Chapter 22

"Big Sister Bai, I don't have any money left in my hands. After selling a batch of refurbished phones, you need to rent a larger storefront. We have to do wholesale, and we also need a physical store." Hao Meng smiled, greeted Fei Yu, and left. As for what Bai Lan would do next, he didn't care; there were other things waiting for him.

Refurbishing old phones was not all of Hao Meng's business; it was just one part of it.

In the next two days, Bai Lan and Fei Yu were extremely busy, so busy that they wished they could split themselves into two people. Relying on connections, they first put the refurbished phones on the market in the electronics street. The last time Bai Lan and Fei Yu set up a stall at the store entrance for just two hours, they sold over a thousand phones, which was enough to prove that these high-quality refurbished phones had a significant market among consumers!

"Non-smartphones: 65 for ten, 55 for thirty, 50 for fifty, 48 for five hundred, 47 for a thousand, and 45 for ten thousand." Bai Lan's 'wholesale price' was based on the quantity: the more you bought, the cheaper it was, and the less you bought, the higher the price.

Most stores ordered fifty non-smartphones and twenty smartphones. Because the prices of smartphones varied, the cheapest was 200. Experts knew the quality of the smartphones in Bai Lan's hands as soon as they handled them. After taking them home and opening them, they found that the refurbishment was not just on the outside; the inside was as good as new!

In just two days, the electronics street alone absorbed five thousand non-smartphones and three thousand smartphones, with a total return of nearly 900,000 yuan!

Bai Lan, with renewed vigor, hired twenty young salespeople from the job market, forming a sales team. They started by selling in the city and then expanded to the surrounding areas.

...

Hao Meng didn't care about Bai Lan's business; he let her handle it herself. If it succeeded, she would make money; if it failed, it would just mean less profit. If he could cultivate Bai Lan, that would be Hao Meng's true goal. He needed a trustworthy and capable partner. There were plenty of opportunities to make money, and refurbishing second-hand phones was just a test.

"Hum... I often tell myself that people should learn to be content and happy, but what's the point if everything is just a laugh and a joke..."

Before he left the electronics street, Hao Meng's phone rang. He took it out, looked at the number displayed, frowned, and after some thought, answered it.

"Xiao Meng, today is your father's birthday. Come home for lunch. I've already prepared everything, and the whole family is waiting for you. You must come back!" After saying this, the person on the other end hung up without waiting for Hao Meng to respond.

Hao Meng sighed, called Wei Shufen to say he wouldn't be back to the store for lunch, and hailed a taxi outside the electronics street, giving the driver the address.

The person who called was Hao Meng's stepmother, Zhang Fang. To put it simply, his relationship with Zhang Fang was relatively good, at least not tense. However, he didn't get along well with his father, Hao Fula, and their relationship was very strained. He hadn't been home much in the past year, and Hao Fula hadn't called him once, as if he didn't have a son. On the other hand, Zhang Fang called him twice a month to ask about his current situation and if he needed money, and often encouraged him to come home.

Zhang Fang worked as a head nurse at the hospital, and Hao Fula worked for a government agency in the district, both with decent incomes. Zhang Fang was also remarried and had two daughters when she married Hao Fula: one older than Hao Meng and one younger. The older one, Xiao Yuyun, had never been nice to Hao Meng, but their relationship was somewhat 'special.' The younger one, Xiao Yuxue, was three years younger than Hao Meng and got along well with him, even adoring him as her big brother because he had stood up for her when she was bullied in school.

Xiao Yuyun, who was two years older than Hao Meng, had graduated from university and entered a private company in the city a year ago through connections. Xiao Yuxue, who was three years younger, was in her second year of high school.

Zhang Fang hung up quickly to prevent Hao Meng from finding an excuse not to come home. Hao Meng really didn't like going home; he didn't want to go to Hao Fula's place, and he liked going to his biological mother Li Yue's place even less. He always felt like he was an extra wherever he went!

Fukang Garden, Building 23.

Hao Meng got out of the car, paid the fare, and this neighborhood was newly built a few years ago. Hao Fula and Zhang Fang bought a 120-square-meter, three-bedroom, two-living room apartment here. When Xiao Yuyun was in college, she rarely came back, and when she did, she shared a room with her younger sister, Xiao Yuxue. After Xiao Yuyun graduated and came back, she often argued with Xiao Yuxue over the room. Hao Meng had stayed at home for almost half a year and then found an opportunity to move out and live on his own, or rather, to start a business collecting scrap.

Hao Meng didn't want to dwell on the past. When he and Hao Fula had a strained relationship, it might have been because he was young and inexperienced. After a year outside, he had experienced a lot and had a change of heart. Now, while he wasn't a millionaire, he at least didn't have to worry about making a living and didn't need to take money from his family, which made him feel more confident.

When Hao Meng said he wanted to start a business, Hao Fula had mocked him and said many harsh things, and hadn't given him a single cent. Now, thinking about it, Hao Meng understood why Hao Fula was angry: he was upset that Hao Meng hadn't studied hard, hadn't taken the college entrance exam, and had been idle and irresponsible.

In the 'warehouse,' he picked up four phones: two Li6, one Samsung N4, one Samsung W2x4, and a Li tablet, and put them in a paper bag. They were all broken when he bought them, so they didn't cost much, but together, the new phones would be worth about 30,000 yuan. Originally, he planned to sell them.

"Ding dong!"

Hao Meng pressed the doorbell. Since Zhang Fang had called him to come back, someone must be home.

"Brother, you're back." Xiao Yuxue opened the door and saw Hao Meng, calling out happily and pulling him inside. "Dad, Mom, my brother is back!"

Hao Fula was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper, and Zhang Fang was busy in the kitchen. Hao Fula moved his gaze from the newspaper, looked at him, and then turned away without a word.

Xiao Yuxue knew that Hao Meng and Hao Fula didn't get along well. She stuck out her tongue and pushed Hao Meng inside, afraid that he might turn around and leave if he got upset. She led him to the sofa, and after Hao Meng sat down, she sat next to him, hugging his arm and pouting, "Brother, where have you been these past few months? You never come back when I call you."

Hao Meng wasn't angry. He smiled, pinched her nose, and said, "Collecting scrap, busy making money."