4: Chapter 4 Steady Progress

Over the next week, Chairman Wang Shunyi went to the Dongdaemun Night Market every day to set up his stall.

Life slowly developed a rhythm: waking up at nine in the morning, washing up, eating breakfast, and scrolling through his phone to learn the tricks of the trade; preparing stock and packing in the afternoon, heading out at five, and arriving at the night market by six; then packing up at eleven at night and getting home to finally lie down around one in the morning.

It was a bit tiring, but he felt at peace.

Sales improved day by day.

One hundred thousand on the first day, one hundred and fifty thousand on the second, one hundred and eighty thousand on the third, two hundred and twenty thousand on the fourth, two hundred and fifty thousand on the fifth, two hundred and eighty thousand on the sixth, and three hundred and twenty thousand on the seventh.

By the end of the week, he had sold a total of 1.5 million. After deducting costs, his net profit was about one million.

This amount was already comparable to the monthly salary of many ordinary office workers.

Chairman Wang Shunyi stared at the bookkeeping app on his phone for a long while. He wasn't exactly thrilled, but he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

However, he didn't let it go to his head. He knew this was only the beginning.

Setting up a stall wasn't the end goal.

On Friday night, he set up his stall as usual.

As soon as Sister Jin saw him, she greeted him with a smile, "Shunyi, you're here?"

"Yes, good evening, Sister Jin."

"I heard your business has been quite good lately," Sister Jin said while stir-frying rice cakes. "A lot of people have been asking where to buy those fire chicken noodles."

"It's alright, thanks to your help, Sister Jin."

"Stop with the constant thanks," Sister Jin waved her hand. "By the way, have you ever thought about opening an online store?"

Chairman Wang Shunyi was taken aback for a moment. "An online store?"

"Yeah. How much can you sell by just setting up a stall here every day? At most, a few tens of thousands. If you open an online store, everyone in Korea can buy them; it'll be completely different."

Chairman Wang Shunyi didn't say anything.

Sister Jin had a point. Stalls were affected by the weather—no one comes when it rains; you can't sell during the day; and you only get the same few passersby. If he wanted to grow big, he really had to go online.

But he didn't know the first thing about it.

"Sister Jin, what procedures are involved in opening an online store?"

"I'm not too sure myself," Sister Jin shook her head. "Ask Minji, my niece; she works in e-commerce. She's coming over tonight to help me pack up, and I'll introduce you then."

"Minji?"

"Yes, Park Min-ji."

The name sounded a bit familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had heard it for the moment.

At ten at night, the crowds at the night market thinned out. As Chairman Wang Shunyi was packing up his stall, a young woman walked up to Sister Jin's stall.

"Auntie, I'm here to help you pack up."

Chairman Wang Shunyi looked up. The girl looked to be twenty-two or twenty-three, wearing a beige trench coat, a ponytail, and light makeup. Her outfit was simple, but she looked clean and sharp.

The girl noticed him too, her gaze lingering for a moment. "Auntie, who is this?"

"Oh, this is Shunyi," Sister Jin introduced. "He's been selling fire chicken noodles next to me lately. He's honest and hard-working."

"fire chicken noodles?" The girl's eyes lit up. "Is that the super spicy instant ramen people have been talking about online lately?"

"You've heard of it too?" Chairman Wang Shunyi was a bit surprised.

"Of course. I saw a post a couple of days ago saying there's a type of instant ramen at the Dongdaemun Night Market that no one's seen before. It's supposedly spicy enough to give you a kick and so delicious you can't stop. I was wondering when I'd get to try it."

Chairman Wang Shunyi picked up a pack from his stall and handed it over. "Would you like to try some?"

"Sure!"

He deftly prepared a bowl, mixed it, and handed it to her.

The girl took it, picked up a mouthful with her chopsticks, and popped it into her mouth.

Her eyes widened instantly.

"So spicy!" But she was smiling. "But it's really delicious. I'll buy a few packs."

After paying, she turned to Sister Jin and said, "Auntie, what this guy is selling is really good."

"Didn't I tell you?" Sister Jin said proudly. "By the way, Shunyi, Minji works in e-commerce. Why don't you ask her about opening an online store?"

Chairman Wang Shunyi looked at the girl, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Ms. Park, I want to open an online store to sell fire chicken noodles. Could you give me some advice?"

"Just call me Minji," the girl smiled. "I can help you. But we can't go into detail right now. Let's exchange contact info and talk another day."

The two added each other on WeChat.

"Then let's leave it at that for today," Minji said. "I'll help my aunt pack up first. Be careful on your way back."

"Okay, goodbye Minji. Goodbye, Sister Jin."

As he walked toward the subway station carrying his bags, he pulled out his phone and glanced at his new contact—'Park Min-ji'.

He still felt the name was familiar, but he just couldn't place it.

Whatever.

The next morning, Minji sent a message: "Shunyi, are you free today? Let's find a place to talk about the online store."

"I'm free. Where would you like to meet?"

She sent an address—a cafe in Gangnam District, at two in the afternoon.

Chairman Wang Shunyi hesitated for a moment when he saw the address.

Gangnam District. One of the most expensive areas in Seoul. A simple cup of coffee there would cost seven or eight thousand won.

To him right now, that wasn't a small amount of money.

But on second thought, she was willing to help, and this was an opportunity. Some money just had to be spent.

"Okay, I'll be there on time."

At 1:30 PM, he took the subway to Gangnam District.

It was his first time there.

Walking out of the subway station, he was a bit stunned. Both sides of the wide road were lined with high-rises, designer stores, high-end restaurants, and luxury hotels one after another. The cars on the road were all imports, and the pedestrians were dressed sophisticatedly, looking relaxed.

It was a completely different world from where he lived.

He stood there a bit dazed, feeling like he didn't belong.

Taking a deep breath, he followed the navigation and found the cafe.

The storefront wasn't large, but the decor was quite exquisite. He pushed the door open and saw many young people inside, some typing on laptops and others chatting.

Minji was sitting in a corner. Today she was wearing a white shirt and dark trousers, with her hair down, looking even more professional than yesterday.

"Shunyi, over here."

He walked over and sat down.

"What are you drinking?"

He scanned the menu; even the cheapest Americano was seven thousand won. "An iced Americano, please."

Minji nodded and ordered two cups from the server.

When the coffee was served, he took a sip; it was bitter.

"Shunyi, where do you get your fire chicken noodles from?" Minji got straight to the point.

He was prepared: "It's a friend's recipe. I have someone produce it."

"Oh?" Minji was a bit surprised. "You produce it yourself? You have a factory?"

"It's still small-scale right now, just a small workshop."

He couldn't exactly say he took them directly from a system storage space. He had to make something up.

Minji didn't press further and nodded.

"The taste is good, and the market potential is significant," she said. "I can help you open an online store, but there are a few points to confirm first."

"Go ahead."

"First, is the company registered?"

"No."

"Then you need to register it first. Korean e-commerce platforms have qualification requirements for sellers; without a company, there's a lot you can't do."

"What's needed for registration?"

"Registered capital of at least 100 million won, plus an office address, business scope, and so on," Minji said. "However, you can start by registering as a sole proprietorship. The threshold is lower—one million won is enough."

Chairman Wang Shunyi nodded and took note.

"Second, is the supply stable? If sales suddenly spike, can you guarantee the supply?"

He thought for a moment. "It should be fine. my friend's production capacity is quite strong and can be expanded at any time."

Of course, he was referring to the infinite supply from the storage space. But he couldn't tell anyone that.

"Alright," Minji continued. "Third, have you thought about a brand? The name 'fire chicken noodles' is too common; it's hard to register as a trademark. You need to come up with a unique name."

Chairman Wang Shunyi was stunned. He really hadn't thought about that.

"Any suggestions?"

Minji thought for a bit. "The characteristic of fire chicken noodles is the spiciness. You could pick something related to heat, like 'Flame Chicken' or 'Spicy King'."

"Flame Chicken..." He repeated it and shook his head. "A bit cliché."

"How about 'Spice Nemesis'?"

"I don't really like that either."

Minji smiled. "Think about it slowly; there's no rush. Let's get the store open first, and we can refine the brand later."

He nodded.

"Fourth, what about the pricing strategy?" Minji asked next. "You sell them for two thousand a pack at the night market. Do you want to raise the price for the online store?"

Chairman Wang Shunyi thought about it. "The online price should be the same as the physical store. But we can do some promotions, like buy five get one free, or free shipping over a certain amount."

"Good thinking," Minji nodded approvingly. "However, you have to factor in the shipping costs. Korean courier fees are about 2,500 to 3,000 won. If you offer free shipping, you'll have to bear that cost yourself."

He noted that down too.

The two chatted for nearly two hours. Minji gave a lot of practical advice.

As they were leaving, she said, "Shunyi, you have a good business head on your shoulders. Keep at it, and you'll succeed."

He smiled shyly. "Thank you. There's still a lot I don't understand. I'll probably be bothering you quite a bit in the future."

"It's fine," Minji said. "We're friends; we help each other out."

Friends.

Those words warmed his heart.

In this foreign place, Korea, he had finally made a true friend.

On the way back, he kept pondering the things Minji had said.

Registering as a sole proprietor, opening an online store, building a brand...

None of these were things he had considered before.

But now, they had to be considered.

Setting up a stall was just the first step.

He pulled out his phone and listed a few items in his notes:

Register as a sole proprietor

Open an online store

Create a brand

Expand scale

Find more sales channels

A path was slowly becoming clear before his eyes.

It would certainly be difficult. But he knew there was no turning back.

For himself, and for his mother, he had to keep going.