Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Scrap Collection Station

Jacqueline Spann knew there was no hope of borrowing money, so she had no choice but to leave in disappointment. The hatred in her heart, however, grew ever more intense. ’The Thorne family foils my plans at every turn. They’re absolutely despicable.’

Clayton Xavier was completely oblivious to Jacqueline Spann’s departure and return, utterly engrossed in his book. Jacqueline, on the other hand, was in no mood to read. She just sat there, dejected and forlorn. For some reason, her heart felt heavy, as though she had lost something very important.

But she didn’t know what it was. All she felt was anguish and hate.

The truth was, Tang Xiaonan had only skimmed the novel. Had she read it more carefully, she would have remembered that this trip to the city was supposed to be incredibly fruitful for Jacqueline Spann. Originally, her journey with Clayton Xavier was supposed to go off without a hitch. They would learn about postcards from an old woman selling rice balls—a tip she got for free. Then, Clayton Xavier would buy all the books he wanted, and they would go to the cinema together, where they would meet Emmitt, who was selling movie stills.

Jacqueline Spann was beautiful and gentle, and just as Gentry Chapman had no resistance to her, neither did Emmitt. He was easily persuaded to reveal the secrets of his trade and even gave Jacqueline a few of his best-selling movie stills for free. These would become her startup capital.

Afterward, Jacqueline Spann would use those few movie stills to build her fortune, netting a profit of 50,000 yuan in less than two years. (This figure isn’t an exaggeration. There really was a woman who made 50,000 yuan in two years selling postcards and movie stills. It’s hard to imagine how good business was in those days.)

With everything going her way, Jacqueline Spann learned more about Wraven through Emmitt, which enabled her to buy ten stalls right when the market was first established. These stalls were golden geese laying golden eggs. By the time Jacqueline was accepted into Aethelgard University, her net worth was already in the tens of millions.

After enrolling at Aethelgard University, the story of the beautiful, capable, and independent Jacqueline Spann’s entrepreneurial success quickly spread, instantly turning her into a national celebrity. She gained countless admirers, all of them scions of prominent families in Aethelgard.

Although Jacqueline Spann’s heart belonged solely to Clayton Xavier, she expertly managed her relationships with these other suitors, keeping them interested yet at a distance. She relied on these young men to secure many of the official permits she needed for her business.

In the 1980s, these permits were as good as gold, and they were impossible to obtain without powerful connections. From that point on, Jacqueline Spann’s life soared to new heights, and she became a businesswoman envied by all.

And it all should have started today.

But Tang Xiaonan had unintentionally ruined it all.

Tang Xiaonan looked at the book prices. They weren’t particularly expensive individually, but Adrian Hawthorne was buying a lot of them. A dozen or so books added up to a considerable sum. She was worried they didn’t have enough money when, suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration. She remembered a treasure trove often mentioned in the period novels she used to read—

The scrap yard.

But she couldn’t just suggest it directly. Tang Xiaonan quickly came up with a plan. She picked up a book and asked Adrian Hawthorne, “Mr. Hawthorne, how much is this book?”

“Ninety-eight fen. You want it?”

Tang Xiaonan shook her head vigorously and said unhappily, “That’s so expensive! I could buy a lot of candy for ninety-eight fen. I’m not buying it.”

Adrian Hawthorne just smiled and didn’t insist. ’This little fatty Tang can’t even read a single word in this book. It’d be useless to buy it for her.’

“Second Brother, last time Grandma sold our old newspapers, she only got twenty fen for that huge stack. Why are the books here so expensive?” Tang Xiaonan asked deliberately.

“These are new books, so of course they’re expensive,” Patrick Thorne explained.

“Then we shouldn’t buy new ones. Old books wouldn’t be so expensive,” Tang Xiaonan said, breathing a sigh of relief. ’I finally managed to steer the conversation where I wanted. My Second Brother is so clever. If it had been my blockhead Third Brother, it would’ve taken half a day for him to catch on.’

Adrian Hawthorne’s interest was piqued. ’Old books?’

’The little fatty has a point. Old books would definitely be cheaper. I could buy a lot more books with the money I have.’

’But where would I find old books?’

The answer came to him almost immediately. ’The scrap yard. There are bound to be books there.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep