Chapter 52: PS-Chapter 51 Buying a Computer
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Zuo Xingtian lived up to her name, looking sweet and adorable.
Especially when she smiled, her head would tilt slightly to the right, revealing two shallow dimples on her cheeks, making one feel an irresistible urge to poke at them.
Her smile had a hint of mischief as if she was eager to see the disappointed and gloomy expression on Lu Chen's face at that moment.
But she was overthinking it.
"There's no disappointment, only surprise! It's my honor to accompany both of you junior sisters!"
Lu Chen was no inexperienced young boy; he was quite a well-known figure back in Jianghai University. How could he be bothered by Zuo Xingtian's little tease?
He laughed and said, "Everyone else would be envious of me!"
What Lu Chen said was actually true. At the main gate of Capital City Normal University, many people were coming and going, and quite a few noticed him with Ye Zitong and Zuo Xingtian, their gazes filled with curiosity or envy.
Ye Zitong had a graceful figure and beautiful looks, Zuo Xingtian was petite and charming with a bright smile, and Lu Chen was tall and handsome. The three of them easily drew attention no matter where they went.
Ye Zitong noticed the glances from others and shyly nudged her friend: "Tiantian, let's go."
Zuo Xingtian playfully wrapped her arms around Ye Zitong's, saying, "Ye Zi, don't you mind me being the third wheel?"
Ye Zitong's charming face immediately flushed with a faint red hue as she retorted, "What nonsense are you saying? I'm just asking Senior to accompany me to buy a computer. What do you think this is?"
Zuo Xingtian cheekily winked at Lu Chen.
Lu Chen didn't know what to say, making it seem as if they were genuinely on a date.
"Alright, alright, no more jokes!"
Zuo Xingtian said, "Ye Zi wants to buy a computer, and I also want to change my keyboard. Senior, where are you planning to take us to look?"
Lu Chen thought for a moment and replied, "Let's go to Sea Bay Digital City; it's relatively reliable there."
When Lu Chen first arrived in Capital City, he worked at a digital city. Although he didn't stay long, he learned quite a bit and had a good sense of the reputations of several major computer cities.
"Sea Bay Digital City?"
Zuo Xingtian said, "I've been there before; it's just seven stops on Line 3!"
Ye Zitong nodded and said, "Yes, I have my transit card with me. Taking the subway means we won't run into traffic."
Lu Chen had initially planned to hail a taxi, but since they both suggested the subway, he readily agreed.
The subway station was very close to the university. The three of them crossed the pedestrian bridge at the intersection, and a few steps later, they arrived.
They all used their transit cards and quickly boarded the subway.
On a Friday afternoon, although it wasn't rush hour yet, the train on Line 3 was still quite crowded, as it was a popular line.
The two beautiful girls attracted attention as they boarded the train.
Lu Chen led them to the corner of the car without batting an eye.
Using his height and long arms to his advantage, he held onto the vertical pole with his left hand and grabbed the overhead strap with his right hand, creating a protective barrier around both girls to block out some unwelcome gazes.
Zuo Xingtian took Ye Zitong's hand and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Senior is really manly!"
Ye Zitong was very close to Lu Chen, and perhaps because the train was so crowded and warm, her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red upon hearing Zuo Xingtian's remark.
As the train started moving and picked up speed, the vibrations increased, and the two girls inevitably brushed against Lu Chen. He tried his best to remain steady, not wanting to give anyone the wrong impression.
However, during the summer, everyone wore light clothing, and the touches clearly conveyed the softness or firmness of each other's bodies. Ye Zitong lowered her head, not daring to look at Lu Chen, and even Zuo Xingtian fell silent.
Lu Chen could smell the intoxicating aura of youth, and it took immense willpower to keep his mind from wandering.
Fortunately, the seven stops were not too long, and Lu Chen's "torment" didn't last too long.
Upon exiting the subway station, Sea Bay Digital City was right across the street.
As soon as Lu Chen led the girls over, a crowd immediately swarmed around them.
"Hey, brother, what kind of computer are you looking to buy? Is it for your girlfriend?"
"You have to come to our store for a computer! We have ten years of reliable service, and we're currently having a promotion; it's a rare opportunity!"
"Come check out our store; if you don't like the products, you won't have to pay! We have every configuration available!"
Lu Chen knew that these people had been hustling outside the digital city for years. Their discerning eyes could tell he was genuinely there to buy something, so they were all very enthusiastic.
But if he got tricked by them, he'd end up being the fool, and there would be no one to blame when he regretted it later!
Lu Chen quickly blocked them, saying, "We already know what we want, so there's no need for you to worry!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately grabbed the somewhat bewildered Ye Zitong and quickly headed into the digital city.
Successfully breaking through the encirclement, Lu Chen finally let go of Ye Zitong's little hand and explained, "When coming to the digital city to buy a computer, the worst thing is being hounded by them; none of them are good!"
Ye Zitong's expression was quite strange, a mix of shyness and annoyance without saying a word, while Zuo Xingtian hugged her arm and smiled ambiguously.
They were already holding hands!
Lu Chen felt a bit embarrassed and coughed twice, saying, "Let's go upstairs and take a look."
He wanted to clarify that he hadn't done it on purpose; it was purely an accident!
Fortunately, the girls didn't seem to mind.
Taking the escalator, the three of them reached the third floor of Sea Bay City.
To ease the earlier awkwardness, Lu Chen asked, "Why don't you consider buying online? Online shopping is very convenient nowadays, and ordering from brand flagship stores won't leave you at a loss."
Ye Zitong's expression returned to normal as she replied, "When buying online, you can't see the actual product. You have to try it out to see if you like it. If the store's prices aren't suitable, then we can buy the same model online."
Zuo Xingtian chuckled, "We often do that when buying clothes— just trying things on without buying them, which frustrates those who try to rip us off!"
Lu Chen was speechless; in terms of shopping, they were much smarter than he had imagined!
In the past decade, online shopping has developed rapidly, becoming an important driving force in the domestic economy, significantly impacting physical retail stores. For instance, out of the seven major digital electronic cities in the Capital City, only four remained, and they were barely surviving.
Strictly speaking, the decline of many physical stores and malls couldn't all be blamed on online shopping. For example, the computer city in Capital City was notoriously chaotic, with rampant scams and overcharging; it had become a cancer in the industry.
Lu Chen had left his job at the computer city precisely because he couldn't tolerate such a terrible atmosphere.
He may have been down on his luck, but he would never resort to deception to make a living.
The afternoon was leisurely, so Lu Chen took Ye Zitong and Zuo Xingtian to browse through store after store, focusing mainly on brand stores, especially flagship stores. Even if the prices were a bit higher, they wanted to make sure of their purchase.
The help Lu Chen could offer Ye Zitong was to pay attention to the computer's specifications; as for style and color, that was up to her. Girls typically didn't have high requirements for hardware but were particularly concerned about appearance.
The three of them strolled around as if they were window shopping. Eventually, Ye Zitong found a lightweight laptop she liked in a joint venture brand flagship store, priced at 5,500.
Lu Chen checked the computer's specifications. While the performance wasn't very strong, it was completely sufficient for a girl, and although the price was a bit steep, the style was new, fashionable, and beautiful.
He asked the sales assistant, "If I buy two units, how much discount can you offer?"
The prices displayed in flagship stores were often inflated, and Lu Chen didn't want to waste time on long discussions, so he revealed his bottom line directly.
The previously cheerful sales assistant immediately showed a distressed expression, saying, "Sir, we are a flagship store, and our prices are non-negotiable; we're genuine and fair!"
Lu Chen smiled and quickly pulled out his phone to search for the same brand online, showing the purchase price to the assistant.
The sales assistant, experienced, quickly said, "Sir, online products aren't reliable."
"Let's not talk about that; it's also a flagship store online!"
Lu Chen said straightforwardly, "The total for two units is 10,000 Yuan. You can throw in a matching keyboard and mouse for me. If you can do that, great; if not, I'll just buy them online myself."
Seeing Lu Chen so resolute, with both girls looking up to him, the astute sales assistant realized that to close this deal, they had no choice but to agree to Lu Chen's conditions.
Of course, they would still make a profit; it was just a matter of how much.
After hesitating for a moment, the sales assistant finally said, "Alright, we really will be taking a loss here."
Lu Chen grinned, "Go get the stock from the warehouse. But let's be clear: if what you bring out has been opened or is defective, I won't take it!"
(End of the Chapter)
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