All for the Lottery

The rattling sound of the rolling shutter jolted Xu Bin out of his hangover. Holding his forehead, he groggily got up and noticed the shutter being lifted under the dim light filtering through the open door. He checked his phone—past 3 a.m.

The lights in the next room came on as the shutter slowly came down. Through the partition's upper glass, he saw Zhong Yu, dressed in a trendy outfit with smoky eye makeup and a visibly drunk face. "No need to close it, my place opens tomorrow. Just tidying up," she mumbled.

Zhong Yu said nothing more and walked straight into the bathroom. Xu Bin had already noticed the setup: the two doors on either side of the partition leading to the bathroom could be locked from inside. Once Zhong Yu locked his side, she could use it without worry and just unlock it when done.

The night before, he had gone drinking twice with Ji Peng. He tried to give him money for the cab, but Ji Peng refused. They had a lavish dinner worth several hundred yuan, followed by barbecue and beer until after 10 p.m. Xu Bin threw up twice on the street and crashed immediately after returning, still in a half-unpacked room. With his store opening the next morning, tidying up was inevitable.

After using the bathroom, Zhong Yu went straight to bed. Xu Bin, not exactly known for diligence, still had some excitement about launching his first business. He wiped down two phone display counters until they gleamed. With little inventory, he arranged phone cases, a few broken phones, and trinkets to fill the space.

The store had two brand-new refrigerators and two LCD TVs—his main attractions. He cleaned the desk and neatly organized repair tools like the soldering iron and power meter. The only new purchase was a comfy executive chair he bought the previous day at Brother Han's furniture shop. After all the food and shopping, he had just over 200 yuan left. If it weren't for the TVs and fridges, he wouldn't have dared to splurge so freely. He'd invested all 7–8k yuan he'd earned. Looking out at the light, he couldn't believe he had spent so boldly.

Lighting a cigarette, he noticed trash outside the door, blown in from nearby food stalls. He filled a bucket, grabbed a broom, and cleaned both his and Zhong Yu's entrance areas.

In the morning, there were hardly any pedestrians. To the right was the pedestrian street with only cleaning staff. To the left, an alley with no residences. Restaurants didn't start preparing until around 10 a.m. Most businesses opened just in time for the lunch and evening rush.

By 7:30, Xu Bin was sleepy. He walked a block over for breakfast, then returned to lay out firecrackers in front of the door. Whether or not anyone came, a good omen was necessary.

Surprisingly, the first flower basket delivery came from Zhong Yu. She stifled a yawn and gave him an encouraging look. Xu Bin's impression of her changed completely. He thanked her profusely.

Han Ge and Ji Peng also came with flower baskets. Li Jiuren and Che Dong brought a group of apprentices and two baskets. Knowing how stingy Li Jiuren was, the cost was probably split.

This was a new beginning for Xu Bin. The crackling firecrackers welcomed it with good luck. He remembered how, six months ago, his old repair booth had opened without even a sound. He spent his days posting ads and hustling repairs—never dreaming of retail sales.

It was still early, so his friends couldn't stay for lunch. But he didn't let them leave empty-handed. He practically gave away one TV and one fridge each to Li Jiuren and Che Dong at a discount, just to recoup some cash. Though the profit was small, it was better than nothing.

Shuangquan Appliance Store had a grand name, but was tiny and barely stocked.

Its main business was selling appliances—without specifying whether they were new or used. Everyone knew to judge for themselves. He also dealt in recycling household appliances, phones, computers, and did repairs.

The entire first day passed with no customers. Neither Han Ge nor Li Jiuren had anything fitting Xu Bin's resale criteria. Most old appliances weren't worth refurbishing—they wouldn't sell even at a low price.

It gave Xu Bin time to rest. He lounged in his chair and didn't even bother with the computer. On his fully-loaded iPhone 4s with a terabyte of space, he started downloading apps like crazy, as if trying to refill a dried-up lake.

Around noon, he went to a nearby accessories store, introduced himself, and bought some trinkets to fill his display. He also got a second-hand original charger and earphones. They suggested screen protectors, but Xu Bin just laughed. "Screen protector? My 4s is alien tech. If you can scratch it with a hammer, I'll be impressed."

Zhong Yu had shown her friendliness as a neighbor and landlord. Xu Bin wasn't ungrateful. He found a decent lunch place from the delivery menus and ordered one meat and one veggie dish for each of them.

Clink!

Zhong Yu tapped on the upper partition glass, gesturing her thanks before digging into her meal without fuss. She looked picky, but turned out to be refreshingly down-to-earth.

In the following days, there were scattered customers—mostly phone or small appliance repairs. Sometimes Xu Bin left for home service calls. Nothing valuable came in or sold. At this rate, he wouldn't even make rent.

At dusk, he sat at the door in his usual spot. Zhong Yu leaned against her own door and casually remarked, "This location doesn't suit your business. You should move somewhere cheaper, like a residential area, and focus on home repairs."

Xu Bin paused, then recognized the kind intention and smiled sincerely. They had gotten somewhat close these past days. He kept the shared bathroom clean and was always respectful. She now saw him as a decent man, hence the advice.

But what she didn't know was that just an hour earlier, Xu Bin had learned that Li Jiuren and Che Dong had sourced three fridges, two freezers, and two LCD TVs. The apprentices, like Lightbulb, were on their way to deliver them. Two days ago, he'd picked up two old green fridges from Han Ge, not for profit but to meet his weekly task. That morning he'd even considered buying obsolete models to refurbish—taking a loss if needed. He couldn't afford to fail the task and risk losing the 1cm in height and 20kg strength he'd gained. No amount of money could replace that.

"Heh, it's fine. Everyone starts like this. I've got sources for refurbishing. I'll be okay." More than reassuring her, Xu Bin was trying to calm himself. The task quota was rising weekly. Unless he operated at a loss, he'd soon run out of supply.

He had only just started enjoying real profits. Xu Bin was just a regular guy—a small-time hustler finally tasting the joy of big earnings. He didn't want to let go. He hoped this week's task completion would bring some changes.

Che Dong arrived with Lightbulb and the others, unloading everything into the store. Afterward, Che Dong gave Xu Bin a sideways look: "Shuangquan, when's the next batch? Looks like your supplier isn't so reliable. I'm telling you—we'll take whatever you get. Maybe you just suck at negotiating. Set up a meeting. I'll handle it."

Xu Bin laughed it off and pointed to the old green fridges still sitting unsold.

Che Dong's eyes lit up but still tried to haggle. "Who wants green fridges anymore? Even refurbished, they won't sell for cost."

Xu Bin didn't argue. At this point, breaking even was fine—task completion was the priority. How much is 1cm of height worth? As long as there was profit, he was good. He bluntly said, "200 yuan each. Take them yourself."

He had paid 51 yuan per unit, 10 yuan for a cart, 40 yuan for KFC—still 100 yuan profit. Not bad.

"200? Xu Bin, bring one over to my place," Zhong Yu said casually. "It's too hot—I want to freeze some ice." She pulled out 200 yuan without hesitation.