11 Chapter 6: Large Orders

In this information age, if you want to expand your business, it's unlikely to happen without advertising.

However, right now, I have only a scant amount to invest, and advertising can burn through funds quickly. If not used wisely, this small amount could be thrown into the advertising abyss without making a splash.

How can I quickly expand sales?

I was racking my brains when an enchanting voice suddenly rang out: "Hey boss, do you repair pens here?"

Looking up, an extraordinarily pretty face appeared before him and Li Zhongnan felt somewhat breathless. She was so radiant. Elegant, mature, every movement carrying an air of grace and nobility.

It seems that this woman must come from a refined background. A veritable lady.

He couldn't be mistaken; among the women he knew, only his ex-girlfriend could compare with her. Of course, just in terms of aura. In terms of figure, she was far superior. Voluptuous and sexy, with exceptional curves. Perhaps, this had something to do with age. She looked to be in her twenties, but he could discern that she was definitely over thirty.

"Boss, can this pen be fixed?"

Zhao Yi took out a pen split in two, asking somewhat anxiously. Li Zhongnan came back to his senses and answered reflexively, "No!" What a joke! How much was a pen worth? He wasn't going to do that kind of business. Besides, she was obviously not short of money. She showed up to have a broken pen repaired? What was she thinking?

"Oh!"

Zhao Yi seemed disappointed and sighed, "I disturbed you. I heard that you could fix phones that others couldn't, so I came to check out your shop."

She was about to leave, but stopped and said, "Boss, could you take another look? This pen holds a special meaning for me. Just give it a shot. Even if you can't fix it, I'll pay you for trying."

Her voice held a desperate plea.

It was hard to imagine, such a noble lady pleading with a street vendor like him for the sake of a pen. This pen must hold extraordinary significance to her.

A twinge of pity welled up inside Li Zhongnan and he nodded his agreement. He took the pen and it was repaired in an instant with the help of the system. The cost was negligible.

"Is it fixed already?"

Zhao Yi was utterly astonished. In a blink of an eye, the pen parts in his hand were reassembled, looking just as it did before. The broken part was flawless, without a trace of the fracture. It was nothing short of a magic trick.

She couldn't help but ask, "How did you do that? It's amazing!"

"Here!"

Li Zhongnan smirked, handing the pen over. How he did it was a well-guarded secret. Zhao Yi took the pen, cradling it in her hands, tenderly cleaning and caressing it. Her sparkling eyes began to fill with tears.

After a while, she put away the pen and regained her composure: "My apologies for my breakdown. Do forgive me. This pen truly matters a lot to me."

"I understand," Li Zhongnan replied nonchalantly.

Though, he felt a touch of jealousy. Could it be a keepsake from her lover?

"I really appreciate it! Thank you so much!" Zhao Yi's excitement returned. She reached out, grabbing both his hands, repeatedly expressing her gratitude. She had searched many places with no one able to repair her broken pen. She didn't hold much hope even when she came to his shop, considering the pen had completely split into two. It was beyond her belief when he managed to fix the pen without leaving a single trace. Her joy was beyond description.

"No worries, it was my pleasure." Li Zhongnan was a bit taken aback. He felt awkward, given that his act was merely a small gesture, yet it moved her so much.

He tried to pull his hands free but couldn't manage to; her grip was too tight.

Well then, who could resist that benefit?

He twitched his fingers, lightly brushing against hers. Soft, so very soft. Cool to the touch yet warm and pleasantly soothing.

He glanced at her surreptitiously and she didn't react. He brushed against her again and sneakily checked her reaction. Still nothing. Gathering his resolves, Li Zhongnan started to caress and knead her hands.

His heart started to pound.

Zhao Yi reacted, her face flushing slightly. She was a bit shy yet somewhat angry. However, she didn't rebuke him as she was the one who grabbed his hands first. Plus, he had done her such a big favor.

"Ahem…"

She could only hint at him to stop. Li Zhongnan quickly pulled his hands back and then exclaimed in a stern tone: "Miss, this isn't appropriate, men and women should keep their distance…"

She watched as he unembarrassedly lectured her. Zhao Yi was speechless and found it amusing. He truly was a clever boy. She shook her head and didn't dwell on it, asking with a smile, "Young man, how much do I owe you?"

"How much for what?"

Li Zhongnan was momentarily at a loss. His thoughts had been elsewhere.

He regained his senses and understood she was asking about the repair fee. He noticed her barely perceptible smile and felt a little nervous, thinking she saw through his little scheme.

Thankfully, he was quick on his feet and wouldn't let this incident affect him. Grinning slightly, he said, "Serving such a beauty is my honour, talking about money would only spoil our relationship." He was reluctant to charge her for repairing a pen!

"Thank you then."

Zhao Yi wasn't the kind of woman to put on airs, she knew there was no need for formalities with such a cunning man. Glancing around the shop, she said: "Young man, your mobile phones here are quite new."

"Of course, they are all brand new!"

Her comment cheered up Li Zhongnan, and he asked excitedly, "Miss, do you want to buy a phone? I can offer you a 10% discount? Which model do you like?"

Zhao Yi asked in surprise: "Isn't it buy one, get one free?" Li Zhongnan grinned broadly, saying: "Yes, buy one, get one free. Buy an Iphone, get a Xiaomi phone for free."

"That's false advertising!"

Zhao Yi was a bit speechless, but she calmly corrected him, "Buy one, get one free, but it should be the same model..." Before Li Zhongnan could refuse, Zhao Yi continued, "I want to buy a hundred phones, with buy one get one free, that means two hundred phones."

"Two hundred phones?"

Li Zhongnan was pleasantly shocked. He was about to immediately agree, but he managed to suppress his excitement and casually suggested: "Miss, that's a rather large lot. Selling at half price, I would make a loss. I can offer you an eight percent discount."

Zhao Yi shook her head, saying decidedly, "Sixty percent! No more than that!" Realizing that her tone was too demanding, she explained, "I'm buying these for someone else and this is the best price I can get for you. It's up to you whether you sell or not."

She wasn't lying. An old man wanted to buy new brand-name phones but was notoriously stingy. The job was thankless and frustrating. If it weren't for Li Zhongnan helping her with the pen, she wouldn't have bothered with it.

"Deal! I'll sell!"

Li Zhongnan agreed eagerly. He was good at reading people, and he knew she wasn't lying.

Thankfully, he didn't agree immediately. By not offering the lowest price straight away, he was able to negotiate a better deal. He'd made quite a lot. Two hundred phones, even if he only made a thousand on each, that would be two hundred thousand. How could he refuse such a big deal?

Ha-ha!

Just moments ago, he was worried about his sales figures. Now, a sizeable order comes his way without him even trying. He truly was lucky. No, this was karma. He didn't charge her for the repair and landed a huge deal.

He realised he was lucky not to have been too pushy earlier; that surely would have made her uncomfortable.