Chapter 24: Poisoned Upon Consumption

“Honey, you really gave those 800 yuan away? This isn’t like hiring an actor who only charges twenty for a performance fee—you actually handed someone 800 yuan!” On their way home, Shen Yuequn’s wife kept grumbling.

“What are you complaining about? It’s not our money; the chairman is footing the bill. We don’t have to pay a cent,” Shen Yuequn replied calmly.

“But we could have made that money ourselves! Take my brother, for example—if he won the shoes, we’d only need to give him a hundred for his trouble. That means we’d pocket seven hundred, just like that!” She snorted, clearly annoyed.

“That wouldn’t be right…” Shen Yuequn shook his head.

“What’s not right? We do all the packaging ourselves, handle everything ourselves. Only you and I know—Huang He is completely in the dark. What are you afraid of?” The more she spoke, the darker her expression became, as if someone had cut eight hundred yuan from her own flesh.

“But that would ruin the chairman’s marketing strategy…” Shen Yuequn thought for a moment, recalling his phone call with Huang He, who specifically mentioned the term “marketing strategy.” “He said the money has to go to the real consignment sellers, so the publicity will have the desired impact!”

“Nonsense. If the winner just keeps quiet after making money, what then?” his wife retorted. “I get your chairman’s strategy—he wants the crowd to see that buying blind boxes can really make people rich.”

“So all you have to do is put on a good show in front of the audience. Does it really matter who walks away with the 800 yuan?” She continued to complain incessantly.

Shen Yuequn fell silent. He was beginning to feel regret—after all, it was 800 yuan. Why let someone else profit instead of their own people?

They returned home in silence, tidied up a bit, and sat before the TV. But the programs that usually entertained them—like the popular “Young Justice Bao”—could not hold their attention tonight.

His wife kept muttering complaints, while Shen Yuequn pondered whether he’d just thrown away 800 yuan, making a colossal mistake.

Each was absorbed in their own thoughts, so much so that they didn’t notice when the drama ended and a newer program began. It wasn’t until the host, after several news stories, spoke up: “Hey, Black Sister, do you know what’s the hottest thing in our old SY city these days?”

“No idea! Did you discover something fun and new?” Black Sister played along. This was a news show aired at ten p.m. called “News Connection.” Unlike the more serious seven o’clock news, it was relaxed, cheerful, and had a personal, talk-show flair. That’s why the hosts conversed so freely.

“The hottest thing lately is definitely the Jiangnan Leather Factory’s giant blind box craze here in old SY!” The male host revealed with a grin.

“Blind box?” The previously silent couple widened their eyes, staring intently at the screen.

“What’s a blind box?”

“Well, that’s quite a story. The Jiangnan Leather Factory was originally a leather goods manufacturer in Wenzhou. But due to poor management, it’s on the verge of bankruptcy. Workers haven’t been paid in months…” The male host began explaining the origin of the giant blind box, with a TV segment rolling in.

What stunned Shen Yuequn and his wife was that the footage was of them selling blind boxes. They had no idea when it was filmed; the reporters must have caught them unawares.

Along with the news, the classic refrain played in the background: “Zhejiang Wenzhou, Zhejiang Wenzhou, Jiangnan Leather Factory’s gone bankrupt…” Even the infamous line about running off with the sister-in-law was included.

“Ten yuan and you’re guaranteed at least a wallet? That’s unbelievably cheap! Is this for real, or is it fake?” Black Sister voiced her doubts.

“That’s right—we had the same suspicions. So our reporters, keeping things discreet, posed as regular customers, bought five blind boxes from the stall, and handed them to a professional leather inspection agency for testing. Let’s watch the interview!” The scene shifted to undercover footage of reporters purchasing blind boxes.

After buying five boxes, the reporter went somewhere quiet and began unboxing them on camera.

“As the seller claims, there should be at least one wallet—maybe even shoes or a belt. Let’s open it and see if there’s a wallet inside…” Saying this, the reporter tore open a blind box, and pulled out a pair of leather shoes.

“Wow, looks like we got lucky! Real leather shoes—so the seller wasn’t lying?” The reporter opened the second box, which contained not a wallet, but a belt.

The third and fourth boxes finally produced two wallets. But when the fifth was opened, a scene that shocked everyone unfolded—they found a leather jacket inside.

The interview ended, and the focus returned to the studio where Black Sister exclaimed excitedly, “My goodness, a leather jacket like that would cost at least a thousand yuan in a department store!”

“That’s right. Our reporters checked with manufacturers, and this style of jacket costs at least fifteen hundred in major stores,” the male host marveled.

“Then I’m sure there’s something fishy here. These wallets, belts, shoes, and jackets must all be inferior, with some defect—I’m absolutely certain!” Black Sister swore.

“Well, let’s find out. We’ve invited experts with professional equipment to do an appraisal!” The scene shifted to a certification center, followed by a quick montage of testing procedures. Finally, a specialist in a white lab coat appeared for an interview.

The reporter first asked whether the leather goods were genuine. The expert confirmed they all contained real leather—the surface layer was genuine, but the leather was mixed and of relatively low quality.

The reporter then asked, were the items durable?

The expert replied that they weren’t as sturdy as high-end leather goods. With frequent use, they’d begin to show wear and tear in two or three years.

The reporter asked if they posed any health risks.

The expert explained that unless the leather contained significant additives—though none were illegal—if ingested, these additives would still be toxic.