"What’s the price for this?" Xu Nian’an pointed at a tape recorder.
The boss took a look and quoted a price that was even one dollar cheaper than what Ji Shuqin got from the factory.
"And what’s the price for this one?"
"Thirty bucks."
"What about the hairdryer?"
"..."
Xu Nian’an asked about the price of almost all the appliances the boss had displayed. The boss was starting to get a bit impatient. He took a big gulp of water, having spent the whole day busy, and his mouth was dry from answering. This young man, though looking quite young, was really persistent with the pricing.
"Boss, if I want to purchase goods, how much would I have to buy to get a discount? I’m a university student in Ningbei, so if I wanted to ship the goods to Ningbei, would that be possible?" Xu Nian’an inquired politely. After going through the prices, he felt more confident.
"A university student in Ningbei? A student doing business?" The boss looked at Xu Nian’an, seemingly skeptical.
"Really, my name is Xu Nian’an. I’m from South City, but I study in Ningbei."
Xu Nian’an even showed his ID to the boss.
Upon seeing it, the boss broke into a smile and said, "Oh, we’re kind of family then, I also have the last name Xu."
"My name is Xu Cheng." Xu Cheng seemed to be under forty and looked very shrewd.
"Hello, Mr. Xu." Xu Nian’an took the opportunity to get closer.
Xu Cheng thought that Xu Nian’an was probably telling the truth. He said, "If you’re heading to Ningbei, it’s not worth it. Ningbei is far from here, and sending parcels is too expensive."
Xu Cheng shook his head as he said this. "If you take the train and bring it back piece by piece, that’s tough."
"Mr. Xu, I’m genuinely interested in purchasing goods. I see you have a wide variety of electronic products," Xu Nian’an tried to persuade him, thinking these varied products surely could make money.
"Even so, I can’t move them back for you, what can I do?" Xu Cheng shrugged helplessly, looking as if there’s nothing he could do. He wanted to wholesale the goods, but taking a bit of goods wasn’t cost-effective.
"I have a wide variety because my brother specializes in this business." Xu Cheng proudly patted his chest, "My brother has his routes, and guarantees to get the cheapest goods, plus our new products are also the fastest, plentiful, and best."
"Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?" Xu Nian’an listened with a feeling it was bragging.
"I wasn’t exaggerating. I tell you, my brother is really amazing." Xu Cheng kept boasting about his brother but didn’t explain it thoroughly.
Xu Nian’an checked the time and decided to come back tomorrow.
"Nian’an, you finally returned." Pei Yicheng saw him safely back at the hotel near the hospital and let out a sigh of relief. If Xu Nian’an really couldn’t find anyone, how would he explain it to Nianhua?
"Sorry, Brother Cheng, I lost track of time while wandering." Xu Nian’an scratched his head apologetically and started talking about his experiences today after dinner with Pei Yicheng.
"Hai City seems quite bustling, but if you are purchasing goods here, adding on transportation fees, the cost would be pretty high."
Pei Yicheng kindly reminded him.
"Ah, but I haven’t seen such a complete set of things back in Ningbei." Xu Nian’an sighed and asked, "By the way, Yicheng, how did you find things over here?"
"There are many people, and the purchasing power is decent too. If I want to open a Liunian here, it should be possible. But I plan to wait another year." Pei Yicheng’s words stirred Xu Nian’an’s curiosity.