One Yuan First Recharge: I'm Actually the Boss Behind a Fortune 500 Company

After preparing for a while, the two set off for the town.

The market was even more bustling now, packed with people, making it impossible for cars to get in. Wang Hao parked the car in a parking lot outside the town, and the two walked in.

The home appliance market is located at the west end of the town, in a three-story building with a sign that reads "Honest Home Appliances".

As we entered, a male shop owner in his thirties greeted us: "What would you two like to buy? Today is the last day of the big sale, everything is on sale."

Wu Liang stepped forward: "Boss, do you have an air conditioner, refrigerator, washing machine, and sofa here?"

"Yes, yes, yes, we have it all!" The boss's eyes lit up. "This way, this way, please."

Let's look at the air conditioner first.

"This 1.5 horsepower unit can be used for both heating and cooling, and it has a first-class energy efficiency rating, making it perfect for bedrooms," the shop owner explained.

"How much?" Wang Hao asked.

"The original price was 3,200, but since it's market day today, I'll give it to you for 2,800."

Wu Liang touched the air conditioner casing: "Boss, this price isn't fair. I've seen this model online; it's at most 2,500."

"Oh, online is online, this is a physical store, we include installation and after-sales service, it's different," the shop owner said.

"But you can't charge this much more." Wu Liang began to demonstrate his bargaining skills:

"Okay, here's the deal: this air conditioner, that refrigerator, that washing machine, and that sofa—give me a package price."

The shopkeeper looked at Wang Hao: "You want all of these?"

"I want them both," Wang Hao nodded.

The shopkeeper took out a calculator and pressed a few keys for a while: "The air conditioner is 2,800, this double-door refrigerator is 2,300, the fully automatic washing machine is 1,600, this sofa set is 2,200... That's 8,900 in total. I'll round it down to 8,800 for you."

Wu Liang laughed: "Boss, your price cut is practically useless. Here's the deal, a fixed price of seven thousand five."

"Seven thousand five?!" The boss's eyes widened. "No way, no way, I can't even get the goods at that price."

"Why can't I get in?" Wu Liang counted on his fingers:

"I've inquired about the air conditioner; the wholesale price for your model is just over two thousand. The refrigerator is one thousand eight, the washing machine one thousand two, and the sofa one thousand five. That adds up to six thousand five, and you sell it for seven thousand five, making a profit of one thousand, which is quite a lot."

The shop owner was both amused and exasperated: "Young man, you can't calculate it like that. I also have rent, utilities, labor costs..."

"It's the last day of the market, boss." Wu Liang patted him on the shoulder:

"If we don't sell today, we'll have to wait until next year."

"Seven thousand five hundred, if that's okay, we'll take it; if not, we'll look elsewhere. There are other appliance stores in town besides yours."

The boss hesitated.

Wang Hao spoke up at the opportune moment: "Boss, we sincerely want to buy. If it's feasible, we can pay the full amount today. And I'll recommend you to all my friends who need to buy home appliances in the future."

The boss looked at Wang Hao, then at Wu Liang, and gritted his teeth: "Seven thousand eight! That's the lowest I can go; any lower and I really can't."

Wu Liang looked at Wang Hao, and Wang Hao nodded.

"Okay, seven thousand eight," Wu Liang said, "but delivery and installation are included."

"Don't worry, it'll definitely be covered." The boss breathed a sigh of relief.

"Please leave your address, I'll deliver it to you this afternoon. It's market day today, we're really too busy this morning."

"What time in the afternoon?"

"Around 3 o'clock, or at the latest 4 o'clock."

"Okay, it's settled then." Wang Hao left his address and phone number and paid the deposit.

As Wu Liang left the appliance store, he said smugly, "How about that? Saved over a thousand, right?"

"Thanks, Liangzi, you're a master at bargaining," Wang Hao said with a smile.

"That's right, don't you know who I am?" Wu Liang chuckled. "What are you buying next? Didn't you already buy your New Year's goods?"

"Buy some firecrackers," Wang Hao said. "Buy a lot."

Wu Liang nodded: "Then let's go now."

The two walked toward the firecracker stall.

The firecracker stalls in the town are concentrated in an open space at the east end of the town. The stalls, big and small, are lined up one after another, with bright red firecrackers stacked into towers and fireworks piled up like mountains.

"Do you want to release more this year?" Wu Liang asked.

"Hmm." Wang Hao looked at the firecrackers and thought of his childhood:

"Back when my family was poor, we would buy a few strings of firecrackers for the New Year, and set off half of them during the New Year's Eve dinner and the other half at midnight."

"I felt envious when I saw other people setting off fireworks."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Now that I have money, I want to have a good time."

"Let's set off a few fireworks during the New Year's Eve dinner, and a few more at midnight, to make our place a little more lively."

"Haozi, your idea is correct," Wu Liang said earnestly.

"Whether a person is doing well or not can be judged by how many fireworks they set off during the New Year."

"We've both done well this year, so let's buy more to celebrate."

I walked up to a stall, where the owner, a dark-skinned man, was busy loading customers' cars.

"Boss, how much are the firecrackers?" Wang Hao asked.

"This kind with 1000 shots is 20. Two thousand shots is 35. Five thousand shots is 80," the shopkeeper said while busy working.

"Over here, these small fireworks cost thirty, while these large fireworks range from 180 to 500."

Wu Liang squatted down and looked at the package: "Boss, we want a lot, give us a discount."

How much do you want?

Wang Hao thought for a moment: "Give me ten strings of five thousand-shot fireworks, five strings of two thousand-shot fireworks, and ten strings of one thousand-shot fireworks. Give me twenty small fireworks and ten large fireworks."

The boss stopped what he was doing, looked up at him, and asked, "Do you really want this much?"

"Really?"

The shopkeeper did the math: "Well... I'll give you 75 for 5,000 firecrackers, 30 for 2,000, and 18 for 1,000. Small firecrackers are 25, and large firecrackers are 300."

"It's still too expensive." Wu Liang shook his head. "How about this, give us another 20% off the total price."

"20% off won't do, 10% off is better."

Wu Liang said, "My family needs to buy one too. Boss, with this configuration, could you give me another one at a 20% discount?"

The boss was surprised for a moment, then quickly nodded: "No problem!"

"However, you'll have to pay for the delivery yourself. I can find a vehicle for you, but I'm busy right now and can't deliver."

"Okay, you load it into the truck for us."

The boss called over two employees and also contacted a truck with two cargo trucks.

The cargo container was filled to the brim with bright red firecrackers and colorful fireworks, creating a festive atmosphere.

After loading the truck, it was time to pay. The boss was beaming from ear to ear:

"Good luck to both of you for the New Year! Come buy from me again next year!"

"Definitely, definitely."

On the drive back to the village, I was immediately met with a lot of stares.

The main reason was that the small truckload of firecrackers was really eye-catching; under normal circumstances, it's rare for a family to buy so many.

Moreover, these are two real cars, and with Wang Hao and Wu Liang's cars following behind, it's obvious that they bought them.

Wu Liang, that rascal, was a bit of a gossip. Whenever he saw someone, he'd roll down the window and ask, "Uncle Chen, have you bought your New Year's goods yet?"

"I bought them! Ryoko, did you buy all the fireworks for that car in front?"

"No, one car is mine, and the other is Haozi's."

Uncle Chen was still quite surprised: "Oh my, it's all about you young people now! You're really capable of having a lively and festive New Year!"

Wu Liang smiled and said, "Uncle Chen, you too, are you celebrating the New Year in style?"

"..."

There were many similar conversations along the way.

Most of the neighbors were quite envious and would sincerely praise him.

"These two kids have really made something of themselves! Keep an eye on the car; with so many firecrackers bought for the New Year, their family must be so happy!"

"That's right. Liangzi's father has always been rich, and he's been doing this every year. But Jianguo's son has really made something of himself, driving a BMW. Jianguo has finally reaped the rewards of his hard work!"

"Sigh! I wish my child was as sensible as Haozi..."