Chapter 019: Spending Money Freely

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Apart from informing him of the publication, the letter also revealed that the editorial team of "Legends of Today and Past: Martial Arts Edition" hoped to have a more direct way of contacting Zhang Tan, such as by phone, QQ, fax, or other means of communication.

“A phone, huh.”

Zhang Tan pondered for a moment. As someone from the future, not having a mobile phone felt exceedingly inconvenient. Communicating with the magazine still depended on writing letters, a primitive method that resulted in painfully slow exchanges.

“These days, a lot of places use the ‘Little Smart’ cordless phones, but those will be obsolete sooner or later. Better to buy a proper mobile and get a number from China Mobile.”

With two remittance receipts in hand, Zhang Tan suddenly felt flush with cash.

“I’m a man of means now—I shouldn’t shortchange myself.”

The very next day at noon, Zhang Tan rode on Li Dong’s bicycle to the Shuangdun Town post office and withdrew the 3,445 yuan that had already been deposited in his bank account. The remittance slips were just receipts; the money had already been sent directly to the bank card he set up at the start of school.

Withdrawing the money was a bit tricky, as Zhang Tan didn’t have an ID card, but fortunately he brought his household registration book, which did the trick.

With a bulging wallet, his first stop was the mobile phone shop. There weren’t many brands on the market at that time—mainly Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, Siemens, and Samsung. To Zhang Tan, even the trendiest phone seemed like a relic from the past.

He selected the Nokia 3210 in a gray shell, looking something like a miniature brick.

Its basic functions were calls and text messages; there were hardly any other features.

The price was 1,299 yuan. According to the shopkeeper, when it first came out last year, it cost over 1,500, but with new Nokia models released, the 3210’s price had dropped a bit.

“Okay, I’ll take it!” With money in his pocket, his words carried authority.

With phone in hand, he next dashed to the China Mobile service center to set up his mobile service. The process wasn’t strict yet—no ID required. Zhang Tan quickly set up a "Shenzhouxing" card, a new offering from Mobile launched last year, with three types to choose from. He picked the "Shenzhouxing General Card": sixteen yuan a month, with calls costing sixty cents per minute—a bit pricey.

But Zhang Tan was no penny-pincher. Money was of little consequence; what mattered was living with flair.

Fifteen minutes later, the newly-minted mobile phone owner swaggered out of the Mobile office.

“Now, should I grab some food, or... Oh right, my hair’s gotten long—it’s time for a trim, or my shaved style won’t look sharp anymore. Perfect chance to get a membership card too.”

The shampoo girl at the barber’s still remembered Zhang Tan. Hearing he wanted a membership, she beamed with joy—probably because she’d get a commission.

In a good mood, her hands were especially gentle during the shampoo, repeatedly asking, “Is this too light or too hard? Is it comfortable? Am I pressing too much?”

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“It’s fine—just hurry up, I’m waiting to go eat.”

After a fresh cut, his buzzed hair gleamed—Zhang Tan was quite satisfied.

That was the aura he wanted.

At lunchtime, feeling flush, Zhang Tan went alone to a small restaurant, ordered two stir-fried dishes, a plate of century eggs, and a bottle of beer, and enjoyed a fine meal.

After eating, carrying a bottle of mineral water, he continued strolling through Shuangdun Town.

“Hmm, soccer practice is coming up—I need a pair of cleats.”

“It’s been sweltering hot in the rental house these days—I should get a fan.”

“And maybe a basketball too. They say playing basketball helps you grow taller? Last lifetime I reached 1.75 meters, which wasn’t perfect—there’s room for improvement. Eat more meat, exercise more, maybe I’ll hit 1.8 meters.” Zhang Tan was starting to get greedy.

...

A mobile phone, a beauty salon membership, a basketball, soccer cleats, a rotating fan, plus a box of sausages, a case of mineral water, and a box of instant noodles.

This was Zhang Tan’s haul at Shuangdun Town that noon, costing him a grand total of 1,700 yuan, leaving more than 1,400 in his pocket.

He had more than enough to live on, and he’d keep making money writing.

That afternoon there were three classes, the second being Zhang Tan’s former favorite—computer class. In his previous life, through eight years of compulsory education (in Hefei at the time, five years primary and three years junior high) and three years of high school, no subject had ever filled him with such anticipation. Back then, computers seemed magical, captivating the soul.

But now, Zhang Tan felt indifferent. The school’s computer lab was equipped with donated second-hand machines from Hefei schools, with very basic specs. There was only one game installed: “Counter-Strike.”

It was a first-person offline game, but could be played over LAN, with players controlling their avatars to shoot at enemies.

The current version was 1.5, rather outdated and not as fun as the classic 1.6 released in 2003. Still, it held a deadly allure for these students.

“Hurry, hurry, let’s grab a good spot!” Cao Yuchuan tugged at Zhang Tan, eager to rush out.

As soon as the previous class ended, nearly all the boys in the class bolted like a pack of hungry jackals, sprinting toward the teaching building closest to the restroom, where the computer lab was.

“You go ahead—I’m not in a rush.”

“Then I’m off!” Before he’d finished his sentence, Cao Yuchuan had vanished.

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Zhang Tan leaned leisurely on the second-floor railing, watching the pack of classmates below race like unleashed jackals, and couldn’t help but laugh. “Was I really this childish back then?”

Every computer class was like a hundred-meter dash, since the machines varied in quality and not every one had CS installed—everyone wanted to grab a good computer.

“Aren’t you going to grab a computer?” Zhu Mingxing walked out and, seeing Zhang Tan leaning on the railing, asked curiously.

Zhang Tan replied dully, “I’m not really interested in computers anymore.”

“Did you used to surf the internet a lot?”

“I suppose so.”

“Is it fun to go online? I’ve never tried it.”

“It’s just okay. Do it too much and it gets boring.” Zhang Tan was speaking from his previous life. In high school and college, he’d been obsessed with the internet, pulling all-nighters as a matter of course. But after graduation, once he bought his own computer, his interest in surfing the web and gaming gradually faded.

“You’re already bored with it? I’m so jealous,” Zhu Mingxing said with genuine envy.

Zhu Mingxing’s appearance and dress were a bit rustic, with darker skin, but her personality was lively and bold—someone who dared to love and hate. Yet she wasn’t popular in class; the boys preferred gentle types like Liu Jing, including Zhang Tan himself. No one could have guessed that ten years later, Zhu Mingxing would transform from an ugly duckling into a swan.

He remembered a class reunion once, when a glamorous beauty with a graceful figure walked in. Everyone thought she had come to the wrong place, but when she introduced herself, they realized it was Zhu Mingxing.

It’s true what they say—girls really do change as they grow up.

Just then, Liu Jing also came out of the classroom and walked over. She and Zhu Mingxing were roommates and got along well. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

Zhu Mingxing replied, “I was asking Zhang Tan why he didn’t go fight for a computer.”

Liu Jing glanced at Zhang Tan, then turned her head away, her shy eyes like flowing water, brushing softly across the bottom of Zhang Tan’s heart.

The heart of a man weathered by the years couldn’t help but stir.

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