Ye Tian wore a smile, carefully hiding his true intentions from his parents. For now, he was laying the groundwork; when the time came, he could make one phone call, borrow the funds, double the capital within a week, and secure his profits.

To achieve this, he was willing to endure any condescension. Once he was wealthy, he could stand tall and dismiss those who had looked down on him.

This "using others' resources to profit" approach had to be executed flawlessly to earn big money.

He dialed Uncle Liu’s number, but as expected, the line went unanswered. He tried all morning with no response.

Later, Ye Tian arrived at the electronics market. Business was slow, and few customers wandered near his stall. He found himself with ample free time.

Uncle Liu Jincheng was a local internet sensation—an entrepreneurial pioneer and a leader in wealth creation. Ye Tian had never paid much attention to him before, but now that he needed help, he took a closer look at the businesses his uncle ran. The list was astonishing: hardware, groceries, pesticides, seeds, electric vehicles, harvesters, toys, clothing—you name it, Uncle Liu sold it.

"Wow, Uncle’s pretty incredible," Ye Tian thought, genuinely impressed.

He realized that making money required not just hard work but boldness, risk-taking, and sometimes shameless tenacity.

No one becomes successful by chance. As he read about Uncle Liu's entrepreneurial journey—how he struggled initially but eventually achieved success—Ye Tian felt a newfound respect. His uncle’s diligence, thrift, cunning, and fearless attitude had built an empire valued at an estimated 30 million yuan.

After countless attempts, Ye Tian finally got through to Uncle Liu.

“Uncle, it’s Ye Tian. Long time no see! I’d love to visit you and Aunt. I really admire what you’ve accomplished and was hoping to learn from you.”

But Uncle Liu was curt. “Ye Tian, I’m really busy these days and often not at home. Maybe another time.”

Determined not to give up, Ye Tian replied quickly, “Uncle, I’m just around the corner from your wholesale store. I’ll be there in 30 minutes. Please wait for me!”

This left Uncle Liu no choice but to agree.

Ye Tian left the electronics market, hopped on his electric scooter, and headed straight to the western loop road. Before arriving, he stopped to buy a fruit basket—a token of goodwill—and then made his way to Uncle Liu’s wholesale supermarket.

His plan wasn’t to ask for money outright. This first visit was about building rapport; the borrowing could wait until October.

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Meeting Uncle Liu confirmed what his cousin Liu Ping had warned—his uncle was arrogant and dismissive.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Uncle Liu peered at Ye Tian over his reading glasses, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Ye Tian’s simple attire and windblown hair from the scooter ride made him look disheveled, almost pitiful.

“Ye Tian, did your dad send you here?”

Ye Tian shook his head and replied humbly, “Uncle, I was just passing by and thought I’d visit you and Aunt. No other reason.”

Uncle Liu snorted. “Every time your parents call, it’s about borrowing money—buying a house, buying a taxi, your tuition, your graduation expenses. I get a headache just seeing their number.”

Ye Tian felt a twinge of guilt. After all, his true purpose here was to borrow money, too.

“Uncle, I came across an article online about your success and found it inspiring. I wanted to learn from you. Right now, I’ve rented a stall at the electronics market to sell computers. If there’s anything you need, I’d be happy to help.”

Uncle Liu’s expression softened. As long as Ye Tian wasn’t here to borrow money, he wouldn’t be upset.

“Ye Tian, you’ve been to college. Don’t be like your dad. Work hard and build something for yourself. Come, I’ll show you around the store. If you ever open a supermarket, I can help you source inventory.”

Uncle Liu led Ye Tian through his two-story, 800-square-meter wholesale store. The range of products was far broader than what Ye Tian had read online, catering to virtually every need of the local community.

“Uncle, your inventory is so comprehensive! Here’s an idea—you could offer fresh produce delivery. Customers could order online, and you’d dispatch goods directly to their homes. It’s convenient and saves them time.”

Uncle Liu shook his head. “I know all about those online delivery systems. Too many intermediaries, costly advertising, and the platforms take a cut. It also leads to disputes. I’ve studied this business model thoroughly—it’s not worth the trouble. You don’t need to explain; I already know what you’re going to say.”

Ye Tian smirked internally. “As if you know more than me?”

He understood that while online delivery faced initial challenges, it would eventually turn into a lucrative business. Giants like Taobao, SF Express, and JD.com were already proving its viability.

Uncle Liu, however, was content with small-scale success and resistant to change. Ye Tian recognized this as a critical weakness. Such complacency would eventually lead to stagnation or even failure, especially in the fast-changing internet age.

“Ye Tian, business needs to be grounded. Forget about those pie-in-the-sky ideas. Commerce is simple: I buy, you sell. When both sides agree, a transaction happens. Don’t fall for the internet hype. Those so-called Taobao sellers brag a lot, but do they earn as much as I do? My store’s daily revenue is at least 1.5 million yuan, sometimes 4 million. With a 15% profit margin, you do the math—how much is that?”

The math was straightforward: roughly 1 million yuan in monthly profit. However, Ye Tian knew that running a wholesale business came with its own challenges, like inventory losses and unsold stock. Even retail giants like Walmart and Carrefour struggled with these issues.

Ye Tian, having studied public culture management with a focus on cost accounting for film and television enterprises, understood the underlying flaws in Uncle Liu’s model.

Uncle Liu continued, “This store may not involve the internet much, but it’s attracted investors. Last month, someone offered to invest a few million so I could expand the store by buying out or leasing nearby properties. They wanted to double the floor space.”

Ye Tian silently shook his head. Such traditional investments lacked innovation. Whether moving from offline to online or the reverse, success required adapting to the ecosystem—something not everyone could manage.