Purchasing a Mobile Phone (Part One)

"Alright, it's quite inconvenient to be without a mobile phone; Fatty's pager is nothing more than a decorative item..."

Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, San Pao nodded in agreement. When they went to the market earlier to stock up, Fang Yi had left his mobile number, but Fatty and San Pao could only provide a pager number. San Pao could sense the slight disdain in the way the other person looked at them.

"Fang Yi, how about we go buy one later?" 

Who wouldn't want a bit of face? Seeing Fang Yi's intention to purchase a mobile phone, San Pao felt a twinge of excitement. Back in the year 2000, even for a dual-income ordinary family, buying a mobile phone was a considerable expense.

"Sure, once Fatty returns, we'll pack up. After buying the phone, I can head home to prepare dinner..."

Fang Yi wasn't particularly materialistic; as long as he had enough to eat and a bed to sleep in, he was satisfied. However, it wasn't that he was reluctant to spend money; if there was a need, he wouldn't hesitate to spend the more than twenty thousand yuan they currently had among them.

"Fang Yi, I've finished my call..." Just then, Fatty returned, having returned Lao Ma's phone, and he grinned as he said, "Guess what reaction Officer Bai had when she heard the price of fifty thousand?"

"What reaction could there be? Most likely, she thought it was too expensive and decided against it..."

San Pao chimed in. After all, spending fifty thousand yuan on a few beads would seem exorbitant to anyone. Even if he became a millionaire, he would never indulge in such frivolities.

"Hehe, you're mistaken..." Fatty chuckled, saying, "Officer Bai said that as long as it's worth the price, she wouldn't haggle over money. But if we try to pull any tricks, she'll have all of us locked up for a few days..."

"What does 'pulling tricks' mean?" Fang Yi asked, puzzled by the term Fatty had used.

"Oh, that's Beijing slang, meaning to play tricks or act cunningly..."

Fatty took pride in being able to throw around a few phrases in the local dialect. The world of cultural artifacts had indeed been popularized by the young elite, and in any antique market across the country, one would encounter many who spoke in the Beijing dialect.

"Brother Yi, is that string of yours really worth fifty thousand?" 

Still basking in his moment of pride, Fatty looked at Fang Yi with a grim expression and raised his hand, saying, "I'm not trying to undermine you, but if that item isn't worth that much, we won't be able to explain ourselves..."

"What's there to explain?" Fang Yi replied dismissively. "I'm offering that price; if she wants to buy, she can. I'm not forcing her, so why would she arrest me? Fatty, she's just trying to intimidate you..."

Although Fang Yi hadn't spoken directly with Officer Bai, he could sense from Fatty and San Pao's descriptions that the girl had a pleasant personality and wasn't the type to judge others harshly. Her comment was likely a jest.

"Great, I'm being scolded here while she's intimidating me over there; I'm caught in the middle..." Fatty lamented, feeling relieved after Fang Yi's encouragement. He no longer felt anxious, as if he had shed a heavy burden.

"Alright, since you've already been through enough, I'll trouble you to pack up the stall..." Fang Yi smiled at Fatty and said, "San Pao and I will go buy the phone, then I'll head home to cook and wait for you, letting you be the big shot today..."

"What? Buying a phone?" 

Upon hearing Fang Yi, San Pao's eyes lit up, and he quickly exclaimed, "Wait a moment! Give me five minutes; I promise I'll pack up the stall well. If you two dare to go without me, I'll have it out with you..."

Fatty was far more ostentatious than San Pao. He had wanted to persuade Fang Yi to buy a phone but was afraid Fang Yi would refuse. Now that he heard Fang Yi's intention, Fatty was so elated he felt like shouting in the market that he had a mobile phone.

Typically slow to pack up, Fatty now exhibited an unexpected efficiency, swiftly tidying the stall without needing Fang Yi or San Pao's help. He locked the tricycle at the entrance of Man Jun's shop and hurried back with great enthusiasm.

"Ma Ge, we're leaving now to buy a phone; I'll give you the number tomorrow..."

"Hey, Liu Ge, haven't you packed up yet? We're off to buy a phone, see you later..."

Fatty strutted through the market, causing both Fang Yi and San Pao to maintain a considerable distance from him. He greeted everyone he saw, practically needing a loudspeaker to announce his new acquisition.

The antique market at Chaotian Palace was quite small, yet Fatty took seven or eight minutes to exit. If Fang Yi and San Pao hadn't rushed ahead, he might have lingered for another half hour.

"You really can't show a bit of restraint..." Once outside the antique market, Fang Yi looked at Fatty, bemused.

"Fang Yi, didn't the old Taoist say something about how wealth shouldn't return to one's hometown, like walking in silk garments at night? Isn't showing off just fulfilling that saying?"

Fatty asserted confidently, "Fang Yi, once I buy the phone, I plan to return to the village next week and show it off to the old and young folks, letting them know that your Fatty is doing quite well in the city and has a mobile phone now..."

"Fatty, if you take that phone back, Uncle Wei will probably be walking around with it held high over his head every day!"

San Pao chuckled, knowing that both Fatty and his father shared the same boastful temperament; however, they were genuinely kind-hearted, which was why the villagers elected Wei Dahu as their village chief.

"Go away! If you can manage to date someone without showing off, then I'll truly admire you..." Fatty shot a sidelong glance at San Pao, who immediately fell silent, as he had been pondering what kind of phone to buy to impress Qian Qian.

"What brand are you two considering?" Fang Yi, who knew nothing about mobile phones, only understood that they could make calls. He had never paid attention to the discussions between San Pao and Fatty about brands and features.

"Motorola..." San Pao and Fatty replied in unison.

"A Motorola? Are you buying a phone or a mode of transportation?" Fang Yi was taken aback; after all, wasn't a motorcycle over ten thousand yuan? They lived so close to the antique market; what would they need such an item for?

"What transportation? It's a brand, the brand of the phone! Do you not understand? It's the same brand as my pager..."

San Pao and Fatty exchanged disdainful glances with Fang Yi, especially Fatty, who had long dreamt of pulling out a Motorola phone on the bus and loudly announcing something like, "Hey, boss! Let's have dinner together tonight," while basking in the envious glances of fellow passengers.

"Fine, I don't know; whatever brand you say it is, that's what it is..."

Fang Yi replied nonchalantly. To him, the idea of flaunting a phone in the market while casting sideways glances at other stall owners seemed quite ridiculous. If it weren't for the potential business needs in the future, he wouldn't bother buying such a thing.

"Let's go; there's a Motorola specialty store just down this slope. Oh, by the way, San Pao, did you bring any money?" Without the need to show off, Fatty quickened his pace, eagerly running ahead but still remembering to check if San Pao had brought money.

"I took out ten thousand for stock this afternoon, but I only spent a little over a thousand, so I still have over eight thousand left. That should be enough, right?" San Pao replied, "The latest model, the V998, only costs a little over three thousand; five thousand should definitely suffice..."

Hearing the conversation between Fatty and San Pao, Fang Yi felt somewhat speechless. He realized that Fatty's earlier comments about San Pao being lewd were indeed accurate; while typically quiet, it seemed San Pao had been secretly yearning for a mobile phone.

Chaotian Palace was already a commercial hub in Jinling City, with numerous mobile phone shops around. Not far from Man Jun's place was a large store, and Fatty practically sprinted inside.

"Hey, where's the staff? Where are the people selling phones?" 

As the saying goes, the newly rich often flaunt their wealth, and Fatty was no exception. Upon entering the store, he tried hard to adopt the demeanor of a big boss, though his expression didn't quite match the image he was trying to project.