If everyone is reborn, who will work for capital?

Chapter 20 Bargaining

Ma Chunmei, Niu Baoguo, and Huang Lijuan took a taxi directly to Hongqiao Airport, preparing to fly to Gansu Province.

Geng Zhi found a Northeastern Chinese restaurant near Jiaotong University that looked popular and ordered a plate of pork and cabbage dumplings and a plate of stir-fried potatoes, green peppers, and eggplant for dinner.

The restaurant was noisy, and the large television on the wall was playing the popular Shanghai TV drama "Dwelling Narrowness".

The story is currently airing its twelfth episode. In the scene, the middle-aged Song Siming is taking the young and vibrant Guo Haizao to a villa in the suburbs. Desire is brewing beneath the exquisite decor, and in the end, he gets what he wants.

Geng Zhi remembers that the first time he watched "Dwelling Narrowness" in his previous life was when he was a graduate student at Jiangcheng University.

As a student at the time, he was filled with confusion about the characters' choices in the play:

I don't understand why Haiping and her husband are willing to endure the cramped living conditions instead of renting a bigger house; I don't understand why Haizao would still throw herself into the arms of that old man Song Siming when Xiaobei clearly loves her so much.

Now, separated by sixteen years of wind and dust, seeing these scenes again fills me with a chilling sense of bewilderment.

Everything in the drama was just like that...

He picked up another dumpling, dipped it in vinegar, bit into a clove of garlic, and put it in his mouth. While chewing, he took out his Coolpad phone.

I logged into a QQ account with the username "1025" and sent a friend request to the intermediary according to the information given by Ma Chunmei, with the note: "Seeking to purchase a business plan".

The other person's online name is "Cheng Wanli".

Upon seeing the name, Geng Zhi couldn't help but smile with amusement: "What a promising future!"

Less than half a minute after the message was sent, the other party immediately accepted the straightforward QQ friend request.

[1025]: Hi, I was recommended by a friend. I'm a university student and I'd like to buy a business plan to participate in your next startup roadshow at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Do you still have any left?

[Cheng Wanli]: Hello classmate~ (smiling emoji) But I graduated more than 20 years ago and am no longer a college student.

[Cheng Wanli]: What type of business plan do you need? We can customize one to your needs and help you connect with classmates at National Chiao Tung University to complete the registration process. It's a one-stop service that's safe and reliable.

[1025]: I don't really understand the specifics... I just want to get my name listed so I can participate in the next roadshow and gain some experience. It's pretty urgent, so could you recommend a suitable template for me? Thanks!

……

Next, Geng Zhi, using the persona of a "newbie," chatted back and forth with this real estate agent named "Cheng Wanli" on QQ for over a hundred rounds.

Ultimately, Geng Zhi selected a business plan titled "University Student Internship Recruitment Platform" from a list of project types provided by the other party.

The target was agreed upon, but the two parties had a serious disagreement on the price.

Cheng Wanli only successfully sold one business plan, which was the one sold to Ma Chunmei.

So when Geng Zhi first said that a friend recommended him, he guessed that it was Ma Chunmei who recommended him.

Logically speaking, since Ma Chunmei recommended him, he must have known that Ma Chunmei also paid 10,000 dragon coins for him. Thus, Cheng Wanli treated Geng Zhi as his second easy target.

He insisted that his products were always priced at 10,000 Dragon Coins, that he was honest and fair, and that he had already sold hundreds of units.

But Geng Zhi only accepts 500 Dragon Coins, not a penny more.

The price difference was like the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, but Cheng Wanli's patience was surprisingly good—after all, selling a PPT template has almost zero cost, so every little bit of profit counts.

He used every trick in the book, employing his silver tongue, to try and persuade the stingy customer on the other side of the screen.

Finally, after some intense bargaining, both sides compromised, with Geng Zhi agreeing to add another fifty, and the deal was struck at five hundred and fifty dragon coins.

[Cheng Wanli]: Classmate, please transfer the money to this Alipay account (hxxx). Once the payment is received, I will send you the template file immediately.

【1025】: No. What if I transfer the money and you don't ship the goods or send a fake? It has to be cash on delivery.

[Cheng Wanli]: Classmate, we are honest merchants who do long-term business! We've sold hundreds of items, and our reputation is top-notch. There's no way we would cheat you for such a small amount of money... (long explanation)

[Cheng Wanli]: Face-to-face transaction is no problem at all, but didn't you say you were in Gansu Province? You're making a trip to Shanghai just for a little over 500 yuan, the travel expenses wouldn't even be enough, would they?

[1025]: No problem. I'm going to Shanghai tomorrow for the National Day Golden Week holiday, it'll be convenient for tourism. Let's arrange a place to meet and make the deal.

In the student dormitory, Cheng Wanli, who was staring at the screen, froze instantly when he saw this reply.

He immediately raised his hand and gave himself a light slap on the face, muttering under his breath, "Serves you right for being so talkative! Serves you right for insisting on a face-to-face transaction! You had to be so cheeky!"

Geng Zhi's strategy is clear: first, by haggling over every penny in the early stages, he will portray himself as a genuine and difficult buyer.

Subsequently, through lengthy communication, Cheng Wanli invested a significant amount of time, creating a "sunk cost" effect—after talking for so long, it was almost a done deal, and giving up would be a real shame.

Finally, a transaction is conducted on-site to lure the snake out of its hole.

This tactic is indeed effective in dealing with these quick-thinking but inexperienced student agents.

After seven or eight minutes of silence, Cheng Wanli's QQ avatar started flashing again.

[Cheng Wanli]: Hey classmate, our company team is flying to the Maldives for team building tomorrow. But I'll arrange for a young man named "Gu De" to connect with you; he'll add you on QQ later.

[1025]: Okay. Is the money also given to "Gu De" in person?

Cheng Wanli: Yes, just give him cash directly.

After closing QQ, Geng Zhi couldn't help but laugh at this guy's art of naming.

One is named "Gu De", another is named "Cheng Wanli", and yet another is named "Xiang". They are definitely art students!

After finishing the dumplings and paying the bill, Geng Zhi asked the owner for directions to Walmart and Carrefour, and then quickly went to the nearest Walmart.

As I stated earlier, the purpose of participating in this roadshow was to attract Professor Qi Chuqin's attention and apply to be his graduate student.

So this trip to Shanghai Jiao Tong University was well-prepared.

As a student visiting for the first time, especially one seeking knowledge, it would certainly be inconsiderate to arrive empty-handed.

Expensive gifts such as cigarettes, alcohol, and gift cards can spoil the pure teacher-student relationship and easily arouse the professor's resentment, so they should definitely not be brought.

Therefore, a gift is needed that is not overly deliberate, appropriate for a student's status, and also expresses respect.

Since I'm from Lanzhou, the most suitable souvenir for me would be a local specialty from Lanzhou.

With limited time available, going to a large supermarket is the best option.

Fortunately, Geng Zhi successfully bought a vacuum-packed lily at Walmart.

He didn't linger in the city center, but went straight to Metro Line 9 and headed to the main campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University—the Minhang Campus.

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P.S.: Three chapters tomorrow, two at midnight, and one more later. Please read, comment, vote, and give monthly tickets! Thank you so much!