C3 Self-improvement

"I guess I'll head out now."

Having finished his coffee, Hsiang Tai was ready to take his leave. His main reason for coming was to carry out a task.

"Hold on, did you seriously come all this way just to get a confession out of me?" Su Qin, noticing Hsiang Tai's move to depart, hurriedly asked, "Is that really your only reason for being here?"

"That's it. What else should there be?"

Hsiang Tai had a hunch that Su Qin might want to bring up the fact that it was Christmas Eve, but he wasn't keen on going down that path.

"Don't you want to invite me out for Christmas Eve? Maybe hang out a bit?" Su Qin wasn't harboring any romantic feelings for Hsiang Tai; she was just feeling lonely and wanted some company for dinner and shopping. Her social circle at school had diminished since she lived off-campus, and when it came to finding someone to spend time with, Hsiang Tai, who lived just across from her and often shared meals with her, was the first person that came to mind.

"No, I'm busy."

He didn't fancy dining out on a holiday, not because he dreaded the thought of being a third wheel, but simply because he disliked the crowds and long waits. Why did it have to be today of all days?

"What's so important? You're not working today, are you?" Su Qin blurted out anxiously, "You haven't got a date, have you?"

This could be problematic. If Hsiang Tai had a girlfriend, especially a jealous one, she might not be able to hang out with him as often. Familiarity aside, Su Qin didn't want to be seen as the other woman and knew she had to consider her friend's situation.

"I'm planning to make some money. Today could be quite profitable," Hsiang Tai explained. "Opportunities like this don't come around often, and I intend to seize it."

"Making money?" Su Qin's interest was piqued. She might not be overly concerned with wealth, but she was definitely interested in earning and saving her own money. "Can I join you?"

"Bring you along?" After a moment's thought, Hsiang Tai decided an extra hand could be useful. "How about a sixty-forty split? Sixty for me, forty for you. What do you say?"

"Alright, you call the shots."

Hsiang Tai glanced at his unfinished list of achievements, moving 'Self-Reliance' just below the 'Charitable Giving' milestone, ready to monitor his progress at any moment.

Self-Reliance: Earning money through one's own labor and intellect. Current progress: 28,100 yuan / 30,000 yuan.

The 28,000 yuan represented a year's income from his temporary jobs. Technically, he could complete this achievement with his next paycheck on the 15th of the following month, but Hsiang Tai felt today was auspicious enough to try his hand at a small venture to earn the remaining amount.

He worked weekends as a waiter in a restaurant, with a monthly paycheck that just scraped into the four-figure range—sufficient for dining at the university cafeteria. But Hsiang Tai's earnings weren't confined to this job; he often engaged in various side hustles for extra cash.

For instance, he dabbled in ticket scalping for concerts by established stars like Chen Yixun, Lin Junjie, and Zhou Jielun, or rising artists like Hua Chenyu. In major cities, he could double his investment by selling a ticket on the secondary market after every three or five attempts. Of course, there were losses too—some stars, seemingly in high demand, would leave him with tickets he had to sell at a discount, attracting no buyers.

On occasions like Valentine's Day or Christmas, he'd seize the opportunity to make some fast money, much like he planned to do today.

"Wait, your money-making scheme is what, exactly?"

"That's right."

Hsiang Tai gestured toward the trash bin in the hallway. "Go ahead and dig them out."

They were in a commercial building close to the school.

It was Christmas Eve, a day when many men felt the pinch in their wallets. Nowadays, people didn't flinch at spending a few hundred yuan on flowers, and it wasn't uncommon to spot flower delivery guys in office buildings. But a happy social media post from the recipient didn't guarantee the flowers would make it home; particularly with some women, who might discard them right after snapping a photo.

Hsiang Tai's method for making money was to rescue these forsaken blooms from the trash, repackage them, and sell them individually to young romantics on campus or along the streets at night.

A business venture with pure profit.

Su Qin initially thought it was a joke—after all, who throws flowers away? But now, as she stared at the ninety-nine roses discarded in the trash can, she found herself at a loss for words.

"Giving roses is a nice gesture, but for some women who receive too many, carrying such a large bouquet is a hassle. And then there's the matter of finding a vase for them."

When Su Qin hesitated, Hsiang Tai, gloves on, retrieved the flowers from the trash and said, "Ninety-nine roses. Even at a rock-bottom price of five yuan each, I can clear a five hundred yuan profit. It's like picking up free money."

"You're such a profiteer," Su Qin tsk-tsked. Hsiang Tai was truly a piece of work, coming up with such a scheme and actually going through with it.

"Come on, there's a goddess in the next building who gets more than five bouquets every holiday, and she usually tosses them in a trash can far from her office. She does it every time. Let's go make some cash." Hsiang Tai passed the roses to Su Qin, adding, "They're clean. Hold onto them for now."

"I never imagined the first flowers I'd ever receive would be fished out of a garbage bin," Su Qin remarked, to which Hsiang Tai quickly countered, "They're not for you. You're just holding them temporarily, so don't get any romantic ideas."

Su Qin was petite, and the massive bouquet of ninety-nine roses nearly swallowed her whole. She tried to glare and take a swipe at Hsiang Tai to express her annoyance, but naturally, she missed.

"Stop complaining. If we do well today, I'll treat you to crayfish tonight."

"Crayfish sounds great!" Su Qin's mood instantly lifted. "Let's get moving to the next spot. But wait, are you tricking me? Where would you get crayfish in December?"

"Keep up," Hsiang Tai urged.

The pair canvassed all the nearby office buildings, ending up with a decent haul of over a dozen bouquets—not all ninety-nine roses, as smaller bunches were the current trend. By the end, they had amassed over four hundred flowers in various assortments.

"I'm beat. I never thought it would turn into such a physical job in the end."

Su Qin lugged a large black bag into Hsiang Tai's room, fanning herself with her hand. "I'm going to head back to my place for a quick shower—I'm drenched in sweat. I'll be back later to help out. We just have the cutting and packaging left, right?"

"No rush. We can start selling around five."

Hsiang Tai and Su Qin had spent the entire afternoon sorting through flowers. They discarded the ones that weren't up to par, refusing to deceive their customers. Roses were sold individually, while the other flowers were arranged in various combinations. Once finished, Hsiang Tai, with his electric cart, and Su Qin hit the streets.

It was five-thirty.

The mall had nearly transformed into a dining hub. Apart from the bustling restaurants, most other stores were deserted. Entire floors could be eerily vacant, yet some eateries had lines snaking out the door. Those waiting for a table were the perfect clientele for their flower sales.

"Put this around your neck."

"Hold on, when did you get the QR codes ready?"

Su Qin examined the card in her hand—Alipay on the front, WeChat on the back, both displaying Hsiang Tai's personal QR codes. She exclaimed, "You're really on top of things, aren't you?"

"Absolutely." After securing the QR code around her neck, he fastened a waist pouch on Su Qin, saying, "It's filled with fives and tens. Some folks still prefer paying with cash."

"...You're giving all this to me?"

A sense of foreboding washed over Su Qin.

"Of course. Most of the time, it's men who buy flowers. With a guy as good-looking as me, other men might just walk away, fearing they'll be upstaged." Hsiang Tai explained earnestly, "But you're different. Being a woman, you naturally come across as more approachable. Plus, your petite stature makes you seem almost childlike, which can be reassuring for men. So... the important task of selling flowers is yours."

If it weren't for these reasons, Hsiang Tai wouldn't be offering her a forty percent cut. After all, he was capable of handling everything else by himself.

"Capitalists! I'm going to take down the capitalists!"

Su Qin voiced her protest.

"Okay, I'm right here. I'll keep watch at the intersection and keep an eye on things. You go ahead and browse around the mall."

After Hsiang Tai sent Su Qin off to the mall, he settled himself at the entrance, cradling flowers as he scouted for potential buyers.

Firstly, he needed to target girls who seemed more frivolous; they were usually easier to persuade. If a girl kicked up a fuss, her companion wouldn't fuss over a mere five or ten yuan. Spent money is just that—spent.

Secondly, he avoided couples that looked like they'd been together forever. Instead, he looked for those with a bit of distance between them, or even those who weren't yet a couple. Long-term couples tend to be thriftier, but a guy trying to impress a girl wouldn't hesitate to spend—he wouldn't want to seem cheap.

Lastly, he sought out the leisurely walkers. Those rushing about were mostly busy and not inclined to stop and chat.

"Ding! Alipay notification: 5 yuan received."

That quick?

Hsiang Tai thought to himself that bringing Su Qin along today was a smart move. Previously, he'd only manage to sell about half his flowers, but today he might just sell out.

"Ding! WeChat payment received..."

He muted his phone and began his sales pitch.

"Miss, would you like to buy a flower for your best friend?"

"Sir, how about a flower? This gentleman is your good friend, right? Men can give each other flowers too, why not?"

...

"Ah."

Half an hour later, Hsiang Tai had made several dozen yuan, but Su Qin emerged from the mall, flowers in hand, looking utterly spent. "My hands are about to break. I can't carry these anymore. Take some, will you?"

"Huh, there's still that many left?" Hsiang Tai was surprised, as it didn't match his expectations. Su Qin should have been able to sell most of them quickly, he thought. Had security chased her out, or had something else happened?

Su Qin rolled her eyes. "Ran into a nutcase."

"What?"

"Some guy bought all the remaining flowers and then turned around and said he wanted to give them to me..." Su Qin said angrily, "Is he out of his mind? Doesn't he see how tired I am holding these flowers? If you buy them, just take them away. Why give them to me? I'll act as if I've sold them all. Mission accomplished. Now let me rest, and you can sell these to someone else. But remember, I want a fifty-fifty split!"

While he wasn't sure which good-hearted hunk had done him the favor, Hsiang Tai couldn't help but think it was his own misfortune to have charmed such a person... He glanced at his progress, noting that he was close to completing the thirty thousand yuan milestone, thanks in no small part to Su Qin, who had already brought in several hundred yuan on her own.

"Alright, take a break for now. If you're feeling hungry, there's a place called Barbie's Buns nearby. You could grab a couple of meat-filled buns."

"No way, we agreed on crayfish!"