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墨書 Inktalez
Initially, Hu Ruoyun started writing to earn some money, but now he writes to let his dreams take flight. His aspiration is to become a professional journalist and editor, dreaming of wielding his pen like a sword and navigating the world with it.
Most of the courses in his Chinese Language and Literature Major were manageable for him. He attended classes diligently and completed his assignments with effort. In November, he took his first exam and ranked fourth in his grade and third in his class, which made him quite proud in front of Mao Na. This was the best result he had achieved in his academic career; indeed, heaven does not disappoint those who work hard.
Cui Shuigen shared a ghost story with him, which they polished and submitted to Story Collection. To their delight, it was published under both their names, and they received a payment of 12.7 yuan. Hu Ruoyun formally handed Cui Shuigen 6.35 yuan, but Cui Shuigen insisted on refusing it. Hu Ruoyun replied earnestly, "Cui Shuigen, this is your rightful share of the earnings; it's not a gift." Only then did Cui Shuigen accept it.
Jiangbei University is divided into two parts: the southern campus, which is focused on science, and the northern campus, known as the Liberal Arts Zone. The two campuses are separated by the Jinshui River that runs through the city. Every weekend, a market spontaneously forms on the north bank, selling envelopes and stationery printed with "Jiangbei University," along with books, magazines, cultural supplies, handicrafts, and even dubious antiques and coins. It’s always bustling with activity.
As November approached, the weather in Jiangbei gradually turned colder, and the riverside market began to feature stalls selling winter clothing and cotton-padded jackets.
In his memories of the future, four classmates had not paid their tuition for the second year. Among them was a couple from Nanyang City who used their combined tuition fee of over three thousand yuan to buy a computer from an upperclassman in the Computer Science Department (who was also from their hometown). They learned solidly under his guidance and were recruited by a company in Jinan before graduation with a monthly salary of eight hundred yuan—a considerable amount at that time. Their upperclassman had also been signed early by a telecommunications company.
Two other classmates from their hometown pooled their tuition fees to buy cotton shoe insoles at one yuan for three pairs wholesale. They sold them at night markets for one yuan per pair, achieving a profit margin of 200%. By the end of winter, they turned less than four thousand yuan into over ten thousand.
Hu Ruoyun quietly visited the riverside market and found plenty of winter clothes and cotton shoes for sale but did not see any cotton shoe insoles being sold! He also checked nearby urban villages but found none there either.
He then went to the underground market at the train station and noticed a wholesaler of shoe insoles looking anxious: theoretically, these items should yield over one hundred percent profit; however, without sufficient volume sold, no legitimate vendors would take notice. As wholesalers, they needed to move large quantities to keep their funds circulating effectively.
The current situation was that there was a disconnect between wholesalers and retailers.
"Seeing into the future is wonderful!"
On Saturday morning, Hu Ruoyun approached Cui Shuigen with an idea: "Cui Shuigen, how about we start a business? It’s guaranteed to make money!"
Cui Shuigen's eyes lit up with desire: "Yes!" But then he lowered his head sheepishly: "But Brother San… I only have eighty yuan for living expenses each month; I can't afford any capital."
Hu Ruoyun replied, "I’ll provide the funds; you provide the effort. We’ll split the profits evenly. What do you say?"
Cui Shuigen readily agreed: "What else is there to discuss? Let’s do it!"
Without further ado, Hu Ruoyun took Cui Shuigen to an Agricultural Bank near the north gate where he withdrew 3,000 yuan. With cash in hand, they headed straight to the underground market at the train station. Upon seeing several shops piled high with shoe insoles, Cui Shuigen was overwhelmed.
They chose a shop run by a plump boss who looked kind-hearted. The Fat Boss frowned when he saw two young students enter dressed modestly; he assumed they were just there for small purchases and greeted them simply: "How many pairs do you want? They’re fifty cents each."
Hu Ruoyun began to negotiate: "Boss, can we get a discount if we buy in bulk?"
The boss remained unmoved. "I deal in wholesale; whether you want ten pairs or eight pairs, the price is the same."
Hu Ruoyun patiently replied, "That's exactly what I'm talking about—wholesale!"
The fat boss's expression brightened. "Little brother, if you're buying wholesale, it starts at 500 pairs for one yuan for every three pairs. For 1,000 pairs, it’s 30 cents each, and for over 5,000 pairs, it’s 28 cents each..."
Hu Ruoyun interrupted him, "Boss, I want 10,000 pairs at two jiao each. Can you do that?"
The boss took a deep breath. "Little brother, you're offering me my cost price; that's really not feasible! The lowest I can go is 25 cents per pair. Even then, I'm only making five cents; after deducting all costs, I’m barely breaking even!"
Hu Ruoyun decided to take a step back to move forward. "Alright then, I'll take 12,000 pairs at your quoted price, but you need to deliver them and cover the shipping costs. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just check with other suppliers." He pretended to leave.
The boss's wife emerged from behind the counter. "Don’t rush off just yet, brother; let’s talk some more..."
In such situations, it was usually easy to reach an agreement.
They first paid 2,000 yuan at the counter. The 12,000 pairs of Shoe Insoles were packed into six large bundles on two tricycles for delivery. The remaining 1,000 yuan was to be brought back by the delivery person.
Hu Ruoyun had already rented a ground-floor room in a nearby village for 90 yuan a month. The room was typically dark and uninviting for most people but was perfect as a storage space.
Once the goods arrived, the two delivery workers helped Hu Ruoyun and Cui Shuigen carry everything inside. Hu Ruoyun handed over the remaining 1,000 yuan to them; the transaction was complete.
Cui Shuigen looked at the six large bundles and said to Hu Ruoyun, "Brother San, we really got a great deal!"
Hu Ruoyun replied, "It’s not enough just to get a good price; we need to sell them to make money!"
The two went out for a quick meal before returning to the warehouse to discuss their next steps.
"Now it’s your turn, Cui Shuigen," Hu Ruoyun said. "Go back to school and talk to your friends who play basketball with you—preferably those from rural backgrounds. Let them know our situation and ask them to help distribute these goods to small shops around campus. We can sell each pair for 60 cents and give them a commission of 10 cents... Let’s aim to sell everything in two weekends! Meanwhile, I’ll look for other ways to make money."
Cui Shuigen was full of confidence. "Don’t worry, Brother San! At this price, any shop will want them! I know there are night markets in some villages; I’ll take some people with me tonight to talk to the stall owners and expand our sales channels!"
No matter how big the city is, there are always both rich and poor people. At Jiangbei University, there were many wealthy students but also plenty like Cui Shuigen and Hu Ruoyun who came from rural and poor families.
Birds of a feather flock together; with just one call from Cui Shuigen, around twenty people gathered to help with sales. They rode borrowed bicycles and divided the large bundles into smaller packages before heading out to promote their products in shops around campus.
Selling at 60 cents per pair was indeed cheap; once these shops received their stock, they resold them for between 1.20 and 1.50 yuan per pair—yielding profit margins exceeding 100%. Some classmates even took their own batches of goods to night markets or dormitories for direct sales at higher profits.
There were even those who skipped classes to make money; Hu Ruoyun discovered this behavior and strictly prohibited it.
Just as Hu Ruoyun had planned, five days later all 12,000 pairs of Shoe Insoles were sold out. With each pair costing 25 cents plus a delivery fee of ten cents deducted from the selling price of 60 cents per pair, they made a net profit of 25 cents per pair (warehouse rental fees not included). In total, they earned 3,000 yuan while their classmates who helped with deliveries made between one hundred and two hundred yuan each.
Those who sourced goods independently and sold directly earned even more.
Cui Shuigen, filled with enthusiasm, said, "Brother San, let's not divide the money just yet. Let's make one more purchase!"
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