Chapter 6, The Birth of Blind Boxes

Nothing else, not a single extra word can be seen

"Pah, what thirty thousand worth of goods? I doubt you can even sell them for three thousand. You must have been deceived. That chairman is just using these goods to offset his debts with you, and then coaxing you back to your hometown in Northeast China. This way, he can escape without a trace!" the wife said irritably

"As the head of the household, even if we have 3,000 cardboard boxes, you shouldn't waste them like this. Each box can hold 30 wallets, so why are you only putting one in? Isn't that wasteful?" the wife said with concern.

The chairman stated that it is precisely because one does not know what is inside that people are inclined to make a purchase. It is akin to a blind person who, feeling around various boxes, is filled with curiosity, as they are unaware of what is contained within those boxes.

The wife nodded in a seemingly understanding manner, then complained, "This box is quite strange. Aside from these two odd lines of text, there is nothing else on the outside. I have no idea what is inside. How can it be sold like this? What if the wrong item is taken?"

"Then are we not going to take our salary?" the wife asked reluctantly

You do not know how much the chairman trusts us. Others can only take goods worth 10,000 at most, but only I, Shen Yuequn, can take goods worth 30,000. This is the chairman's trust in us

Moreover, the chairman has provided us with a set of foolproof sales techniques, something called blind... blind... what was it again... never mind, it's just the ultimate sales skill. The chairman said that as long as we work hard enough, within a month at most, we will sell out all the goods worth 30,000 in our hands

"Snap!" Shen Yuequn suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I remember now, the chairman mentioned that this kind of box is called a blind box!"

"Are we really going back to our hometown, dear?"

Dear, the head of the household, this box cannot belong to the public, can it? We must not use it carelessly, as it would be against the law

I also feel heartbroken, but the boss said that no matter how many items are packed into this box, it will only be sold for 10 yuan per box. Would you be willing to put two wallets inside it?" Shen Yuequn said with a smile

Not only did he repair the wheel, lubricate it, but he also took the time to write a few words on it with paint, found some wooden boards to serve as a sign, and finally, as the time was approaching, he rode his bike to the freight department, bringing back one box after another.

This tricycle has been around for some years; it was purchased by the old neighbor back in the day when he was a middleman for transporting goods. Now, it has become dilapidated.

"You are already on the train, why are you still asking such nonsense!" Hearing his wife's incessant questions, Shen Yuequn replied irritably. After all, anyone who has been nagged the whole way would find it unbearable.

"Alright, follow my example, hurry up and help me pack. We need to pack at least 200 boxes today, and we will take them to the market to sell tomorrow. Not to mention more, as long as we can sell half of them, we will be able to make a fortune!" Shen Yuequn said with great enthusiasm.

On the first day back home, I first reunited with my long-missed parents, and our family shared a tearful reunion dinner. Then, I entrusted my three children to my parents for their care, and Shen Yuequn plunged into the familiar streets, borrowing a tricycle directly from an old neighbor.

However, when the daughter-in-law saw the words on the back, she noticed two somewhat shocking stamps: WZ City Leather Association · Seal, and WZ City Migrant Workers Protection Program · Approved

"The goods worth 30,000 yuan require 3,000 cartons for packing. Does your boss really expect to pack goods worth only 10 yuan in each carton?" the wife exclaimed in shock

However, this was no challenge for the resourceful and skilled men from Northeast China, who, with their hands and feet, spent a day restoring the tricycle to a condition that was as good as new

Not much, just about 3,000 boxes!" Shen Yuequn said, "Did I not mention it? The boss approved an order of 30,000 units for me, and these cardboard boxes are meant for packing the goods!

"Yes, of course, we will return to Wenzhou in three months. The chairman said that in three months, he will pay us our salaries back!" Shen Yuequn explained helplessly for the tenth time, "Moreover, this time we are not returning by ourselves; we are also bringing back goods worth thirty thousand yuan."

There were an overwhelming number of items. Shen Yuequn used five tricycles to transport everything back home, and then immediately enlisted the help of his parents, the idle children, and his wife to assist.

Oh! The daughter-in-law nodded her head, although she did not understand what it meant, she felt it was quite impressive

"Shut up, you are not allowed to speak ill of the chairman!" Shen Yuequn immediately shouted in anger, "What a wonderful person the chairman is! How could he deceive us? You have no idea, he even mortgaged his sister-in-law's house to borrow 1 million; otherwise, he wouldn't even have the money to buy us train tickets back home!"

Speaking, Shen Yuequn pointed to another pile of boxes in the house. Unlike the unstacked cardboard boxes, these are all finished products that have been packaged. Among them are small boxes containing wallets, similarly sized boxes for belts, as well as larger boxes for shoes and leather jackets. These almost represent all the main products of the Jiangnan Leather Factory.

Well, to be honest, I don't quite understand it either. However, our chairman said that this thing is just like the words 'special supply' on the Moutai label. It seems to have no practical use at all, but in reality, it serves a significant purpose

My goodness, how many boxes are there!" Seeing those flat cardboard boxes that have not been assembled yet, there are already a total of twenty stacks, each stack nearly reaching the ceiling, my wife asked in astonishment

"Nonsense, if he had this surefire technique, he would have sold out all the goods long ago, what does that have to do with you!" The wife was still filled with grievances, but Shen Yuequn was too lazy to explain anything further, merely gazing silently at the scenery outside the window, transitioning from the delicate southern region to the refined northern region, and then to the fiercely robust Northeast.

Hurry up, come help me fold the boxes! Shen Yuequn first took out a stack of cardboard boxes and asked them to fold them into individual boxes.

That won't do! The wife decisively shook her head, saying that even selling one wallet for 10 yuan would be a loss, let alone selling two.

"Then what are these two frightening things on top of the box for?" my wife asked in confusion

"Can this thing really sell 100 units in a day?" My wife expressed her skepticism as she picked up the neatly packaged cardboard box, noticing that its exterior was quite clean, with only the words 'Jiangnan Leather Factory' printed on the front.

"You really got it right, indeed. This box contains goods worth ten yuan... No, it sells for just 10 yuan!" As he spoke, Shen Yuequn neatly folded a box by himself, then picked up a wallet and placed it inside the box. Next, he directly began packing, sealing the box with tape.

"Get lost, the WZ City Leather Association is merely a grassroots organization. As for the migrant workers' protection plan, it is actually a protection plan initiated by our factory. Rest assured, there is not a trace of legal risk involved in this!" said Shen Yuequn