Beiyi Lane—a street lined with internet cafes.
Chen Yansen sat in front of a computer, moving the mouse with precision. He typed a string of characters into the input box and pressed Enter.
"Hey, this UI is ancient. At first glance, I thought it was pirated software," he muttered, staring at Alibaba's webpage with a grin.
At the same time, he created a new spreadsheet on the desktop. The first row contained column names: Brand / Model / Storage Capacity / Screen Size / Screen Resolution / Battery Capacity / Battery Life / Supported Formats / Additional Functions / Purchase Price / Minimum Order Quantity… and more.
The next step was simple. Sort MP3 and MP4 sales in descending order, enter the relevant information, and filter out the best products and suppliers.
Of course, this was just the preliminary selection. He still needed to negotiate the best price and payment terms before finalizing any supplier.
An hour later, only seven candidates remained in the spreadsheet.
Chen Yansen let out a soft sigh of relief and reached for a bottle of water at the bar.
That's when he noticed Wang Zihao, who had been busy playing pyramid-fighting zombies, staring at him with utter astonishment. His eyes were filled with complicated emotions.
"They're all profiteers! This MP4 player is exactly the same as the one I bought for 389. I begged for a discount… and only got ten yuan off. The wholesale price was 140!"
Wang Zihao pounded his chest, feeling every bit of the pain he'd endured saving that money.
"That's the price factories use to fool individual buyers; the wholesale price is even lower," Chen Yansen added, smirking at his friend's dismay.
"Holy shit!" Wang Zihao was speechless, wishing he could go home, grab a cleaver, and settle the score.
Ignoring him, Chen Yansen grabbed two bottles of iced water from the freezer and returned. Wang Zihao had calmed down by then.
"So… you're planning to resell MP3s and MP4s?"
"Yeah."
"But all three high schools are on holiday. Who are we selling to?"
Chen Yansen smiled. "Mr. Ziren said rural areas are where the real opportunities lie. Chunshen has 22 surrounding towns. Even if each market only sells 100 MP3s and 20 MP4s, do you think we won't make a killing?"
He unscrewed the cap of his mineral water and drank a third in one gulp.
August was scorching. The internet cafe owner was sweating despite the air conditioning, trying to save on electricity. No wonder he went bankrupt later.
"Brother Sen, you said 'we,' so that means I get a cut too, right?" Wang Zihao asked eagerly.
Chen Yansen patted his shoulder with a sly smile. "Foolish. What should you call me?"
"Godfather above! I will follow you from now on!" Wang Zihao clasped his hands shamelessly and bowed.
"My son, rise quickly," Chen Yansen chuckled, lifting his friend's arm.
"But… we don't have capital," Wang Zihao reminded him. He had seen the spreadsheet; the minimum order from factories was three units. Their savings weren't enough for even that.
"I'll handle the money," Chen Yansen said confidently. He'd already checked his bank account—enough to stock the goods.
"You're not… stealing Uncle Chen's money, are you?" Wang Zihao asked, eyes darting around.
"How can it be stealing if it's father and son?" Chen Yansen replied bluntly.
Still, Wang Zihao hesitated. Risk existed in business; if their plan failed, Chen Yansen could get punished by his father.
"If I don't make money, will you still support me?" Chen Yansen asked irritably.
Wang Zihao grinned shyly. "It's… not impossible."
Chen Yansen waved his hand. "Two things. First, give me 2,000 yuan tomorrow, and you'll be a shareholder. Second, find a warehouse. Twenty square meters will do; it doesn't need to be fancy."
"But I only have 200 yuan," Wang Zihao admitted, pocketing what little he had.
"Fine. If you have capital, it's an investment. If not, work for me—I'll pay 100 yuan a day. Your choice," Chen Yansen said bluntly.
Wang Zihao nodded, understanding the meaning but blushing slightly at Chen Yansen's directness.
Moments later, Chen Yansen typed a message:
"Hello, I'm the purchasing director of Zhoulai Garment Factory. We plan to purchase 10,000 MP3 players and 3,000 MP4 players. Could you provide a customized quote?"
He sent the same message to all seven suppliers. Most small-town businesses relied on offline orders and had little internet awareness; phone lines and landlines were obsolete. Chen Yansen's money and orders were enough to impress them.
He had already planned his strategy—traps in his negotiation to gauge commission tiers, payment terms, discounts, and freebies like memory cards or headphones.
Wang Zihao watched, jaw dropped. Chen Yansen switched chat windows and haggled like a professional.
"The product meets our requirements, but the price is high. Lower by 8 yuan, and we'll prioritize your company…"
"If the MP4 price drops to 100, we'll buy as a package; total estimated amount exceeds 600,000 yuan. Can you offer better terms?"
Wang Zihao flushed, impressed yet slightly embarrassed by his friend's bravado.
"Do you really think they'll believe you?" he asked.
Chen Yansen smiled. "That's the point. In business, understanding the other party's needs matters more than your strategy."
"When we were in high school, MP3 players cost over 300 yuan, MP4s over 800—like phones. Now?"
"MP3s are around 150, MP4s above 300," Wang Zihao replied, frowning.
"Prices drop with mass production and lower raw material costs. Factories in Guangzhou and Shenzhen face intense competition. Even a bone with a little meat will be pounced on," Chen Yansen said confidently.
"I'll do it!" Wang Zihao decided, inspired by Chen Yansen's expertise.
"Brother, what are you doing?"
A nimble figure appeared. A girl of thirteen or fourteen stood behind Wang Zihao, about 1.68 meters tall, taller than her peers, wearing a blue-and-white striped T-shirt. Her short, fluffy hair framed an oval face, almond-shaped eyes glimmering with starlight. A faint beauty mark under her eye made her strikingly distinctive.
A mini version of Wang Ziyan.
Chen Yansen instinctively got up, retreating toward the internet cafe entrance, fearing she might pull out a ring at any moment.
"Haozi, see you at the usual place tomorrow," he called as he reached the exit.
"Don't you think Chen Yansen is acting a little strange today?" Wang Ziyan asked suspiciously.
Hearing this, Wang Zihao launched into a flood of complaints about everything except business.
Upon learning about Chen Yansen and Zhou Keyuan, Wang Ziyan's eyes lit up, and a faint, victorious smile spread across her face.
Please read on...