Chapter 71: Instant Kill!

The speaker was none other than the man encountered during the bicycle purchase at Wangfujing! Truly, fate has a way of bringing adversaries together. This turn of events left Shen Guodong somewhat surprised; after being humiliated last time, he hadn’t expected this fellow to dare provoke him again.

“Wang Fujing, it’s you,” Shen Guodong remarked with a casual shrug, his demeanor relaxed and unruffled. A playful smile emerged on his calm face, tinged with amusement.

“Yes, it’s me!” Wang Fujing replied with evident pride. It had been more than half a month since the bicycle incident, and having suffered humiliation from Shen Guodong then, he was determined to reclaim his dignity this time. Only by doing so could he soothe the resentment simmering within his heart.

Had it not been for Manager Xu stepping in to help Shen Guodong last time, Wang Fujing would have left him utterly disgraced and unable to show his face. Who would have thought they’d cross paths again so soon?

He relished the moment. “What’s this? Shopping for appliances?” Wang Fujing declared with arrogance.

“That’s right,” Shen Guodong replied, shrugging once more.

“Hah, probably can’t afford it! Appliances aren’t for ordinary people. Someone like you should wait for the next life. Do you really think just because the factory kept you on, you can act so high and mighty?” Wang Fujing boasted, turning to the shopkeeper. “Madam, I’ll take a television.”

“There are no televisions left. The only two we had were reserved by this gentleman,” the shopkeeper responded, busy writing up Shen Guodong’s order, and spoke with a hint of difficulty.

“Isn’t that a television right there?” Wang Fujing frowned, displeased. “You have so many here, and you’re saying only two? How can you say that? Don’t you want to do business?”

Black-and-white televisions weren’t expensive, costing just over six hundred each. Wang Fujing had gone to great lengths for this purchase, borrowing money from relatives and friends. His wife, too, was supportive—she often went next door to Old Wang’s house to watch TV, staying up late and returning home exhausted. Wang Fujing’s heart ached for her, and after discussing it, she agreed to support him. With over six hundred in hand, Wang Fujing hurried to the appliance store.

To his surprise, he encountered Shen Guodong again. He was convinced such a person couldn’t possibly afford these appliances, which fueled his sense of superiority.

The shopkeeper, seeing Wang Fujing pointing at the black-and-white TV, felt no enthusiasm. These TVs sold well and their prices were transparent, with a profit of barely a few yuan per unit. “Oh, you meant this one? I thought you were asking about color TVs. We have plenty of black-and-white sets, six hundred and fifty each. If you want one, take it,” she said, returning to her paperwork—Shen Guodong had purchased so many appliances, there were numerous forms to fill out.

“Do you even want to do business?” Wang Fujing complained, unhappy with the shopkeeper’s indifference. “I’m here to buy a six-hundred-yuan television, and this is your service attitude?”

He thought six hundred was a considerable sum for most people, failing to realize that the profit margin of a product determined the shopkeeper’s attitude. A black-and-white TV yielded only a dozen yuan, whereas Shen Guodong’s color TV purchases were worth thousands, a completely different league. The shopkeeper was well aware of the distinction.

“Buy it or don’t—your single TV earns me a few yuan, and you’re whining here. This gentleman bought so many things, and he didn’t demand any special service,” the shopkeeper retorted, continuing to fill out Shen Guodong’s forms for future maintenance and recordkeeping. She hadn’t even finished her paperwork, yet Wang Fujing was pestering her for better service.

Wasn’t this absurd?

Wang Fujing had expected his words would prompt her to curry favor with him, but to his surprise, she barely acknowledged him.

Could it be that Shen Guodong had purchased many items?

For a moment, confusion clouded her mind.

“Sir, let me test the color TVs for you,” the shopkeeper said after finishing the forms, glancing at Wang Fujing still lingering nearby with irritation. “Black-and-white TVs are fixed price, no bargaining. If you want cheaper, try somewhere else.”

Wang Fujing was vexed. He’d visited many stores, bargaining persistently, and found this place’s price the most reasonable. He wanted to haggle further, but the shopkeeper’s attitude was so unexpectedly poor.

But why was she so courteous to Shen Guodong?

He watched as she plugged in both color TVs and began testing them.

“Are you kidding? This guy can afford color TVs? He can’t even buy a black-and-white set, and you ignore a real customer for someone who can’t pay, treating him better than me!” Wang Fujing grumbled, annoyed by the stark contrast in service.

The shopkeeper’s attitude toward Shen Guodong was intolerable.

He couldn’t accept it.

“Are you daft? He bought two color TVs and a pile of appliances. If you bought like that, I’d treat you like royalty, let alone service attitude,” the shopkeeper declared irritably.

At her words, Shen Guodong’s face became even more amused. He could clearly see Wang Fujing’s discomfort.

It must be said, Wang Fujing was bringing this misery upon himself. If only he had a bit of self-awareness, he wouldn’t be caught in such embarrassment, would he? He dared to compare himself to Shen Guodong—did he truly have the qualifications?

What!

Wang Fujing’s expression froze.

Impossible! This fellow actually bought such appliances.

Color TVs?

Those were thousands of yuan each—he could hardly believe it!

And to buy two at once.

Was it a joke?

His sense of discomfort was like swallowing fly droppings, leaving him utterly unable to accept the situation. In that instant, he found himself at a loss for words to describe his feelings.

If it were someone else, he wouldn’t care if they bought color TVs, cars, or even houses. But this person was Shen Guodong, and he simply couldn’t accept it.

Why did this man always best him?

He’d borrowed countless sums just to buy a black-and-white TV, gritting his teeth to make the purchase, while Shen Guodong easily bought two color TVs, instantly outclassing him by an unimaginable margin.

He found it almost impossible to accept…