"Chen Yansen, are... are you sure this is the place?"
Wang Zihao stood in the open space in front of the Inspection Institute, a nervous look on his face, his hands fidgeting awkwardly in his pockets.
Every strange glance from a passerby felt like a flame searing his skin, making him squirm.
"Less talk, more work!"
Chen Yansen knew that with Wang Zihao's current life experience and temperament, it would be difficult for him to be as brazen as he was.
But he didn't have time to wait for Wang Zihao to get used to it. Sometimes, the greater the pressure, the faster you grow—like a spring, the more it's compressed, the higher it bounces back.
"Fi... Fine."
Wang Zihao gritted his teeth with a look of resignation. He pulled a set of folding tables and chairs from the trunk and started assembling them with Chen Yansen.
Nearby, Huang Boxiang helped unload the goods, while Prince Ziyuan carefully unfolded a Morandi-colored square cloth and spread it flat on the table. She then neatly arranged the black, white, and silver MP3 and MP4 players on top.
The sight of the four of them bustling about immediately caught the attention of passersby, who couldn't help but stop and start speculating.
"These people have some serious nerve!"
"Badass!"
"Are they trying to hide in plain sight? Do they really think the most dangerous place is the safest?"
An old man smoking a long-stemmed pipe gave up on browsing the market, plopped himself down on a stone bollard across the way, and settled in to watch the show.
"Young man, why are you setting up your stall here?"
Among the onlookers were a few good-natured folks who, after watching for a moment, couldn't contain their curiosity and called out to Chen Yansen.
"Fewer people."
Chen Yansen's reply was short and sharp. The moment the words left his mouth, he went back to work.
"This is the Inspection Institute! Do you think they'll let you run a stall here?"
"The young man is good-looking, but it's a shame he's not all there."
"Just wait. Someone will be here to run them off any second now. They might even get slapped with a fine!"
The passersby pointed and whispered, their faces showing unconcealed schadenfreude.
Chen Yansen, acting as if nothing was wrong, continued busying himself. From a supply box, he pulled out a thick stack of promotional posters, two retractable banners, and a cash box. Then he took out a megaphone and started testing it with a "Check, check, check," completely ignoring the crowd.
Ten minutes later, the booth was starting to take shape.
The two-meter-wide folding table was piled high with MP3 and MP4 players, flanked on both sides by retractable banner stands.
The left one read: "Market Day Must-Have! Mei Mo Clearance Blowout!" The right one read: "Direct from the Factory! Free Bluetooth Headphones!"
A huge printed poster was displayed at the front. On it were just the words: "Blue Demon MP3 (Wired Headphones Included) Insane Price: 49 Yuan!" and "Blue Demon MP4 (Bluetooth Headphones Included) Insane Price: 199 Yuan!"
The font was bigger than a washbasin—even the aunties across the street could see it clearly.
"Haozi, let's get to work!"
Chen Yansen said confidently, holding the megaphone.
"N-No problem. I'm ready."
Wang Zihao took a deep breath, trying his best to control himself, but his legs couldn't help but tremble slightly, and his lips were bitten white.
Prince Ziyuan, on the other hand, was the youngest but wore a smile, showing no trace of nervousness.
'As expected of the youngest CEO of Morgan Stanley in the Asian Region. Wang Zihao's pea brain is no match for hers.'
Chen Yansen noted all this and couldn't help but roast him internally.
"Come on, come on! All the uncles and aunties, handsome guys and pretty ladies of Zhongqiao, look over here!"
Chen Yansen grinned and shouted into the megaphone.
In an instant, every passerby turned to look. A few young people interested in MP3 and MP4 players immediately swarmed the stall.
They formed dense circles around the table, at least two or three hundred people.
Seeing this, Wang Zihao's legs trembled even more violently.
"Hello everyone! We're staff from the Yangcheng Meimo Electronics Factory! We've come to Zhongqiao Town today mainly to bring some great deals to our fellow townspeople!"
"These MP3 music players, originally two hundred and ninety, three hundred and ninety, even four hundred and ninety yuan—today, they're all one flat price! A clearance blowout at 49 yuan!"
"Data cables, headphones, carrying pouches—all thrown in for free!"
"Dirt cheap! It's an absolute steal! These MP4s, originally six hundred and ninety, eight hundred and ninety, even nine hundred and ninety yuan, are just 199 today! You can listen to music, watch videos, and the battery is super long-lasting! We only have 100 units in stock! First come, first served!"
"Buy an MP4 for your son so he can practice his English listening on the go! Get an MP3 for your daughter to stay energized with music on her morning jogs! Bring one home for Mom and Dad so they can enjoy their operas and crosstalk shows every single day!"
The words just flowed from Chen Yansen's mouth. All sorts of advertising slogans came to him effortlessly, gushing out like a spring that couldn't be stopped.
After all, in his previous life, President Chen's greatest skill had been training female livestreamers; he knew these sales pitches like the back of his hand.
Huang Boxiang, who had originally been skeptical of his identity, had all his doubts erased the moment he heard this smooth, practiced pitch.
"These MP3 things... I remember them selling for two or three hundred in the county town, right?"
"So cheap... there must be a catch!"
"If they dare to sell right in front of the Inspection Institute, it must mean they're confident in their product quality!"
"199 isn't too expensive. My daughter has been nagging me to buy her one!"
"Who cares! An MP3 for only 49 yuan? Worst case, I'll just skip a few bowls of beef noodle soup!"
The potential customers, swayed by Chen Yansen's pitch, began to whisper among themselves.
In the last three to five years, as Chinese music hit its final peak, MP3 and MP4 players had become extremely popular in middle schools, so everyone was familiar with their prices.
Compared to the digital stores in the county, Chen Yansen's prices were undeniably and incredibly appealing.
"That big brother is right! It's only the price of a barbecue dinner! A market day special at 49! Miss it today, and you'll wait another year!"
"Try it out on the spot! If you're not satisfied, you don't pay!"
Chen Yansen added. That last line, "If you're not satisfied, you don't pay," completely shattered any remaining hesitation in the crowd.
"Young man, get me one! I want the white headphones!"
"If I buy two MP4s, can you throw in an extra pair of Bluetooth headphones?"
"Wow, the workmanship is really good! The quality is even better than the one I spent over four hundred on!"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't push! I got my hands on it first!"
The crowd mobbed the booth until it was completely blocked off. Hearing the constant reminders of "only 100 units left," they couldn't hold back any longer, waving cash in their hands and frantically picking out their items, afraid they would miss out.
"That's all it took?"
Wang Zihao was dumbfounded, his face a mask of disbelief. He had imagined many possible outcomes, but he never expected business to be so good that people would be fighting to buy their products.
"Watch and learn. At the market day after tomorrow, you're on your own!"
Chen Yansen chuckled, teasing him with a playful look.
At the same time, he also knew that this method of making money would disappear once 4G networks were fully rolled out, smartphones and mobile internet became widespread, and the information gap narrowed.
"Me? You've got to be kidding me! There's no way I can do that!"
Wang Zihao pointed to himself, asking again and again in disbelief, his head shaking like a pellet drum.
"What, you want to rely on me for the rest of your life? I'm not your damn father."
Chen Yansen pursed his lips, his retort leaving Wang Zihao speechless and dejected.
"Well, that wouldn't be so bad."
Wang Zihao scratched his head, a cheeky grin on his face.
"Hey! You two idiots, stop standing around chatting and get over here and help!"
Prince Ziyuan, busy packing and bagging items, yelled furiously.
"Hehe, coming, coming!"
Wang Zihao threw his head back and quickly replied, then lifted a new box of stock, slamming it onto the table with a THUD. "Last 100 units!" he yelled. "First come, first served!"
"Stop, stop, stop! Who gave you permission to set up a stall here?"
Just as their sales were reaching a fever pitch, a booming voice suddenly roared out, instantly cutting through the noise.
With that, a middle-aged man in a uniform parted the crowd and strode forward.