Chapter 68: Mannequin
Chu Feng returned from Crescent Moon Village a few days later. As soon as he got back, he saw his phone was full of unread messages—mostly from Lin Zhihao.
Holding his phone, Chu Feng thought to himself: Lately, it’s always like this. Every time I come back, a bunch of people are looking for me.
It was 8 p.m. when Chu Feng returned. He figured the shop would be closing soon—just the right time to drop by for a look.
“Cousin,” Lin Zhihao called out excitedly when he saw Chu Feng.
Chu Feng glanced around the shop, surprised. “A lot of the display cases are empty!”
Lin Zhihao nodded. “Yeah! I haven’t had time to restock yet.”
He knew Chu Feng kept inventory at the villa, but since he didn’t have the key, he couldn’t get in.
“Even the shop’s centerpiece item is gone,” Chu Feng muttered.
Lin Zhihao nodded with a smile. “Yeah, someone bought it.”
Chu Feng: … I knew it! There are people out there with taste. Looks like I priced it too low. I only sold it for 8.88 million. Maybe I could’ve gone with 88.88 million and still found a buyer.
“Who bought it?”
“A few days ago, some people came from the capital and basically cleaned us out,” Lin Zhihao said.
People from the capital were on another level—spending tens or hundreds of thousands without batting an eye.
Influenced by those wealthy buyers, even some local rich folks came to shop. People love a bandwagon; if nobody wants something, it seems worthless. But if others are snatching it up, it suddenly becomes desirable.
Chu Feng scanned the shop thoughtfully. At this rate, the Moon Crescent village’s production might not be able to keep up. But then again, scarcity creates value. If stock runs out, so be it.
He nodded. “Come with me later to pick up some goods.”
“Got it,” Lin Zhihao replied.
“But don’t restock too much,” Chu Feng added.
Lin Zhihao quickly understood. “I get it.”
Scarcity sells. If the shop looks understocked, customers will assume demand is high.
Later, Lin Zhihao followed Chu Feng to the villa.
“Cousin, here’s 42 million.” Lin Zhihao handed over a bank card.
Chu Feng, surprised, asked, “The store did that well?”
“Not just the store,” Lin Zhihao said. “Online sales have been great too.”
Apparently, some directors and celebrities had previously purchased carvings, which attracted others in the industry. One wealthy buyer, hearing the mosquito-repellent bracelets were sold out, spent 880,000 yuan on a sculpture made from the same material to keep at home. Later, he gave the online store a five-star review, saying it worked great against ants.
Lin Zhihao shook his head, thinking: Rich people are really hard to understand. That much money could buy a lifetime supply of bug spray… but they’d rather buy a carving.
Maybe they just value wellness more, thinking sprays aren’t safe.
Chu Feng browsed the online shop Lin Zhihao managed. Its rating was climbing fast, and reviews were excellent.
“You’re doing a great job with the shop,” Chu Feng said. I really picked the right person for this.
Lin Zhihao blushed. “You’re too kind, Cousin. I just tried my best. The main reason is the quality of the goods.”
Chu Feng thought for a moment. “Since you’re running the online store, you can take 20% of its profits.”
Lin Zhihao was a bit overwhelmed. “That’s not necessary, really.”
Online sales had reached over ten million. A 20% cut was no small amount.
Chu Feng smiled. “Don’t worry. I can’t spend all this money by myself. Besides, there’s going to be a lot of work ahead, and I’ll need your help. Good things should be shared.”
After a pause, Lin Zhihao nodded. “Alright. Oh, by the way, Chu Jinhui came by a few days ago.”
Chu Feng frowned. “What for?”
“No idea. He asked about our sales and if he could buy a couple mosquito-repellent bracelets at a discount.”
Chu Feng raised an eyebrow. “Those bracelets are that popular now?” It’s already late in the season—mosquitoes should be dying out soon.
“Probably just trendy among fangirls,” Lin Zhihao said. “The bracelets are practically a luxury item now—people use them to show off.”
“He also asked whether staff here earn commission,” Lin Zhihao added.
Chu Feng chuckled. “He asked that? What did you tell him?”
“I said no commission. He called the shop manager stingy.”
Chu Feng scratched his nose. Well, paying employees 5,000 yuan a month isn’t too bad… though it’s true, it’s not much compared to how much the store is making.
“He also asked about your situation,” Lin Zhihao said after a brief hesitation.
Chu Feng rolled his eyes. “Wow, he suddenly cares now?”
Lin Zhihao nodded. “Maybe. I heard he had a falling out with his new wife.”
Chu Feng blinked. “Seriously? They just got married.”
“Seems like it’s over a dowry issue,” Lin Zhihao replied.
Chu Feng raised an eyebrow. Could they be getting divorced already? That’d be quick… although, these days, it’s not unheard of. Some couples split over dowries or wedding expenses the day they get married.
People just aren’t sincere anymore. They hide everything before the wedding—then show their true selves after.
Chu Feng frowned. “Over dowries? Didn’t the bride’s family give anything in return?”
He recalled: Uncle’s family bought a house and a car on loans. The bride price was probably borrowed too. It was just supposed to be symbolic—wasn’t it meant to be returned after the wedding?
Lin Zhihao nodded. “That’s what I heard.”
Chu Feng muttered, “Doesn’t sound like a big deal… They only have one daughter anyway. It’s all going to be one family in the end.”
Lin Zhihao shook his head and said, “I heard the bride’s father has a nephew, and it turns out the dowry that Chu Jinhui gave was borrowed by that nephew.”
Chu Feng curled his lip. “A nephew is a nephew, a daughter is a daughter. Doesn’t this father-in-law know how to distinguish between the two? They just got married, and the bride’s cousin is already borrowing the dowry from her side? That’s pretty messed up.”
Lin Zhihao sighed. “It’s hard to say. Even though society promotes gender equality, many places still favor sons over daughters. Some people value nephews more than their own daughters — who knows what they’re thinking.”
Chu Feng thought to himself: That aunt of mine is no pushover. She worked hard to bring that woman into the family, probably hoping to benefit from her family’s wealth. Now that things aren’t going as planned, there’ll definitely be conflicts later on.
He shook his head. This has nothing to do with me. I’d better stay out of it.
“How’s the house hunting going?” Chu Feng asked.
Lin Zhihao puffed his cheeks. “I’ve finalized three apartments. One of them is a small 80-square-meter unit. Not big, but enough for one person.”
Chu Feng nodded. “Good.”
He thought: If the villa gets exposed, that would attract too much attention. If the Chu family starts poking around, I’ll just show them the small apartment.
Then, Lin Zhihao noticed a painting on the sofa and curiously walked over. “Brother Feng, where did this painting come from?”
“Bought it online,” Chu Feng answered casually.
“Really? You can buy something like this online? It’s so lifelike—it really feels like you’re there.”
Chu Feng: … Yeah, I feel the same. It’s like I’m inside the village depicted in the painting.
“Was it made with some kind of 3D printing technology? It doesn’t look hand-painted at all,” Lin Zhihao said suspiciously.
Chu Feng thought: It was painted by a person—but definitely not an ordinary one.
“How much was it, cousin? Must’ve been expensive.”
“It was a bit pricey,” Chu Feng admitted—though he had actually traded a few jars of pepper for it.
Just as Chu Feng put the painting away, a sudden shout came from the living room.
He walked out and saw Lin Zhihao staring wide-eyed.
“Cousin! That’s a massive ginseng root! Where did you get it?” Lin Zhihao had opened the fridge looking for fruit and accidentally discovered the ginseng Chu Feng had hidden.
Chu Feng: … This villa really can’t have people coming in randomly anymore. One careless moment and everything gets exposed.
Chu Feng smiled. “I’ve made a bit of money recently, so I’m just buying a few things to boost my health.”
“Brother Feng, this ginseng isn’t normal—it must’ve been grown using hormones. It’s way too big to be natural. Even though ginseng is good, this definitely looks off,” Lin Zhihao said worriedly.
Chu Feng: … Yeah, it does look off. That ginseng came from another world and grew far too quickly.
“How much did you pay for it?”
Chu Feng: … If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. “I dug it up in the wilderness near the Moon Crescent village. Didn’t spend a cent.”
“Twelve thousand?” Lin Zhihao guessed.
“Cousin, no way! That thing? Should’ve cost at least 1.2 million!”
Chu Feng nodded, playing along. “At the time I thought I was getting a great deal from someone who didn’t know its value. But thinking back… maybe I was tricked.”
“Still, better safe than sorry—don’t just eat it,” Lin Zhihao advised.
Chu Feng thought: How can I not eat it? I’m counting on it to become a top-tier martial artist. “Alright, I’ll deal with it later.”
Looking at the ginseng soaking in liquor, Lin Zhihao muttered, “It’d be a shame not to eat it… but it might be dangerous too.”
Chu Feng rolled his eyes. “Alright, Xiao Hao, you should head back now.”
“Okay,” Lin Zhihao nodded. “I’ll go.”
