Rebirth Starting as a Stock Market Enthusiast

Chapter 158 Fruit Blind Box

"There's another one who's a bit special; it's a reptile blogger who owns a corn snake and is currently in the content planning stage."

"snake?"

Qin Ziyi shuddered beside him: "Jiahui, you have some rather unusual tastes. That thing is so cold and unappealing, it's creepy to look at. Who would want to see it?"

Zhou Jiahui ignored him and just looked at Shen Fei, waiting for the boss's decision.

Shen Fei nodded and tapped his fingers twice on the table.

"That's a good idea, we can do it."

Qin Ziyi was stunned.

Shen Fei looked at him and explained, "Ziyi, don't judge the market by your own preferences. Cats and dogs are indeed pleasing, but you can easily get tired of them after seeing them too often. The reptile pet market is currently a completely untapped market. The audience may be small, but their loyalty is extremely high."

"Moreover, there's a lot we can do here," Shen Fei continued. "The public generally has a fear of reptiles. What we need to exploit is this stereotype to create a sense of contrast."

"A sense of contrast?" Zhou Jiahui took notes diligently.

"Yes. For example, put a miniature knitted hat on that corn snake, or take a picture of it looking adorable while eating. Transform this originally frightening, cold-blooded animal into a greedy, timid little cutie. Add a little professional information about animal husbandry." Shen Fei smiled. "This strong contrast will easily grab your attention."

Zhou Jiahui closed her notebook, her voice excited: "I understand, President Shen! I'll go and refine the proposal right away!"

As soon as Zhou Jiahui and Qin Ziyi left, Shen Fei's cell phone on his desk started buzzing.

The caller ID showed it was Section Chief Wang from the Agriculture Bureau.

Shen Fei raised an eyebrow and answered the phone.

"Mr. Shen, are you busy?" came the slightly tired voice of Section Chief Wang from the other end of the phone, with some background noise.

Shen Fei leaned back in his boss's chair, his tone relaxed: "No rush, Section Chief Wang, please speak freely."

There was a two-second pause on the other end of the phone.

"It's about the recommendation quota we mentioned last time—" Section Chief Wang finally spoke, "The list needs to be submitted to the bureau next week."

""

His tone was tentative and urgent: "How's the progress on your end?"

How long has it been? Ever since I mentioned the recommendation quota to Shen Fei last time, this kid has vanished without a trace, without making a sound at all.

With the deadline for submitting the list fast approaching, if he doesn't take the initiative, it'll be too late!

It's incredibly difficult to climb the ladder within the system. You either need connections or seniority.

Wang Lei has no connections, so he can only endure.

But his immediate superior, Deputy Director Wu, was only in his early forties, mediocre in ability, and knew nothing about anything. Just because he was a local from the county, his position was as secure as Mount Tai.

Waiting for him to retire? I'm afraid I should be going through the retirement procedures myself.

"Is it already decided?" Shen Fei asked calmly.

Section Chief Wang on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback.

He thought that if Shen Fei heard the news, he would at least ask a few questions, even if he didn't fly into a rage.

But what's going on with this reaction?

The little hope that was hanging in Wang's heart instantly sank by more than half.

"Yes—it's basically decided." Section Chief Wang's voice carried a hint of reluctance. "It's Wu Jingyao."

When he said that name, Section Chief Wang felt like he had swallowed a fly.

He stared at the list that was about to be submitted on his desk, feeling a piercing pain in his eyes. He had staked his entire career on Shen Fei, and once this list was submitted, all his plans would be for naught.

"Deputy Director Wu's nephew?"

"Yes, it's him." Section Chief Wang's voice turned colder. "President Shen, I won't lie to you, Deputy Director Wu took all the credit for that 'Anyuan Good Product' we mentioned last time at the meeting today, and then conveniently pushed his nephew forward."

On the other end of the phone, Section Chief Wang's breathing became heavier, clearly indicating that he was quite angry.

Shen Fei listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tracing circles on the smooth tabletop, his face expressionless.

He certainly knew why Section Chief Wang was in such a hurry.

At this moment, Section Chief Wang wanted to help him bring down Deputy Director Wu.

"Section Chief Wang, this isn't your fault," Shen Fei said calmly. "Don't get too worked up."

"How can I not be angry!" Section Chief Wang couldn't help but raise his voice a little, but quickly suppressed it again. "President Shen, you don't know, that Wu Jingyao isn't genuinely committed to helping farmers!"

As if he had found an outlet, Section Chief Wang decided to speak frankly.

He knew in his heart that if he kept hiding things now, his life would be over.

"He's recently picked up some crooked tricks from somewhere, like selling fruit blind boxes online," 99 yuan a box, claiming they can give you all sorts of rare imported fruits.

"Oh?" Shen Fei raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Fruit blind boxes?"

In Shen Fei's memory, this concept only became popular on Douyin in 2021, and it took advantage of people's curiosity and gambling mentality.

Unexpectedly, in this timeline, it was actually brought to light ahead of time by someone named Wu Jingyao.

Although the methods were crude and the model rudimentary, it must be said that Wu Jingyao had a bit of "business acumen," but unfortunately, it was all crooked thinking.

The biggest weakness of this approach is quality control.

Once a scandal occurs, it's a complete collapse of credibility.

"Mr. Shen? Mr. Shen, are you listening?"

When Section Chief Wang didn't hear Shen Fei's response, he became even more anxious.

What he feared most was that Shen Fei, young and impetuous, would think there was no hope and simply give up.

Then my hopes and dreams will truly be dashed.

"I'm listening." Shen Fei's voice remained calm. He flicked his cigarette ash and asked, "Section Chief Wang, on which platforms are Wu Jingyao's blind boxes mainly sold?"

This reaction—it's too calm!

Section Chief Wang felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

He had expected Shen Fei to press for answers, to get angry, or even to curse.

But this lukewarm attitude left him completely baffled.

What is this young man thinking?

But now he's tied to Shenfei's ship, and can only place his hopes on the other party.

"MaoTao! He opened a corporate store called Anyuan Farmhouse Fresh! Relying on his uncle's connections, he even got an official recommendation spot from the county, and the traffic is huge!" Section Chief Wang spilled out everything he knew.

"Understood." Shen Fei's voice carried a hint of a smile. "Section Chief Wang, please calm down. This matter can't be rushed."

"General Manager Shen!" Section Chief Wang's voice was almost forced out through clenched teeth, filled with suppressed anger and a deep sense of powerlessness. "This matter... I—I really can't do anything about it!"

"Section Chief Wang, I'm just a businessman, I don't understand or get involved in official matters."

Upon hearing this, Section Chief Wang felt utterly disheartened.

It’s over.

This kid is planning to quit.

That makes sense. Why would a rising big boss like him risk offending a powerful deputy director for such a trivial matter in his career?

I was really out of my mind; I bet on the wrong thing.