National Tide 1980.

As a member of the mutual aid association, Lao Zhao, who came from Northeast China, had already been completely won over by the small appliances from Da Dao Wu.

He squatted in front of a rice cooker, his rough fingers repeatedly rubbing the product's outer casing, his brow furrowing slightly.

He has been in Japan for two years and has been using the old stove left by his landlord. He has to keep an eye on the food while cooking, afraid that it will burn. He is the kind of person who has real needs but is short of money.

Finally, after staring at the price tag three times, he picked up the rice cooker and went to ask a clerk in the appliance department.

"Brother, I'm a member of the mutual aid society. Could you please take a look and see if this is really a secondhand item?"

"Yes. Of course it's used." The clerk checked the packaging and assured her confidently.

"Then why does it look so new? There's not even a trace of use on the exterior." Old Zhao was puzzled. "Could the price tag be wrong?"

"Oh, no. You might not know this, but we have to clean and refurbish them thoroughly before putting them on the shelves so that customers are more willing to buy them. Besides, the one you chose is already 90% new and has hardly been used at all."

"Oh, is that so? I didn't have this service when I went to the warehouse to pick up my goods before."

Old Zhao was a little skeptical, but the shop assistant quickly dispelled his doubts.

“We didn’t have the resources back then. As you said, it was a warehouse then, but now it’s a store, so naturally we have to do what we should do. But don’t worry, the mutual aid society’s membership points can still be redeemed directly. And for these basic necessities, the price is 50% off.”

"That's fine, that's fine."

Old Zhao pulled his membership card out of his pocket. He remembered that he still had more than 4,000 points on it, which was enough.

This rice cooker is now priced at 2,200 yen, which means he can take it home for just 1,100 points.

But then he hesitated, because he had never used such a high-end appliance before, and this rice cooker was too cheap.

He was a little unsure whether he knew how to use it, or whether there were any drawbacks he was unaware of.

"But... but why has this thing only been used a few times? Is it not very useful?"

His words directly revealed his excessive worry, so the shop assistant had to try to persuade him again.

"Don't worry. This rice cooker is very simple and easy to use. Basically, you just put in rice and water and press a button. The reason it's so new isn't because of any quality issues, but because the Japanese love to waste things. Maybe if they don't like the appearance or color, they'll just throw it away. That's fine, if it really doesn't work, you can just return it. I'm also a member of the mutual aid society, I wouldn't lie to you. Just look for me next time you come..."

In this way, Lao Zhao was finally relieved. There was no other reason than that his greatest source of trust was that Xianghu was a member of the mutual aid association.

He can distrust anyone, but he cannot distrust the rules of the mutual aid society.

In Tokyo, only someone who no longer wants the membership would dare to deceive their fellow countrymen.

"Okay, I'll buy it then. Thank you. I'll cook some rice tonight and try this stuff."

As he carried the rice cooker, his back was ramrod straight, and he felt incredibly at ease, making his steps lighter.

Mr. Chen, an overseas Chinese in Tokyo, also experienced similar shopping joy as Mr. Zhao.

Because he had a job interview next week, he stood in front of the suit counter for a long time after entering the store.

Every now and then he would pick up a set of dark gray suits and try them on.

Japanese people pay attention to their attire during job interviews, and jobs are hard to find these days. The suit he was wearing was bought five years ago, and the cuffs were badly worn, making him look particularly shabby.

Therefore, he was very worried that he would be laughed at for wearing this old clothes to the job interview, and that he would waste this rare opportunity.

"Oh, excuse me, I'd like to ask, they're all suits, so why is the suit I have so much more expensive than the others?"

A sales clerk who was tidying up the clothing racks came over when he asked, and after seeing the clothes in his hand and the direction he was pointing, she smiled and explained.

"Sir, the clothes you have are brand new. And Pierre Cardin is an international clothing brand from France. Although it's not particularly high-end, it's a well-known mid-range brand. As for the clothes you're referring to, they are second-hand clothes that have been disinfected and cleaned, mostly Japanese brands. Since they've been worn, the prices are naturally different."

"That's right."

Mr. Chen couldn't help but look at the used clothes. "But the price difference is too huge. These suits, which are 80-90% new, only cost three or four thousand yen, while the brand-new suits you mentioned cost twenty thousand yen. The price difference is several times. Isn't this a bit excessive?"

The sales clerk remained calm and patiently explained, "How could that be? Sir, brand new items and used items are completely different things. Forgive my bluntness, but even a brand new suit from a minor brand costs over 15,000 yuan. Let alone a French brand. I can guarantee you 100%. The price you're seeing now is actually the lowest price Pierre Cardin has ever offered. And you'll never find such a good deal again."

However, Mr. Chen clearly thought this was an exaggeration.

"How can you be so sure? What if you offer an even lower discount later?"

"Sir, you may not know this, but these Pierre Cardin garments in our store are actually leftover stock that the company gradually withdrew from various shopping malls. I can reveal a little insider information to you: Pierre Cardin no longer plans to cooperate with shopping malls and intends to open its own exclusive stores in the future. Therefore, these goods are only being sold at low prices in our store because of the huge changes caused by Pierre Cardin's current business restructuring. Once they are sold out, that's it, and there will be no more restock. You're quite lucky to have found them."

As the salesperson smoothed out the wrinkles in Mr. Chen's suit, they pointed to the tag on the inside and said, "Look, sir, the fabric is all imported from Europe, made in a local Japanese factory. The quality is better than those international brands that produce overseas. The key is the excellent cut; it's designed by the French master Pierre Carton. You really get what you pay for. A branded suit like this will significantly enhance your style. Only the wearer will know it's different from an ordinary suit. That's why it's usually not discounted. If it were sold in a specialty store, it would cost at least 40,000 to 50,000 yen. Now it's more than half the price! You can buy an international brand suit for the price of a full Aoyama suit—don't you think it's worth it?"

Mr. Chen looked in the mirror again and again, then touched his stubble and seemed to agree that it was indeed true.

Suddenly laughed.

"What you say makes some sense. I'll give it a try then."

And you know what? The moment he put on the suit, his back straightened up considerably, and he made up his mind on the spot. "This is it, I want a suit."

As I left, I waved goodbye to the salesperson, saying, "Thank you for your recommendation. If it really works, I'll come back to buy another set next month."

In addition to its main selling point of "cheapness," the diversity of its product range and its exceptionally large inventory are another major advantage of Daitoya's business.

Since Sun Wufu's sword business has been established in Tokyo for two years, its business model has long been on the right track as a leader in the industry.

Today, the sword industry has not only established itself in Katsushika Ward, but is also planning to open a branch factory in Adachi Ward.

After two years of accumulation, our inventory is now abundant and plentiful.

Not only can it guarantee the continued delivery of inexpensive and high-quality goods to the mainland of the Republic, but the remainder is also sufficient to be sold to consumers in Japan through Daiki-ya.

The ever-increasing volume of goods being handled daily is actually putting immense pressure on Sun Wufu, forcing him to continuously expand the warehouse area. As a result, the variety of goods sold at Da Dao Wu is beyond most people's imagination.

You should know that, in the eyes of the guests who come here today, the Great Sword Shop doesn't look like a new shop at all.

Here you can find not only kitchenware, furniture, appliances, miscellaneous items, and musical instruments, but also clothing, vintage luxury goods, shoes, hats, lighters, back scratchers, shoehorns, and saws.

Even cultural and entertainment products such as comic books, cassette tapes, CDs, videotapes, toys, figurines, and game cartridges, as well as sports equipment such as surfboards, tennis balls, golf clubs, and outdoor camping gear, are all available.

It's no exaggeration to say that this place is a super treasure trove for bargain hunters.

In terms of product variety, it completely surpasses large supermarkets and is comparable to large department stores.

If you can think of it, you can probably find it here. Anyone who comes here and wants to hunt for treasures will always find something that will move them.

Therefore, there are both a wide variety of interesting products and affordable prices.

It's easy to imagine how tempting this would be for people who value cost-effectiveness.

It's no exaggeration to say that this place is actually more popular than Da Dao Wu Chan.

Everyone who comes here wants to spend some time browsing around and see if there's anything that catches their eye.

Wearing sunglasses, Takeda followed the crowd to watch the excitement. He had been a regular in Kabukicho and was a small leader in the Yakuza group, collecting protection money for his boss and maintaining order on the streets.

However, despite being just one of the lowest-ranking members of the yakuza, his attire was quite conspicuous and flamboyant. Not only did the gold ring on his finger gleam under the lights, but he also had a striking tattoo on his neck.

He had a subordinate following behind him. As soon as he entered, he barged in as if no one else was there, his leather shoes making a "thump-thump" sound on the floor. He smirked and said, "So it's just a small secondhand shop run by Chinese people. What good stuff could there be here?"

But as he was browsing, his gaze was drawn to a particular item in the women's clothing section.

His steps faltered involuntarily, then he rushed over, and after picking up two sets of women's clothing from the shelf, he was stunned, then cried out in unison, "Am I dreaming?! How can they even have things like this here?!"

Undoubtedly, his exaggerated behavior attracted the attention of the shop assistants. However, just as the shop assistants were startled, thinking they had provoked a troublesome customer, and walked over with great trepidation, they were unexpectedly met with his extremely enthusiastic smile.

"Hey, I said, are the prices for these two outfits correct? Are you sure you want to sell them?"

"That's right. It's 9,800 yen per set." The shop assistant glanced at it and nodded in confirmation.

"Okay, okay, I'll take both sets. Where do I pay?"

"Ah, it's over there." The shop assistant couldn't help but remind her, still a little doubtful. "But sir, this is women's clothing. It's a flight attendant's uniform. Are you sure you want it?"

"of course."

Takeda nodded without hesitation, and even handed the shop assistant a business card, "If you still have these uniforms or similar items in the future, please give me a call. I'll take as many as you have. By the way, your shop is really great."

After saying that, he happily went to pay, leaving the bewildered shop assistant standing there staring blankly at his retreating figure.

Have the Yakuza, who looked so terrifying, become so good-natured now?

Once he received the two sets of clothes, Takeda handed them to his subordinates and went out to make a phone call.

He found a public phone booth, inserted coins, and dialed a shop owner he knew in Kabukicho.

"Hello, this is Takeda from the Ryukawa Group, ma'am. I have two sets of Japan Airlines flight attendant uniforms, would you be interested...?"

"Of course it's a genuine product. Although it looks like a style from ten years ago, it's definitely not a fake..."

"Don't ask me how I got it, I just want to know how much you're willing to pay..."

"What? No, no, you're only offering 180,000 yen for two sets of uniforms? That's too little. No way, at least 250,000 yen. If you're not willing, I'll find someone else..."

"Forget it then. Don't think I'm a fool. Who in your line of work wouldn't want something this good? There are plenty of wealthy people willing to pay a high price for something like this. The moment your people wear it, your fees will immediately double..."

Meanwhile, a stylish couple who happened to wander into the store out of boredom also found something that appealed to them.

After all, the most famous department store in the Ikebukuro area is the PARCO flagship store.

Since the 1970s, PARCO, which originated from Nishiura Department Store, has become the most popular shopping mall among Japan's trend-conscious young people.

Therefore, there are many young people in this area who pursue novelty and originality.

Just like today, this young couple who had just finished shopping at the mall also came to this store.

Despite initially showing disdain, I found myself stopping involuntarily when I reached the photography equipment area.

The man bent down, picked up a camera from the shelf, wiped the lens with a handkerchief, and examined it over and over, his brows gradually relaxing from a tense expression.

"Great, I actually found this. I just don't know if it actually works? No, I need to ask someone..."

"What kind of camera is this? It looks so strange," the girl beside him couldn't help but ask.

"Idiot, this is a Canon instant camera. I wanted to buy it when it first came out two years ago, but the official stores charged 180,000 yen. Look, it's only 50,000 here. Ah, it's just a pity that if I buy it, I won't have enough money to watch movies..."

"Then don't buy it. I don't see any advantage in it. All it does is make things more convenient, like not having to develop film. Is it really that important..."

"Of course. The most important thing is not having to develop film. Just think, if I had this, not only could we see the results of the photos anytime we went on trips, but we could also take private photos just for us when we were alone. The kind of photos where we're in special situations and poses. Don't you want to record our youth in every way possible...?"

Just as the man was embracing the woman and saying suggestive things, the shop assistant appeared at the most inopportune moment, suddenly popping out from under the opposite shelf like a mushroom.

"Sir, this camera has only been used twice, the lens has no scratches, and we offer a six-month warranty. If you'd like, you can take a test shot."

The couple was clearly not expected to be disturbed at this time, and they were immediately stunned, as if they had seen something supernatural.

The man, in particular, looked at the shop assistant with suspicion, inevitably wondering if the man had overheard something. (End of Chapter)