Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from Japan

"Are you buying this computer mainly for your own use?"

Lu Mingfei, who frequented computer and game malls every day in his past life, knew that this step for merchants was to inquire about user needs. By identifying the primary user, they could then develop a recommendation strategy.

A familiar voice, as if from another world, came through: "Yes."

Generally, the shop owner will then ask the customer what configuration they need. On the surface, this is to inquire about the customer's requirements, but in reality, it's to gauge the customer's level of computer knowledge.

If you reveal that you are a novice at this time...

Congratulations! You've just received a grand prize of being ripped off by computer mall vendors.

Sure enough, the boss then asked Chen Wenwen what configuration her computer was, and Chen Wenwen indeed showed her lack of knowledge at this point.

The boss smiled slightly, his lips curving upwards, and suddenly became enthusiastic.

"Would you like to take a look at this computer? It has a white body, a beautiful appearance, and it's small and lightweight, perfect for girls like you. It's an NEC brand, a top-tier brand, so the quality is absolutely top-notch. The processor is also from the internationally renowned AMD, using the latest nanometer-level technology..."

The boss went on and on, leaving Chen Wenwen completely bewildered.

Seeing that Chen Wenwen was still hesitating, the boss brought out his ultimate move.

"If you're worried about the product quality, don't worry. Every computer you buy from our store comes with a two-year warranty. If there are any problems with your computer within those two years, you can bring it back to us."

Seeing Chen Wenwen's wavering expression, the boss felt that this deal was done.

These female students are the easiest to fool. They don't know anything about computers, so just use a few technical terms and you can close the deal nine times out of ten.

Finally, we sold these money-losing goods that had been sitting in the warehouse.

The boss was basking in the joy of successfully overcharging his customers.

Chen Wenwen hesitated for a long time, her mind wavering. Just as she was about to say, "Let's choose this computer," a hand suddenly pressed down on her from behind.

"NEC's LaVie U series? Could it be a Duron processor?"

Lu Mingfei walked to Chen Wenwen's side, his eyes sweeping over Chen Wenwen's somewhat surprised expression, before looking at the shop owner behind the counter.

……

Chapter 83 was just a casual remark.

Having returned from the future and having studied in Japan, Lu Mingfei naturally knew what the boss meant by the top-tier brand NEC.

NEC sounds like a European or American brand, but it's actually a computer brand from Japan, known as NEC in Taiwan. Its main business is communication services; laptops are just a side business.

Since laptops are just an add-on service, don't expect them to have high product quality.

Aside from its attractive exterior design, it can only be said that it embodies the Japanese spirit of meticulous craftsmanship.

Most importantly, Lu Mingfei remembered that NEC announced back at the beginning of the millennium that the Lvaie series of laptops would only be available in the international Japanese market, and that this series of laptops should not be produced in China. Perhaps Taiwan would import a small number.

In other words, the laptop that the boss recommended to Chen Wenwen was a complete piece of imported junk.

Just as Chen Wenwen was about to buy it, a boy suddenly appeared and stopped her. The shop owner was so angry that his lips were trembling, and he almost pointed at Lu Mingfei's nose and yelled, "Who the hell are you?"

But then the boss remembered that he still needed to do business with Chen Wenwen and couldn't afford to reveal his poor character.

So the words that were on the tip of my tongue turned out to be: "Excuse me, who are you?"

Chen Wenwen was also staring intently at Lu Mingfei, as if she also wanted to ask the same question.

“I’m her classmate, and I came with her to buy a computer. I even asked about the price here before.”

"Classmate?" The shopkeeper was taken aback, somewhat suspicious. "Then why weren't you here just now?"

"I went to another store to look at computers, and I just got back."

As he spoke, Lu Mingfei turned his head to look at the girl beside him.

"Right, Chen Wenwen?"

A hint of surprise and panic flashed in Chen Wenwen's eyes, and her lips trembled slightly, but in the end she said nothing, only nodded and gave a soft "hmm".

When Lu Mingfei said he was a classmate of the girl who came to buy a computer, the shop owner was still somewhat suspicious.

After all, the two of them didn't come together.

He figured the guy who suddenly appeared was probably just passing by, saw the girl was pretty, and wanted to show off so he could strike up a conversation with her.

However, after seeing Lu Mingfei call out the girl's name and the girl respond, the boss became a little unsure.

Having run a business in the computer mall for so many years, the boss is a tough nut to crack. If it's the former, he can easily dismiss the person with a few words. But if it's the latter, then things are more complicated.

He had seen many boys and girls buying computers together, usually young couples. Even if they weren't couples, they were classmates or friends with a somewhat ambiguous relationship.

Computers are considered relatively personal electronic products. If a girl asks a guy to accompany her to buy a computer, it means she trusts him a lot.

The boss cursed Lu Mingfei inwardly. Why did he have to come back just when the girl was about to nod and pay?

But now that things have come to this, the only hope for closing the deal is that the guy in front of her is clueless and that her sales pitch can fool the girl.

Many people who don't know much about computers are easily swayed by salespeople, and they often believe them as if they've been bewitched.

This kind of thing happened to Lu Mingfei's aunt. In his previous life, Lu Mingze graduated from high school and was going to university, so he was planning to buy a new laptop. His aunt messaged Lu Mingfei asking which brand of computer was good. Lu Mingfei recommended a laptop to his aunt and told her roughly how much she should pay.

A few days later, when Lu Mingfei returned from summer vacation, he was dumbfounded. His aunt hadn't bought the model he recommended, but instead bought a laptop manufactured two years prior. The price was also several thousand yuan higher than the normal retail price.

When Lu Mingfei told his aunt that he had been scammed, his aunt didn't believe him. She said that it was sold to her by her colleague's brother. They were all acquaintances. How could he possibly cheat me? He's a professional in this business. Doesn't he know more about it than I do?

After that, Lu Mingfei fell silent and never mentioned the computer again.

"Hey kid, you seem to know a lot about computers?" the boss asked Lu Mingfei, deciding to find out more about him first.

If he's only half-baked... then we'll fool him too, and get him to clear out his inventory.

In this era of information asymmetry, there are relatively few channels to learn about computer hardware. As a result, business owners often encounter people who seem knowledgeable at first glance, but actually only have a superficial understanding of computers.

Unfortunately, Lu Mingfei is not that kind of person.

"It's alright, I know a little bit," Lu Mingfei said calmly.

"Knowing a little bit" has two meanings. One is that you really only know a tiny bit, and the other is that you know a "billion" bit.

Lu Mingfei's answer was quite tactful; the boss, unable to uncover Lu Mingfei's true nature, decided to try again.

“If you know about computers, it will be much easier for you. You must know the NEC brand, it’s a big international brand. And the processor is also from AMD, both are big brands… You can introduce them to this girl.”

Lu Mingfei nodded, "I know NEC and AMD, they are indeed big brands."

I thought he was some kind of expert, but it turns out he's just a half-baked idiot.

When the boss heard Lu Mingfei say this, he thought that Lu Mingfei had finally revealed his true level under his probing.

Just as he was feeling smug, he heard Lu Mingfei continue:

"But I remember that NEC no longer has official sourcing channels in mainland China, right?"

The boss was taken aback, then immediately forced a smile:

"How could that be? NEC has always had stock in mainland China. It's just that the brand is relatively high-end and niche. You might not know that."

Seeing this, Lu Mingfei didn't say much, but continued to point out the problems:

"Judging from the model number, this generation of NEC's Lvaie series laptops should all be equipped with the Athlon 700M processor, which was released five or six years ago."

"How could it be five or six years old? Look at this notebook, it's brand new. It was just opened in front of this girl. Don't believe me? Ask her."

Seeing that the boss was still being stubborn, Lu Mingfei prepared to deliver the final blow:

"If we buy this computer, can you issue a proper VAT invoice? The kind with an official seal."

These smuggled foreign waste items, which are of unknown origin, usually do not have proper purchase invoices. Since there are no purchase invoices, it is difficult to issue the corresponding value-added tax invoices.

After all, your shop doesn't have a legitimate source for this brand of computers. Once an invoice is issued and stamped with the company seal, that becomes irrefutable evidence.

If someone reports you, the market supervision department will be able to find out about your problem 100%.

The boss was already terrified when he saw that Lu Mingfei even knew such industry secrets.

Moreover, he knew that his shop's problems didn't stop there. Even if the other party didn't provide an invoice, a report would uncover a whole host of issues. At that point, fines would be a minor matter, forced closure would be another; who knew…

Seeing that the boss suddenly stopped talking, Chen Wenwen understood everything.

"Shall we try another one?" Lu Mingfei suggested.

Chen Wenwen hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently: "Okay."

"Wait a minute, classmate."

The two had just turned around when the boss called them back.

Turning around, the shop owner had already taken another laptop out from under the counter, and said with a smile.

"If you don't like that computer, how about this one? It's an HP, a new model released this year, also white, very pretty, and would suit this young lady perfectly..."

Lu Mingfei checked the model number and confirmed that it was indeed a newly released design.

"Take a look at this one and see what you think of its appearance?" Lu Mingfei handed the computer to Chen Wenwen.

Chen Wenwen took the notebook from Lu Mingfei's hand. The instant their fingers accidentally touched, Chen Wenwen quickly withdrew them. "It's quite nice," Chen Wenwen said softly.

"What's the lowest price you can offer for this laptop?" Lu Mingfei asked.

The shop owner gritted his teeth and wrote down a price in the notebook on the counter. Even Lu Mingfei was somewhat surprised when he saw the price.

This price is even cheaper than the initial launch price of this computer, which is probably the cost price from the provincial distributor.

Lu Mingfei didn't expect that his casual tap would result in such a large discount from the boss.

"This price is quite reasonable, do you want to buy this one?"

In terms of appearance alone, this one is even better looking than the previous one, and it's also thinner and lighter. Chen Wenwen also quite likes it.

Hearing Lu Mingfei say the price was right, Chen Wenwen nodded decisively.

"Then let's buy this one."

The boss sold a brand-new HP laptop at cost price, and his heart was bleeding.

But there's nothing I can do; I've run into a troublemaker, so I'll just consider it a loss to avoid further trouble.

The boss was inwardly miserable, but he still had to put on a smiling face and take out an unopened laptop, wrapping it up for Chen Wenwen, box and all.

Just as he finished packing and handed it to Chen Wenwen, Lu Mingfei, who was standing next to him, suddenly spoke up again.

"Wait a moment!"