108: Chapter 108 Taking Action with the First Generation Machine

Led by the manager, the two arrived at a room that looked like a staff break room.

Once they arrived, the manager got straight to the point: "Sir, the engineering department just inspected the machine and determined that it suffered from a systemic failure."

"And then?"

"Due to the machine failure, and considering it was our fault, we are willing to redeem 30% of the points for you."

"30%?" Chen Sheng did not rush to argue. Instead, he played the video he had just recorded right in front of the manager, then asked: "How much can you give now?"

The manager's expression shifted, "At most 50%. Sir, please also consider our difficulties."

Chen Sheng still did not argue. He opened the TikTok backend, turned the screen toward the manager, pointed at the follower count, and continued to ask: "How much can you give now?"

The manager's pupils constricted slightly, and he said with difficulty: "70%. If we redeem everything, and our superiors hold us accountable, everyone on duty today will be punished."

Chen Sheng pulled up the video from the backend again and asked calmly: "This plus this, how much can you redeem now?"

This time, without waiting for the manager to answer, Chen Sheng upped the ante: "If that's not enough, I can show you a few more of my friends' accounts."

The manager took a deep breath and smiled reluctantly: "No need. The responsibility lies with us here at Bai Le Hui. We, Bai Le Hui, are willing to redeem everything for you, but I ask that you help us promote our place a little afterward."

"Easily done, easily done!" Chen Sheng smiled and opened his payment QR code.

Since it was settled, the manager didn't think about playing any tricks with the transfer. After consulting with his boss, he readily scanned the code and paid 14,657 yuan.

Upon receiving the transfer, Chen Sheng waved his phone at the manager, "I suppose you won't welcome me today, so I'll take my leave. I'll come back to play another day."

The manager: "..."

He really wanted to say that he actually welcomed Chen Sheng to continue playing, provided the machine was fault-free, and ideally, he would prefer it if Chen Sheng redeemed all 14,657 yuan into points.

Unfortunately, before he could speak, Chen Sheng had already pushed the door open and left.

Thinking of the bonus the boss had deducted over the phone just now, the manager couldn't help but sigh, "Sigh! What kind of mess is this!"

Why was he so unlucky to encounter a machine inertia failure?

On the other side, Chen Sheng, unaware that the manager had added so much drama to the situation after he left, drove immediately toward the next location—the Convention Center—after leaving the Bai Le Hui gaming arcade.

However, even though he rushed, when he arrived at the XX Coffee Shop, the buyer who had won the bid for the first generation phone and the Staff Member from the auction platform had already arrived. Seeing this, Chen Sheng quickly apologized with a smile: "Sorry, there was traffic on the way, I'm late."

"We just arrived too."

After the three greeted each other and sat down again, the buyer couldn't wait: "Um, the item, could you let me see..."

Chen Sheng understood, took the first generation phone out of his bag, placed it on the table, and made a gesture of invitation to the buyer.

The buyer rubbed his hands together, took the box containing the first generation phone into his hands, and looked it over from left to right. He loved it so much that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he nearly embedded his eyeballs into it. A silly smile appeared on his face from time to time, and the corners of his mouth twitched, which made Chen Sheng, who was watching him, fear that drool might drip from the corner of his mouth the next second.

A textbook case of a late-stage tech enthusiast.

A thought popped into Chen Sheng's mind involuntarily—I sold it too cheap.

Looking at him like this, selling it for 150,000 yuan would probably have worked.

After looking at it for quite a while, the buyer finally tore his gaze away from the first generation phone reluctantly, "Apologies! It's the first time I've encountered such an unopened first generation phone in the country. It's truly rare. May I ask, where did this first generation phone come from?"

Chen Sheng shrugged, "Sorry! That's a trade secret; I cannot answer."

"Uh~ Sorry! I was too presumptuous." The buyer took a few more glances at the first generation phone before placing the box on the table and pushing it toward the Staff Member, "I'll leave the rest to you."

"This is what we should do." The Staff Member took the first generation phone in hand and began to authenticate it while explaining: "First, look at the packaging. It's intact. Then, look at the seal. There is a code on it, and the font of the code is smooth. It is confirmed to be an original factory product. From this point, we can determine that this packaging has never been opened."

"Look, there is a string of numeric codes here. We will log in to the official Apple website and enter this code." The Staff Member used their phone to open the official website, entered the numeric code, and then turned the screen toward the buyer to explain: "Every phone has a numeric code that can be queried on the official website for information. This first generation phone is the most classic white model."

"Of course, counterfeiting methods are highly sophisticated nowadays. These two factors alone are not enough to certify it as genuine. Next is weighing." The Staff Member took an electronic scale out of their bag, placed it on the table, and put the first generation phone on the scale, "The net weight of the first generation phone including the packaging box should be between XX and XXg. The weight of this unit is correct."

"Preliminary judgment is that this is an original, genuine product. If you want further verification, you would need to open the packaging." The Staff Member pushed the first generation phone back to the buyer.

The buyer grabbed the first generation phone, clutched it to his chest, and shook his head repeatedly: "Absolutely not. If it's opened, it won't be perfect anymore."

Perhaps the Staff Member was used to this, as they said calmly: "If there are no issues for both of you, we will proceed to the next step."

"I have no problem." Chen Sheng looked at the buyer, who had once again embedded his eyeballs into the first generation phone.

The buyer with difficulty shifted his gaze from the first generation phone and confirmed with the Staff Member again: "Are you sure there are no issues?"

"Yes, sir. Based on current appearances, this is an original, unopened first generation phone. As for the condition of the phone inside, it would require opening the box to inspect."

"Then I have no problem either."

The Staff Member took out the pre-printed contracts from their bag and handed two copies to Chen Sheng and the buyer respectively, "If there are no issues, we will sign the three-party contract."

Chen Sheng picked up the contract and read through it roughly. Most of the terms and conditions were as long and smelly as an old woman's foot-binding cloth, and he couldn't understand them. However, he had a trick: he focused on checking any parts involving amounts or numbers. After confirming with high probability that he wasn't being cheated, Chen Sheng decisively picked up a pen and signed his name, "Chen Sheng," in the Party B section with a few quick strokes.

The contract was in triplicate: one for the seller, one for the buyer, and one for the auction platform acting as the guarantor.

"Mr. Chen, the funds will be transferred to the designated account within three working days. Please keep an eye out for it."

"Alright! Thank you for the trouble!"

Chen Sheng bid farewell to the two. Seeing that it was already five o'clock in the afternoon, he thought for a moment and rushed without stop to the Yangyang Supermarket on the basement floor of the International Trade Building.

Seeing that the lucky draw event hadn't ended yet, Chen Sheng quickly blended into the crowd and asked a man who had just finished drawing: "Brother, what kind of event is this supermarket running?"

"A lucky draw! You can draw if you spend a certain amount." The man glanced at Chen Sheng with a slightly surprised look, as if to say, isn't this obvious enough?

Chen Sheng smiled sheepishly and complained: "It's the same old routine. They claim there are big prizes, but in the end, you can't draw anything."

This sentence clearly touched a sore spot for the man, as he had only drawn a bottle of mineral water. The man complained along with him: "Exactly. They talk about values of 1,999 yuan, 4,999 yuan, 9,999 yuan, but with so many people, not one person has drawn them. I even suspect whether those things are actually in there."

However, the man was also a realistic person and added: "But someone did draw a second prize, so they still have a bit of conscience."

Chen Sheng asked in surprise: "Really?"

"When I first came in, I even saw someone carrying a washing machine out. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have shopped at the supermarket, but I couldn't help myself and bought this big pile."

Indeed, the man had a bag in each hand, and each bag was stuffed full, showing that he had indeed spent quite a bit of money.

"Thanks, brother. I'll go take a look too. You go ahead with your business." Chen Sheng bid farewell to the man and quietly came over to the lucky draw area, silently chanting in his heart: "System! Mark the prizes for the lucky draw and the golden egg smashing for me."

[Ding! This marking requires an advance of two pieces of future intelligence. Do you wish to deduct them?]

"Then mark the prizes for the golden egg smashing for me." It wasn't that he was unwilling to pay, but he suddenly thought that if the other party was so stingy that they didn't even put the prize tickets inside, and he marked both at once, wouldn't that just make him a complete sucker!