Chapter 17: Seeing the World of Adult Men

August 6, another ordinary midsummer morning.

A silver Bluebird sped along the country road; the warm sun in the east rose slowly, and in the blink of an eye leaped onto the tops of the poplar branches. The dappled light and shadow it cast streamed through the glass windows, all falling upon Chen Yansen's profile.

"Why didn't your sister come along?"

Chen Yansen reached out and patted the front seat, speaking to Wang Zihao.

"My mom is taking her to Shanghai to visit her old uncle and check out the World Expo. If I didn't have the legitimate excuse of getting my driver's license, I'd probably be going too."

Wang Zihao turned his head, speaking with lingering fear.

What bustling Shanghai, what World Expo—none of that is as cool as making money with Brother Sen!

"Pity. One less free laborer."

Chen Yansen spoke in a flat tone, as if the only thing he cared about was that no one would help collect money and load goods for the next few days.

"You beast!"

Wang Zihao rolled his eyes and spat in anger.

Given Wang Ziyan's cute appearance, countless young boys were eagerly fawning over her. Only a son of a bitch like Chen Yansen would think of using his own sister as a drudge.

"Today you're in charge of selling. I've sent the sales script to your QQ. There's still fifty minutes of driving left; hurry up and familiarize yourself with it."

Chen Yansen smiled, his expression serious and solemn.

"Brother Sen, I... I can't do it. Why don't you do it instead?"

Wang Zihao hadn't expected the 'revenge' to come so fast. His nimble lips instantly stuck, and he pleaded, stumbling over his words.

"If you really don't want to do it, I won't force you. I'll just deduct 2,000 from your commission later."

Seeing his cowardly look, Chen Yansen grinned and said.

"Zihao, uncle isn't trying to tell you off, but a man can't say he can't do it. Just go for it!"

After Huang Boxiang had spent a whole day teaching Wang Zihao to drive, their relationship had grown close enough that even the form of address had changed.

"Brother Sen, you must be joking, right?"

Wang Zihao wore a bitter expression and cautiously probed.

Chen Yansen frowned, his gaze sharp, and said to him in a bad mood: "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Damn it! I'm going for it! Anyway, no one in Anfeng knows me."

Wang Zihao gritted his teeth, looking as if he were about to march to the execution ground.

"Haozi, if you want to make big money, you can't be bound by morality, rules, or face. When you're penniless, those things aren't even worth a piece of toilet paper."

Having said that, Chen Yansen ignored Wang Zihao, casually took out his Nokia N78, and threw himself back into his side hustle.

"You don't like singing or playing ball!? Don't guys like playing those things?"

As soon as QQ logged in, the first chat window to pop up was Meng Jie's.

Heh, and you said you weren't interested in me?

The corners of Chen Yansen's mouth curled up slightly. In his past life, he had reviewed many female streamers and cosplayers, but he had never deeply tasted a unique type like Meng Jie.

"Only kids play with that stuff. Want to come to Anfeng? I'll show you the world of adult men."

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Yansen immediately replied to her.

His experience selling goods in Chongqiao Town told him that just he and Wang Zihao simply couldn't handle it all.

So, luring a new free laborer had become President Chen's top priority.

"You're in Anfeng???"

Meng Jie's avatar suddenly lit up.

"No."

Chen Yansen replied simply.

"Then what the hell are you saying!"

The surprise on Meng Jie's face abruptly stopped, and she replied to him in a huff.

"However, I'll be in Anfeng in an hour."

Chen Yansen wore a mischievous grin, deliberately teasing her.

"Who taught you to talk like that? You'll get beaten, you know?"

After Meng Jie clicked send, she added a sticker of a fist punching.

"Meet at the Anfeng Market. I'll send you the exact location a bit later."

Chen Yansen took the initiative to extend the invitation. Free laborers weren't easy to find, so he certainly couldn't miss the chance.

"Hey, hey, hey! I don't think I've agreed to you yet!"

Meng Jie lay on her bed, letting out an indignant "Ah!" and kicked the blanket wrapped around her thighs away.

She did want to see Chen Yansen, but thinking that she had invited him several times and been rejected each time...

... if she just came running whenever Chen Yansen called, that would be too much of a loss of face.

"Don't forget, I like white stockings."

Chen Yansen kindly reminded her.

"Chen Pervert, if you like them, wear them yourself."

Meng Jie grinned, her fingers tapping rapidly on the phone keyboard, replying without any courtesy.

Outside the door, Meng's father looked puzzled, tightened his tie, and asked his wife: "What's wrong with Xiao Jie?"

"Maybe her stomach hurts. I'll make her a bowl of brown sugar water in a bit. Wait, that's not right! Didn't she just have her period last week?"

Meng's mother replied instinctively, then immediately started counting on her fingers and felt something was off again.

"Xiao Jie, are you feeling unwell? Should Dad take you to the hospital?"

Meng's father stood at the door, knocking and asking with concern.

"Huh?! Dad, I'm not sick. By the way, aren't you on shift at Anfeng today?"

Hearing this, Meng Jie yanked open the bedroom door and poked her head out to ask.

"Mm, what's up?"

Meng's father, seeing his daughter was fine, couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and asked with a beaming smile.

"I'll come with you, okay?"

Meng Jie hurriedly grabbed her father's arm and swayed it affectionately. Then, worried her father might get suspicious, she rolled her eyes and added, "I heard the lotuses at Anfeng Pond are blooming—I want to go see them."

"Ouch, you're shaking me dizzy—alright, alright, hurry up and get out of bed then."

Meng's father, an indulgent smile on his face, agreed at once.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

After weighing everything, Chen Yansen had Huang Boxiang park the car on the empty lot at the entrance of the market. Then the three of them began unloading, assembling the folding tables and chairs, stacking the products, and unfurling the poster banners and roll-ups.

With their earlier experience to draw on, the three finished in no time.

"Haozi, showtime—good luck!"

Chen Yansen stepped back, signaling Wang Zihao to begin.

Huang Boxiang stood off to the side grinning foolishly, watching over the goods while waiting to see Wang Zihao make a fool of himself. A handful of sunflower seeds would have made it perfect.

"Hello everyone! We—we're from… Yangcheng Electronics Factory, selling mp3s and mp4s…"

Wang Zihao took a deep breath and began speaking slowly.

His voice rose and fell like ocean waves, instantly drawing dozens of curious gazes.

Wang Zihao was a bit tongue-tied at first, but he managed to keep his sales pitch going. However, the moment the aunties, uncles, and young people locked eyes with him, he immediately panicked.

"Hahahaha—"

"This young fellow's pretty funny—so an mp3 is just like a person, huh!"

"Let's go, let's go! Check out the show!"

"For real? An mp3 for only 49, and it comes with earphones!"

"The day before yesterday my cousin bought an mp4 over at Chongqiao Town for just 199—could it be from these guys?"

In an instant, a crowd gathered around.

"Don't chicken out—keep delivering your lines!"

Chen Yansen ignored the other's pitiful look and warned him in a low voice.

"We—we're staff from Yangcheng Meimo Electronics Factory. Today we came to Anfeng Town mainly to bring benefits to all the folks here!"

"mp3 music players originally priced at 290, 390, 490—today, all of them, one flat price, clearance blowout at just 49 yuan!"

"Walk on by? You absolutely cannot miss this!"

Wang Zihao's face flushed red. Seeing his plea for help was in vain, he could only grit his teeth and start hawking.

As he gradually got used to being stared at, his heartbeat slowly steadied, the flush on his cheeks quietly faded, and the sales pitch in his head came almost automatically.

By the end, he grew more and more excited, climbed right up onto a stool, and recited the sales script with wild gestures.

Just then, Meng Jie arrived and happened to see the whole scene.

"Chen Yansen, Wang Zihao, what is this!?"

Meng Jie's eyes went wide, her face full of disbelief. She looked Wang Zihao up and down, clicking her tongue in amazement.

"Chen Yansen, in an adult man's world is there nothing but markets and peddling stuff?"

Meng Jie teased with a smile.

"Selling stuff is just the means; making money is the goal."

Chen Yansen was unbothered, brushed it off with a casual remark, then urged, "Don't just stand there—come help out!"

So what if we're selling stuff?

Even water sellers can become billionaires!

(End of chapter)