[Brain Deposit Bank: Adds 0.1 Luck per second, increases Intelligence by 0.1... Accumulates without limit!]

[Parallel Universe, Parallel Timeline, Parallel World]

2002,

Xushi City, outside the "Dehong Fishing Gear Store."

James Daniels, the store owner, stared at the fishing rod in Andrew Sullivan's hand, his eyes nearly popping out.

"How much? $1999? Andrew, are you out of your mind?!"

Keep in mind, this was the year 2002. Salaries typically ranged between $400 to $800 per month.

A $1999 price tag was equivalent to three or four months’ wages for an average person.

Honestly, who’d spend that much of their hard-earned salary on a fishing rod? Absurd.

The most expensive rod in the store, an imported model, only sold for $799.

And now Andrew had the nerve to price his rod—a product from a small, struggling factory—at $1999?

But Andrew wasn’t flustered. Calmly, he began explaining.

"Do you know what carbon fiber is? It has a tensile strength of 3.5GPa and a bending strength of 576GPa!"

"The rod is 3.8 meters long, has a 28-action balance, and is both lightweight and robust."

"Someone strong enough could even reel in a fish weighing over 80 kilograms!"

Andrew Sullivan may have inherited his family’s factory, but in this parallel world, his parents were out of the picture from the get-go. Andrew Sullivan inherited a small factory on the brink of collapse, mainly producing trinkets like fishing equipment, umbrellas, toys, and models.

As the saying goes, "Parents pass away, leaving endless possibilities."

After crossing into this world, Andrew discovered he had awakened a unique trait—Tech Affinity, which gave him an unparalleled talent for invention and creation. Yet, this gift came with a price: his memories of the future became fragmented.

Especially the years before he crossed over—how it happened or why it happened—remained hazy.

Now, clutching a brand-new carbon-fiber fishing rod he had invented, he hoped to sell it and keep the factory afloat.

Noticing James Daniels, the owner of the fishing gear shop, hesitating, Andrew stepped forward and shoved the rod into his hands.

"Why not try it out yourself?"

James swung the rod experimentally, immediately sensing its exceptional quality.

Its light weight, smooth handling, and refined crafting were undeniably top-notch.

"It's got a solid look, but how does it perform in action?" James glanced at Andrew, lowering his voice as if skeptical.

"Never breaks, never lets you down! If it snaps, I’ll compensate you tenfold!" Andrew vowed confidently, his hand thumping his chest.

James chuckled at Andrew's bold assertion, his doubts visibly easing."Air Force," huh?

That's just fishing slang—means you went back empty-handed, didn't catch a single fish.

But that price...

After Andrew Sullivan left, James Daniels stood there, a little uneasy.

Can a domestic fishing rod be sold at such a high price? Would someone actually buy this?

"Relax, James. If it's quality stuff, it doesn't matter where you put it, people will find it. Good things sell themselves, right?"

"My fishing rod? Anyone who tries it will fall in love instantly. They'll never want to put it down."

"Believe me, word will spread, and sales will take off like wildfire."

"Anyway, even if it doesn't sell, you won't lose anything, right?"

True—he wouldn't lose anything. James Daniels glanced back and forth between Andrew and the rods.

"Alright, alright, just leave some here then. Same deal as always: once it sells, I'll pay you, and profits split the usual way."

"No problem!"

Andrew dropped off twenty rods, placing them prominently in the shop—couldn't miss them if you tried.

After unloading, he turned to James.

"James, I've got more deliveries to make. Catch you later!"

"Alright, go on now."

With that, Andrew jumped on his tricycle and sped off. Watching Andrew Sullivan walk away, James Daniels couldn’t help but feel skeptical. Could this thing really sell?

Right then, the shop’s door creaked open, and an old man stepped inside.

He was dressed like someone who had nowhere important to be—wearing a straw hat, a plain t-shirt, and flip-flops. Without hesitating, he headed straight for the fishing rod display.

James Daniels wasted no time following behind, always ready to pitch his products.

“Hey, boss! Got anything that’s good quality?” the old man asked casually.

“Oh, sure,” James replied smoothly. “What type are you looking for? We’ve got rods priced at $199, $299, and $399, all great choices! And if you're into imported products, I can show you those too.”

The old man shook his head firmly. “Nah, I’m not interested in imports. Only want homegrown stuff.”

Great—one of those patriotic fishing purists.

James grabbed a selection of local fishing rods and handed them over one by one. But after briefly inspecting each, the old man wasn’t impressed at all. His expression spoke volumes as he shook his head and set them aside.

“These are all pretty basic,” he grumbled, almost dismissively. “The materials—meh. If I reel in something big, these would probably slip or snap. Got anything better than this?”

Better? James’ eyes lit up with a flicker of mischief. “Well, actually, we just got this new rod in. It’s made with cutting-edge materials, local production—only... the price is a bit steep.”

Trying to hide his uncertainty, James reached for the ‘DragonForce Rod’ hanging on the wall, fully prepared to pitch it. But before he could get the words out, the old man cut him off—"If the quality is good, price doesn’t matter."

As soon as James Daniels heard this, he felt a spark of excitement—there might just be hope!

"This right here is the latest and finest fishing rod in our store. It’s made of... uh... carbon fiber... carbon..."

He struggled for a moment but still couldn’t recall the exact term.

"Well, to be honest, I can’t remember all those fancy technical words. But I’ll tell you this—this rod is made from some new high-tech material that costs a fortune to produce. It can handle fish over 80 kilos without breaking!"

Truth be told, James wasn’t entirely convinced himself.

"Over 80 kilos? That sounds insane!"

Eighty kilos, that’s 160 pounds!

The older man, intrigued, took the rod, inspecting it carefully.

The rods he had bought previously could barely manage a 30-pound fish. Anything over 40 pounds? Snap—game over. A 160-pound catch? He wouldn’t even dare to try!

Once he held the rod, though, he could immediately sense the difference.

The feel, the flexibility—everything felt top-notch. And the material? Something he’d never seen before.

Compared to the rods you’d find in regular stores, this one was... well, it felt like it came from an entirely different league.

"Guaranteed unbreakable, with ten times the compensation if it snaps!"The fishing tackle shop owner said it with full confidence... after all, it wasn’t his money on the line.

Looking at the determined look on the shopkeeper's face, the old man believed him somewhat.

“Alright! Ten times compensation—that’s on you.”

“Deal!”

“How much?”

“1999 yuan.”

When quoting the price, the shop owner felt a bit uneasy deep down, but he managed to keep his expression neutral.

“Could it be cheaper?”

“This is the lowest price…”

“Fine, I’ll take it.”

With that, the old man reached into his pocket and pulled out a plain black plastic bag.

The bag contained loose coins and a stack of bills of various denominations—ones, fives, tens, even hundreds.

Without batting an eye, he counted out twenty bills and handed them to the shop owner.

The shop owner was dumbstruck.

Did this really just happen?

Sold?

1999 yuan—a sum equivalent to four months’ wages for an average worker—just spent, just like that?

And that old man didn’t look particularly wealthy either!