Chapter Thirty: The iPhone 4S, My First Phone in Life

That morning, Lin Tian completed his discharge procedures.

As he was leaving, the nurse at the window remarked, "Don't come back again next time."

Lin Tian remembered that she was the same person who had processed his paperwork before; he gave her a smile that was both awkward and polite.

After watching Bai Yun drive off with the supplements gifted by the Xiao family, he began making his way toward his small home.

Back at the hospital, Liu Qingqing was stunned when she arrived at the empty room.

"What’s going on?"

Her mind was filled with questions. "Did this kid already check out? Is he crazy?!"

To verify her suspicions, she went downstairs to the service window to inquire. Sure enough, Lin Tian had indeed been discharged.

"Damn it!" Liu Qingqing couldn't help but curse.

She had finally found an opportunity to climb the social ladder, and it had just gone to waste. After all, a boy with a temperament like Lin Tian’s would only be harder to approach as time went on; if another chance arose, it would likely be even more difficult to seize.

"Holy crab, if I’d known, I should have come to see him earlier today. I might have been able to persuade him to stay for more observation."

Liu Qingqing was crestfallen, and she remained distracted even as she started her work.

Meanwhile, Lin Tian had returned to his old, small house. Although it didn't look like much, the interior was equally dismal, giving off an overall sense of decay and desolation. Fortunately, Lin Tian didn't mind at all; he diligently began to clean the place, which hadn't seen a tidying in a long time. He could tolerate many things, but he had to keep things clean!

After more than two hours, he nodded with satisfaction as he looked at the much cleaner room. He then took out the bag he had brought over earlier, clutched a set of washed-out, tattered clothes to his chest, and headed to the bathroom.

After washing up, he specifically checked himself out in a full-length mirror and couldn't help but preen, "Not bad, me!"

At seven in the evening, Lin Tian went out for dinner. On his way back, he was drawn to a mobile phone store. Looking at the dazzling array of phones displayed inside, with their various styles that seemed to dazzle the eyes, his own lit up.

"Should I buy a phone for communication?"

He thought about it and decided that, in the long run, it was necessary. After all, it would always be a disadvantage not to have a device for calls and internet access in the future.

The clerk watched the plainly dressed youth peering around like a country bumpkin visiting the city for the first time, and immediately pegged him as someone ignorant of the world.

"Hello, do you have any smartphones for around a hundred yuan?"

"How much?" The clerk frowned, wondering if he had misheard. It was an international joke; the brand in this store was considered a pride of domestic products, selling mostly high-end items. Did a hundred yuan even qualify someone to walk in and ask about buying a phone?

"If you're asking what you can buy in this store for a hundred yuan, I can only recommend some cheap charging cables."

The clerk's words left Lin Tian stunned. After a while, he belatedly asked, "You mean there are no phones here for a hundred yuan?"

"Obviously!" The clerk was starting to get impatient. "Go out and ask around—see if anyone will sell you a phone of this brand for a hundred yuan! Are you here just to cause trouble?"

Lin Tian was a bit flustered. He had never had contact with mobile phones before and had no idea about brand distinctions. If he had to name one, the only thing he had seen at the orphanage was a bulky "brick" phone used exclusively for calls.

Seeing Lin Tian standing there in a daze, the clerk assumed he had been caught in his own scheme and urged, "Are you buying or not? If not, please leave."

"Then how much is the cheapest one here?" Lin Tian asked tentatively. If it was only a little over his budget, it might be acceptable.

"The cheapest is an old model from a few years ago, and it still costs five hundred yuan. Of course, if you really want to buy it, the store can give you a discount."

Hearing this, Lin Tian asked, "How much is it after the discount?"

"Four hundred and fifty," the clerk blurted out.

"This..." Lin Tian felt conflicted. Buying a phone for at least four hundred and fifty was a bit beyond his understanding.

"I shouldn't have even asked you." The clerk now looked down on Lin Tian completely, even feeling a secret sense of contempt.

Lin Tian had lost face. With an embarrassed expression and unable to say another word, he silently walked out.

On the way back, he went to an internet cafe and sat down at a computer. Having taken computer classes at school, he was relatively familiar with the technology and knew he could shop online. He searched for cheap phones under one hundred yuan on a popular red shopping app, and a multitude of products immediately appeared.

Among them, Lin Tian immediately took a shine to an iPhone 4S that cost only forty-nine yuan.

There was no other reason; the price was perfect for him. Plus, the description said the phone was over a decade old, yet it still seemed capable of browsing the internet and making calls. He decisively placed the order, filled in his address, and paid using his only bank card.

On his way back, he was drawn to a street performer playing music with a setup on the sidewalk. After watching for a while, he felt like someone living in the previous century. It was as if, ever since leaving the orphanage, he had become disconnected from society, feeling completely out of place.

Once home, the series of images he had seen on the street kept flashing through his mind, impossible to shake off. Helpless, he chose to meditate again to clear his thoughts.

As he closed his eyes, his body grew increasingly light. It felt as though a ball of flame was rising in his lower abdomen, surging up to his throat before receding, repeating the cycle over and over.

He spent the night this way, and when he woke up the next day, Lin Tian felt completely refreshed, and he even had a bit more strength.

After eating, the courier arrived. After signing for the package, he held the first phone of his life.

"So this is a 4S..."

After stroking the body of the phone, Lin Tian went to a service center to register a number.

At the mobile carrier's store, the clerk didn't even look up as they asked, "How old are you?"

"I've turned sixteen." Lin Tian took out his ID card and handed it over.

After confirming the details, the clerk activated a SIM card for the youth on the spot.

"Here is your card, keep it safe."

"Thank you."

Lin Tian didn't notice the surprised expression on the clerk's face as they handled his iPhone 4S; he just took the phone back and walked out.

"My god, what year is it? Someone is actually using an iPhone 4S as their primary phone..."

The clerk muttered in disbelief, thinking the youth was quite strange. They could never have predicted that the boy’s future achievements would be equally mind-boggling.

Lin Tian didn't go home. With a few days left before school started, he chose to visit the local market. After all, to him, this place was practically a source of free money.

As he arrived at the spot, a burning intensity that he couldn't hide surged in the depths of his eyes.