Who Would Fall in Love After Being Reborn?

TL: Etude

The day after the Linchuan business banquet ended, a heavy snowfall blanketed the entire city of Linchuan.

Streets and buildings were engulfed in a vast expanse of white, blurring the line between sky and earth.

The temperature, which had just begun to rise in the previous few days, plummeted once again, as silently and unexpectedly as money disappearing from a pocket, leaving people confused and unprepared.

“Damn it, I’m already broke, and now I’ve gone and bought an MP4 player. My hand doesn’t even feel like my own!”

“I’m never looking at Zhihu’s product recommendations again. Everything I see, I want to buy. It’s downright haunting!”

“They call me family, but their actions are more ruthless than enemies!”

“There are upsides, though. I tried buying a phone online for the first time, worried all day, but it turned out to be brand new and unopened, and even a hundred bucks cheaper!”

“I’ve bought three down jackets from the online store already. For the same price, the quality is way better than in small shops!”

“…”

At the Wanzhong Mall’s cargo department, Ma Liang was busily loading goods into a truck, his expression tense.

He was under the watchful eyes of He Yijun, the big boss, and Yue Zhu, the sales manager, standing right behind him.

He thought he had been caught embezzling fuel money and was pondering whether to confess and hope for leniency, but his hope for a lucky break kept him silent.

It felt like getting an injection when you have a cold, with the beautiful nurse aiming the needle but never actually injecting it – an excruciating anticipation.

But what Ma Liang didn’t understand was that his position wasn’t significant enough to warrant personal accountability from the big boss.

In other words, if it had been about the embezzlement, he would have received a termination notice, not a personal visit from He Yijun and Yue Zhu.

He Yijun was actually there to observe the process of online orders being shipped.

“It seems we’ve underestimated the spending power of college students.”

“Yeah, especially after the recent offline events. Our online sales are nearly matching our offline sales,” Yue Zhu remarked somewhat amazed.

He Yijun crossed his arms: “Jiang Qin is really something else.”

“Boss He, are you praising or criticizing him?”

“Praising, but… it also represents fear.”

“Huh?”

He Yijun took a deep breath: “Have you ever thought, if not just Linchuan, but the whole country adopts online sales, how will malls like ours survive?”

Yue Zhu looked surprised: “Wouldn’t our sales be even higher then?”

“But what if he starts working directly with manufacturers? Online sales without middlemen mean much lower prices. Would we still be able to sell our products?”

“Boss He, that’s impossible, isn’t it? Could Jiang Qin really expand his business to that extent?”

He Yijun smiled and shook his head: “He went to the Linchuan business banquet with me last night. I told him not to ask for business cards from others. Guess what he did?”

Yue Zhu shook her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes: “He asked for them?”

“No, he set up a card display at the banquet hall entrance, labeled ‘Linchuan Business Elite Showcase’. Even I couldn’t help but put in one of my cards. He got everyone’s business cards without making a sound. Isn’t that cunning?”

“…”

He Yijun’s smile faded: “Notify all department managers, we’re working overtime this weekend to discuss mall reform. We can’t just rely on sales to survive.”

Yue Zhu’s expression turned serious: “Boss, what are we going to do?”

“Jiang Qin is launching a new service, ‘group buying in-store’. He’s sending me a document about it. We’ll follow his strategy to determine our reform direction. Otherwise, our pure retail mall will inevitably be left behind by the times.”

“We’re going to reform our strategy based on a college student’s ideas?”

Yue Zhu found this exaggerated.

Even if he’s a star student, what does it matter?

A student who hasn’t even graduated, how can he have the power to scare the boss into immediate reform?

But what she didn’t know was that He Yijun had already keenly sensed the change in the air, aware that if it wasn’t Jiang Qin, it would be someone else.

Just like that online auction website owner Mr. Ma, it’s said he has already started shifting from a C2C to a B2C model, with astonishing results.

Once this sales model becomes widespread, it will surely unleash a fury like no other.

In such a scenario, the retail industry, especially those in the mid-market, will face unprecedented impacts.

Why would consumers bother visiting a mall, where they might get overcharged, when they can get factory prices delivered right to their doorstep?

Initially, He Yijun hadn’t thought much about this. It seemed too distant from his own reality.

But when Jiang Qin appeared before him, with his continuous clever tactics, He Yijun realized this wasn’t just a matter of a star student showing off. It was the scent of a seismic shift in the era.

Relying on a college student’s development project to reform one’s vast mall.

Yes, this sounds implausible.

But if one day it becomes plausible, and we haven’t reformed, it will be too late.

“Please, Jiang, help me become rich…”

He Yijun couldn’t help but laugh.

It was just a joke from last night, but now it seemed increasingly real.

Damn, how uncanny!

“Hello, Mr. He, I’ve already sent you the project proposal,” Jiang Qin’s call came through to He Yijun’s phone ten minutes later.

“Thanks a lot, Mr. Jiang,” He Yijun responded with vigor.

Jiang Qin said no thanks were needed but then expressed confusion: “Why do you need my project proposal? ‘Group buying in-store’ doesn’t quite align with your mall’s business.”

“I want to learn from it.”

“You’re being too modest now. I’m just an ordinary college student. If anyone should be learning, it should be me learning from you.”

He Yijun paused: “Mr. Jiang, when we first met, I always thought you were ostentatious, presumptuous, the kind who wants the whole world to know about their brilliance.”

Jiang Qin smirked: “I’m still like that!”

“No, you’re not. In fact, you’re the most humble person in the world. You have treasures in your belly, but you’re not willing to spill them.”

“Mr. He, what’s gotten into you? I’m a bit scared.”

He Yijun chuckled on the phone: “Just kidding. But I have another matter. Are you free this Saturday? Bring your girlfriend over for dinner at my place.”

Jiang Qin’s mouth twitched: “Why does this feel like a setup?”

“It’s Manqi. She’s been nagging to meet her ‘sister Nanshu.’ Plus, I have something I’d like to discuss with you. How about it?”

“I suppose I have no choice but to obey. I’ll definitely bring my good friend along.”

“??????”

After hanging up, Jiang Qin couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine, prompting him to open the closet and pull out the blanket he used on Christmas Eve to ward off the cold.

For some reason, he thought he could still smell the soft, elegant scent of the little rich lady.

No, that’s not right.

After putting on my bottom line, I’m no longer a mere mortal. I can’t have anything to do with worldly desires!

What scent? It’s all an illusion!

Jiang Qin took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind, but the more he inhaled, the sweeter the scent seemed, trapping him in a vicious cycle. This made him involuntarily recall the gift from Christmas Eve.

“Boss, why is your face so red? Do you have a cold?”

Wei Lanlan, passing by with a cup of steaming hot water, couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s nothing, maybe just the heating. Our university’s heating system is really good. Next time President Zhang visits, I’ll definitely praise him.”

Jiang Qin casually cued a mention of Zhang Baiqing, his expression as calm as a gentleman, not a hint of panic.

Then, he opened the drawer beside him, spread out the business cards he had collected last night, and picked out a few from smaller companies that seemed easier to deal with. He handed them to Wei Lanlan and Tan Qing.

“I’ve studied these a bit. These small business owners should be easier to negotiate with. You guys start with a background check, and then we’ll take them down one by one.”

“Are these also members of the Linchuan Commerce Association?” Wei Lanlan asked, picking up a business card to examine.

Jiang Qin nodded: “Yes, but they are more on the lower side. They attended the banquet looking for partnerships as well. You don’t have to be too cautious; consider it a practice run.”

“What if the practice goes wrong?”

“Then it means they are destined to be left behind by the times.”

Jiang Qin unscrewed his thermos, glanced at the reminder at the bottom – ‘My husband, drink more water’ – and silently moistened his throat.

The ‘group buying in-store’ concept was something he had been contemplating for the past half month. Since the winter solstice milk tea card promotion, the gears had been slowly turning.

In other words, even without the Linchuan business banquet, he would have eventually pursued this direction, though it would have involved more detours. The sudden occurrence of the banquet had simply accelerated his plans and provided a unique opportunity.

Business is like that – many opportunities and challenges come without giving you enough time to prepare.

So, do you take them or not?

Of course, you do. Even if it’s overwhelming, you dive in.

However, the current scale of the group buying initiative is small. In the eyes of the real big bosses, it’s just a toy, lacking both the strength and credibility to be persuasive.

Therefore, Jiang Qin decided to start small.

A toad should first settle for a small swan before dreaming of a kun, a mythical giant fish. He’ll talk about the latter after the new year.

By then, he plans to take over the Normal University and the University of Science of Technology, rapidly expand to the surrounding business districts, stand tall like a Jin Chan (a mythical toad), and use his talent for smooth-talking to conquer bigger challenges.

This shouldn’t be a problem.

Once Linchuan becomes his stronghold, he plans to dismantle Zhihu, package the group buying initiative, and expand outward.

Jiang Qin picked up a pen and quickly jotted down a few key words on a sticky note, attaching it to the top frame of his computer.

“Wenhao, how are things going over at the University of Science of Technology?” he asked.

Dong Wenhao looked up: “The business there has stabilized and is catching up with the initial investment. It’s progressing twice as fast as at our university. We should be able to recoup the operational costs before the holiday break.”

Jiang Qin smacked his lips: “Tell them not to rush. They should be steady and careful. Why push the pace so fast? We don’t want to give Director Hu a heart attack during the festive season.”

“They can get scared over making money too?”

“He doesn’t care whether we make money or not; he’s just afraid we’ll run so fast that we lose our shoes.”

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