei Sanpao's excited reaction meant he didn't understand antiques at all!

Wei Sanpao's outfit, which consisted of a two-stranded vest and rubber-soled shoes, looked shabby. He was clearly not a potential buyer, so the old man didn't bother to negotiate with him.

On the other hand, although Li Yi's clothes weren't anything special, he still had a certain white-collar aura, so the old man didn't offer a significant discount.

Li Yi, understanding this trick, smiled inwardly. The old man had likely judged him to be someone who knew the value of things but wouldn't haggle too much.

"Old man, is this Yuan Datou real?" Li Yi asked, pointing to a few dollars on the stall.

The stall owner immediately replied, "Of course it's real. This isn't something valuable; it's not a fake!"

Li Yi nodded and picked up a piece, asking, "How much do you sell this for?"

The stall owner thought for a moment before saying, "This thing is priced in the market at 6 yuan when collected, and 8 yuan when sold!"

Li Yi studied it carefully before replying, "I'll take it for 5 yuan each!"

"This can't be sold for less than 7 yuan," the old man said firmly. "If you want it cheaper, go to another stall!"

Li Yi quickly realized that in this business, like many others, there were industry-standard prices for regular goods. They wouldn't sell for less than that.

After figuring this out, Li Yi didn't linger at the stall and moved on.

At another stall, he found Buddhist beads, which seemed to be the specialty of this particular vendor.

Li Yi asked about the price, then smirked and turned to leave.

"500 yuan for a string of beads? Isn't this highway robbery?"

But Li Yi didn't know much about Buddhist beads. When the stall owner tried to explain, it sounded more like a confusing lecture to him.

However, Li Yi was pretty sure that most of these beads were fake and not worth the price they were being sold for.

Wei Sanpao was astonished. Was this the going price in the entire Dongyuan Market?

Every stall seemed to have no prices below 100 yuan!

But no one was foolish. Most customers asked about the prices but didn't haggle much. Fewer still actually made purchases.

Li Yi wandered through Dongyuan Market for hours, but he didn't buy anything except a "jade" ring worth just ten yuan!

He hadn't found his goal yet, but Li Yi wasn't discouraged.

Today, he had only explored one-fifth of the market. It would take at least three days to see everything, so there was no need to rush.

As night fell and the lights flickered on, Li Yi suggested they leave the market.

After walking around for most of the afternoon, the two of them were hungry, so they stopped at a noodle shop to grab a quick bite.

It was peak dining time, and the place was packed, mostly with ordinary workers. For many of them, eating a bowl of noodles here was a rare treat.

Wei Sanpao looked at the people around him and couldn't help but remark, "Brother Yi, why do these people not look like city dwellers?"

"They're not," Li Yi replied. "They're likely migrant workers from other areas who came to Guangzhou or Shenzhen."

"Migrant workers? Are they farmers or workers?"

Li Yi paused for a moment and realized that the concept of migrant workers hadn't fully developed yet. He quickly explained, "Most of them used to be farmers. Now, they've left their villages to work as laborers in the city. Don't make such a big deal about it. They're not like the workers you're familiar with. Most of them work hard on construction sites."

"So that's why they come to the city to work? Isn't farming still good?"

Li Yi smiled and answered, "Farming doesn't make much money. Although city work is tough, a good year of labor here can be worth at least three years of farming back home."

"Wow, the gap is that big? Is there gold under the ground in Guangzhou and Shenzhen?"

Li Yi shook his head, smiling. "No, there's no gold. But there's something more valuable than gold!"

"What's that?"

"Business opportunities!"

"Business opportunities?"

"Yes, there are opportunities everywhere in Guangzhou and Shenzhen right now. If you seize the right opportunity, even an old sow can soar to the sky!"

Li Yi wasn't exaggerating. After the reforms, Guangzhou and Shenzhen had developed the fastest, while other cities were still lagging. Many trends here led the way in the inland areas.

That's why Li Yi had chosen this place to start his business after making his first bit of money.

"Brother Yi, do you really think we can make money?"

"Why doubt it?"

"I don't know, I just feel like the people here are too cunning. Jiangnan Province is much better!"

Li Yi laughed, "Every place has its own way of life. The reforms have already been going on for over ten years, and Guangzhou and Shenzhen, being the window to the outside world, have changed a lot. As a result, people here tend to focus more on economic interests, and the human side of things isn't as prominent. But it's nothing to worry about."

"Our Jiangnan Province is different. The impact there is smaller, so the people are a bit simpler. That's neither good nor bad. It doesn't affect our ability to make money!"

"You're really sure we can make money?"

"Absolutely!" Li Yi said firmly.

Wei Sanpao immediately nodded. As long as Li Yi said it, he believed him without question.

"Let's eat quickly. After we finish, let's get some rest and continue checking out the antique market tomorrow!"

"Okay!"

Li Yi wasn't fixated on finding treasure, but he was determined to give it his all. After all, treasure belonged to those who were destined to find it. If he missed it, he wouldn't have any regrets.

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