Chapter 6: Zhou Yuwen, You Must Write a Novel!
That afternoon, Zhou Yuwen made over ten trips, helping both freshmen girls and boys move in. He didn’t mind the effort since there was money to be made. Despite his efforts, he only managed to register thirty students interested in getting new SIM cards. This number was too low to gain any significant leverage or attract top-level agents.
Zhou Yuwen then thought of his high school alumni group chat. Opening the chat, he saw it buzzing with excitement. His classmates were sharing their experiences of moving to different cities for college, posting photos of their dorms and cafeterias.
“Check out our cafeteria! We even have hot pot here!”
“Wow, the food at our cafeteria is so expensive. 8 yuan for a bowl of duck blood vermicelli!”
“Jinling’s cost of living is high. I miss home already!”
Most of Zhou Yuwen’s classmates from the Xuzhou region attended universities in Jinling, with a few scattered across Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and even fewer out of the province. Zhou Yuwen scrolled through the messages and then tagged everyone in the group chat:
@Everyone, is anyone in Jinling interested in getting a SIM card? I have a relative working in a telecom store. Right now, you can get a local campus card for only 130 yuan. It includes 30GB of data per month, a free smartphone, and campus High-Speed Internet. All Jinling university students are eligible.
The message instantly sparked a flurry of responses from his classmates.
“Brother Zhou, where are you? I’ll come to you right now!”
Compared to girls, boys had a greater need for SIM cards since they played online games, and dorms without internet made gaming impossible. School-issued campus cards usually cost 150-200 yuan. Zhou Yuwen’s offer of 130 yuan was very attractive.
Moreover, it was a common belief that it’s easier to deal with acquaintances. Zhou Yuwen claimed to have a relative in a telecom store, which made his classmates trust him more.
For example, in one dorm, the students were discussing which plan to get.
“One High-Speed Internet Card for the dorm, four people, each pays forty yuan, and the rest covers the phone bill.”
“But there’s still a 79-yuan monthly fee. The internet in Jinling is expensive!”
“Liu Shuo, what do you think? Should we each pay 40 and get a phone card first?” his roommates asked, looking at Liu Shuo, who was playing on his phone.
Liu Shuo sat up. “Forget it. Let’s not get the school’s plan. I have a friend with connections at the telecom store. It’s only 130 yuan there.”
“Really? So cheap?”
“Yeah, my friend said it’s the sub-agent price. He’s giving us this rate so we can act as his sub-agents, charging others the standard 150. That way, we make a 20-yuan commission per card,” Liu Shuo explained.
“Wow, Brother Liu, didn’t know you had such powerful friends!”
“Haha, of course!”
Zhou Yuwen indeed offered them the sub-agent price. Thanks to his previous life experience, he understood the rules well. Offering 130 yuan per card to his high school classmates and recruiting them as sub-agents was a no-brainer.
In no time, about ten classmates contacted Zhou Yuwen about getting cards. Even those who didn’t need one themselves asked if their roommates could get one for 130 yuan.
Zhou Yuwen replied, “If you refer someone, it’s 130 yuan for them too. How much you charge them is up to you; I won’t interfere.”
This made his classmates appreciate him even more.
“Wow, Brother Zhou, you’ve got some serious skills.”
“We’re lucky to have Brother Zhou.”
“Brother Zhou, I just asked around; six of my classmates want cards!”
“Brother Zhou, two of my roommates want cards!”
Quickly, his classmates responded enthusiastically.
Zhou Yuwen said, “List all the students who want cards and send them to me tonight. I’ll compile everything and arrange for someone to handle it.”
“Got it, Boss Zhou.”
“Roger that!”
While recruiting sub-agents, Zhou Yuwen’s phone buzzed with a message from a girl named Li Shiqi: "Zhou Yuwen, are you offering China Mobile or China Unicom cards?"
Zhou Yuwen nearly forgot who Li Shiqi was. High school felt like a distant memory.
Li Shiqi was the class beauty, excelling in both looks and academics. Teachers frequently used her as an example: "Look at Li Shiqi." Zhou Yuwen remembered her as a ponytail girl focused on her studies. She was beautiful but worlds apart from him. She attended Jinling University, one of the top universities in the country. Despite being so close, they had no interaction during their university years.
After graduation, Zhou Yuwen saw her on TV, dubbed the most beautiful diplomat. Li Shiqi never attended high school reunions, yet she was a constant topic among classmates. Some even bragged about sitting next to her in class.
"Li Shiqi is the most successful among us, right?"
"She’s truly amazing!"
Zhou Yuwen had attended a couple of reunions but lost interest as he grew older. He didn’t like pretending to be impressed by others. Seeing Li Shiqi’s message didn’t evoke much emotion. He simply replied: "China Telecom."
"Okay," Li Shiqi responded briefly.
After a pause, she messaged again: "If I bring in someone, do I get a 20-yuan commission?"
"Yes, 20 yuan per person. If you bring thirty people, I’ll consider you the campus agent and give you a 30-yuan commission per person."
"Deal!"
With that, Li Shiqi fell silent. Zhou Yuwen continued helping freshmen and promoting SIM cards until, by six in the evening, he had a list of a hundred names.
He then headed to a telecom store a bit farther from his university. The store, located in the university town, was staffed by young girls in their early twenties, dressed in stylish uniforms that accentuated their slim waists, short skirts, and flesh-colored stockings.
Given the new school year, the store was relatively quiet. Zhou Yuwen, wearing his glasses and mature outfit, asked to see the store manager.
"Can I help you?" a young girl asked.
"I have an appointment to discuss agency matters."
"Please wait a moment."
Student agents were common, so the girl didn’t question further and quickly fetched the manager, a charming woman in her thirties. Zhou Yuwen introduced himself and explained his business. He mentioned he had previously helped with SIM cards in Xuzhou and wanted to start his own business in Jinling.
"How many people can you get to sign up?" the manager, Liu Yeqing, asked, her interest piqued but not yet enthusiastic.
Zhou Yuwen explained he had classmates spread across the university town who could act as sub-agents. He showed her the preliminary list, divided into pages with five to seven names each.
Liu Yeqing, with her slender legs crossed and her chin resting on her hand, scrutinized the list. Zhou Yuwen’s proposal clearly outlined the names of sub-agents and the types of packages they intended to offer. Impressed, she asked, "Have you contacted the store near your school? What commission are they offering?"
Zhou Yuwen chuckled, "Not yet, but I know the school agent gets 70 yuan per card. I’d like 80 yuan per card."
"That’s quite high," Liu Yeqing remarked, slightly amused.
"Look at the details I’ve provided. Each package and the number of people interested. This isn’t just about one hundred cards," Zhou Yuwen replied confidently.
Liu Yeqing knew this was a fair deal. Zhou Yuwen’s data indicated he had over thirty sub-agents covering the entire university town. His familiarity with the packages and commission structures showed he knew his business.
Finally, Liu Yeqing agreed to Zhou Yuwen’s terms, which included an additional benefit for his customers: 120GB of extra data distributed over six months.
After signing the contract, Zhou Yuwen received a free SIM card with unlimited talk time and data for a monthly fee of 300 yuan.
"By the way, do you have iPhone contract deals?" Zhou Yuwen asked, realizing he needed a new phone.
Liu Yeqing, amused by his request, provided him with the latest iPhone in a sleek white color.
On his first day back, Zhou Yuwen felt he had done well. He had successfully navigated the beginning of a new, profitable venture. Life was taking a new turn, though some things remained eerily familiar.
Just fifteen minutes after activating his new SIM card, his phone rang.
"Hello?" Zhou Yuwen answered, puzzled by the unexpected call.
There was silence on the other end, followed by a voice filled with excitement.
“Who is this? If you don’t speak, I’ll hang up,” Zhou Yuwen said, ready to disconnect.
“Zhou Yuwen!” the voice finally spoke.
Zhou Yuwen was taken aback. “You must write a novel! Your novel will be a hit! Believe in yourself!”