During the period of reform and opening up in China, opportunities were everywhere.
As they say, even a pig can fly if it stands in the right place at the right time.
But if you run into a stupid pig, even the wind will avoid it.
While Zhou Qiqi was busy working tirelessly for the past month on her "Qi" brand, Xu Shu was also not idle.
On the same day that Zhou Qiqi went to cut the ribbon, Xu Shu also took the train to Huacheng with 800 yuan in his pocket.
This 800 yuan is equivalent to two years' wages for an average young worker, which is a huge sum of money.
The train clattered and rattled for more than ten hours before finally coming to a stop at Huacheng Railway Station, panting heavily.
Xu Shu, carrying his nearly new leather bag, squeezed out of the station exit with the surging crowd.
The humid, sweltering air, carrying the unfamiliar Cantonese, the smell of sweat, and a faint sea odor, rushed towards him. Far from feeling uncomfortable, he took a deep breath, as if he were inhaling the scent of banknote ink.
Opportunity! Opportunity is everywhere!
Xu Shu shouted in his heart, his eyes shining as he surveyed this city, which was ten times more prosperous than G City.
There were quite a few tall buildings, though they were only a few stories high, but they were rare sights back then.
The road was bustling with cars coming and going.
A young man wearing bell-bottoms and a floral shirt swaggered down the street with a tape recorder tucked under his arm, the sweet voice of Teresa Teng emanating from it, audible from afar.
All of this confirms the workers' boast—here, you can pick up money just by bending over!
Xu Shu is about to become a superior person!
The first thing he did was not to find a cheap place to stay, nor to inquire about market conditions, but to head straight to the department store.
His coworker's words, "Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse; if you don't have style, who will do big business with you?" kept echoing in his mind.
He wandered around the department store and carefully picked out the most fashionable navy blue "polyester" suit, which even had shoulder pads!
He also wore a snow-white "Dacron" shirt, a pair of crisp trousers, and a pair of shiny, three-piece black leather shoes.
Even the briefcase has been replaced with a new, more structured faux leather model.
After changing into this outfit and looking at himself in the bright glass of the department store window, Xu Shu felt as if he had been reborn and had become a big boss straight out of a Hong Kong movie.
This outfit cost him nearly a hundred yuan!
But he didn't feel bad at all; on the contrary, he thought it was worth it!
This is the facade of a "successful person," the key to unlocking wealth, and you can't lose money no matter how much you spend on it.
In order to maintain his identity as "Boss Xu", he gritted his teeth and checked into a single room in a mid-range hotel.
The next morning, Xu Shu dressed neatly and headed to the legendary wholesale market "Gaodi Street" with high spirits.
The narrow streets and alleys were lined with stalls, goods piled up like mountains, and bustling with noise, making it look like a giant treasure trove.
The digital watches flashed cheap red and green lights, and brightly colored nylon fabrics cascaded down the racks like waterfalls, along with folding umbrellas, cassette tapes, and sunglasses...
All sorts of trendy items that you've only ever heard about in rumors are available here.
Xu Shu stared wide-eyed, his heart pounding with excitement.
The vendors all had sharp eyes and immediately spotted his brand-new "boss outfit".
Seeing the rawness and greed in his eyes, they immediately swarmed around him, their enthusiasm overwhelming.
They spoke a mix of Mandarin and Cantonese, all talking at once.
"Boss! Take a look! The latest Hong Kong-made digital watches, cheap and great value!"
"Boss! Genuine Japanese nylon fabric, the latest patterns, perfect for making the most stylish clothes for women!"
"Boss, you know your stuff! I have a bunch of cassette tapes here, featuring Teresa Teng, Roman Tam, Sam Hui, all of them! Wholesale price is on you!"
Xu Shu was flattered by the show of support and felt like he had become a big boss who was admired by everyone.
How could he possibly know anything about comparing prices or distinguishing between genuine and fake products?
Listening to the vendors' eloquent boasts and seeing the "Made in Hong Kong" and "Imported" labels gleaming under the lights, he felt as if he could just bend down and pick up money.
A middle-aged stall owner who looked particularly "honest and simple" spoke in broken Mandarin, patting his chest and guaranteeing that his goods were "top quality and had just been cleared by customs."
Xu Shu was completely charmed and confused, afraid of missing out on this "good deal," but also feeling that his appearance shouldn't make him seem petty.
With barely any haggling, I used the remaining six hundred yuan to buy a whole bag of brightly colored, low-quality electronic watches.
There were also several bolts of brightly colored, garish fuchsia nylon fabric, which the stall owner kept recommending, saying it was "the most popular color among Miss Hong Kong contestants."
I also slipped her a few Miss Hong Kong posters.
Although Xu Shu didn't know what Miss Hong Kong was, he couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart when he saw the scantily clad beauties on the poster.
He didn't even have time to examine it carefully; he just felt that the heavy package was a future gold mine.
The goods have been "purchased," but how to sell them has become a problem.
Xu Shu followed the example of others and set up a simple stall on the street.
Exposed to the wind and sun, and having to deal with customers picking and haggling, he was fed up after just two days.
Those electronic watches, when customers pick them up and press a few buttons, the screen will flicker on and off, or even not light up at all;
The edges of the nylon fabric fray easily when pulled even slightly.
The doubts and ridicule made him lose face.
"What a terrible business! It's exhausting and frustrating!"
He complained inwardly.
"I'm a businessman who wants to do big business, how can I waste my days at this kind of small stall? It's beneath me!"
He hastily packed up his stall, stuffed the pile of "junk" back into the "briefcase" that served as his identity, and, still seething with anger, decided to treat himself first.
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