C1 An Experienced Student

"Hey senior, how much for this fan?"

At Jiang Prefecture University's bustling central square, a young man in his mid-twenties crouched in front of a stall, eyeing a compact white electric fan. He posed the question to the stall owner, a slightly chubby fellow not much younger than himself.

Jiang Prefecture University, the pride of Jiang Prefecture, is the top comprehensive university in the region. Given that Jiang Prefecture is the largest city in Qing Province and also the provincial capital, the university stands as the finest in all of Qing Province. Nationally, it consistently ranks within the top ten.

Today, this prestigious institution was hosting a modest yet lively trade fair, bustling with Jiang Prefecture University students on both ends of the bargain. With graduation looming, seniors were ready to depart, leaving behind a trove of belongings they couldn't take along. These items, still in good condition, were up for grabs. Underclassmen flocked to the fair, eager to snag these goods at a steal, assured of their quality and enticed by the low prices.

The fair unfolded in the university's grandest square, where the conversation about the fan took place.

The stall owner, a bit puzzled, didn't immediately respond to the inquiry about the fan's price. Instead, he scrutinized the young man and asked, "What year are you in? You don't quite look the part."

Unruffled, the young man replied, "I'm a sophomore, just twenty. I guess I just look a bit mature for my age."

"Just a bit?" the stall owner mumbled under his breath, clearly thinking the young man looked older than himself. But he let it go—why fuss over details when there's business to be done?

"This fan? I bought it last year, barely used it—it's practically new. Since we're all from the same school, I'll let it go for twenty yuan," the stall owner offered. As a senior himself, he was on the cusp of leaving for Mo City to start a new chapter, and these small items simply couldn't come along. It was time to pass them on, conveniently and affordably.

At the fat man's booth, among other items like clothes racks, washbasins, and shoe cabinets, the fan stood out. With a trip out of town looming, he couldn't possibly lug all this stuff with him, so he was left with no choice but to offload it here.

"Twenty yuan? Come on, senior, that's steep. I could get a new one for just twenty-five. This one's used, and look, it's even got a crack. Let's meet halfway—how about five yuan?" The young man clearly wasn't pleased with the asking price.

The fat man nearly choked on his own spit upon hearing this. Meet halfway? That was a steep drop. And that crack, what did he do, inspect it with a magnifying glass? It was practically invisible unless you were looking for it.

The fat man was at a loss for words with this junior, but he needed to make the sale. If the price wasn't right, negotiations could continue, but he was clearly out of his depth. Eventually, after being sweet-talked by the young man, he caved and agreed to eight yuan. By the time he realized what had happened, the fan was already in the young man's hands.

The fat man didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he let it go. They were all from the same university, after all; it wasn't worth squabbling over a few yuan.

The young man, however, seemed particularly fond of the fat man's wares. After haggling over the fan, he didn't just pay and leave. He kept browsing, and to the fat man's growing dismay, the young man ended up buying most of his stuff for less than fifty yuan in total. Even though everything was second-hand, it was a huge loss for the fat man.

Oblivious to the fat man's near-tearful expression, the young man nonchalantly suggested, "Senior, seeing as I'm practically rescuing your business here, don't you think you should throw in a little something extra for me?"

"Something extra? I'm already at a loss selling to you," the fat man wanted to exclaim, but the crowd around them was too thick. He hadn't expected this seemingly mature junior to be so adept at haggling and swindling. He'd been completely taken for a ride. If it weren't for the fact that they were from the same university, he might have just snatched his goods back and refused to sell.

"Senior, let's not sweat the small stuff. We're all from the same school, right? These things aren't going anywhere. I'm just helping you out by taking them off your hands. No need for thanks—we're all part of the same school family. Just throw in a little something extra for me," the young man said to the fat senior with a genuine smile.

"Why am I the one being petty? If we weren't from the same school, you'd have been out on your ear already," the fat man retorted, feeling a surge of irritation. It was clear that the other guy had been the one haggling over the price, while he seemed to have been the one making all the concessions.

"Senior, let's not get hung up on this issue. It's really not worth it. Look at all the stuff I've bought from you—I've been supporting your business. It wouldn't hurt to throw in a little thank-you gift," the young man persisted.

"Alright, alright, alright. Pick out whatever you want and then get going. Selling to you is already costing me," the fat young man conceded, clearly wanting to be rid of his persistent junior. After all, there was nothing of real value left among the items.

"I knew you were the most generous, always looking out for us younger students. I won't be choosy—I'll just take this," the young man said, swiftly grabbing a large storage box from beside the fat senior. He had had his eye on that box for a while, not because it was anything special, but because it would be perfect for carrying all his purchases.

"Seriously? This is your idea of a 'little thing'?" The fat man gained a whole new level of appreciation for his junior's audacity.

"Isn't it just a small item? Senior, you're the one who told me to pick something. You're not going back on your word now, are you?" the young man asked, eyeing the fat senior warily as if he expected him to snatch the box back at any moment.

"What's with that look? Fine, take it and go," the fat senior grumbled. He had been planning to get rid of the storage box anyway—it was too big, took up too much space, and had some cracks on the side. No one had shown any interest in it before, so giving it to the young man was no big deal.

"Thanks, senior!" With quick hands, the young man packed all his purchases into the storage box, paid up, and hurried off with the box in his arms, as if worried the senior might have a change of heart and come after him.

"Huh, why is he heading off campus? Where could he possibly be going with all that stuff?" The plump upperclassman watched the young man with a puzzled expression.