In the end, Fang Yi didn't ride his bike.
The heat today was ridiculous—so hot it felt like the asphalt might start melting.
For the sake of his personal safety, he decided to take the bus instead.
There were taxis, sure, but most of them ran in the downtown area. Out by the Anchor Chain Factory, you'd be lucky to see one in an entire day.
Da Shikou was currently the most bustling commercial hub in Jiangzhen City, and the Commercial Tower stood right at its heart.
Back then, computers weren't yet mainstream—they were high-end luxury items. In all of Jiangzhen, the only place selling them was inside the Commercial Tower.
After a hot, crowded 40-minute ride with no air-conditioning, Fang Yi finally got off at the Da Shikou stop and made his way quickly toward the building.
Han Ning was already waiting at the entrance—and she was clearly dressed with care today.
A crisp white T-shirt paired with slim-fitting jeans showed off her tall, slender frame. At 168 centimeters, she stood out. On her feet were a pair of spotless white sneakers, giving her a clean, breezy look. A small pastel-yellow backpack sat snugly on her shoulders—cute and playful in design.
She stood there quietly, holding a bottle of Jianlibao soda. The sight of her, under the glaring summer sun, made her seem completely out of place in this era—like she belonged in the future.
Truthfully, her outfit wouldn't have stood out at all in the modern world—pretty basic, really.
But here in Jiangzhen City, she was a firefly in the night—glowing and impossible to ignore.
Of course, the most important reason was still her face. She was gorgeous.
Passersby kept stealing glances at her as they walked by, some blatantly staring.
Fortunately, Han Ning had grown used to this kind of attention. During her three years of high school, this kind of scene had played out daily.
"You're here early!"
Fang Yi jogged up to her, and for a brief moment, a look of astonishment flickered in his eyes.
Since his rebirth, he'd gotten used to the dated, provincial outfits everyone wore. But now, seeing Han Ning in such modern, fashionable clothes hit him like a fresh breeze—and his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
"My dad had to go out, so I hitched a ride with him."
Her voice was as gentle as always, soft and calm, like she never got upset about anything.
Fang Yi glanced at the bottle of Jianlibao in her hand, then casually took it from her and twisted off the cap.
Gulp, gulp, gulp—
The bus didn't have AC, and after nearly an hour baking inside, he was absolutely parched.
Before Han Ning's eyes, the soda level dropped rapidly.
She looked a little flustered, but beneath that was a curious, fluttery warmth—after all, she had already drunk from that bottle.
Fang Yi finally finished the whole thing in one go and let out a long sigh.
Satisfying.
Then, with a casual flick, he tossed the empty bottle into a nearby trash can and said, "Let's head inside. It's way too hot out here."
"Mm!"
Han Ning nodded and followed him into the building.
The moment they stepped in, cool air from the AC rushed over them—absolute bliss.
That, by the way, was one of the key reasons the Commercial Tower was so popular: it had air-conditioning.
Han Ning looked around curiously and asked, "Fang Yi, how come you suddenly have money to buy a computer?"
Fang Yi chuckled. "I have you to thank for that. Remember when I used your computer to contact the publisher? I sold the copyright yesterday afternoon."
"You're amazing!"
Han Ning didn't even know why, but she felt especially proud. It was as if his success was her success too.
If Fang Yi could read her mind, he'd smile and say: "Relax, girl. That's just a normal reaction when you're in love."
…
The two wandered through the mall, weaving between stores until they reached the third floor, where they finally spotted a computer store.
The owner wasn't very old and wore a pair of thin-rimmed glasses. When he saw Han Ning, a flash of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly put on his business smile and greeted them, "Looking to buy a computer?"
Fang Yi asked directly, "You got any laptops?"
"Sure! Right this way."
The owner led them inside.
There was no way Fang Yi was going to buy a desktop. In just over a month, he'd be heading off to college—leaving a desktop at home would be pointless.
A laptop, on the other hand, could be used both at home and on campus.
Computer models were still extremely limited at the time. On display, there were only five laptops total—which wasn't surprising, considering how expensive they were.
Even the lowest-end laptops started at 8,000 yuan.
Fang Yi scanned the selection briefly, then pointed. "Boss, let me see that IBM T20."
"Coming right up!"
The owner handed over the laptop while explaining enthusiastically, "This IBM T20 just dropped this May—it's been flying off the shelves. A lot of places are already out of stock. It's got a 14.1-inch screen, a dedicated graphics card, a 20GB hard drive, and an Intel Mobile Pentium III processor clocked at 700MHz. Plus, it has 256MB of RAM. Right now, this is the best bang for your buck in the laptop world."
Fang Yi booted it up, ran a quick test, and then asked, "How much?"
At this point in time, IBM was still dominating the laptop market. This configuration would be usable for several years.
Who would've guessed that, in just five years, IBM's computer division would get bought out by the so-called "conscience of America", Lenovo?
"23,000 yuan!" the owner said with a wide grin.
Fang Yi raised an eyebrow. "You're trying to rob me blind? Factory price's fifteen grand, and you're flipping it for 23?"
He might not know other models, but this one he remembered vividly.
Back in his previous life, one of his filthy-rich dormmates had bought the exact same model. Fang Yi had practically drooled with envy at the time.
The owner hadn't expected Fang Yi to be so well-informed and laughed awkwardly. "Factory price is just a reference. I still have to pay rent and utilities, you know."
"Give me a fair price. If it's reasonable, I'll buy it now."
The shop owner thought for a moment. "17,000. How about that?"
"Deal."
Fang Yi agreed on the spot.
You couldn't expect the guy to sell at zero profit. And sure, 15,000 might've been the factory price, but retail was always higher—by about 10 to 15%, depending on the region.
Besides, Fang Yi didn't want to haggle over a few hundred bucks. For all he knew, this might be the only store in all of Jiangzhen that had an IBM T20 in stock.
"Will you be paying in cash or card?" the owner asked.
Fang Yi blinked. "Whoa—you've got a POS machine?"
Very few shops at the time had point-of-sale machines.
"Of course!"
The owner adjusted his glasses proudly, beaming with confidence.
"Swipe the card, then."
Since they had a POS machine, there was no need for Fang Yi to run to the bank.
Too convenient to pass up.