CSGM - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Solving Problems Seriously

Seeing the flash of terror in Luo Yangtian's eyes, Chu Xi rolled the candy under her tongue and chuckled softly.

"Fine, do as you please."

The kid didn't know what was good for him. A time would come when he'd need her help.

In the RV, everyone's attention returned to the matter of "money." They worked together, rummaging through every nook and cranny, seriously searching for any hidden startup funds.

Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice. Without startup capital, they wouldn't be able to keep the restaurant open for a single day.

But after searching high and low, the members only found a pile of unopened red wine.

The Director, however, sat behind the camera looking very pleased. He picked up a megaphone and announced:

"Congratulations, five members. You have found twenty bottles of classic dry red wine provided by our sponsor, 'Hanmoni.' The real task that will determine how much startup capital you receive today is-selling the wine."

"Before today's live broadcast ends, the total sum of money from the wine you sell will serve as the initial capital for the restaurant's opening."

"Our suggested retail price for each bottle is 1688 yuan."

Hearing this number, everyone's eyebrows involuntarily twitched.

Some thought, if one bottle could sell for 1688 yuan, then if they sold them all, wouldn't their startup capital be over thirty thousand?

Others thought, Hanmoni itself is a relatively high-end, luxury wine brand, not for the general public. With such a high price tag now, it probably wouldn't sell well among ordinary people…

But no matter what they thought, they had to take this wine out and sell it.

Ren Zhi suggested, "How about this? Let's split up. We'll be more efficient if we form two teams."

Xiao Han followed up, "I agree with Zhizhi's idea."

Li Xiling chimed in, her voice three decibels louder than the other two, "Hey, I think that's a great idea!"

Having five people trying to sell wine together would indeed be a bit chaotic.

But if they split into two small teams, they could approach more customers at the same time, increasing their chances of selling the wine.

【Holy crap… 1688 for a bottle of wine… I've never even had a 688 one!】

【Zhizhi is a natural-born leader!!!】

【Zhizhi's on-the-spot reactions are so fast.】

【Good thinking. A sales team of 2-3 people is actually the most efficient.】

【I just hope Ren Zhi doesn't get grouped with a certain Chu. I don't want to see Chu xx!】

【But I think Chu Xi and Ren Zhi look so good together… a cool puppy and a noble cat. They'd definitely turn heads walking together, right?】

【Wake up, person above! What use is Chu Xi? Is she just going to drag them down?】

【Ahhhhh I hate it too, why does Chu Xi have to be exactly my type? She doesn't deserve that face!】

The bullet comments discussed the show's content in real-time, with a wide range of opinions.

"Since everyone thinks this suggestion is feasible, then…" Xiao Han scanned the group and asked with a smile, "How should we split up?"

He had his own concerns, and his smile didn't reach his eyes; it was just an emotionless, perfunctory smile for the occasion.

He thought to himself that he absolutely must not end up in the same group as Chu Xi. It was obvious that a person like Chu Xi would be of no help.

It wasn't just him; the others were also very skeptical of Chu Xi's abilities…

They had all fought their way up in the film or music industries and had some skills of their own. Only Chu Xi… was said to be a complete and utter novice.

In short, she gave off a useless vibe.

Everyone was very pragmatic and wanted to be with capable teammates to sell the wine more smoothly.

But forming groups had to be fair; they couldn't all just follow their own preferences. So, Li Xiling said bluntly, "Let's decide with our hands. It'll be quick."

Following the Golden Melody Queen's simple and direct method, the two wine-selling teams were instantly formed.

Ren Zhi and Xiao Han were one team.

Chu Xi, Li Xiling, and Luo Yangtian were the other.

A look of delight appeared on Xiao Han's face. He immediately turned and extended a hand to Ren Zhi, saying, "Here's to a pleasant collaboration."

Li Xiling sighed in frustration. Luo Yangtian chuckled and said, "Sister Ling, we're the ones who got the better deal. We have one more person than they do."

Li Xiling's mouth was working faster than her brain.

"It only looks like we have three people, but in reality, we're not even as useful as their two…" Halfway through her sentence, she realized something was wrong. She stopped with an "uh" and slowly continued, "I mean, I've never worked in sales before. I don't know anything about this industry, so I might not be much help… Um, Xiao Tian'er, can you give me another piece of that xylitol gum?"

Her clumsy attempt to backtrack and change the subject sent the audience into fits of laughter.

【Hahahahahaha our Ling never speaks in subtleties, she's always direct!】

【Ling was dissing Chu Xi and realized halfway through that she probably shouldn't have said it out loud. I'm dying laughing.】

【Did anyone notice Luo Yangtian's expression? Luo Yangtian: Terror!!!】

【Ling is proving that she made it in the music industry purely on her talent! Hahahahahaha…】

【Chu Xi really is useless, though. The queen was just trying to speak the truth.】

Chu Xi, however, remained impassive. The person they thought was stupid was just her former stand-in. What did that have to do with her?

Forget them; after receiving the memories, even she felt her stand-in was quite the simple-minded sweetheart.

She picked up a case of red wine and said flatly, "Let's go."

Luo Yangtian was a very polite kid. He quickly ran over and offered to do the manual labor. "Sister Xi, Sister Xi, let me carry it. I'm strong."

Chu Xi let go and let him take it.

The team of three went to a nearby square to attract customers. Although the foot traffic was heavy and most people were curious about celebrities selling wine, the majority of onlookers were just there to watch the drama unfold.

As soon as they heard that the red wine Luo Yangtian was holding cost 1688 yuan a bottle, the group of eager people immediately dismissed the idea.

Luo Yangtian was tired from just holding the wine. He placed the box on the ground and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Sigh.

Selling wine wasn't easy; Xiao Tian could only sigh.

It was just as he had thought. The wine was too expensive and hard to sell.

Chu Xi watched the people gather and disperse, all of them quickly declining after hearing the price of the wine. She said to Luo Yangtian, "Rest for a bit. When you're ready, we'll move to another spot. We can't sell it here."

Li Xiling looked at the bustling crowd around them, frowning from the bright sunlight. "We can't even sell it here with so many people? Where else can we go?"

It only looked like there was a lot of foot traffic, but most of them were salaried workers.

Sixteen hundred yuan for a bottle of wine was truly unacceptable for the average person.

High-end products required precision targeting.

Chu Xi told the two, "Let's go to the shops around here. The people who can open a shop in this area have money."

Li Xiling was skeptical about whether she was right, but after fanning herself for a moment, she felt it was worth trying Chu Xi's idea.

Because it was simply too hot outside-

"Fine, let's hurry up and find a shop to enjoy some air conditioning! Xiao Tian'er, thanks for your hard work."

Luo Yangtian smiled, full of energy. "I'll just treat it as a workout to lose weight."

The three found a snack shop. Business was slow at the moment, with few people inside. The shop owner was sitting idly in a chair, looking at his phone.

This was the perfect time. They could pitch the wine without disturbing the owner's business.

"Hello, sir. Excuse me."

Luo Yangtian went in first, with Chu Xi and Li Xiling following behind. Two camera operators also entered after them.

The shop owner was a middle-aged man with a slightly chubby, square face. His small eyes widened in bewilderment at the scene. "What are you all doing?"

Li Xiling said directly, "We're here to sell wine. Hanmoni dry red wine. Sir, would you like to take a look and see if you need any?"

"Selling wine?" The owner pointed at the camera, then sized up Li Xiling. "You're filming a show, aren't you? You look very familiar. You're a celebrity, right? Haven't you been on the Spring Festival Gala?"

Li Xiling nodded. "Yes, I've gone to sing a few songs."

A high school boy doing his homework at a table stood up and pointed excitedly at Luo Yangtian, shouting, "Dad! That's Luo Yangtian, he's really famous!"

"Hello, little brother," Luo Yangtian greeted him enthusiastically.

But the next second, the shop owner frowned and snapped, "Focus on your problems! What does this have to do with you? I've told you to stop chasing after these actors and performers. Studying is the right path!"

The owner turned back to them, his attitude hostile as he tried to shoo them away. "Go, go, go. Don't you disturb my son's studies here. It's you celebrities who set a bad example, making my son think it's okay not to study hard, that he can just become a performer if he's good-looking! And that he can make more money than with a good education!"

Li Xiling was instantly displeased. Her face fell as she demanded, "What did you just say, sir?"

Luo Yangtian quickly pulled the agitated Sister Ling behind him. He had a good temper and still had a smile on his face as he said, "Sir, you've misunderstood. We don't mean any harm. We're just trying to sell this red wine. If you don't need it, we won't bother you…"

"Look at yourself, being a performer, showing your face in public every day. What's so good about that?" The shop owner simply disliked the celebrity crowd and continued to use Luo Yangtian's words to lecture his son.

"Is this a proper way to sell wine? This is just entertainment! As long as you're a celebrity, you can do anything and it entertains the masses. I don't know what's wrong with the culture these days. Sigh, an age of amusing ourselves to death!"

"I don't think we did anything to provoke you, did we? What the f…" Li Xiling was blunt and looked annoyed.

Ling was furious, too. She was actually trying to sell wine seriously today!

Hearing that classic curse word, Luo Yangtian was shocked-did Sister Ling know this was a live broadcast? So brave!

"Isn't it the impression you celebrities left on my son that makes him think that studying diligently just makes you an ordinary person? But becoming an actor means you don't have to study, and you can earn more money with just a pretty face!"

"Tch, and you don't like me being harsh. The ones affecting my son's studies are the bunch of celebrities in the entertainment industry with elementary and middle school educations!"

"They haven't even finished their own studies, yet they have the nerve to be public figures and influence today's youth!"

The shop owner's face was also full of displeasure, and he even rolled his eyes.

Was he wrong?

He wasn't wrong!

If it weren't for all those illiterate celebrities who still made tons of money, drove luxury cars, and lived in mansions, his son would never have developed such flawed values!

Although the shop owner's words were harsh, the audience, mostly composed of ordinary people, didn't attack him.

Because Chu Xi was standing right in front of him, a living example proving that his words were not without evidence!

【He's talking about Chu Xi, isn't he.】

【The owner is scolding stars with elementary or middle school educations. A world where only Chu Xi gets hurt has been achieved.】

【At least Ling has singing skills and Luo Yangtian has acting skills. There's nothing wrong with entertainment, the problem is the barrier to entry is too low, so anyone can come in and get a piece of the pie.】

【I agree. The entertainment industry would be better with fewer 'Nine-Year Education Leaky Fish' like Chu Xi!!!】

The still-fuming Li Xiling was pulled outside the shop by Luo Yangtian, panting with anger.

"This person is completely unreasonable! This is just fearmongering!"

"Forget it, forget it, Sister Ling…" Luo Yangtian patiently comforted his senior. When he turned back to the camera, only a trace of an awkward smile remained on his face.

Inside the shop, the sophomore son brought a math test paper to the owner and said, "Dad, I'm done."

The owner glanced at it, frowned, and became stern again. "What do you mean, done? The last question is still blank. Go back and do it!"

"But I don't know how… I can't solve it…" The high schooler's expression was pained.

It was the final, most challenging problem on solid geometry. He had been thinking about it for a long time but had no clue how to approach it. He could only give up.

"You don't know how? Why don't you know how? Did you not pay attention in class? You used to get a hundred percent in elementary school math, and now you're leaving questions blank for me! I even spent money on tutoring for you. Where did all that learning go?"

"Do you think I know how? I didn't take your class… Blaming the problem for being hard? Reflect on yourself! If I had that much tutoring, I would definitely know how to do it!"

The shop owner roared at his son in anger.

The viewers, who had just been sympathizing with his critique of the entertainment industry, now began to feel suffocated on his son's behalf.

The shop owner had clearly been out of school for too long and had no idea how insane math problems had become…

The final problem on a sophomore's math test-was that something you could solve just by paying attention in class and studying hard afterward???

【To be fair, I think the owner's son is already doing great. At least he tried before giving up…】

【Hahahahahaha right! I always pass by the last big question three times without even looking at it!】

【The final problem: Don't even touch me, you'll die fast.】

【The final problem: Why are you trying to solve me? Are you aiming for Tsinghua or Peking University?】

【Putting myself in his shoes, if my dad talked to me like that, I'd go crazy and rip up the test sooner or later.】

【Crying. My mom used to think the same way. She always thought I couldn't solve the last math problem because I wasn't working hard enough…】

…

Amidst the shop owner's harsh words, a sudden, soft laugh drifted in.

"A moment ago, you were blaming the entertainment industry for corrupting children. I thought your method of educating your son would be so brilliant. Turns out it's a case of 'to raise but not to teach is the father's fault.'"

Chu Xi hadn't left. After watching the whole farce play out inside the shop, she finally spoke calmly.

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