Making Money Just By Breathing - Chapter 7.1: Melons

Wang Yangguang found a small factory, with a small storefront and a small industrial park. They specialized in various types of paper cartons and boxes, but the advantage was that they were willing to take on small orders.

When he arrived, he found the person in charge, a sturdy man named Mr. Wu.

Mr. Wu sized up Wang Yangguang and showed a hint of disdain. It was clear he didn’t fully trust this young man who appeared both young and poor.

“Young man, what do you want?”

“Boxes for packing watermelons. Can you provide boxes suitable for watermelons?!”

As soon as Wang Yangguang spoke, Mr. Wu’s brow furrowed even tighter, and his tone became even more indifferent.

“Are you kidding me? What kind of box would you use to pack watermelons?”

Wang Yangguang didn’t understand.

“Is it that you can’t use boxes, or that you don’t need to use boxes?”

“Heh!”

Mr. Wu chuckled lightly, took out a pack of soft red plum cigarettes, lit one slowly, glanced sideways at Wang Yangguang, and casually offered the cigarette pack, “Want one?”

“Thank you, Mr. Wu, but I don’t smoke.”

Wang Yangguang hurriedly waved his hand to decline.

Mr. Wu nonchalantly put away the cigarette pack, sneered, and quipped, “Even if you don’t smoke, when you go out, you should at least bring a pack. No one in society is your parents. It’s better to be overly polite than rude, understand?”

Wang Yangguang felt embarrassed, his face reddening, and he felt somewhat aggrieved.

Damn it, I’m just a high school student. How would I understand all your twists and turns?

Fair trade should be straightforward: you pay, and I deliver, right?

However, Wang Yangguang was not naive, though he was young. He understood clearly in his heart: even for such a small demand of his own, people might not be willing to fulfill it, even if paid.

So, it was indeed a case of needing something from others, and he should lower his stance.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m just a soon-to-be college student doing summer internships, and I really don’t have much experience. Thank you for reminding me!”

Wang Yangguang immediately apologized, with a very sincere attitude.

Selling melons and running a stall had plenty of troubles. Since he had decided to challenge himself, he couldn’t act like a spoiled brat.

Otherwise, why not just lie at home and sleep, waiting until his fixed income was enough, and then go out and splurge?

Bars, nightclubs, KTVs, malls, restaurants, foot massage parlors… as long as the wallet was full, he could be the boss wherever he went.

But going out to run errands was a different set of rules.

He had to learn.

It’s unclear whether Wang Yangguang’s attitude moved the other party, but as soon as Mr. Wu heard the phrase “summer internship,” his expression finally softened.

“Oh, so you’re a recent high school graduate doing a summer internship? Which school did you attend?”

Wang Yangguang answered truthfully, “Yes, I studied at Experimental High School.”

“Haha, my daughter is at Erzhong. She just entered the third year of high school this year, and she’ll be taking the college entrance exam next year. How did you perform in your exams?”

Wang Yangguang scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed and awkward.

“It was just average, a normal result for a second-tier normal university. I’m not cut out for studying, so I want to use the summer vacation to improve myself a bit and figure out what to do in the future.”

“That’s a good idea!”

Mr. Wu nodded approvingly, seeming to be touched by Wang Yangguang’s sincerity.

“Boys and girls are different. In the future, you’ll have to support a family, so it’s necessary to gain some life experience and toughen up. Being able to drink and smoke, that’s what makes a real man!”

Is it really necessary for a man to be good at drinking and smoking?

….Maybe

But I’m a wealthy man. Once I get past this hurdle, I won’t need to socialize for the sake of socializing anymore. Your theory doesn’t apply to me.

Wang Yangguang didn’t fully agree with Mr. Wu’s views, so he quickly changed the subject.

“Mr. Wu, how is your daughter’s academic performance? I have a lot of study materials for the college entrance exam that I can’t even sell for as much as scrap paper. If you’re interested, I can bring some over for you.”

“My daughter’s grades are good! She ranks in the top fifty or sixty in her class every time. With a bit more effort, she should be able to get into a top-tier university…”

“Oh, that’s really impressive, much better than me!”

“Hahaha!”

Mr. Wu laughed heartily, feeling proud.

“Alright, it’s quite commendable that you’re willing to work hard at such a young age. You know, it makes me feel bad if I don’t help out a little. What exactly do you need?”

Finally getting to the point, Wang Yangguang’s spirits lifted.

“Mainly, I’m looking for some boxes that look a bit upscale, the material doesn’t matter much, as long as they’re sturdy and can withstand the weight of several tens of kilograms. And then, I want to print the name of my uncle’s research institute on them.”

“Hmm.. your requirements are not easy to fulfill.”

Mr. Wu furrowed his brow.

“Very few people use boxes to pack watermelons. Cardboard boxes can’t withstand such heavy weights. Even if they don’t collapse individually, stacking them together will definitely crush the bottom.

As for those plastic mesh boxes, they can withstand the pressure, but the individual cost is too high. Moreover, watermelons come in various sizes, and the larger ones may not fit, while for the smaller ones, you’ll need to stuff them with a lot of foam or padding.

“You see, it’s troublesome and expensive. How are you going to sell your watermelons to make a profit?”

Wang Yangguang started spouting nonsense as soon as he opened his mouth, using the prepared script from earlier.