Without a hint of hesitation, he locked it in.
Of course, just clicking on a domain name didn't mean it automatically belonged to Fang Yi.
After all, online transfers weren't a thing yet. Transactions couldn't be completed digitally. When you clicked "Buy," the website would simply display the seller's contact information.
As for the actual deal, it had to be made offline—the classic "cash in hand, goods on delivery."
After scribbling the seller's phone number down on a piece of stationery, Fang Yi dragged his mouse and continued the hunt.
Half an hour later, he found his second gem.
Satellite—weixing.com!
The current asking price? 88,888 yuan.
Give it a month or two, and flipping it for a million or two would be a breeze.
Then came the third one: Finewine.com.
At this point, Fang Yi genuinely felt like he was digging for gold in a desert.
Every swing of the shovel unearthed treasure worth tens or even hundreds of thousands.
By the end of two hours, Fang Yi had selected five domain names.
Total investment: 730,000 yuan.
Estimated return: 18 million.
He still had 470,000 left. If he kept picking up more domains, he could easily make a few extra million.
But he couldn't be bothered.
Why? Offline transactions were just too much trouble. Who knew where the seller was actually located?
Transportation wasn't great yet—many cities didn't even have airports. Long-distance travel still relied on trains.
It wasn't too bad if the seller was in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, or Shanghai. But if they were in some distant province, one transaction could cost several days of travel.
Not to mention, law enforcement wasn't exactly reliable. And we're talking big cash deals here—tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. Too many unknown risks.
Five domains were already his limit. Any more, and he could kiss his entire summer goodbye.
Besides, all the money he was earning this year was meant for securing the Legend of Mir server next year.
That was the real jackpot. Everything else? Just side quests.
Glancing at the clock, it was almost midnight. Fang Yi snapped his laptop shut and turned off the lights.
…
The Next Day
Even though he'd gone to bed a bit late, Fang Yi still woke up early.
As usual, he worked out first, then sat down with a plate of leftover egg fried rice his mom had made. Phone in hand, he started replying to messages.
Han Ning had sent him a few texts the night before, but he'd been too busy making money to notice.
He'd just sent her a reply when—ding—a new message came in.
Huh?
She's up this early?
Curious, Fang Yi typed back: "Why are you up so early?"
Han Ning: "Taking advantage of the cool morning to practice driving at the driving school."
Yeah, summer driving lessons could be brutal. Fang Yi made a mental note: he should get his driver's license soon too—and maybe buy a car afterward.
With that in mind, he typed: "I'm thinking of enrolling in a driving school too."
Han Ning: "Want to join me? My instructor is super nice."
Fang Yi couldn't help but smirk at that.
"That's only because you're pretty. Try swapping in someone plain-looking and see how 'nice' your instructor stays."
Fang Yi: "Sure. Which school?"
Han Ning: "Zhen'an Driving School."
Fang Yi: "Okay, meet you at the driving school."
Han Ning: "???"
…
Once the decision was made, Fang Yi quickly polished off the egg fried rice.
He grabbed his bank card, ID, and a couple of photos, then hopped onto his beloved bicycle and headed out.
His plan? Get the license in one day.
Back then, there were no written exams like Subject One or Subject Four, and no CPR training either. Just a handful of driving maneuvers and a road test.
On the way, he stopped at a bank and withdrew 5,000 yuan in cash.
He was so used to going out with just a smartphone that carrying several thousand in bills felt a little… foreign.
When he arrived at Zhen'an Driving School, Han Ning was already waiting.
"Fang Yi!"
She waved with a bright smile the moment she spotted him.
That one call instantly made Fang Yi the center of attention.
Well, what could he do? His girlfriend was gorgeous.
Basking in all the envious and jealous gazes, he walked straight up to her and asked, "Did you wait long?"
"Not really, I just got here too."
Han Ning smiled sweetly. "Come on, let's park your bike first, then I'll help you sign up."
Once his bike was secured, the two of them walked over to the registration hall.
It was almost completely empty. Fang Yi couldn't help but think—this era had its own advantages.
Cars were expensive, and driving school tuition wasn't cheap either. As a result, not many people came to learn.
He paid the 1,200 yuan tuition, submitted his photos and ID copies, then casually took Han Ning's hand and headed toward the training grounds.
"How's your driving practice going?" he asked.
"I just got the hang of reverse parking," she replied softly. "Now I'm working on parallel parking."
As they approached one of the parking zones, a sunburned middle-aged man was crouching under a canopy, barking at a student mid-reverse:
"Turn right! Straighten the wheel now! What the hell are you doing—dancing with a snake?!"
Han Ning looked a little embarrassed. After all, she'd just boasted that her instructor was so nice.
They walked up to him, and Han Ning quickly introduced them.
"Coach Wang, this is my… boyfriend. He's here to learn too."
Coach Wang glanced over. "Oh, hello there."
"Nice to meet you, Coach Wang!"
Fang Yi smiled and pulled a pack of Little Panda cigarettes from his pocket. "Do you smoke?"
The coach's eyes lit up. "Hey, Little Pandas? Gotta have one of those!"
Fang Yi opened the pack, handed him one, and—under the coach's surprised gaze—stuffed the rest of the pack directly into his pants pocket.
"You—"
Coach Wang froze for a second.
Fang Yi grinned. "Coach Wang, just curious—if I take the test today, can I get the license tomorrow?"
Coach Wang immediately got the message. Cigarette between his lips, he chuckled. "If you pass the test, no problem. Hop in and show me what you've got."
"Got it!"
After a few minutes, the current student stepped out of the training car, and Fang Yi quickly climbed in.
Seatbelt, clutch, gear, brake, gas—he went through the motions as smoothly as water flowing downhill.
Reverse parking, parallel parking, right-angle turns, rolling through cones…
Just as he was about to hit the road for the actual driving portion, Coach Wang waved him down.
Fang Yi brought the car back to its original spot and walked back under the canopy.
"So, Coach Wang—how'd I do?"
"You're good. Come pick up your license tomorrow morning!"
Coach Wang wasn't stupid—this kid's driving skills were almost as good as his own. What's the point of more practice?
People like Fang Yi just needed a quick pass. It saved time for both sides. A win-win.