Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 14: First Stop for Making Money - Huaqiangbei!
"Huaqiang what?"

Xin Mengzhen spoke with a puzzled look, pulling Chen Xuebing back to his senses.

"Huaqiangbei, you've never heard of it?" Chen Xuebing was a little curious.

"... "

"Oh! Futian, right! The most impressive one, the SEG Plaza!" Xin Mengzhen clapped her hands, remembering, "The tallest building used to be the Diwang Building, that area wasn't well-known, I think it was a business dealing in electronic components, have you been there?"

"Not just electronic components, but also mobile phones from all brands around the world, though none of them are manufactured by the original manufacturers." Chen Xuebing gave a knowing look.

"Piracy?" Xin Mengzhen frowned, clearly having never heard of it before.

Chen Xuebing nodded, feeling somewhat excited.

She, a resident of Guangzhou, didn't know.

I don't know!
These days, many people don't know Taobao, and many others don't know Huaqiangbei.

But as more and more people use Taobao, the industry in Huaqiangbei is growing bigger and bigger.

This is his chance.

“They’re not our competitors!” Xin Mengzhen argued again. “I remember now, when my grandfather’s factory was short of parts, he would go to Huaqiang Road to get materials.”

When talking about Shenzhen, Xin Mengzhen unconsciously picked up a bit of a Guangzhou accent.

"Your Cantonese sounds quite nice," Chen Xuebing said, a smirk playing on his lips. "Teach me a few phrases?"

Why are you learning Cantonese?

"Aren't you all going to take the exams over there? I'll come visit you guys later," Chen Xuebing said casually.

"You're going to Shenzhen!" Yang Qingyue exclaimed happily.

Xin Mengzhen rolled her eyes at him: "Are you crazy? There aren't many people in Shenzhen who speak Cantonese! Even if you live there for half a year, you won't hear more than a few complete sentences of Cantonese, just Mandarin! If you speak Cantonese, people will think you're from Hong Kong... If you want to learn, just learn two words."

"What word?"

"Thank you."

"Oh." Chen Xuebing actually knew this: "Excuse me, right?"

“That’s right.” Xin Mengzhen blurted out a Chongqing dialect phrase out of the blue, and surprisingly, she imitated it quite well.

Chen Xuebing and Yang Qingyue were both amused.

Chen Xuebing felt a little relieved. He had been to many cities in Guangdong, but had never stayed for long. His biggest fear was the language barrier.

However, considering that Guangzhou and Shenzhen can accommodate so many people from other places, and Huaqiangbei is full of backpackers from other places, my worries are indeed a bit far-fetched.

A plan gradually came to mind.

Huaqiangbei is the number one stop for making money!
……

For the rest of the time, Chen Xuebing was unusually quiet. He quickly finished a test paper, checked the answers with them, paid 50 yuan for tea, and then said goodbye and went home.

50 yuan is not a small amount for students. Yang Qingyue and Xin Mengzhen saw that he had paid for tea and wanted to treat him to a meal.

Chen Xuebing had originally planned to treat them to a meal.

But now, Chen Xuebing can only be a Sigma man.

He vividly recalled the hardships he had faced in his past life due to money.

He was destined not to be a person content with mediocrity. In his previous life, he came across a short video of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and saw the line, "A great man lives between heaven and earth, how can he live a life of melancholy and be subservient to others?" Others thought Lü Bu was funny, but he had always resonated with this line since childhood, and it had truly become a source of support for him.

No matter what you want to do in this life, you need money, lots of money.

Aside from family, everything else has to come after money.

...

At four o'clock, Chen Xuebing returned to the entrance of Xinyue Milk Tea Bar, carrying a black leather briefcase left by his father.

Looking inside, I realized I was right; Hei Er and the others were indeed still playing cards inside.

It was a bit cold outside, but the milk tea bar had air conditioning, and the milk tea was cheap, only four or five yuan a cup. When he left, he saw that Hei Er and his friends had ordered three cups at their table. They definitely wouldn't leave unless they stayed all day.

Chen Xuebing went straight inside. When the owner, Sister Liang, saw him return, she was afraid he was there to cause trouble, and immediately became nervous, calling out:
"Little Chen, here again?"

The group was having a good time when Hei Er suddenly turned his head and found Chen Xuebing standing right behind him, inches away. He broke out in a cold sweat, jumped up, and slammed the table so hard it shook.

"What are you doing!"

As Hei Er shouted, he thought to himself that Brother Ma was right after all; in the underworld, you can't sit with your back to the door.

Chen Xuebing smiled, looked at the cards in his hand, and said, "Call Huo Si for me, I need to talk to him."

"I'm playing cards!" Hei Er was startled and sounded somewhat annoyed.

"I'll call for you, hurry up, it's important." Chen Xuebing said, pushing him aside and sitting directly in his seat.

The atmosphere was very strange.

Chen Xuebing clicked his tongue: "I guarantee you'll win! If you lose, it's on me!"

Hei Er went out to find a public phone booth.

Chen Xuebing glanced at his retreating figure and reaffirmed his entrepreneurial aspirations.

A mobile phone is indeed a necessity; otherwise, he would have found Huo Xiaowen half an hour ago.

...

Huo Xiaowen was a good older brother. After hearing what Hei Er had said about noon, he rode his motorcycle to the milk tea bar, which took only twenty minutes.

He came in wearing a long trench coat and shouted:
"Chen Xuebing, you were looking for me?"

Chen Xuebing and Huo Xiaowen became acquainted through a fight in their past lives. Huo Xiaowen later started a dumping ground and got involved in earthwork, and Chen Xuebing also helped him with his business. But right now, the two are still in the "fighting" stage of becoming acquainted through a fight.

When Chen Xuebing came to look for him, there was indeed no one there.

He needs someone to go to Shenzhen with him to try his luck.

Although most of his brothers were good people and reliable, they lacked social experience and still needed to study. He didn't want anyone to blame him later, saying that he was the one who led them to not study.

He can't stay in Shenzhen for long; he needs to come back to continue his studies.

So this person has to stay in Shenzhen.

After much thought, Huo Xiaowen seems like a good match.

Chen Xuebing was a skilled card player. He had already won more than ten yuan on the table. He pushed the money forward and said, "Whoever won, pick it up themselves."

After saying that, he got up and pulled Huo Xiaowen to the innermost table, saying, "Let's talk inside."

A group of people with colorful hair looked at Chen Xuebing and clicked their tongues inwardly.

They look younger than them, but their aura is damn strong.

"What are you doing?" Huo Xiaowen asked warily as he walked to the seat and sat down alone. His movements were a bit strange as he deliberately lifted the hem of his trench coat and placed it on the chair.

Chen Xuebing patted his bag with a smile: "Good thing."

As she spoke, she sat down next to him, and before he could react, she swiftly reached under the hem of his trench coat, pulled out a sheathed dagger, and slammed it onto the table.

Huo Xiaowen pushed Chen Xuebing away, and he almost bounced up.

Chen Xuebing quickly opened his bag: "Let's not talk about that, let's talk about this!"

Huo Xiaowen then looked inside and was stunned.

A thick stack of banknotes.

"...What are you doing?" Huo Xiaowen's voice softened. He looked outside and sat down.

Chen Xuebing zipped up his bag, placed it on the table, crossed his arms, and said casually, "Would you like to come out with me for a trip and I'll help you make some money?"

"Holy crap, they're delivering steamed buns?"

Huo Xiaowen's expression tensed up, and his eyes began to show fear as he looked at Chen Xuebing.

These days, some of the most dangerous things that could get you killed are packaged in oil paper bags. In slang, those oil paper bags are called "baozi" (steamed buns), and selling them is called "sending baozi."

Given Chen Xuebing's age, the fact that he offered so much money and said he would take him out inevitably made him think about this.

If you're delivering steamed buns, the quantity will be substantial, so it's a business opportunity that you have to seize.

Even the most ruthless are afraid of those who have no regard for their lives. Huo Xiaowen is just a tough guy on the street, but he doesn't dare to carry a gun. At most, he'll be able to distribute small steamed buns. If Chen Xuebing could get involved in the bun distribution process, Huo Xiaowen really wouldn't dare to argue with him.

Chen Xuebing was completely bewildered. After a long while, he said, with a mixture of laughter and tears:
"Damn it, this is legitimate business!"

This guy really dares to dream. Good for him, daring to even think about something like this, making it to Shenzhen is just a minor challenge.

“It’s a legitimate business. You’re just a student…where would you get so much money?” Huo Xiaowen’s voice trailed off as he spoke.

Chen Xuebing was speechless.

If I weren't a student, would I have brought a wad of cash to try and convince you?

"Just tell me if you want to go or not. I'll pay you a salary, with room and board included, at least one or two thousand a month."

Upon hearing the number, Huo Xiaowen immediately relaxed.

This is definitely not the number of people to be beheaded.

"Where?"

"Shenzhen, collect your cell phones!"

"Oh..." Huo Xiaowen's interest waned a bit: "Collecting cell phones? You can do that in Chongqing too. There are plenty of people guarding the entrances of pawnshops."

"Bullshit, those phones are ridiculously expensive, and I need them in bulk! Chongqing is too small."

"Are you just spouting nonsense without thinking? Chongqing is still small, do you think you can sell it all?"

"Don't worry about that. As long as there's a guaranteed minimum wage, just listen to me."

Chen Xuebing had no intention of telling Huo Xiaowen about the sales channels. He couldn't control either end of the supply chain, and Huo Xiaowen would easily kick him out and go it alone.

Huo Xiaowen shook his head: "Only one or two thousand? Why go so far? I manage two brothels here, and I make at least 2000 a month."

Managing a place is basically collecting protection money. However, managing a place in Chongqing is tough. There's not much legal risk, and most places are particularly chaotic. People hire people voluntarily, but you have to sign a security contract or something. If something happens, you really have to go.

The two places, 2000, are definitely not big establishments like hotels or KTVs; they're probably more like arcades or fishing rooms.

Chen Xuebing looked at him with disdain: "Don't I know what it's like to be a gang leader? You think no one has ever come to me? How can this be considered a job? Besides, can you handle it all by yourself? Your gang of brothers need to drink every month, and if any of them need something, they'll ask you for some more. How much money will you have left? Do the math yourself."

Huo Xiaowen was a little deflated; Chen Xuebing was telling the truth.

Chen Xuebing slammed his hand on the table.

“I’ve already laid it all out for you: a base salary of one thousand, and you’ll get 10% of the profits from the machines you buy, so your commission will be at least one thousand. As long as you get the hang of it, it will definitely keep increasing, and you could even earn tens of thousands in commission a month. And if you want to do this long-term, it’s definitely a stable job.”

As he spoke, Chen Xuebing thought for a moment and then offered a promise: "If you have money in the future and want to be your own boss, I can train you."

Chen Xuebing didn't want him to have any wild ideas, so he decided to get another insurance policy.

In the world of gangsters, few want to be a lackey forever. With that in mind, Huo Xiaowen was finally tempted.

"Well... I have two brothers..."

"Let's get things sorted out over there first. If we really need more people, we can give you priority in the assignment. Your base salary will still be one thousand, and I'll transfer the commission to you. You can decide how many percentage points to give them."

There are benefits, and there are also job opportunities.

The best thing about people from the martial arts world is their decisiveness.

To put it bluntly, they don't like to think when making decisions; they just do what they like.

Huo Xiaowen also slammed his hand on the table.

"...How long are you leaving? I'll go with you to see it first."

Chen Xuebing smiled and said, "I'll let you know in a few days."

Chen Xuebing left the milk tea shop and immediately went to deposit the money.

My ID card and bank cards are in my bag. I'm only showing this money to Huo Xiaowen for a moment. For safety, I still need to deposit it in the bank.

The Agricultural Bank of China had a huge line of people.

They don't give out numbers, you just have to wait in line. Many people come in pairs, and if someone needs to use the restroom or something, they can switch places.

People hate queue-jumping, which started in the 90s. Banks, industrial and commercial bureaus, civil affairs bureaus, many services are slow. If two people cut in front of you, you might have to wait an extra half hour.

Fortunately, it was a major bank with a CDM machine that could process deposits.

He got his ID card and bank card when he was 16. He remembers that his mother also wanted him to get a passbook, saying that it would be more convenient to see how much money he deposited. He thought the passbook was old-fashioned and too big, so he insisted on getting a bank card instead.

Otherwise, he won't be able to save this money next year.

Technology has changed life.

To be fair, Lao Ma's contributions are still far-reaching. Not to mention the bank's transaction tax, the time he saved for everyone is beyond monetary value.

Without it, it's not that mobile payment wouldn't exist, but it would have taken several years longer to become as convenient and widespread.

He simply had a dream he shouldn't have had, and the methods used by Ant Group to go public were too despicable. The financial industry is indeed based on a pawnshop model, but to completely change it, human effort is insufficient; only national strength can achieve it.

Sigh, I still have to beg for food under someone else's thumb.

Chen Xuebing checked his watch after leaving the bank; it was past five o'clock. He then turned around and went to an internet cafe.

……

"... "

Chen Xuebing stared blankly at the computer screen.

Taobao has been around for a year and a half, why is it still in its infancy?
Chen Xuebing dared to get involved with Taobao because he had heard of some methods of boosting rankings by manipulating sales figures. He was confident that he had some traffic-driving skills and that in this era of rapid development, it wouldn't be a problem for him to stand out and grab traffic.

After looking around, I realized that Taobao in 2004 didn't even have store ratings.

The homepage has a "How to create a store" section, so I clicked on it to take a look.

According to the seller's rules, registration is mainly done on Alipay, and real-name authentication must be completed on Alipay.

There are no registration fees or deposits.

Chen Xuebing searched for Taobao's seller rules on various forums and search engines, but after looking around, he found that Taobao itself only had one forum.

Clicking on it, the first popular post is titled "Today's Taobao".

"Feng Qingyang" wrote this in February of this year. It was just a few hundred words long, and it was a future outlook on online shopping.

The dream is promising, and the tone is firm.

Hey, it seems Old Ma developed his habit of personally motivating people quite early.

After looking around, I found some posts from experienced sellers on the forum that made irrelevant statements about traffic: as long as you list your products, you have a chance to appear in the front-end rankings.

Damn it, are they going to implement even bandwidth distribution again?
咝.
Taobao introduced Yahoo's engine technology and implemented a systematic traffic allocation system, which seems to have happened after the 2005 acquisition.

There are no rankings or store ratings. According to the traffic acquisition thinking of later generations, Taobao is still in the stage of traffic introduction, diverting a large number of new users to attract merchants. Old stores do not have many advantages.

You might get a surge in traffic when you first get in, but how will you make it big in the future? You need to come up with a plan.

After pondering for a while, Chen Xuebing simply wrote a post using the newly registered seller account.

Some Thoughts on Credit Rating as a New Merchant

Red Diamond, Blue Diamond, Crown, seller and buyer reputation points system, user accumulated reputation value, violation point deduction system, he could think of anything, slightly changed the name and put it all in there, and even expanded on payment points and membership system values ​​from it.

Damn it, if you won't do it, I'll teach you, okay?
Even if he doesn't say it, these features should be developed soon. Rather than keeping them to himself, he might as well show them and maybe even get some attention.

The post and seller registration took half an hour. The process wasn't complicated. I filled in my personal information, ID number, and email address to receive notifications on Alipay, checked the box to agree to Alipay's payment collection plan, and that was it. However, I had to wait for an approval, but they didn't say how long it would take.

Once registration is complete, you can work on the page layout and start uploading products.

With the preliminary work mostly completed, we can head to Shenzhen.

It was exactly 6 o'clock when he finished. Seeing the intense CS1.6 gunfights on the computers around him, Chen Xuebing also felt a surge of excitement. He entered the game, connected to the LAN, randomly entered a room, and prepared to dominate and reminisce about his youth.

Desert Eagle, bang bang bang.

B31, beep beep beep.

B51, hole hole hole.

In the game, the soldier used his former team name, constantly switching weapons and displaying his passion, swaying left and right, showing off his skills with moonwalk, and charging forward without hesitation.

Within five minutes, someone started shouting insults:
"Damn, who is this JK? So gay and weak, why is he even here at the B-gate? The police are defusing a bomb, can't he see? He should have been dead in two shots, but he just came in with a sow around and then went out again! He's like he's blind!"

Chen Xuebing got off the plane cursing.

Damn it, my skills aren't what they used to be. You have to accept getting old.

If any of the soldier's brothers were here, they would definitely mock him mercilessly: "Soldier, you've always been this bad. We don't want to carry you. You should go play Legend of Mir."

Youth is always filled with some false memories.

(End of this chapter)