By noon, everything at school was finally done.
Just as He Li was about to leave, he spotted Miao Xiaoyu waving at him from the school gate. Wu Gang, standing beside him, noticed too and very sensibly decided to slip away. He had no intention of becoming the third wheel.
But before he could leave, He Li called out to him.
“Hold up, don’t run off yet. I’ve got something to tell you.”
“What’s up?” Wu Gang scratched the back of his head.
He Li instructed, “Wait for my call this afternoon. Bring out your family’s cargo tricycle. I need to borrow it.”
“What for?” Wu Gang was even more confused.
“To make money!” He Li added, “Anyway, I’ll explain when the time comes. Stop asking so many pointless questions. Oh, and bring along all your secret stash of pocket money too.”
“Alright then!” Wu Gang nodded after a moment of thought. He had no idea what He Li was up to, but the two of them had been close since junior high—six years of solid brotherhood—so he was willing to trust him.
“What were you two talking about?” As He Li approached, Miao Xiaoyu glanced at the fleeing Wu Gang and curiously asked. He Li shrugged, “Just planning how to make some cash.”
“Now that we’ve graduated from high school, we’re technically adults.”
“I can’t keep living off my parents forever.”
“So during the holidays, I want to earn some money to use as startup capital and begin planning for the future.”
As he spoke, Miao Xiaoyu’s eyes sparkled with admiration.
No wonder she liked this guy. While everyone else their age was thinking about traveling and relaxing over the summer, her crush was already planning for the future and working hard for a better life.
The more she thought about it, the happier she felt, and in her eyes, He Li looked even more admirable.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Is there anything I can help with?”
“If you need… I can help too!” she added shyly.
He Li nodded. “Sure!”
“Wait for my call this afternoon. We’ll go together.”
“Mmhm~” Miao Xiaoyu replied with a bright smile.
Not far behind them, Liu Yuyan, who was also heading home, felt annoyed seeing He Li chatting and laughing with Miao Xiaoyu. But her mood lifted again thanks to a comment from her best friend Li Feng’er.
“Yuyan, let’s hurry up. After lunch, we’re going to Yu Jianxin’s concert!”
“Don’t waste the two tickets He Li got for you!”
At that, Liu Yuyan’s face lit up with joy.
Yu Jianxin was a hot celebrity in the Martial Nation, both an actor and singer—her idol and role model!
A while back, the news broke that Yu Jianxin would be holding a concert in Yecheng!
She had been overjoyed and immediately ordered He Li to stand in line all day to get her two tickets. Thinking back to how hard He Li had worked for her and the fact that she’d finally get to see her idol in person…
Her mood instantly improved. She picked up the pace and left with Li Feng’er.
He Li raised his head and glanced at their backs, a playful smile forming on his lips.
Miao Xiaoyu asked curiously, “What is it?”
“Nothing. Just thought of something interesting…”
“What is it?” she pressed.
“You’ll find out this afternoon.” He Li grinned, not saying another word. After lunch and a short rest, he called Wu Gang to come pick him up. Once Wu Gang arrived, they picked up Miao Xiaoyu per He Li’s directions, and Wu Gang finally couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“What the hell are we doing?”
“Selling umbrellas and raincoats!” He Li answered. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Wu Gang slammed on the brakes. He looked up at the clear blue sky, then back at He Li. “Are you still half-asleep?”
He Li couldn’t be bothered to reply.
“I read the sky this morning. It’s definitely going to rain!”
“And not just rain—heavy rain. We’ll set up a stall outside Yu Jianxin’s concert. Hike up the prices, sell umbrellas. Trust me, it’s easy profit.”
Wu Gang didn’t believe in any sky-reading nonsense, but seeing He Li so confident, he hesitated, then gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, I’ll trust your nonsense. I’ve only got 1,000 yuan left after buying my computer. You can have it all.”
“Relax, you won’t lose a cent,” He Li chuckled.
“I believe in you too,” Miao Xiaoyu added. “I’ve got 10… I mean, 10,000 yuan in pocket money I can contribute. Is that enough?”
She had originally wanted to say 100,000, but worried that the number was too high and might discourage He Li.
After all, most people could spend years or even decades earning that much. She didn’t want to hurt his pride.
Even so, 10,000 yuan was still a lot.
Wu Gang was stunned. “Holy crap, ten thousand?”
“Miao the goddess is a little rich lady?”
“How did we never notice this at school?”
“She’s just low-key,” He Li smiled.
Miao Xiaoyu had 10,000, Wu Gang gave 1,000, and He Li had over 2,000 in savings himself. That was enough.
“If I hadn’t wasted so much money chasing after Liu Yuyan in the past…”
“I’d have more to use right now.”
He shook his head as they arrived at the wholesale market. He Li purchased over 1,300 raincoats and umbrellas at 10 yuan each. While hauling the goods toward the concert venue, he couldn’t help thinking back to his previous life…
In his last life, today was the day Liu Yuyan and Li Feng’er went to the concert, and he had delivered umbrellas in the rain.
He had witnessed firsthand…
Plenty of stall vendors who had prepared in advance sold umbrellas for 30, even 50 yuan apiece.
Those who acted fast made a killing!
This time, if he didn’t cash in, it would be a disgrace to his second chance at life.
“Li, where should we set up the stall?” Wu Gang asked once they arrived and saw the square already packed with vendors. All the good spots were taken.
He Li stayed calm. “We’ll set up right at the entrance.”
“Somewhere every concertgoer will pass.”
“That way, when it rains, they’ll think of us.”
“And after it starts pouring, the other stalls will have to leave. We’ll just move directly to the concert gates.”
“Smart move!” Wu Gang’s eyes lit up.
They parked and began setting up the stall.
Coincidentally, Liu Yuyan, Li Feng’er, and Li Lingjie—who had somehow gotten himself a ticket—also arrived by car and immediately spotted He Li on the roadside…
All three had strange expressions.
“He Li, I get that you want to earn money,” Li Feng’er said, “but… selling umbrellas and raincoats on a sunny day?”
Li Lingjie took the chance to mock him. “Who’d have thought the top student of Yecheng High could be so foolish? Tsk tsk, selling umbrellas on a day like this? That’s… creative.”
“Such a brilliant idea—how can I not help you spread it to the class group chat and my social circle?”
After his sarcastic remarks, he took out his phone and began snapping pictures.
Once the photos hit the class group chat, it exploded…
“What is this? Selling umbrellas under the sun?”
“Classic case of cleverness backfiring!”
“RIP He Li’s reputation. He really blew it!”
“LOL, top student? More like top fool!”
“At least he’s better-looking than you losers!”
“Still, I hope he loses every cent…”
…
Seeing most of the boys ridiculing He Li in the group chat, Li Lingjie was thrilled.
Liu Yuyan frowned slightly too.
But not because she thought He Li was acting stupid.
She thought he was doing all this just to get her attention.
“He knew I’d be here today and is pulling this stunt under the sun to make me notice him?” Liu Yuyan shook her head. “Sure, it works, but it’s just so childish.”
“Even if I go along with it and try to help him save face, he’s still going to lose everything, isn’t he?”
“All those goods must’ve cost over 1,000 yuan.”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to just buy me something nice?”
“My birthday’s in a few days!”
“He’s always being too clever for his own good.” Liu Yuyan shook her head in slight disappointment and didn’t plan to say anything to He Li.
Still, considering how much he’d ‘suffered’ for her this time, she couldn’t help but soften a little. She muttered in her heart, “Fine. I’ll be kind. Since you’ve lost so much for my sake…”
“As long as you come apologize.”
“I’ll forgive you. We can go back to how we were.”
“But I’m not going to say it out loud.”
“Whether or not you seize the chance is up to you.”
After her inner monologue, Liu Yuyan shot He Li a meaningful glance before heading toward the concert venue. Li Lingjie noticed and grinned lewdly, preparing to toss out another insult.
But the moment he met Miao Xiaoyu’s icy glare—like she might slap him on the spot…
And saw Wu Gang clenching his massive fists…
He instantly deflated and muttered weakly, “Hmph, you’ll see. You’ll lose thousands and cry later!”
With that, he scurried after Liu Yuyan like a dog…
He Li watched his back, not angry at all. In fact, he almost burst out laughing!
“Feeling smug now? In a bit, I’m gonna sell you an umbrella for 500 yuan!”
“And I’ll make sure it gets posted in the class group chat!”
“Title: Found the Biggest Sucker of the Day!”