Chapter 88: Target Donghai City!

Chapter 88: Target Donghai City!

Mid-July.

The weather in Jiangnan remained scorching hot. Fortunately, the arrival of the rainy season brought occasional light showers, offering some relief from the summer heat.

Outside the car window, a misty drizzle veiled the city, but inside the vehicle, Li Yi and Wei Sanpao sat with contrasting moods.

Today, they were taking the train to Donghai City.

Despite leaving behind a profitable business to venture into an unfamiliar place, Li Yi remained calm, his eyes filled with unwavering determination. On the other hand, Wei Sanpao appeared visibly uneasy.

It wasn't just the uncertainty of this business trip that unsettled him—it was also the 200,000 yuan in cash he was carrying. The weight of such a large sum made him restless.

As soon as they boarded the train, he constantly scanned his surroundings, fidgeting with the backpack on his lap, his fingers anxiously adjusting the straps.

"Third Brother, can you calm down?" Li Yi finally spoke, amusement lacing his voice. "Do you know what you look like right now?"

Wei Sanpao immediately sat up straight, his face flushing with embarrassment. "What do I look like?" he asked.

"A country bumpkin stepping into the big city for the first time," Li Yi teased.

Wei Sanpao chuckled, scratching his head. "Well, compared to the people in Donghai City, aren't we just country bumpkins?"

"Speak for yourself," Li Yi retorted. "Why would we be country bumpkins? Jiangcheng and Haidong City are both provincial capitals. The only difference is that Haidong City has more people!"

Wei Sanpao nodded, choosing not to argue further.

"Third Brother, you don't need to be so nervous," Li Yi reassured him. "It's just Haidong City. When we start making real money, we'll live here one day."

Wei Sanpao scoffed. "Brother Yi, do you really believe that? Living in Haidong City? That's wishful thinking!"

"Why wouldn't I dare to dream?" Li Yi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you know how expensive things are in Haidong City? Housing prices are insane! How could we possibly afford to live here?"

Li Yi smirked. "Look at you, getting scared over nothing. Let me tell you something—we will be the richest people in the Dragon Kingdom one day. Are you really going to let high prices intimidate us?"

Wei Sanpao laughed. "Alright, Brother Yi, if you say so! I'll trust your words—one day, we'll buy a house in Haidong City."

Though his response was slightly perfunctory, Li Yi didn't mind.

He wasn't joking. If their refrigerator business succeeded, they could afford multiple villas in Haidong City's most luxurious districts.

And that was just a conservative estimate.

Their business model was sustainable—if executed correctly, money would flow endlessly into their pockets. Housing prices? That would be the least of their worries.

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The Journey to Haidong City

Jiangcheng was not far from Haidong City—only about 400 to 500 kilometers away.

In later years, expressways would reduce travel time to three to four hours, and high-speed rail would shorten it to just one and a half hours.

Unfortunately, in this era, they were still relying on slow, green-colored trains, making the journey seven hours long.

As the train finally slowed down, Haidong City came into view.

Li Yi rose from his seat, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.

Pickpockets were rampant in trains during this era, and with a large sum of cash in his bag, he couldn't afford to be careless.

This trip to customize refrigerators had drained almost all of his liquid funds.

Each custom refrigerator cost about 2,800 yuan but could sell for over 4,000 yuan—especially since they were imported models. In Haidong City, a 4,000-yuan refrigerator was considered a great deal.

This was Haidong City, after all—a place where people had money to spend.

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Arriving at the Station

Stepping out of the train, the two men found themselves in a chaotic crowd.

People swarmed around them—some waiting for pickups, others shouting about hotel accommodations or carpool services. The clamor was overwhelming.

Wei Sanpao swallowed hard, his nervousness increasing.

Though Jiangcheng's train station wasn't small, it was nothing compared to the sheer scale of Haidong City's station.

Using all their strength, they squeezed their way out of the crowded station.

As soon as they stepped outside, Wei Sanpao's eyes widened in astonishment.

Towering skyscrapers, bustling streets, and never-ending traffic greeted them. The city pulsed with energy.

"Brother Yi… this is the first time I've seen so many cars!" Wei Sanpao exclaimed in awe.

Li Yi chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Is this surprising to you? Let me tell you something—twenty or thirty years from now, even rural villages will have cars in every household. Do you believe that?"

Wei Sanpao scoffed, crossing his arms. "Come on, Brother Yi, that's ridiculous. How could villagers afford cars?"

Li Yi merely shrugged, smiling to himself.

He knew the truth—in just a few decades, cars would be as common as bicycles. But there was no point in explaining it now—Wei Sanpao wouldn't believe him anyway.

"Let's find a place to stay first," Li Yi said, shifting gears. "We have a busy few days ahead."

Hearing this, Wei Sanpao tightened his grip on his backpack and followed closely behind, afraid of getting lost in the unfamiliar city.

As they navigated the bustling streets, Li Yi couldn't help but sigh.

If only smartphones existed in this era…

In the future, with just a few taps, one could navigate streets, find hotels, locate restaurants, and even check traffic conditions in real time.

The widespread adoption of smartphones was inevitable.

But for now, they had to rely on traditional methods.

While Li Yi pondered the conveniences of the future, Wei Sanpao remained fully engrossed in the present.

He gawked at the fashionably dressed pedestrians, his eyes darting around in admiration.

Whenever he caught sight of a woman in a stylish dress, he would immediately avert his gaze, as if afraid he had seen something inappropriate.

Amused, Li Yi chuckled and nudged him.

"What's wrong? Do you like her because she's pretty and polite?"

Wei Sanpao's face turned red as he shook his head vigorously. "Brother Yi, stop joking. Why would a girl like that be interested in me?"

Li Yi merely smiled and kept walking.

He could see it—despite coming from a decent family, Wei Sanpao still harbored a deep sense of inferiority.

But that would change soon.

Wealth is a man's confidence.

Once his pockets were full, so would his self-esteem.

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