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Zhengcheng, Silver Base Wholesale Market.
He Qiang stood by, watching as Xu Musen haggled with the shop owner.
“Boss, how about 30 cents per piece?”
“No way, that won’t even cover my cost. At least 50 cents.”
“Let’s meet in the middle—35 cents. If that works, I’ll take the lot.”
Xu Musen pulled a few red banknotes from his pocket and slipped them into the owner’s hand.
This place was a haven for wholesale everyday items—spoons, chopsticks, steel wool, nail clippers. The pricier items, like magnifying glasses, were bundled in among the rest.
A goldmine for two-yuan stores.
The shop owner hesitated, fingers clutching the bills. The money was already in his grasp—returning it felt impossible.
Haggling psychology at its finest.
Xu Musen, with a face full of sincerity, added, “Come on, 35 cents. We’re just students trying to scrape by. My buddy here spends his days hauling bricks under the sun—look at him, he’s practically turned into an African!”
He patted He Qiang for effect.
He Qiang: ???
The shop owner glanced at He Qiang’s sun-darkened, almost reflective skin. Whether he believed the story or not, he couldn’t bring himself to demand a higher price.
“Alright, alright.”
Xu Musen’s eyes gleamed as he shifted targets.
“Boss, that little table looks old. Why not throw it in?”
“Oh, and this cart—pretty nice, huh?”
“Mind giving us a couple extra woven bags? You know, student life and all…”
The shop owner twitched. He wasn’t making much profit to begin with—at this rate, he’d end up taking a loss.
Watching Xu Musen shamelessly milk every last concession, he couldn’t help but curse internally. “Forget students—this guy’s got the face of a seasoned con artist!”
With his thick skin and relentless bargaining, Xu Musen shaved nearly 200 yuan off their original 1,000-yuan budget.
Just as they left, Yao Mingyue stepped out from around the corner.
She glanced at the stall, at the dirt-cheap trinkets that she wouldn’t normally spare a second glance.
Buying all this… was he setting up a stall?
Her jaw tightened. On a weekend, instead of spending time with me, he’s out here hustling on the streets?
For a fleeting moment, she wanted to slam her nearly seven-figure bank card in his face.
“He only needs to stay by my side. If we’re together, I’ll take care of him. Why is he struggling like this?”
“Ungrateful fool!”
With a cold scoff, she followed him.
Xu Musen and He Qiang trudged out, each hauling a sack, a makeshift pushcart creaking along.
“This… this is your big money-making scheme?”
He Qiang felt cheated. It was already late afternoon, but carrying this much in the summer heat had him drenched in sweat.
“Damn it, aren’t we just laborers setting up a street stall?”
Xu Musen grinned. “Every great journey starts with a single step. Trust me, if this works, I’ll buy you a carbon fiber fishing rod.”
“Yeah, right. We won’t make enough from this junk to buy so much as a hook. By the time you get me that rod, I’ll be halfway to the grave.”
Despite his complaints, He Qiang didn’t hesitate to lend a hand.
Xu Musen just chuckled, his gaze drifting toward the nearby plaza, a sly smile playing on his lips.
“Who said I was selling this stuff?”
He Qiang blinked. “Then why the hell did you buy so much?”
Xu Musen glanced at the bustling square, his grin widening.
“Because we’re giving it away for free.”
He Qiang was utterly baffled. Meanwhile, Xu Musen pushed the cart toward a prime location, paying a 100-yuan sanitation fee to secure a high-traffic spot.
As dusk settled and the heat faded, people began pouring into the streets.
The two of them arranged their goods.
He Qiang was still lost. “Wait… free? Are we running a charity now?”
Xu Musen smirked. “Strong, my friend, someday you’ll learn—nothing is more expensive than ‘free’.”
With that, he unfurled a banner and set up a poster.
The poster proudly displayed a QR code.
Curious eyes turned toward them.
After all, who doesn’t love free stuff?
Xu Musen pulled out a megaphone—one he had used once before, in a grand (and failed) confession to Yao Mingyue.
Back then, it was for love. Now, it was for business.
He pressed the button, ready to record his pitch.
Instead, a deafening voice boomed out:
“MINGYUE! I LOVE YOU!”
Xu Musen: ……
S**t! He forgot to delete the old recording.
The crowd was stunned for a second—then burst into laughter.
He Qiang was equally bewildered. “Bro, didn’t you swear off simping?”
Face burning, Xu Musen quickly erased the recording.
Meanwhile, just a few meters away, inside a nearby café, Yao Mingyue nearly spilled her coffee.
Her usually sharp, commanding eyes softened with something almost… girlish.
For just a moment, she relished the moment.
She pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of the flustered Xu Mosen.
With the stall running smoothly, people gathered.
The items weren’t fancy, but they were practical—things every household could use.
“Young man, is this really all free?”
“Yeah, right. Nothing’s ever truly free.”
A few skeptics voiced their doubts.
Xu Musen smiled. “Absolutely free!”
People moved to grab the goods, but he raised a hand.
“Hold on—just one small step. Scan the QR code, confirm your info, and you can pick any item you like!”
He gestured toward the prominently displayed QR code.
The murmurs continued.
“Knew there’d be a catch.”
“What’s this for? A scam?”
It was a time when scanning random QR codes still carried a sense of mystery. People hesitated.
Xu Musen reassured them. “It’s just a game—no registration, no downloads, just tap and play. Plus, we’ve partnered with Q (a big-name company), so you can trust it.”
A middle schooler was the first to take the leap.
“Hey, it actually works!”
His eyes lit up, absorbed in the game before he even grabbed his freebie.
Xu Musen seized the moment.
“Congratulations! You’re our first user today—pick three extra gifts!
“First 100 people get an extra freebie! Limited time only!”
That did it.
Fear of missing out kicked in.
One by one, people started scanning.
Within 30 minutes, over 200 logins were recorded.
Xu Musen checked his backend stats—half the giveaways were already gone.
But he only grinned wider.
The contract was simple: for every user login, he earned 2 yuan.
The more he ‘lost’—the more he earned.
As night deepened, over 300-400 people had scanned the code.
That meant he had already made nearly 1,000 yuan—just from milking the platform’s promotional budget.
But he wasn’t done.
He Qiang, whispering, “Bro, we’re down to the last few items. We’ve lost a few hundred today.”
Xu Musen smirked, clapping him on the shoulder.
“This is just the beginning. Now, we start throwing real money around.”
He lifted the megaphone again.
“Folks! We have one final gift for you!”
The crowd leaned in.
“You saw the game—no download, no sign-up, just play.
Now, we’re offering a special bonus! Share your unique link with new users and enter a prize draw.
Minimum reward? 100 yuan cash!”
Yes—the infamous “Pinduoduo” viral referral model.
And so, the real game began.