"I want an 80% commission on the top-up rebates!"
Chen Yansen stopped in his tracks. He stared intently at the other man and said, enunciating every word.
"Impossible. A commission rate that high doesn't exist in the entire Huian Province. The most I can get for you is 50%."
Zhao Maolin shook his head, rejecting the offer without a second thought.
"Seventy percent. That's my bottom line."
Chen Yansen's gaze hardened, his tone firm. While speaking, he carefully observed the subtle changes in Zhao Maolin's expression.
"Xiaochen, my absolute ceiling is 60%. Don't bother probing any further. To be honest with you, the other two companies would never go above that percentage either."
Zhao Maolin mulled it over for a moment before snapping his head up. His eyes held a serious glint as he explained with sincerity.
"Manager Zhao, it's a pleasure doing business with you."
Chen Yansen's brow instantly smoothed out. He broke into a wide grin, showing off his pearly whites, and extended his right hand.
'A 90% commission rate would indeed exist in the future, but that was fifteen years away. In these early days of the mobile internet boom, the competition among carriers clearly hadn't reached a fever pitch yet.'
"So, can you finally tell me which school you boys are from?"
Zhao Maolin chuckled and shook his hand.
"Chen Yansen, Xucheng Academy, freshman class of 2010."
"Wang Zihao, Xucheng Academy, freshman class of 2010."
After exchanging a glance, Chen Yansen and Wang Zihao both laughed and introduced themselves.
"You two... you're a couple of real characters, goddammit!"
The smile on Zhao Maolin's face froze instantly. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Just ten minutes ago, one of them had claimed to be Chen Heyu and the other Wang Zhengxuan. Turns out neither of them had given their real name.
He understood, though. If they hadn't secured the agency rights, they would have essentially duped over a thousand freshmen. If their real identities got out, they'd probably have to drop out of school. The academy would undoubtedly hold them responsible.
At best, they'd get a disciplinary mark on their record. At worst, they'd be expelled!
"Manager Zhao, will the promotional materials be ready by tomorrow?"
Chen Yansen asked with a faint smile.
All the campus SIM card plans had been slightly changed, so the content on the posters, banners, and flyers would naturally need to be adjusted accordingly.
"Still calling me Manager Zhao? That's too formal. Call me Brother Zhao from now on. Don't you worry about the materials. We have our own printing press; we can have them rushed out tonight."
Zhao Maolin gazed at the two of them, his eyes filled with admiration.
'When I was their age, I didn't have this kind of guts or brains.'
As the saying goes, "the clothes make the man." He could easily tell from their attire that Chen Yansen and Wang Zihao came from wealthy families. That, combined with their remarkable abilities, made him even more eager to build a connection with them.
Chen Yansen and Wang Zihao immediately began calling him "Brother Zhao." In an instant, the three were acting as familiar as brothers who hadn't seen each other in years.
The final details were hammered out amidst cheerful laughter.
"Xiaogu, for the next few days, you'll go with Xiaochen. Help him coordinate the staffing for the on-campus service point."
Zhao Maolin called the uniformed woman from before over to give the instruction.
Although Chen Yansen and Wang Zihao seemed mature and reliable, they were still genuine freshmen. They might not be experienced enough in handling interpersonal relationships. There was no guarantee they wouldn't clash with the regional representatives, which could impact this year's campus card sales.
Besides, sending one of his own people would also ensure the staff on the ground wouldn't just go through the motions.
"Yes, Manager Zhao."
Gu Wenwen nodded. She glanced at Chen Yansen with a complicated expression, complaining to herself, 'The prettier the woman, the bigger the liar. The same goes for handsome men.'
After a brief chat, they exchanged contact information.
Afterward, Zhao Maolin enthusiastically walked the two of them to the door.
Chen Yansen took out his car key and pressed a button. A Mercedes E300 parked by the curb beeped and its lights flashed on.
Seeing this, Zhao Maolin was secretly impressed. His estimation of Chen Yansen rose even higher. "Junior Brother Chen, you're truly a young man of great promise!" he praised aloud. "Driving a Mercedes as a freshman, no less."
"Brother Zhao, to be honest with you, the car is rented."
Chen Yansen said frankly, his eyes narrowed to slits.
"Hahaha, you young people are so modest! Once things settle down in a few days, I'll treat. I'll take you to the Star of the Milky Way to unwind."
The more Chen Yansen insisted, the less Zhao Maolin believed him.
In his view, Chen Yansen was clearly the son of a wealthy family, which only strengthened his desire to build a connection.
'Old lecher!'
Gu Wenwen cursed under her breath. As a local, she'd certainly heard of the Star of the Milky Way. It wasn't the kind of place a respectable person could even glance at without blushing, so what kind of "good place" could it be?
"Alright, Xiaogu... Sister, see you tomorrow then."
Feeling relaxed, Chen Yansen nodded. He finally took a moment to properly look Gu Wenwen over. She had a voluptuous figure, and her light gray uniform seemed just a bit tight on her.
'Too bad she's wearing nude stockings on her calves.'
'I prefer white.'
'Big liar! Little pervert!'
Seeing him staring at her so brazenly, Gu Wenwen cursed him inwardly. But with her boss right beside her, she didn't dare to lose her temper. Instead, she just smiled sweetly and replied, "Little... brother, you should focus on your driving."
'Small?'
'I'm bigger than you could ever imagine!'
Chen Yansen shot her a look, waved to Zhao Maolin, and rolled up the window before driving off toward the East Campus of Xucheng Academy.
On the way.
"We'll let a sub-agent handle the West Campus," Chen Yansen said to Wang Zihao. "That way we won't have to run back and forth and can focus on developing the market here on the East Campus."
"Brother Sen, these last few days have felt like a dream," Wang Zihao said with a sigh of emotion. "First, we were flipping MP3 and MP4 players, and now we're in the SIM card business. Honestly, if you hadn't brought me along, I'd probably still be holed up in an internet cafe playing CrossFire."
"If you still want to play video games, I'm not stopping you."
Chen Yansen teased, fully aware of what he really meant.
"Heh heh, video games aren't nearly as attractive as cold, hard cash."
Wang Zihao grinned, revealing a set of pearly whites. He then leaned back into the leather seat, squirming a bit to feel its soft resilience with a look of pure bliss.
Chen Yansen just smiled and didn't say anything else.
After a moment, Wang Zihao noticed something was off. He shot upright in his seat. "Brother Sen, are we going the wrong way? I feel like we're heading out into the middle of nowhere."
The scenery outside was growing desolate; the surroundings were indistinguishable from the countryside.
"Do you know Xucheng Academy's nickname?"
Chen Yansen asked with a smirk.
"No."
Wang Zihao shook his head, utterly confused by Chen Yansen's question.
"Zuxian Town University! Dong'er pu University! Hahaha!"
Chen Yansen roared with laughter, gripping the steering wheel.
Back then, the East Campus of Xucheng Academy was far from the city. It was located in Zuxian Town, surrounded by farmland on three sides and a village on the fourth. You could lie in your dorm bed and see endless waves of wheat. Step out the campus gates, and you were just a short walk away from the neighboring village's "CBD."
"Holy shit! You've got to be kidding me?"
Wang Zihao was no longer in any mood to enjoy the luxury car. His eyes were glued to the window as the scenery grew more and more barren, and his heart sank further with every mile.
All the excitement drained right out of him!
"Want me to give you a tour of the campus first?"
Chen Yansen suggested.
The two had originally planned to get a hotel room near the campus gate and then grab some lunch.
They had arrived a day early, before registration began, so they couldn't move into their dorm room yet.
"Forget it. Let's just get something to eat." Wang Zihao thought about it for a moment. Not wanting to look like a coward in front of his best friend, he rejected the offer. "Since we're here, we may as well accept it."
The car continued on its way.
RUMBLE—
The late summer weather was fickle. In the blink of an eye, dark clouds gathered, and fat raindrops began to fall with a PATTER, filling the air with the scent of dust.
The rain grew heavier, turning into a torrential downpour.
A dense curtain of rain obscured the view ahead, blurring the entire world.
Just then, the school gate faintly appeared through the haze. They had finally arrived!
Just as Chen Yansen brought the car to a stop, a rapid, angry TAPTAPTAP sounded on his window.
"Who is it? What's your problem!"
Chen Yansen instinctively rolled down his window, demanding with an annoyed look on his face.
Standing in the downpour was a young woman with an oval-shaped face. She wore a torn white raincoat, her wet hair was plastered to her cheeks, and her eyes were rimmed with red.
The young woman held a brick high in one hand while struggling to drag a suitcase with the other. She roared furiously at Chen Yansen, "You're the one with the problem! Watch where you're driving! You splashed dirty water all over me!"