"Come, look here. We have almost every brand of radio, like Panda, Red Lamp, Peony, and Gem Flower."
Zhang Weiyang took the tin horn from Chen Yang's hand and, while leading Lin Dehui, who was pretending to be a worried father whose son couldn't get married without a radio, spoke, pointing to the radios in the glass display cabinet.
"Comrade, why are your radios so cheap? I saw that in the state-run department stores, radios cost 125 yuan each, and you need a lot of industrial coupons too. You can buy one for thirty yuan here, is it real?"
Lin Dehui also raised the doubts in the minds of the onlookers outside, perfectly timed. These were all lines that had been rehearsed yesterday. To ensure a smooth and impactful opening, Chen Yang and Zhang Weiyang had put a lot of thought into it.
"Uncle, I'm not deceiving you. These radios have been used. They were not produced using the country's means of production, so you don't need industrial coupons to buy them."
"The price, naturally, will be lower than for new ones."
"But, all the radios in our shop can be used. If you don't believe me, pick any one and turn it on to hear the sound."
"Why do we buy radios? Isn't it just to hear something? Three years new, three years old, mend and patch for another three years. We can wear clothes with patches, and radios are much more precious than clothes. To be able to buy a radio for thirty yuan is truly worth it."
As Zhang Weiyang spoke, he let Lin Dehui turn on a radio. Indeed, it immediately emitted sound.
Hearing his explanation, Lin Dehui seemed to have an epiphany.
No wonder they were so cheap and didn't require coupons; they were second-hand.
However, second-hand wasn't a problem. As long as it made noise, it was fine. New radios were bought to listen to the broadcast, weren't old and new the same for listening to the broadcast?
Nowadays, people weren't that particular. Many people couldn't even afford to eat, and they weren't so precious that they had to spend more money to buy new ones. As long as it worked, it was fine.
"Then I'll buy your second-hand one. It won't stop working right away, will it? Then my thirty yuan will be wasted."
Lin Dehui then raised another question. He rubbed the radio with his hand and looked at Zhang Weiyang earnestly.
The crowd watching outside silently praised the old man in their hearts, for asking the crucial question, which was also their concern.
Thirty yuan, although much cheaper than buying a new radio for over 120 yuan, would be a complete loss if it stopped working after a few days.
Second-hand is not as good as new, that's for sure, otherwise, why would it be so cheap?
Therefore, everyone also worried about the quality. This was human nature.
Who wouldn't want something that was both cheap and good?
"Uncle, I'm running a business here. Would I sell you a broken radio?"
"How about this, today is the first day our Meng Hui Radio shop opens. I'll give everyone a guarantee. The first ten customers to buy a radio from our Meng Hui Radio shop."
"We will offer a one-year free repair service for radios. As long as it's not intentionally dropped or submerged in water, causing damage to the circuit components, we will repair it for free."
"Uncle, with this, you should be reassured, right?"
Zhang Weiyang spoke clearly and articulately. The tin horn amplified his words, carrying them far.
Hearing his words, a stir immediately arose among the crowd.
After all, even buying new radios at state-run department stores back then didn't come with such a guarantee.
"I, I'll buy it. I'll pay now. I want this thirty-yuan one. Now my foolish son can get married, and I can hug my grandson."
Lin Dehui held the radio in his arms, looking like he couldn't bear to let go. He directly pulled out a handful of small bills from his pocket.
All of them were crumpled. He meticulously counted out thirty yuan, one cent, one dime, one yuan at a time. As he counted the money, the sound of the radio seemed to be tickling the hearts of the customers watching outside.
They also wanted to see if Lin Dehui was really buying it.
People are prone to follow the crowd. Once instigated, and with someone leading the way, it's easy to get carried away and make impulse purchases.
In a certain bubble tea shop in later years, they specifically hired people to queue up to publicize their popularity, which indeed tricked many foolish customers into queuing for an hour to drink a cup of milk tea that wasn't even particularly tasty.
Chen Yang arranging for Lin Dehui to pay with real money was for the same reason. If he had thrown out three Great Unity bills, it wouldn't have had such a shocking effect.
Lin Dehui's many small bills clearly indicated that his family was very careful with their finances. If such a meticulous person bought it, it meant it was genuinely a good deal.
Didn't you hear him say he was going back to his son's wedding with the radio, and then to hug his grandson!
"Here, Uncle, this is the warranty card we've issued. I've stamped it with the shop's seal, signed it, and thumb-printed it."
"Please be completely reassured. If there are any problems, we will repair it for you for free for a year."
"Finally, I wish your son a happy wedding soon and you a grandson soon."
Zhang Weiyang deliberately held the warranty card up towards the customers outside so they could see it.
After Zhang Weiyang finished, Lin Dehui carefully folded the warranty card and put it in his pocket.
Then, holding the radio, he walked out of the radio shop with his head held high and chest puffed out, his demeanor no less than someone who had just bought a brand new radio.
"Comrade, I, I want one too. I want this one."
As soon as Lin Dehui stepped outside, a young man who had been watching from outside rushed in. Sudannovel.com
Chen Yang and Zhang Weiyang were taken aback. This was unexpected. They had arranged for three decoys, and Lin Dehui had just finished his act. Their own people hadn't even come out yet. What was going on with this young man?
"I, I want one too."
Before they could react, another middle-aged man rushed into the shop.
"Alright, come in and pick."
After a moment of surprise, Chen Yang recovered. They had underestimated the power of the marketing strategies from later generations on the people of this era.
They didn't need the remaining two decoys at all. Lin Dehui's performance alone had convinced many people and made them want to buy a radio immediately.
The young man who rushed in behind Lin Dehui directly took out three Great Unity bills. He had over twenty yuan and more than twenty industrial coupons in his pocket.
He had originally come to the state-run department store to buy a new radio today. Now, seeing that Chen Yang's only cost thirty yuan and didn't require coupons, why would he buy from the state-run department store?
With the remaining hundred yuan and these industrial coupons, he could save some money and buy a bicycle. Wouldn't that be better?
"Young man, are you buying this radio for your wedding? This thirty-yuan one can be used, but for your wedding banquet, wouldn't it be a bit beneath your status?"
"Look at this Panda brand one I have. This is a brand-name item. It's only been used for a year. Due to circumstances, my wife wanted to buy a sewing machine, so I had to reluctantly part with it."
"A brand new Panda brand radio would cost over 170 yuan. Now, if you take it for seventy yuan, you buy a Panda brand, and it's so shiny and new, who would know you bought a second-hand one? Wouldn't that be more prestigious?"
Zhang Weiyang glanced at the young man and roughly guessed why he was buying a radio. He immediately brought out the Panda brand radio he was holding, which was in better condition.
They couldn't sell all the low-end thirty-yuan models, could they? They had to sell some more profitable ones.