Chapter 503: Ground‑Promotion Storm

September 15, 2007, Shenzhen University.

Li Xiaoming clenched the small flyer torn from the information wall, standing under the dormitory building for a full five minutes.

The flyer had only a few lines, printed on the most ordinary A4 paper:

"Fenghuang Chat ground‑promotion part‑time job, daily settlement of 50 yuan, the more you work the more you earn. Requirements: own a Fenghuang Phone, able to endure hardship, college students preferred. Contact phone: 138****7429"

He pulled out his Fenghuang Second Generation phone—a crack ran across the lower‑left corner of the screen from when it fell off his bed last semester. The battery wasn't great either; a full charge lasted only about half a day.

He had bought this phone for three hundred yuan at his hometown county's second‑hand market after the college entrance exam, and had used it for over a year without any major trouble.

He saved that number in his contacts, noting it as "ground promotion."

Then he took a deep breath and pressed the call button.

"Hello?"

On the other end was a young man's voice, sounding only a few years older than him.

"Hello, I'm Li Xiaoming, a freshman at Shenzhen University. I'd like to ask about that ground‑promotion part‑time job…"

"Oh oh, where are you?"

"Shenzhen University."

"Our station is nearby." The voice paused, then asked, "Are you free now? Come over to the Science and Technology Park; we have a training session."

Li Xiaoming glanced at the time on his phone—two in the afternoon.

He had no class this afternoon.

"Convenient."

He noted the address in his phone's memo, changed into a washed‑out white T‑shoulder, slung the canvas backpack he'd used since high school—its zipper broken—and left the campus gate.

The bus arrived after a fifteen‑minute wait; he paid two yuan, found a window seat, gripped his phone in his hand, and watched the scenery of Shenzhen outside.

This city was far larger than his hometown county—tall buildings, wide roads, many cars, many people. Having been in Shenzhen for over a month, he still hadn't fully adjusted.

But he liked it here.

Because there was hope here.

The Science and Technology Park wasn't far from Shenzhen University; the bus got there in five stops.

After getting off, Li Xiaoming followed the address to an office building, took the elevator to the sixth floor, and when he pushed the door open he froze.

Inside was a modest office, but it was packed with people—all young faces, some about his age, some looking even younger.

Some sat in chairs, some crouched in the corners, others simply sat on the floor. Everyone held a Fenghuang Phone—new, old, or with a cracked screen like his.

A young man in a plaid shirt walked over and smiled at him.

"Li Xiaoming?"

"Yes."

"I'm Zhou Hao, group leader of the Fenghuang Chat Shenzhen ground‑promotion team." He gestured inside, "Take a seat, we'll start the training once everyone's here."

Li Xiaoming found a corner to squat in and looked around at the people.

Some chatted quietly, some played on their phones, some flipped through a stack of papers. On those papers was something familiar—a QR code.

The Fenghuang Chat QR code.

At three o'clock sharp, the training began.

Zhou Hao stood at the front, holding a Fenghuang Fourth Generation phone—the latest model, with a silver‑white casing and a large, bright screen.

"Everyone, welcome to the Fenghuang Chat ground‑promotion team." His voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the office could hear him, "Those of you here today just want to earn some pocket money in your spare time."

He paused.

"Our job is simple: promote the Fenghuang Chat QR code."

He raised his phone, opened the scan function, and pointed it at a sheet of paper stuck on the wall.

A soft beep.

On the screen a page popped up: Download Fenghuang Chat.

"What you need to do is stick this QR code wherever you can."

He pointed at the image on the projection screen.

"Supermarkets, convenience stores, small shops, markets, restaurants, roadside stalls, bus stops, train stations, long‑distance bus stations… anywhere people pass by, you can put it up."

Someone raised a hand.

"Brother Zhou, if we put up that many, won't people tear them down?"

Zhou Hao laughed.

"They'll definitely be torn down. But if they are, we'll just put them up again. The more we post, the more people will scan them. Once they scan, they'll start using it, and then they won't be able to do without it."

He looked at the young faces below.

"We're not just putting up ads; we're building a network. This network lets people go out without a wallet, without fear of counterfeit money, and without worrying about lacking change."

He paused.

"You are the ones building this network."

After the training, each person received a canvas bag.

Inside were a stack of QR‑code stickers, a roll of transparent tape, a pair of gloves, and a work ID.

Zhou Hao kept Li Xiaoming behind.

"You're from Shenzhen University?"

Li Xiaoming nodded.

"Good. The Shenzhen University area is yours now." Zhou Hao handed him a map with several spots circled in red—"the cafeteria, classroom buildings, library, dormitory buildings, and the little shops around campus are the key points."

He looked at Li Xiaoming's Fenghuang Second Generation phone with its cracked screen.

"Is the phone still usable?"

Can.

Will the battery hold up?

If it won't last, just bring a power bank. Li Xiaoming pulled a palm-sized white square from his canvas bag—something he'd bought for thirty yuan at the secondhand market; one charge gives his phone two extra lives.

Zhou Hao glanced at him and smiled.

All right. Go.

Li Xiaoming shouldered the canvas bag and walked out of the office.

The sunlight at the entrance was a bit glaring. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the distant skyscrapers, and suddenly felt a strange feeling well up in his heart.

Not nervous, not afraid.

It was excitement.

First stop, the snack street at the west gate of Shenzhen University.

At five in the afternoon, still before mealtime, the street wasn't crowded. Li Xiaoming walked slowly along the sidewalk, observing the shops.

Stalls selling mala tang, fried rice, milk tea, jianbing guozi… one after another, the fumes mingled, making people want to cough a little.

He stood at the door of a mala tang stall, hesitating for three seconds.

Then he pushed the door and went in.

The proprietress was a woman in her forties, busy in the back kitchen; hearing the door, she poked her head out.

"What do you want to eat?"

"No, Auntie," Li Xiaoming said, pulling out his work ID, "I'm with Phoenix Chat's ground promotion. I wanted to ask if I could put a QR code in your shop."

The proprietress wiped her hands, came out, and glanced at his work ID.

"What QR code?"

Li Xiaoming took out his phone, opened Phoenix Chat, went to Scan, and aimed it at the sample sticker just posted on the wall.

A beep.

On the screen popped up a page: "Spend 5 yuan, get 1 yuan off."

The proprietress stared blankly for a moment.

"This…"

"When customers scan this code, download Phoenix Chat, they can get a coupon." Li Xiaoming pointed at the screen, "Later, when they come to eat here and pay with Phoenix Chat, they can get even more coupons."

The proprietress stared at the screen for several seconds.

"This… doesn't cost money?"

"No." Li Xiaoming said, "The sticker is free, I brought the tape, I'll put it up for you."

The proprietress fell silent for a moment.

Then she said, "Then go ahead and put it up."

After the first sticker was applied, Li Xiaoming's heartbeat hadn't yet calmed down.

He then went to the neighboring fried rice shop, next door's milk tea shop, next door's next door's next door's jianbing guozi stall…

Some proprietors were happy, agreeing after just a glance.

Some were wary, asking this and that, only reluctantly agreeing after repeatedly confirming it was free.

Some ignored him completely, waving him away.

By the time he reached the end of the street, it had already grown dark.

Li Xiaoming found a step by the roadside, sat down, pulled out his phone to check the time—6:47.

He counted the number of stickers he'd put up: twenty-seven.

He then opened Phoenix Chat, accessed the ground-promotion-specific backend—which Zhou Hao had taught them during training, where every scanned QR code is recorded.

Scan count: thirty-one times.

He stared blankly for a moment.

Twenty-seven stickers, thirty-one scans.

Someone scanned right after putting it up.

He suddenly laughed.

Because among those thirty-one scans, he had contributed one.

At eight in the evening, Li Xiaoming returned to the dormitory.

His roommates were gaming, the keyboard clacking. He put the canvas bag under his bed, went to the washroom to wash his face, then sat on the bedside, took out the power bank, and gave his phone extra life.

As soon as the phone connected to the power bank, it vibrated.

It was a message from Zhou Hao:

"Today's data is good, thirty-one scans, ranking third in the team. Keep going tomorrow?"

Li Xiaoming looked at the message, stunned for a moment.

"Third?"

He replied with a single word:

"Continue."

After sending it, he opened Phoenix Chat's backend again and stared at the number thirty-one.

Three point one yuan.

According to Zhou Hao, each scan earns one yuan.

Thirty-one yuan.

In one day.

He lifted his head and looked out the window.

Shenzhen's night sky shows no stars, but the distant building clusters are brightly lit.

He suddenly recalled the street back home; by eight p. m. it was already pitch black.

But here, the bustle had just begun.

For the next week, Li Xiaoming was on the move every day.

Monday, Deep University Canteen. Three canteens, seven floors, 147 QR codes. Scan count: 213 times.

Tuesday, Deep University Teaching Building. Five buildings, eighty classrooms, 67 QR codes. Scan count: 97 times.

Wednesday, the residential complexes around Deep University. Thirteen courier points, six small supermarkets, twenty‑one convenience stores. Scan count: 324 times.

Thursday, bus stops near the Science and Technology Park. Thirty‑seven stops, 74 QR codes. Scan count: 185 times.

Friday, Deep University Metro Station. Four exits, 16 QR codes. Scan count: 93 times.

Saturday and Sunday, he went farther away.

Huaqiangbei, East Gate, Luohu Train Station, Futian Bus Station…

By the end of the week, he had pasted over 1,300 QR codes.

Scan count: 2,047 times.

When Zhou Hao called on the Telephone, his voice had changed.

"Li Xiaoming, don't you ever rest?"

Li Xiaoming held the Telephone and smiled faintly.

"Brother Zhou, I just want to earn a bit more."

October 1st, payday.

Li Xiaoming received a bank text message:

"Your savings card ending in 3872 received CNY 2047.00."

He stared at the figure, stunned for a full ten seconds.

Two thousand and forty‑seven yuan.

Enough for three months of living expenses.

He sat on his dormitory bed, read the message three times, then stood, went out onto the balcony, and looked outside.

The sunlight was fine, the sky very blue.

In the distance, the outline of Fenghuang Mountain was clearly visible.

He pulled out the cracked‑screen Fenghuang 2, opened Fenghuang Chat, and entered his Moments.

He took a photo—it was the bank message.

The caption was only four characters:

"First salary."

After posting, he put the phone away and took a deep breath.

His eyes felt a little warm.

But he didn't let that warmth flow out.

Because he knew this was only the beginning.

One weekend in late October, Li Xiaoming went back to Huaqiangbei.

This time he wasn't pasting QR codes; he was installing a cash register system for a mobile accessory shop.

The shop's owner was a forty‑something Chaozhou‑Shantou native named Chen, who had pasted Fenghuang Chat QR codes two months earlier.

At first it was just a trial, but later they found more and more people using it, so they removed the cash counter entirely and switched to QR code payment.

"Xiao Li," Boss Chen said while handing him water, "your Fenghuang Chat is really handy. In my shop, I used to collect piles of change daily, making change a hassle, and often got counterfeit coins. Now it's all QR scans, worry‑free."

Li Xiaoming took the water and took a sip.

"Uncle Chen, are there many users now?"

"Lots!" Boss Chen pointed to the doorway. "Look over there: fruit seller Lao Wang, pancake seller Lao Zhang, phone‑case seller Xiao Liu—they're all using it. Last month we even created a group called 'Huaqiangbei Scan Group' with over a hundred members."

Li Xiaoming was momentarily stunned.

"Group?"

"Yeah, a Fenghuang Chat group."

Boss Chen pulled out his phone, opened a group chat screen for him, "Since more people scan, we created a group. When someone runs a promotion, they send a red packet; when someone gets new stock, they post a notice. Very convenient."

Li Xiaoming looked at the group, at the avatars and names, and suddenly recalled the line Zhou Hao said during training.

"You all are the ones building the network."

Now, this network has truly been built.

One night in November, Li Xiaoming sat in the canteen eating dinner.

His phone vibrated; it was a system notification from Fenghuang Chat:

"Dear user, thank you for using Fenghuang Chat. As of today, Fenghuang Chat scan users have surpassed 100 million. To celebrate, we have prepared a small gift for you; please check."

He clicked and saw a coupon offering ¥5 off for every ¥10 spent.

The canteen's spicy hot pot was perfect for it.

He smiled and tapped to claim it.

A classmate beside him leaned over.

"Xiao Ming, are you also using Fenghuang Chat?"

Li Xiaoming nodded.

"Scanning to pay is convenient, and there are coupons."

The classmate pulled out a Motorola, glanced at it, then put it back.

"My phone can't scan," he said, "next time I get a new phone, I'll get a Fenghuang."

Li Xiaoming looked at him, suddenly recalling his own Fenghuang Second Generation with a cracked screen.

That phone had been with him for over a year.

It had seen him through the college entrance exam, brought him to Shenzhen, helped him paste thousands of QR codes, and earned his first two thousand yuan.

He lowered his head to look at that phone; the crack on the screen glittered with tiny lights under the cafeteria's lamps.

The crack remained.

But the phone still worked.

Just like this city.

Just like himself.

December 31st, New Year's Eve.

Li Xiaoming stood at the gate of Wanshang City, looking at the huge Christmas tree.

This was his fourth month in Shenzhen.

In four months he pasted more than five thousand QR codes, scanned over eight thousand times, and earned more than eight thousand yuan.

He split the money into three parts: one sent home, one saved for next year's tuition, and one…

He glanced at the box in his hand.

Inside the box was a Fenghuang Fourth Generation phone, its silver‑white shell, a large bright screen.

He hesitated for a long time, then finally decided to buy it.

Not because he wanted a new phone.

But because he wanted to remember this day.

To remember the day that turned him from a clueless freshman into an adult who could earn money with his own hands.

He took out the old phone and transferred the SIM card to the new phone.

He powered it on.

A star rose from the bottom and hovered at the center of the screen.

He opened Fenghuang Chat and posted a Moments.

The photo was the Christmas tree at Wanshang City, and the caption was only four characters:

"Thank you Shenzhen."

After posting, he carefully tucked the old phone away and slipped it into his pocket.

Then he lifted his head, gazing at the distant night sky.

The night sky over Shenzhen showed no stars.

But he knew the stars were there.

Just like the QR codes he had pasted, just like the people who scanned them, just like this city that let him start from zero and steadily find his footing.

He smiled, turned, and walked into the crowd.

Behind him, the New Year's bells were ringing.

The year 2008 had arrived.