Chapter 612 - 5: Gold
The stairway of the old apartment building was dimly lit, and the voice-activated lights only turned on after a heavy step on the stairs.
The paint on the walls appeared dingy due to age, and each door was plastered with stickers that looked like a layer of chronic skin disease.
Chen Zhou carried a lot of bags, looking up at the stairs, layer upon layer upward.
After returning to the modern world, although his body was not quite normal, there was a significant overall improvement in his physical fitness compared to before the challenge.
In addition to exceptional hearing and smell, his endurance and strength had tremendously increased, even his flexibility and coordination had improved.
Normally, climbing to the sixth floor in one breath would make him feel a bit tired, but this time, carrying so many things to the door, Chen Zhou wasn’t even out of breath, feeling no tiredness at all.
...
Looking at the long-unseen door, Chen Zhou hesitated as he gently knocked three times after setting down his belongings.
Not long after, a set of hurried footsteps could be heard beyond the iron gate, followed by a click of the door lock, and Chen Zhou’s mother pulled open the door.
"Why are you back?"
Seeing that the person at the door was her son, Zhao Chunfang was a bit surprised.
She glanced at the large bundles on the ground and the suitcase Chen Zhou took to work, then at Chen Zhou’s expression, vaguely sensing that something must have happened for her son to return home.
In Zhao Chunfang’s eyes, Chen Zhou had only been away from home for over a month, and they had just talked over a video call a few days ago, chatting about the matters at the factory.
How could she have imagined that in just these few days, Chen Zhou would have undergone such drastic changes?
Faced with his mother’s question, Chen Zhou wasn’t sure if he should tell the truth at once; he merely picked up his bags and walked inside, asking as he went.
"Mom, where’s dad?"
"Change into slippers first."
Seeing Chen Zhou head straight for the living room, Zhao Chunfang hurried to remind him, then muttered,
"Didn’t I tell you last week, your dad took a job in the pastoral area, went to build a wall for someone, probably won’t be back for a few more days."
"And you’re home alone, didn’t cook anything."
Placing the bags at the doorway, changed into slippers, and walked into the dining room, seeing the pickles and cold rice on the table, Chen Zhou asked.
"There isn’t much of an appetite eating alone, just manage with a bite.
You haven’t said yet, why did you come back? Took leave again, carrying so much stuff, did the washing machine at the unit break down?"
With a mother’s intuition, Zhao Chunfang could only feel that her son was deliberately hiding something from her, and with Chen Zhou’s sudden return today, she couldn’t help but ask again.
"Mom, I quit my job, no longer working at the cement factory."
Chen Zhou ultimately couldn’t continue hiding it and directly spoke about his resignation.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Chunfang was initially planning to teach her son a thing or two, but seeing Chen Zhou’s low spirits, she changed her tone,
"Were you wronged again at the factory?
It’s okay not to work there, now that you’ve given it up, mom thinks it’s better for you to go develop in the south, being young is about going out and taking a shot, if you’re really tired, just rest at home.
By the way, have you eaten yet, what would you like to eat, mom will make it for you?"
"Mom, I’m not hungry, you rest if you’re tired, I’ll tidy up a bit."
Having not had any relatives or elders for 28 years, Chen Zhou felt quite uncomfortable with his mother’s care—
If calculating by the days he lived, his mental age even exceeds his mother’s, this strange disparity made him subconsciously want to be alone, to regain the sense of being at home.
"Alright, if you’re hungry, call mom, there are ribs in the freezer, bought just the other day."
Saying this, Zhao Chunfang turned on the living room light and went back to her bedroom, leaving Chen Zhou standing in the room, staring at the wall adorned with honor certificates, lost in thought.
...
The past is worth reminiscing because time cannot be turned back.
Compared to life on the isolated island, days in modern society always seem particularly dull and insipid, as bland as plain water, yet for Chen Zhou, this past also had its unique flavor.
...
That night, Chen Zhou ate two ice creams.
During the dry season on the island, he often longed for the rich flavors of modern ice cream and popsicles. Upon returning home, he intended to eat more, but after just two he found them overly sweet and greasy, losing his appetite.
Then he unpacked all his luggage, neatly arranging them into the wardrobe in the room, and organized the paintings one by one, placing them on the desk, only then lying on the bed to think about how to handle the precious metals.
Over a thousand kilograms of gold and silver, plus jewels and crafts, certainly couldn’t be cashed out all at once.
Not to mention a large influx of precious metals could impact the market and affect prices.
Even if it didn’t affect the market, these treasures worth billions, few could afford them at once.
Even if there were someone who could, those would be people beyond his reach.
Bear in mind, he’s not some rich heir, just an ordinary person, anyone buying his goods would have to worry about whether the source is legitimate.
Fortunately, in modern society, while a large amount of gold is hard to cash out, there are plenty of channels for small quantities.
Now is a hot phase for the gold market, news has reported on elderly women using their pensions to buy large amounts of gold for investment.
This has made the gold market even hotter, and the matter of investing in precious metals has gradually become a part of everyday people’s lives.
Apart from banks, professional Gold Recycling Companies, brand jewelry stores, and pawn shops, there’s also a new type of gold exchange known as smart gold shops, or gold ATMs, where small amounts of gold can be rapidly converted into cash.
After returning to the modern world, as Chen Zhou gradually adapted his body functions, he was also rapidly integrating into modern society.
He still remembered how crucial mobile phones were in modern society, and whenever he couldn’t recall or understand something, he would use his phone to search first.