Free Web NovelChapter 4: Selling the Iphone
A day later, almost eight hours since he last used the reconstruction system, Richard woke up and immediately reached for his phone.
Why?
Because he listed the iPhone 16 Pro Max on Facebook Marketplace before sleeping last night with a selling price of ninety-five thousand pesos.
Honestly, he did not even expect anyone to message him that quickly.
Who the hell casually bought phones worth nearly a hundred thousand pesos through Facebook Marketplace?
Yet the moment he opened Messenger, his eyes widened slightly.
Twenty-three unread messages.
"...What the hell?"
Richard immediately sat upright on his bed.
Most of the messages were exactly what he expected.
"Last price?"
"Still available?"
"Swap?"
"Installment?"
One guy even offered a motorcycle in exchange.
Richard skipped through them quickly afterward.
Then one particular message caught his attention.
"Meetup today. Cash ready."
Richard blinked.
That was fast.
He immediately checked the profile.
The buyer appeared legitimate.
Young guy.
Probably mid twenties.
Several photos inside expensive restaurants and coffee shops.
Nothing looked suspicious.
"Okay, this one is good."
He quickly replied to the message.
"Okay, let’s meet up at SM Manila, at the Jollibee restaurant. But I have to remind you that I don’t have the original box anymore, though the iPhone’s Apple ID is completely reset."
The buyer replied almost instantly.
"No problem. I’ll check the unit personally."
Richard stared at the message for a few seconds afterward.
Then he slowly lowered the phone.
This was actually happening. freewebnovel.cσ๓
A few days ago, he was worrying about hospital bills and loan sharks.
Now he was about to sell an iPhone worth nearly a hundred thousand pesos that he literally reconstructed from trash.
The whole thing still felt unreal.
Suddenly, someone knocked on his door downstairs.
"Richard!" Theresa called out.
"Breakfast!"
"Coming!"
Richard carefully slipped the phone into his pocket afterward before heading downstairs.
The smell of fried eggs and garlic rice greeted him immediately.
Angela was already seated at the table eating quietly while scrolling through her repaired phone again.
Meanwhile Theresa looked exhausted despite trying to act normal.
Probably stress from yesterday’s hospital bills and the new debt. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Richard quietly sat down afterward.
"You feeling better now?" Theresa asked while placing another plate on the table.
"Yeah."
"Your head still hurts?"
"A little."
Theresa sighed softly.
"You should still rest another day."
Richard only nodded vaguely while eating.
But internally?
His thoughts were completely elsewhere.
Ninety-five thousand pesos.
Even after paying debts and helping his family, he would still have a huge amount left.
And that was from just one reconstruction.
"I’m going to meet a friend, Mom, at SM Manila."
Theresa looked up from the table immediately.
"A friend?"
"Yeah."
Richard kept his tone casual while continuing to eat.
"Just someone I know online."
Technically not a complete lie.
Angela frowned slightly afterward.
"Since when do you have rich friends?"
Richard nearly choked on his rice hearing that.
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"You literally spend all your time either fixing phones or sleeping," Angela replied bluntly.
Theresa lightly smacked her shoulder.
"Don’t tease your brother."
Angela only shrugged afterward before returning to her food.
Richard quietly exhaled.
Honestly, his sister was not wrong.
His life had become painfully repetitive over the past few years.
Wake up.
Commute to Divisoria.
Repair phones all day.
Go home exhausted.
Sleep.
Repeat.
No social life.
No relationships.
No future.
At twenty-two years old, he already felt like life was suffocating him slowly.
But now?
Things were finally starting to change.
Theresa looked at him again afterward.
"Just be careful."
"I will."
"And don’t spend money carelessly."
Richard paused slightly hearing that.
Spend money carelessly?
If today went well, he was about to carry around nearly a hundred thousand pesos in cash later.
The thought still felt absurd to him.
Even during the best months at the repair stall, he barely handled amounts that large.
His mother suddenly sighed tiredly afterward.
"I’ll go visit the lender later too."
Richard’s expression stiffened slightly.
Right.
The debt.
The moment yesterday’s excitement faded, reality immediately returned again.
Thirty thousand pesos borrowed.
Thirty-six thousand to repay.
And probably more pressure once collection started.
Richard quietly clenched his fist beneath the table.
He hated that system.
But at the same time, he understood why poor families kept relying on it.
Because emergencies did not care whether you had savings or not.
Hospitals demanded payment immediately.
Bills demanded payment immediately.
Life demanded payment immediately.
Only poor people were expected to somehow magically survive without money.
Richard slowly stood up afterward.
"I’ll head out around noon."
Theresa nodded.
"Alright."
"Don’t skip lunch," she added afterward instinctively.
Richard almost smiled slightly hearing that.
Even while drowning in debt, mothers still somehow worried more about whether their children had eaten properly.
"I know."
***
Two hours later, Richard was now in SM Manila and was waiting inside the Jollibee restaurant.
The lunch crowd was already starting to build up around the mall.
Students.
Office workers.
Families carrying shopping bags.
The smell of fried chicken and gravy filled the air while people lined up near the counters.
Richard quietly sat near the corner while occasionally glancing around.
And honestly?
He felt nervous as hell.
Not because he thought the buyer would scam him.
But because this was the first time in his life he was about to handle this much money personally.
Ninety-five thousand pesos.
That amount alone was enough to completely change the atmosphere inside their home.
Their debts could finally breathe a little.
His mother would stop panicking over hospital expenses for now.
Angela’s school expenses would no longer feel suffocating.
All from one reconstructed phone.
Richard unconsciously touched the iPhone inside his pocket again.
Even now, it still felt absurd.
The device looked so premium that he almost felt scared carrying it around publicly.
Then suddenly—
"Richard?"
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
Richard looked up immediately.
A young man around his mid twenties stood nearby wearing a clean polo shirt, jeans, and an expensive-looking watch.
Behind him stood another guy carrying a sling bag.
Richard’s expression stiffened slightly.
Two people?
The buyer quickly raised both hands casually afterward.
"Relax, relax. My friend just came with me."
Richard slowly calmed down.
Still, he remained cautious internally.
The buyer sat down across from him afterward.
"I’m Adrian."
"Richard."
Adrian immediately got straight to the point.
"You brought the phone?"
Richard nodded before carefully pulling the iPhone from his pocket.
The moment Adrian saw it, his eyes visibly widened.
"Oh damn..."
Even his friend leaned closer immediately.
Richard quietly placed the phone on the table.
Adrian quickly picked it up afterward.
The moment he held it, his entire demeanor visibly changed.
People who bought expensive gadgets regularly could usually tell immediately whether something felt cheap or authentic.
And right now?
The reconstructed phone felt terrifyingly real.
Adrian inspected the titanium frame carefully.
Then the display.
Then the cameras.
Then the settings.
Richard quietly watched him while suppressing his nervousness.
Please don’t notice anything weird...
Adrian continued checking everything thoroughly.
Face ID.
Camera quality.
Battery health.
Refresh rate.
Serial information.
Even the speakers.
Several minutes passed afterward.
Then Adrian slowly looked up again.
"...Brother."
Richard’s heartbeat skipped slightly.
"Yeah?"
"Why are you selling this for only ninety-five?"
Richard paused briefly.
"Need money."
Which honestly was not even a lie.
Adrian looked back toward the phone again.
"This thing is practically brand new."
Richard only shrugged casually.
"I don’t really use expensive phones. And I am in a buy and sell business."
"I see. I’ll take it."
Richard almost felt his heart slam against his chest.
That fast?
No negotiations?
No bargaining?
Adrian reached toward the sling bag carried by his friend before pulling out thick bundles of cash.
Richard’s breathing unconsciously slowed.
Holy shit.
That was real money.
Adrian placed the bundles carefully on the table.
"Count it."
Richard immediately checked the amount carefully afterward.
Ninety-five thousand pesos.
Complete.
His hands honestly felt slightly shaky holding that much money.
Because for someone wealthy, this amount might only be shopping money.
But for Richard?
This was life-changing.
And the craziest part?
He earned it through a single reconstruction.
A single one.
Adrian carefully reset the phone once more afterward before standing up.
"Good deal, brother."
Richard nodded quietly.
"Thanks."
Before leaving, Adrian suddenly looked back again.
"You got more gadgets like this?"
Richard’s expression almost changed immediately.
But thankfully, he controlled it quickly.
"Maybe."
Adrian grinned afterward.
"Message me if you do. Because I do buy and sell business as well," he winked.
