Chapter Two

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Prodigal Son Without Pop-up Windows
Chapter Two

(This is a short story I wrote before conceiving the entire narrative. Rest assured, the main plot will speed up—didn’t I just update yesterday? It was earlier than I expected, so I wasn’t prepared. Today I’ll increase the pace immediately. As for this, consider it a gift; read it if you like. The main story will update with a chapter after seven, again after midnight, then another in the morning, and so on, cycling continuously—haha...)

With the transparency of prices in the mobile phone market, ordinary phones no longer yield enticing profits, but accessories and peripherals have opened up a new world of opportunity. Cases, charms, and those adorable phone stickers all cost mere cents to produce—at most a few yuan—but sell for ten, even dozens of yuan, making the profit margins tens of times over.

Many phone stores now sell these items, and on the roadside or pedestrian bridges, one often sees vendors hawking them. However, no one has truly scaled up this business yet.

The place chosen by Xiao Tianci was not far from his school, on a street known locally as “Mobile Phone Street.” Many shops already dealt in accessories, but none had expanded their operations. Over the past three years, Xiao Tianci had saved less than fifty thousand yuan from tutoring and working for Tong Cong’s father. With the additional twenty thousand from Tong Cong, he had nearly seventy thousand in capital. For other ventures, seventy thousand might barely make a dent, but for phone accessories, it was enough to make a substantial move.

He first selected a storefront, which had previously sold phones but shut down. The landlord initially thought Xiao Tianci intended to sell phones as well. Upon learning he planned to focus on accessories, the landlord was surprised—despite its modest size, the rent was five thousand a month, and he couldn’t fathom how such small items could justify the expense.

The rent was usually paid yearly, or at least for six months, but Xiao Tianci’s funds were limited. After much negotiation, he managed to settle for three months upfront, with payment for the next three months due a month in advance.

Once the lease was secured, he hired people for basic renovations—just enough to give a quirky, cheerful vibe, at minimal cost. Meanwhile, he contacted several suppliers he had already scouted and started ordering stock. This was crucial, as accessories primarily targeted young people and had to be fashionable.

Trends don’t require brand names; they change often, so novelty and variety are essential. As a specialty store, he needed a comprehensive range. Most of the goods came from small factories—prices were dirt cheap, quality surprisingly good. When Xiao Tianci saw the first shipment, he was amazed at how low the prices were. He paid a deposit, inspected the goods on arrival, then settled the remainder. The first batch cost him thirty-eight thousand yuan, and his inventory was impressively complete for a new accessories shop.

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He had already researched market prices for accessories, and he didn’t plan to compete aggressively on price. The items were inexpensive, and differences in price were negligible. Customers cared more about novelty and trendiness than price.

He matched market prices for common items, but set higher prices for unique products not found elsewhere. The shop was ready in three days, thanks to simple renovations—the accessories themselves would soon become the best decoration. Even so, renovations cost over three thousand yuan.

His money flowed away like water. In this commercial city, at least, it was easy to obtain the necessary business permits—sometimes, if not busy, even in a single day. Efficiency was high.

On the eve of opening, Xiao Tianci adjusted prices and organized his ledger while posting a small recruitment ad for sales staff. Requirements were minimal—no need for education certificates or household registration. A brief conversation sufficed; Xiao Tianci wasn’t so bored as to demand credentials.

Sales staff on this street earned, on average, eight hundred yuan, with commissions if sales were good, usually totaling more than a thousand per month. Xiao Tianci offered a flat one thousand salary, no commission, but promised bonuses for good performance. Within hours, more than twenty applicants showed up, including two college students.

In the end, he hired a girl from Zhejiang named Ma Lan, a year older than Xiao Tianci. Their conversation lasted less than three minutes before she was hired.

On opening day, his first customers were Fatty and his group of friends—two locals, two staying in town for holiday work, and one who had gone home and couldn’t make it. His brothers came to celebrate; some brought flowers, others fruit, and Fatty brought a large floral basket. Their lively presence made the new shop’s opening feel genuine. Everyone had their own business, so after a morning celebration, they agreed to drink together Sunday night and went their separate ways.

Fatty left last; he was busy himself. He had listened to Xiao Tianci’s advice, gained his father’s support, and was now preparing to establish a chain business.

Every day, countless people came to this street—far more to browse shops or look at phones than to actually buy one. With phones so ubiquitous, Xiao Tianci’s specialty accessories store stood out.

After ten in the morning, the crowd grew. Everywhere, phone shops promoted themselves. Xiao Tianci played upbeat, youthful music from a three-hundred-yuan sound system and his own old CD player, using a homemade disc. The atmosphere attracted customers; the shop was bright and lively, and many people bought several items at once. Both men and women shopped, with prices ranging from a few yuan to several dozen—never too expensive.

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The day exceeded Xiao Tianci’s expectations—he was busy until eleven at night, and when he totaled the day’s sales, the revenue was over two thousand yuan. Given the margins, this was super-profitable—ten, even dozens of times markup. With sales of more than two thousand three hundred yuan, net profit was over nineteen hundred.

Anyone with business experience knows that a good opening day doesn’t guarantee sustained success. Early customers are curious, willing to try, but if nothing keeps their interest, they’ll quickly forget you. Recapturing their attention becomes much harder. Xiao Tianci knew this well and did not relax after his first day’s triumph.

On the second day, while selling, he constantly chatted with customers, asking about their dissatisfaction, what they felt was lacking, what they needed. He carefully recorded their feedback.

At night, he organized and summarized the notes. With his large purchase volumes, he was familiar with his suppliers and negotiated for even lower prices to increase his margins. From their conversations, he learned that some small workshops had outdated chains and phone accessories stuck in stock, unable to sell.

He acquired these almost for free, paying only shipping costs. He explained his intention to open a new store and pursue long-term cooperation, and since the goods were useless to them, they were happy to oblige. He treated these as gifts, which turned out to be a breakthrough for his shop.

He didn’t sell these items—they were outdated accessories and cases—but instead repackaged them beautifully. He slept only three or four hours a night, in a storage area at the back of the shop, on two sofas.

Once sorted, he placed them in the only display case he had spent twelve hundred yuan on, and wrote an advertisement at the shop’s entrance:

“This shop, to thank our customers, has specially acquired a batch of accessories for older phone models. This event is solely to express our gratitude for your support. Buy any item and you may select one of these accessories for use or as a collectible.”

Human nature aside, most people are tempted by free gifts. The packaging was excellent, and whenever someone praised it, Xiao Tianci thought, “How could it not be? I spent more on the packaging than the items themselves.”