Chapter 52: Making Money!
This meant she could send mail-order catalogs to everyone she knew! If so, wouldn’t points be well within her grasp?
However, the system poured cold water right all over her.
“The host’s current level is too low. A Level 0 host only deserves to have one mail-order customer!”
Lin Wan hurriedly checked the upgrade requirements. Going from Level 0 to Level 1 required a deduction of 500 points. Her enthusiasm was instantly extinguished. She could only pin her hopes on Zhang Jun stepping up and buying a watch quickly!
The next morning, Zhang Jun dashed out the door in a massive hurry. He was on wedding leave. With the wedding happening tomorrow, he still had a mountain of things to purchase today. In the afternoon, he had to pre-cook the meat and vegetables so that tomorrow they would only need to add the various greens for a quick toss in the wok.
Just as he reached the gate of the family compound, the old gatekeeper uncle called out to halt him. “Little Zhang, there’s a letter for you.”
Hearing this, Zhang Jun quickly accepted the letter. One look at the sender’s address—PO Box 88—and he grew instantly excited. He quickly found a deserted spot to tear it open.
When he saw the words inside: “Slight flaw, no coupon required, 148 a piece.” He couldn’t resist letting out a loud cheer.
He no longer cared about heading to the supply and marketing cooperative. He scrambled home to grab the cash, sprinted straight to the post office, and waited for the doors to open so he could urgently remit the money.
Along the way, he penned another letter to send: “Excuse me, do you have any other men’s or ladies’ wristwatches?”
An ecstatic heart! Trembling hands! Wristwatches were sold at an exceptionally exorbitant price on the black market! A watch that required no coupon for only 148 yuan—even if it had a slight flaw, if he resold it for 180 yuan, it would definitely be no problem, right?
A single resale would net him 32 yuan! That was practically equivalent to a whole month’s wages!
Lin Wan received the letter and the remittance before noon. The moment the 148 yuan landed in her hands, 148 points were secured as well.
Adding her previous points, she now held 305 points. If it weren’t for the fact that this damn system deducted points whenever she wanted it to do absolutely anything, Lin Wan felt she could upgrade right this instant!
She secretly slipped into the restroom to pen a reply to Zhang Jun, simultaneously mailing the wristwatch to him. This fellow clearly wanted to act as a middleman reseller. Then she absolutely had to nurture him!
“Inquire in advance regarding whatever highly sought-after supplies you need. It’s not guaranteed to be available, but I will figure out a way!”
“Currently, there is still one men’s Shanghai watch, slight flaw, no coupon required, 168 a piece.”
“One men’s Soviet Victory watch, slight flaw, no coupon required, 148 a piece.”
She absolutely had to practice scarcity marketing, keeping things slow and measured. It wasn’t easy to secure a downline, so she couldn’t let him get too big for his boots and end up compromised—that would be a total disaster. Then her only downline would be gone. Her pitiful, solitary downline seedling—she had to cherish him properly!
The letter was sent out. Points +1.
Total points: 306. Still short of 194 points to rise to Level 1. She just needed to sell one more watch, and the remaining dozens of points would be much easier to handle!
Because she had successfully developed a downline, Lin Wan was practically flying with joy. She hummed a tune as she stepped out of the restroom.
“Why are you so happy?” Luo Jiahui asked her. Stepping out of a restroom looking thoroughly radiant.
Lin Wan said, “I finally took care of a dump I’ve been holding in for three days. Tell me, how can I not be happy?”
Luo Jiahui: “…” If she had known it was that kind of flavor, she wouldn’t have asked.
Zhang Jun received the package slip in the afternoon. He shoved the massive ladle in his hand straight into his father’s grasp. “Dad, I’m heading to the post office!”
His father barked, “You brat, get the hell back here! Your dad’s backside is practically smoking from all this busyness, yet you’re still running outside, you absolute bastard!”
Zhang Jun recalled the contents of the reply. He trotted straight back, pulling his father and older brother into the room and slamming the door shut.
“What time do you think it is that you’re still causing a scene? Behave yourself!” Father Zhang raised a hand to strike him, but Eldest Brother Zhang quickly held him back. “Dad, don’t beat him into bad shape. Tomorrow Little Brother still has to fetch the bride!”
While dodging, Zhang Jun said anxiously, “I came to find you two because I have a great opportunity. A rock-solid buddy of mine can secure slightly flawed wristwatches that require no coupons.”
“A men’s Shanghai watch for 258 yuan, no coupon required, slight flaw.”
“A men’s Soviet Victory watch, also a slight flaw, no coupon required, for 188 yuan!”
“Do you two want them or not? If you do, hurry up and hand over the money so I can deliver it to seal the deal. We can collect them tomorrow!”
Father Zhang and Eldest Brother Zhang didn’t believe such a great thing existed. “You aren’t getting scammed, are you?”
Zhang Jun stamped his foot. “No way! The meat was secured with the help of this precise buddy. His capabilities are remarkably grand!”
“I asked him to help secure a ladies’ Shanghai watch, and I’m heading out right now to collect it! Alright, alright, I can’t delay any longer! Anyway, whenever a good opportunity comes up, I keep you two in mind! If they run out later, don’t you dare blame me for not uttering a word!” With that, Zhang Jun turned to leave.
He truly was exceptionally smart—selling to his own biological father and older brother carried absolutely zero risk! Hahahahaha!
Father Zhang’s heart tingled with craving, yet he was terrified of being scammed. Stamping his foot, he barked, “Stand right there!” Then he said to his eldest son, “Eldest, take the money and go with him. If there truly are watches, hand over the cash!”
Eldest Brother Zhang’s heart was also running wild with craving! He had wanted a watch for the longest time too! It was just that he had never managed to secure a wristwatch coupon, and his industrial coupons couldn’t be gathered enough even after saving for ages.
“Then Dad, you take the Shanghai, and I’ll take the Victory!” He also turned back to his room to have his wife fetch the cash, carrying his biological father’s money along with him as he headed to the post office with Zhang Jun.
Once they collected the package, the two squeezed into a restroom stall to tear it open. One look—”Holy crap!”
“Solid steel watch!”
“It even features a calendar!”
“Where on earth is the flaw?”
“How come I don’t see any flaw at all?”
“Just this for 188?”
“On the black market, it would cost at least a hundred more!”
“Youngest! Hurry up, give the cash to that buddy of yours and buy the watches for me and Dad!”
“Oh my, this buddy of yours is truly loyal enough. He genuinely didn’t make a single cent off you!”
Eldest Brother Zhang stared at the Shanghai ladies’ watch in his hand with intense adoration, wishing he could fetch a magnifying glass to inspect where the flaw lay. He thought to himself that this usually good-for-nothing younger brother of his had truly made something of himself!
Zhang Jun collected the cash and quickly went to the post office counter to process the remittance.
“Rest assured, Brother! The watches will arrive tomorrow!” Zhang Jun snatched the ladies’ watch back and carefully stowed it away in his breast pocket. This was the surprise he intended to present to his bride tomorrow when fetching her!
While the bride’s surprise had to wait until the next day, Lin Wan received her surprise first. She received Zhang Jun’s remittance! A grand total of 316 yuan!
Keep in mind that the purchasing power of one yuan in this era, calculated based on essential livelihood goods, was equivalent to thirty to a hundred yuan in the modern era. Even if calculated conservatively at fifty yuan, the 464 yuan for the three watches was equivalent to 23,200 yuan in the modern era! The wholesale price she paid for these three watches did not exceed two hundred yuan!
Selling these highly sought-after goods truly is the way to make money! Calculating it this way, the cost for bicycles and sewing machines was actually higher than for wristwatches, and the profit earned from selling them wasn’t nearly as massive either! Ah! She ought to have gone all-in on wristwatches!
Lin Wan felt only a tiny, subtle trace of regret. Her mood exploded with pure bliss! She nimbly mailed the wristwatches to Zhang Jun, throwing in a small gift as a bonus—a pair of pillowcases featuring the red Double Happiness emblem. A good downline deserved a reward! That was the only way to keep him motivated!
Glancing at her points, it had increased by 317 points, bringing her total to 622 points! Lin Wan decisively selected to upgrade. With 500 points deducted, she rose from Level 0 to Level 1!
Mail-order bindable customers increased by one! Added potential customer prompt function. Each prompt consumes 100 points. Level 1 upgrading to Level 2 requires 122/2000 points!
Once she reached Level 2, the mail-order bindable customers would increase by another one, and the service to issue receipts/invoices for designated units would be unlocked.
Lin Wan: “…” Detestable! The absolute villainous capitalists exploit far too severely! The dead skinflint only increases the mail-order customers by a single slot after raising a whole level!
Still… a mere two thousand points—selling a few more big-ticket items will bring it right out! Lin Wan was completely brimming with drive.
The moment she clocked in for the afternoon shift, she hid in the restroom and covertly used the system to dial the post office line, spending five points to alter her voice.
“Hello, I am Huang Guixiang from the Waixi Street Supply and Marketing Cooperative. I’m looking for Lin Wan.”
