Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

Lin Dong returned to the hotel and locked the door.

Without wasting a second, he immediately got to work. Five "V3 Corpses" were lined up on the table, the soldering irons were powered on, and the smell of rosin filled the air.

If any experienced craftsman from Huaqiangbei saw what happened next, their eyes would probably pop out of their sockets.

Without hesitation, without testing.

Lin Dong picked up the first screwdriver, and the screwdriver seemed to have eyes of its own. With a few soft "click-click" sounds, the back cover was removed.

His gaze swept across the motherboard's ribbon cable connector like a scanner, and the tip of the soldering iron precisely landed on a tiny solder joint that was almost invisible to the naked eye.

Flying wire, welding, cleaning, assembly.

The first unit, from disassembly to the screen lighting up with blue light, took 9 minutes and 47 seconds.

Lin Dong's face remained expressionless as he put the repaired phone aside and picked up the second one.

The second machine took 8 minutes and 55 seconds.

His movements grew faster and faster, like a precision machine gradually warming up to its peak. Sweat dripped down his chin, which he simply wiped away with a casual gesture.

The third station, 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

The fourth station, 6 minutes and 50 seconds.

Fifth station, 6 minutes and 10 seconds.

As the blue logo of the last V3 pierced the darkness, Lin Dong glanced at the broken alarm clock on the table.

The total time was less than 40 minutes.

All five "bricks" have been "revived," emitting a faint, alluring blue light on the tabletop.

The "ghost disease" that even experienced mechanics in the market might not be able to fix in a day is solved by him like an assembly line.

This is the terrifying efficiency of the reborn's overwhelming technological superiority.

He didn't rest; he packed six cell phones into his backpack.

At 2 p.m., he went straight to an inconspicuous shop deep in the market that was famous for buying high-priced "good-looking" phones. The owner was a middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses, known as "Tall Guy".

"Hey Gao, take a look at the goods." Lin Dong put his backpack on the counter.

The tall man raised his eyelids, saw that it was a student, and his attitude became somewhat indifferent.

He casually picked up the first V3 that Lin Dong had taken out, glanced at its condition, and pressed the power button.

The screen lights up, emitting a pure blue light.

He quickly pressed the test code on the keyboard, then opened and closed the cover and tried it a few more times before pausing for a moment.

Then, he picked up the magnifying glass on the counter, carefully examined the scratches around the machine body, and looked at the screen against the light.

"Original machine? No motherboard tampering?"

The tall guy's tone became more serious.

"Don't worry, it's fully functional and in excellent condition, as you can see." Lin Dong didn't answer directly.

The tall man put down the first machine, then picked up the second, the third... He quickly tested all six machines, his eyes growing brighter with each test.

These six machines are not only fully functional, but also in very uniform condition, looking like a batch of meticulously refurbished "new" machines. This type of product is the most popular in the second-hand market and commands the highest premium.

"These...aren't your ordinary refurbished goods."

The tall man pushed up his glasses, looked at Lin Dong, and asked, "How do we proceed?"

"Name your price," Lin Dong said calmly.

The tall man pondered for a full half minute, tapped a few keys on the calculator, and then said a number:

"For phones in this condition and quality, the market price for a good one is usually around 700. I'll give you a higher price, 800 each. Six phones, 4,800. Cash."

This price was much higher than Lin Dong had expected! But he didn't show any surprise on his face, he just calmly nodded: "Okay."

Without further ado, Gao Lao counted out forty-eight hundred-yuan bills from the safe behind him, and then separately counted out three twenty-yuan bills, pushing them all in front of Lin Dong.

"Four thousand eight hundred and sixty, please click."

A thick stack of hundred-yuan bills, brand new, exuding the scent of ink.

Lin Dong took the paper, his fingers deftly twisting it, feeling its unique toughness and weight. He counted it in front of the old man, confirming that everything was correct.

"Cash and goods settled."

"Young man, if you have any goods of this quality in the future, just bring them over. We can discuss the price."

The tall man handed over a simple business card.

Lin Dong took the business card, carefully put it away along with the money, and turned to leave.

As he stepped out of the shop, the afternoon sun shone on him. The thick wad of banknotes in his pocket pressed against his chest, burning hot.

Four thousand eight hundred and sixty yuan.

In half a day, with an investment of less than 1,200 yuan, a net profit of over 3,600 yuan was generated!

He touched the bulging inner pocket, turned around, and walked back to Uncle Cai's stall.

This time, his steps were neither hurried nor slow, carrying a sense of confidence and composure.

When we arrived at Uncle Cai's stall, he was attending to another customer.

Lin Dong wasn't in a hurry, so he just stood aside and waited.

After seeing his guests off, Uncle Cai turned and saw Lin Dong. His face immediately broke into a warm but slightly probing smile: "Brother Lin! How's it going? Those five machines... are you getting the hang of them? It's not as simple as it seems, is it?"

The implication in his words that he knew you would run into a wall wasn't deeply hidden.

Lin Dong didn't reply, he just smiled.

Then, he reached into his inner pocket and, under Uncle Cai's questioning gaze, pulled something out.

A brand new 100-yuan bill, tied with bank binding tape.

He rubbed his fingers together, like playing cards, and unfurled the stack of banknotes into a fan shape in front of Uncle Cai's eyes.

The crispness and ink smell unique to new banknotes instantly filled the air.

Uncle Cai's eyes widened instantly.

His mouth opened slightly, but the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.

He was a parts wholesaler and had seen many cash transactions, but for a student to pull out such a thick wad of new bills that had clearly just been exchanged at the market in half a day... the visual impact was too great.

"Wow, amazing!"

"Uncle Cai," Lin Dong flipped his wrist, taking back the money, his voice as calm as if discussing dinner, "I'll take all the remaining V3 'corpses' in your warehouse."

He paused, looked at Uncle Cai's wide eyes, and added:

"I need it today. The price is still 188."

"But this time, we'll try a different approach."

His voice was steady. "I'll take all the goods. As for the money, I'll pay a deposit first. I'll settle the rest with you when I come back and resell them after I've finished repairing them."

Uncle Cai's excitement faltered for a moment, but looking at Lin Dong's calm face and bulging pockets, his mind raced.

Paying upfront, even just a deposit, means real money going into your pocket with virtually zero risk. Moreover, it means a long-term, stable channel to clear out his "junk"!

"This..." Uncle Cai hesitated for a moment, "Brother Lin, about the deposit..."

"30% of the total price, payable in cash."

Lin Dong directly offered a solution: "Go and count them. We'll account for that many units. From now on, whenever you see any of these 'dormant' V3s, just buy them, no matter how many. The price will be based on this."

We'll take as many as you have!

These words were like a shot of adrenaline, striking Uncle Cai's heart like a thunderbolt.

This means that he can not only turn his inventory into cash, but also immediately start a new business of buying and selling goods! Buy low, sell to Lin Dong at a fixed price, and make a guaranteed profit on the difference!

All the scheming and hesitation were utterly crushed by this statement.

"Good! Brother Lin, that's impressive!"

Uncle Cai's voice was genuinely excited this time, trembling, "I'll go check the goods right now! No, I'll personally take you to the warehouse! From now on, I, Uncle Cai, will have all the 'V3 corpses' in Huaqiangbei covered, and you'll be the only one!"

He knew that from this moment on, the student in front of him was no longer some "weird customer" he needed to be wary of.

This is a gold mine that can walk on its own! And what Uncle Cai has to do is become the only and most loyal porter of this gold mine!

Watching Uncle Cai almost jog as he led the way to the warehouse, Lin Dong let out a soft breath, his eyes sharp.

He knew that on his own fast track, the first solid "gas station" and "receiving point" had been built.