Chapter Four, The First Bucket of Gold

The price was settled, and everyone was pleased. Luo Fuzhi and Du Charlie then debated for quite a long time about how many pieces each person would receive before finally coming to a conclusion

Luo Fu and Du Charlie watched as two more watches disappeared in the blink of an eye, realizing they would lose over a hundred taels of silver. They couldn't help but feel both heartbroken and secretly curse Wang Hengyue as a "wasteful son." How could one possibly give away such fine watches? Yet, the items belonged to him, and what could they do? Were they supposed to snatch them back?

Wang Hengyue was taken aback upon seeing that it was a banknote for 10,000 taels of silver, and he expressed his surprise: "Brother Qin, you must have made a mistake, right? The watch is worth 50 dollars, totaling 9,500 taels, but this banknote of yours is for 10,000 taels."

Put away the banknotes, and suddenly Qin Guangcheng asked: "Brother, what are your plans for the future?"

Qin Guangcheng pondered for a moment and said sincerely, "To speak frankly, forgive my impertinence, although you are a revolutionary, you are currently all alone. How can you achieve your goals in such a situation? It would be better to find a place to settle down for the time being and then plan your actions gradually."

Wang Hengyue nodded slightly, realizing that his identity as a "revolutionary" was truly a counterfeit.

This batch of watches is essentially worth very little, yet the wealth exchanged here is equivalent to a substantial amount of books

What is even more remarkable is that, perhaps due to the carelessness of the person assisting with the printing, the certificate surprisingly omitted the date. This turn of events can be considered quite fortuitous, as it effectively spared Wang Hengyue the trouble of having to explain anything further

Luo Taiwu finally felt relieved, picking up a watch and examining it closely: "It seems that it is not made of real gold"

After the two left, Qin Guangcheng asked Wang Hengyue to sit for a moment and called for the accountant, giving a few instructions. After a while, the accountant brought a banknote, which Qin Guangcheng personally handed to Wang Hengyue.

The first bucket of gold I dug up in this era came surprisingly easily. With this ten thousand taels of silver, I will have much more confidence in my future endeavors.

Qin Guangcheng laughed and said, "Five hundred taels in exchange for my life is quite a bargain. Since you have called me 'big brother,' you should not refuse any further." As he spoke, he raised the two gold watches that Wang Hengyue had given him, adding, "Moreover, my brother has also gifted me two; in fact, I stand to gain from this deal."

Qin Guang, a seasoned individual in the business world, surely understands the implications behind their words. He smiled slightly and said, "The price is negotiable. Please provide an estimate. If Brother Shu believes it can be sold at a good price, we can finalize the deal immediately."

This watch shines brilliantly, exuding luxury and grandeur. How could Du Charlie have imagined that there would be such a concept as "knockoff goods" in the world? Especially with the accompanying "original factory production certificate" all in foreign languages, which further convinced Du Charlie of the origin of this batch of watches from Switzerland

Du Charlie was seen through, his face flushed, and then he smiled: "Since ancient times, those who engage in business have always been like this, making sky-high offers and paying back on the spot. Brothers must have some gains to make it worthwhile."

We have seen the goods, and they are indeed of good quality. As soon as the topic of trade was mentioned, Du Charlie put down his watch and took his seat again: "However, in our country, most people use pocket watches, and very few are willing to accept new gadgets. If you brothers and Brother Luo were to buy them all, selling them would indeed be a significant problem..."

Wang Hengyue listened on, both surprised and delighted. This time, he had brought a total of fifty-five counterfeit watches, and who would have thought that this batch of counterfeit goods would actually "shine brightly" in another dimension

Wang Hengyue then recalled that in this era, pocket watches were the norm, while his batch of goods consisted entirely of wristwatches. As he pondered how to fabricate a story, he did not expect Du Chali to boastfully say: "Manager Luo, you seem to be unaware of the facts. In the 30th year of the Guangxu reign, foreign countries had already invented watches that could be worn on the wrist, but they had yet to reach our country. Therefore, we predominantly use pocket watches. The wristwatches that Brother Shuzhi brought back are truly a novel and rare item; there is no need to make a fuss over it."

Qin Guangcheng no longer maintained any politeness with them, and they argued incessantly over the price for a full half an hour before finally agreeing on a discount of one hundred and ninety taels of silver for each gold watch

Du Charlie picked up a watch, praising it endlessly and unable to part with it

Luo Taiwu, however, felt somewhat puzzled: "What is the appearance of these tables that is so strange? It is something I have never seen before."

Du Charlie pulled Luo Fuzhi aside, and the two whispered for quite a while before returning to say: "The best foreign watch on the market is priced at 210 silver dollars, equivalent to 153 taels and 2 qian 8 fen of silver. Since this is on account of Manager Qin, and the quality of this batch is indeed good, let’s do this: I’ll propose a price, and Brother Xu can see if it’s suitable. We’ll take a cut, and each piece will be calculated at 150 taels of silver; we’ll take as many as we want!" Since this is on account of Manager Qin, and the quality of this batch is indeed good, let’s do this: I’ll propose a price, and Brother Xu can see if it’s suitable. We’ll take a cut, and each piece will be calculated at 150 taels of silver; we’ll take as many as we want!

Beside it, there is also a chorus of agreement, all conveying the same meaning: good things are indeed valuable, but no matter how good they are, if they cannot be sold, they merely accumulate like books and images, thereby tying up capital

Luo Taiwu felt quite embarrassed, only burying his head and repeatedly turning the watch over to examine it.

It was agreed that Qin Guangcheng would first advance the payment, while Luo Fuzhi and Du Charlie hurried back to retrieve the banknotes to exchange for the gold watch

Wang Hengyue was taken aback, contemplating that he truly had no plans of his own. In this unfamiliar place, apart from Qin Guangcheng, he had no other friends.

Brother Qin, please feel free to speak without hesitation

Wang Hengyue chuckled awkwardly a few times, yet felt quite embarrassed inside

Du Charlie had long regarded Wang Hengyue as one of his kind, someone who had "seen the world." Upon hearing this, Wang was quite dismissive: "Manager Luo, that is why I often say one should go out more, see more of the world, preferably go abroad, as that is where one truly gains knowledge. What these foreigners call a gold watch is by no means made of real gold and silver; it refers to the craftsmanship involved. If it were truly made of pure gold, how much would it be worth? Fortunately, this is something only you and I, as brothers, have heard. If outsiders were to know, they would surely laugh at the fact that there is no one in Sichuan who understands this."

Wang Hengyue brought this batch of counterfeit gold watches to this era. The outer packaging is grand and exquisite, and the "gold watches" placed on the velvet cushion inside are meticulously crafted. Surprisingly, they even come with a certificate of authenticity filled with English, making them a "premium" among counterfeit goods according to the books

He kept three pieces for emergencies, and there were still fifty-two pieces remaining. He also took out two more pieces, disregarding Qin Guangcheng's repeated refusals, and insisted on giving them to Qin Guangcheng as a token of gratitude

Upon seeing his brother agree, Qin Guangcheng's spirits were greatly lifted: "I initially thought to keep you with me. I have a modest family fortune, and it could suffice for a living. But then I realized that my brother is no ordinary person, how could he be bound by the allure of money? I pondered for a moment, and there is a place I wonder if my brother would be willing to go to"

One hundred and fifty taels of silver for each piece? This batch of counterfeit goods is surprisingly valuable in this era? Wang Hengyue felt a surge of joy in his heart and was about to agree when he heard Qin Guangcheng laugh heartily: "You two really know how to do business. Who doesn't know that the best foreign goods in the Sichuan officialdom are highly sought after? As for the local gentry, everyone is fascinated by the novelty of foreign goods. If you two acquire this batch, once you resell it, it might fetch three or four hundred taels at least. Yet now, you only offer one hundred and fifty taels. Do you really think I know nothing?"

But how could these two individuals ever fathom the true value of this batch of "gold watches"

Qin Guangcheng, seeing the impressive goods brought by his brothers, couldn't help but feel pleased: "Gentlemen, you have seen the goods; are you interested?"