I met my whole family through Baidu Tieba.

Shen Kang is indeed quite normal-looking and handsome.

This was also Deng Shicheng's first impression of the young man.

However, Deng Shicheng paid more attention to Shen Kang's clothes: his clothes and pants were ordinary off-brand items, as were his shoes.

Just as Qian Mingen said, this young man did not dress extravagantly and looked like an ordinary college student.

The only truly eye-catching thing was the bracelet Shen Kang was wearing—Deng Shicheng had only seen and learned about this luxury brand once on a news program. He estimated that the bracelet cost five figures.

Deng Shicheng has a lot of questions he wants to ask Shen Kang.

Qian Ming'en had already introduced the two: "Shen Kang, this is Deng Shicheng, the director from Yangcheng TV. He's not here for a formal interview today..."

In study room 302, the guests at the two tables who were studying had already noticed this place.

Those nearby overheard this and whispered the news, which quickly spread, drawing even more attention in their direction. It was all good.

After hearing the situation and seeing the scene, Shen Kang said, "Gentlemen, let's go talk next door. There's a small private room there that's quieter."

The group noticed the enthusiastic looks from the students in the shop and naturally agreed. Shen Kang then led them out of study room 302.

As soon as you step outside, you can see Guo Pinyan standing at the entrance of the coffee shop next door, looking somewhat puzzled.

He was sitting in the shop doing the accounts when Shen Kang suddenly ran up to him, forcibly pulled him out, and made him stand at the door for a while, leaving him completely bewildered.

Then he saw Shen Kang leading several people out of study room 302, two of whom were middle-aged.

"..."

Guo Pinyan had a bad feeling and decided not to ask any more questions this time.

But before he could ask, Shen Kang stepped forward and said with a grin, "What a coincidence, Lao Guo."

"What the hell? Didn't you the fuck drag me out here and make me stand here?" Guo Pinyan cursed inwardly, but remained silent, intending to play dumb to the end.

Shen Kang thought to himself, "Little brat, you think you can get away with it by not speaking up?" He immediately took the initiative to introduce them, "By the way, this is our School of Economics and Management's Vice Dean, Professor Qian Ming'en. This is Director Deng Shicheng from Yangcheng TV Station. He's here today to interview me, the kind of interview you do on TV news..."

Guo Pinyan felt both jealous and annoyed, and finally couldn't hold back any longer, "Old Shen, are you going to force yourself on me? Aren't you childish?"

Shen Kang chuckled, "Look at what you're saying. I don't believe that if you had such a thing, you wouldn't have dragged me along to see it."

Guo Pinyan scoffed, "I really don't know how. I'm not as naive as you."

Shen Kang didn't believe it. "I don't believe it. How about we make a bet?"

After watching for a while, Deng Shicheng realized that the male student was Shen Kang's friend. Shen Kang had specifically brought him out to tell him that he wanted to be in the news, just like a little boy who got a new toy and wanted to show it off to his friends. It was quite childish.

However, in the descriptions of others, Shen Kang was already an outstanding college student entrepreneur who lived a simple life, was very capable, focused on entrepreneurship, had a heart for public welfare, and had transcended vulgar interests, showing a maturity far beyond his peers.

This made Deng Shicheng even better, unsure which side was the real Shen Kang.

After chatting with Guo Pinyan for a while, Shen Kang introduced Guo Pinyan to Qian Ming'en and the others, "...His name is Guo Pinyan. He is also a student at our school, a friend of mine, and a partner in one of my new projects. He owns this coffee shop."

After the group greeted each other, Shen Kang said to Guo Pinyan, "Let's talk about the interview. Can we use your private room?"

"Okay, you can take them there."

So Shen Kang led Qian Ming'en and Deng Shicheng inside.

Guo Pinyan returned to the store and told the staff to ask what they wanted to drink, make it, and send it over, putting it on his tab as the boss.

After giving these instructions, Guo Pinyan sat down at the counter and continued calculating the accounts.

Guo Pinyan has a lot to calculate now.

Previously, after reaching a cooperation agreement with Jule Foods, signing the contract and having Shen Kang arrange transportation took some time. But now, everything is settled, and the first batch of Jule Foods coffee beans arrived at the store two days ago.

With the change in sourcing, will the new soybeans affect daily customer traffic? By how much? What about the new costs and benefits? These are all things that require continuous data collection and statistical calculation.

Customer feedback on the new soybeans also needs to be collected, and Guo Pinyan, as the chief technology officer, needs to consider whether the process needs to be fine-tuned. These are all things that Guo Pinyan needs to keep busy with these days.

Another thing that keeps Guo Pinyan busy is her collaboration with Shen Kang.

When Guo Pinyan learned from Jule Foods that Shen Kang wanted to subsidize his coffee shop to help it grow, she was genuinely moved, feeling that even her own brother might not do such a good thing.

Therefore, when discussing shareholding with Shen Kang later, Guo Pinyan was very dissatisfied with Shen Kang's offer of only 10% of the shares and insisted on increasing it. Ultimately, the two reached an agreement that Shen Kang would receive 25%...

While Guo Pinyan was settling the bill, Shen Kang and the other two had already sat down in the private room.

The waiter followed closely behind.

After the three of them each ordered a coffee, the waiter left.

Deng Shicheng was finally able to ask some questions he had wanted to ask for a long time.

He had several questions, and the first one he asked was: "Student Shen, before you came, Dean Qian showed me around for a while. I also learned that besides running a website, you also own several shops. So, you shouldn't be short of money, right?"

Shen Kang nodded, "It's not really a shortage."

Deng Shicheng: "But I noticed you dress rather simply. Dean Qian also said that you usually dress simply. Why is that?"

Shen Kang said, "It's probably because of different personal consumption habits."

Deng Shicheng then asked, "Generally speaking, people your age tend to have a strong sense of vanity, like my daughter. I also think it's normal for young people to have some vanity, so even though our family isn't wealthy, we try our best to satisfy it. Don't you have that kind of vanity?"

Shen Kang smiled: "Of course I have one too, but my face is enough to satisfy my vanity."

Deng Shicheng was taken aback, then laughed: "Haha."

After chatting with Shen Kang for a while, Deng Shicheng realized that this young man was indeed different from ordinary college students.

Deng Shicheng has met and interviewed all sorts of people, from all age groups.

Therefore, Deng Shicheng also has his own theoretical summary of the different psychological states of people at each age.

According to Deng Shicheng's generalization, young people are generally more confident, even arrogant, believing that they are the world, so they pay more attention to the "world," that is, their feelings about the outside world.

Whether it's wearing designer brands or being enthusiastic about various unpaid activities and ideals, it all stems from this point.

As people get older, such as Deng Shicheng and Qian Mingen, they become less arrogant after learning from real-life lessons. They realize their own insignificance, begin to accept their ordinariness, and reconcile with themselves.

Therefore, they no longer pay as much attention to the feelings of others, but instead focus more on their own personal feelings and lives.

According to Deng Shicheng's theory, the Shen Kang in front of him was psychologically in the state of a middle-aged man.

No wonder Qian Ming'en said that sometimes when he faced Shen Kang, he didn't feel like he was facing a college student, but rather like he was facing a peer. Deng Shicheng thought to himself.

He feels that way now too.

The scene at the coffee shop entrance just now revealed Shen Kang's naiveté. This made Deng Shicheng realize even more that Qian Ming'en's previous assessment was truly accurate.

The Shen Kang before me truly possesses both the maturity of a middle-aged man and the youthful exuberance of a teenager; he's quite a unique individual...

During the Q&A session, the coffees for the three of them were served.

After asking questions for a while, Deng Shicheng finally got to the point of his visit: "...Actually, the reason I wanted to interview you, Shen, is quite coincidental. My daughter asked her mother to watch your show, 'If You Are the One,' and I happened to watch a bit of it too. I saw a student selling a Honda Fit for one yuan, which I found quite interesting, so I came here."

"Just now in Dean Qian's office, we also saw that 'Fit guy's' post. The whole post was full of the implication of 'I am very rich,' which is the so-called flaunting of wealth."

"I wonder what Shen thinks about this?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Kang understood Director Deng's thinking. A news report seemed to flash through his mind: "Selling a Honda Fit for One Yuan? Is this blatant flaunting of wealth a sign of moral decay or a failure of education?"

Qian Mingen was also startled.

He was told that Deng Shicheng was there to interview Shen Kang, and that's what he thought. Only now did he realize that Deng Shicheng was actually there for something called "selling a Honda Fit for one dollar"!

This thing sounds a bit strange, but Qian Ming'en doesn't know what's going on.

He glanced at Shen Kang, and seeing that Shen Kang did not answer, but instead picked up the cup of coffee in front of him and started drinking it.

This further convinced Qian Ming'en that there was a trap in the question, and Shen Kang was pondering how to answer it.

"Damn it." Qian Ming'en cursed Deng Shicheng inwardly, then interrupted with a smile, "Selling a Fit for one yuan? That sounds like a gimmick. I wonder what's going on? Director Deng, could you tell me?"

"Didn't Dean Qian watch the program that Shen hosted last night?"

"No, really. I had some work-related matters to attend to last night."

Qian Mingen pulled Deng Shicheng aside to ask questions, and finally understood what was going on with the "selling a Fit for one yuan" and realized that Deng Shicheng was not a friendly visitor.

After being delayed by Qian Ming'en for a while, Deng Shicheng finally managed to break free and repeated the question to Shen Kang.

Qian Ming'en also looked towards Shen Kang, wondering if the kid had figured out how to answer. He was a little anxious, his mind racing, ready to provide support at any moment...

Fortunately, his delaying stunt successfully bought Shen Kang time to think.

Shen Kang put down his coffee cup and slowly said, "It is indeed showing off wealth."

Deng Shicheng was taken aback upon hearing this.

Through their previous conversation, he had come to understand that Shen Kang, who was in front of him, was a rather mature and intelligent person.

Such a person can see many things.

Deng Shicheng thought that Shen Kang would try his best to defend himself from other angles and deny that it was "flaunting wealth" in order to preserve the image of his Beiming community. But to his surprise, Shen Kang went straight to what he said.

However, Shen Kang had not finished speaking.

"However, I think this kind of flaunting of wealth is indispensable at our website at this stage, and the benefits outweigh the drawbacks."

Deng Shicheng's eyes flickered. "Oh? What makes it 'indispensable'? And what makes it 'more beneficial than harmful'?"

Shen Kang didn't answer the question immediately, but instead suddenly asked Deng Shicheng a question in return: "Director Deng, do you know what my real purpose is in doing this 'If You Are the One' show?"

Deng Shicheng had already reasoned about this: "Creating content for users to consume is like how our TV stations produce programs for viewers to watch and consume."

Shen Kang shook his head. "No, or rather, that's just a secondary purpose. My main purpose in doing this 'If You Are the One' event is actually to promote the development of my other second-hand trading website, Xianyu.com."

"The more people watch 'If You Are the One,' the more people know about this 'secondhand trading + social networking' model, the more people will be interested. But the number of people on each episode of 'If You Are the One' is limited, and the vast majority are destined not to get on. So what can be done?"

"It's okay, we still have spare bandwidth."

"These people could easily imitate this model and buy or sell secondhand items on Xianyu.com. Buying and selling are not their goals; social interaction is." For Xianyu.com, it's the opposite: social interaction is just a means; the goal is to cultivate secondhand trading habits.

"In summary, it's about using 'social media' to promote the popularity of 'secondhand trading' among people. This model helps many people who were previously unaccustomed to secondhand trading to start accepting it."

"Perhaps they initially came for the social aspect, but as this model spreads widely and secondhand transactions become ingrained in their consumption habits, even if they no longer come for social interaction, they will still start to consider secondhand transactions and secondhand marketplaces when buying or selling things."

"Using social media to drive secondhand transactions is what I really want to do."

"Secondhand trading is a great business, whether it's profitable or not is another matter, but it's very meaningful."

"Think about it, before secondhand trading became a common consumer habit, if a consumer's item became outdated, or they no longer liked or wanted it, the only thing they could do was throw it away. Then, that item would end up in a scrap yard or a landfill, even though it was still usable and had value. This is a waste of resources, and the trash also pollutes the environment."

"But what if secondhand trading has become a common consumer habit?"

"This consumer will then put his item on our second-hand website or other second-hand trading websites for sale."

"Another consumer who needed this item could only buy a new one, but because he had the concept and habit of second-hand trading, he searched online and actually found one for sale. It was in good working order and the price was cheap, so he placed an order without hesitation."

"Therefore, resources are recycled without generating waste or polluting the environment."

Shen Kang concluded by saying, "Hasn't the country been emphasizing environmental protection? This is very environmentally friendly."

At this point, Shen Kang couldn't help but think of the current world situation.

In this day and age, environmental protection is absolutely the right thing to do.

Developed countries are waving the banner of environmental protection to suppress the development speed of developing countries. Meanwhile, China and Laos are currently in a phase of quiet development, avoiding conflict and giving others ammunition for attacks. Therefore, they are also very cooperative on the issue of environmental protection, repeatedly emphasizing the need for environmental protection.

There has been much discontent domestically regarding this, with many arguing that a firm stance should be taken and that we have the right to development. But it's no use; the overall direction remains focused on environmental protection.

Even on certain sections of the Beiming Community, these things are being discussed. Some passionate young people think, "Screw environmental protection, just focus on development. Real environmental protection would be a trap," and they are filled with righteous indignation.

But no one could have imagined that, just over a decade later, the boomerang would arrive.

By then, China will have made a fortune from environmental protection and will be clamoring for environmental protection all over the world. On the contrary, those developed countries that first launched environmental suppression will be overwhelmed by environmental issues, and their bigwigs will even tear up environmental agreements and refuse to play along.

So being environmentally friendly is good, being environmentally friendly...

While Shen Kang was lost in thought, Deng Shicheng, sitting opposite him, was completely bewildered.

...So that's how it is...?

Using this program to create a trend and encourage more people to accept the concept of second-hand transactions, thereby promoting the development of the second-hand market, saving resources, and being environmentally friendly.

Deng Shicheng never expected that Shen Kang could turn a dating-like social networking program into such a major event.

This feeling... it feels kind of familiar...

Qian Mingen sat silently to the side, his head slightly lowered, his face twitching.

It's the same familiar style, the same familiar taste.

Shen Kang is a real liar. If he really has nothing to do after graduation, he could practically become the official spokesperson for Yangko University of Science and Technology…

Deng Shicheng, who was standing to the side, finally remembered what this feeling of familiarity was all about.

Just now, in the study room 302 next door, Yang Yunhan also shared a similar sentiment about that confession wall, and the style was so similar.

That student, Yang, must have been taught by Shen Kang right in front of us!

After muttering a few complaints to himself, Deng Shicheng said, "So Shen's ambitions are that lofty. Environmental protection is certainly good, but I still don't understand, what does this have to do with flaunting wealth?"

Shen Kang snapped out of his thoughts and smiled slightly. "Of course, that's extremely important. If I want to achieve my goal of benefiting society, then the 'If You Are the One' project must succeed and must be popular with college students. Only if they like it will they spontaneously accept this new model and the concept of secondhand transactions."

"So how do we get them to like the show? We need to make it entertaining. 'Selling a Honda Fit for One Dollar' is that kind of entertaining content. Director Deng, you watched it yesterday, so you should know that the number of online viewers increased significantly during 'Selling a Honda Fit for One Dollar,' which shows that people like watching this kind of thing."

Deng Shicheng's spirits lifted, and he thought to himself, "Finally, they've taken the bait." "Indeed," he said, "judging from the number of viewers, everyone enjoys this kind of thing. But by putting a male guest like this on stage, aren't you openly encouraging this trend of flaunting wealth?"

Shen Kang countered, "So, if we don't let him go on stage, will the trend of flaunting wealth disappear?"

Deng Shicheng responded with ease: "The trend of flaunting wealth certainly doesn't disappear, but it's just scattered throughout life. Your program has inadvertently amplified this influence, which may lead more young people to worship money."

Shen Kang affirmed the first part of his statement, "Just like Director Deng said, even without our program, the trend of flaunting wealth would still exist and be present in life. Here, I'd like to ask, how effective are our normal teaching and guidance in addressing this kind of flaunting wealth and materialism that is prevalent in daily life?"

"Take your daughter, for example, Director Deng. You just mentioned that your daughter is quite vain, and I reasonably assume she also has some materialistic tendencies. You may have tried to teach and guide her, but has it been very effective?"

Deng Shicheng originally intended to continue dealing with the situation, but Shen Kang unexpectedly brought up his daughter as an example.

Then Deng Shicheng fell silent.

Shen Kang guessed correctly; his daughter was indeed like that. He had indeed tried many times to guide her with what he believed to be the right values, but with little success. His daughter was always impatient to listen to him and even less inclined to accept his ideas.

Seeing Deng Shicheng remain silent, Shen Kang continued, "It seems to have little effect. This is mainly because you two are inherently in an adversarial relationship like father and daughter. The older generation always tries their best to impose what they think is right and good on their children, which easily arouses the children's rebellious mentality. No matter whether what you impose on them is good or bad, they will reject it all."

"But if we put this issue on our show, it's a different story."

"Our program has a 'harmless' exterior, uses the 'entertainment' label, and has a lot of hype. Students come for entertainment, so they don't have any resistance or rejection, let alone a rebellious mentality."

"Under these circumstances, they readily accepted everything about the show, including our matchmaking mentors, which was evident from the way the audience was reading the subtitles at the time."

"If our matching mentors subtly guide us in the right values ​​at this time, it will be ten thousand times more effective than those rigid guidance methods."

"I call it 'integrating education into entertainment,' subtly influencing people—that's exactly how Lao Mei does his work on the cultural front."

"And this is indeed a direction we will be working on after the program."

Qian Ming'en listened quietly, without saying a word.

This kid is really good at talking nonsense... and what's more, his nonsense makes a lot of sense. Qian Ming'en felt like he was convinced.