If everyone is reborn, who will work for capital?

Chapter 26 Promising Material

A text message notification rang out crisply, and Geng Zhi pulled out his phone to check:

Ma Chunmei's 50,000 yuan transfer has arrived.

He immediately found a tiered study room, sat down in the back row, and planned to go online to find an agency to register a company and get the registration process started.

However, the login authentication for the campus WiFi kept him, an outsider, out.

buzzing-

My phone vibrated again; it was a call from an unknown number in Shanghai.

Geng Zhi picked up his phone, walked to the corridor outside the classroom, and answered the call.

"Hello, is this Junior Brother Gengzhi?" A warm male voice came from the receiver.

Junior brother? Geng Zhi was slightly taken aback.

"Hello, may I ask who you are?"

"I'm Lü Sifeng, Professor Qi Chuqin's doctoral student. Professor Qi asked me to help you arrange a study room and see if there's anything else I can assist you with. Where are you now, junior?"

"Thank you, Senior Brother Lü. I'm in Room 701 of the Computer Science Building."

"Alright, junior brother, you'll have to wait a little while. I'm still at the boss's company, it'll take me about ten minutes to get back to the Computer Science Institute," Lü Sifeng explained.

The "boss" he was referring to was, of course, Professor Qi Chuqin.

"Okay, no rush, thank you for your help, senior brother."

After hanging up the phone, Geng Zhi returned to the classroom, intending to do a few math problems while waiting.

Just as I pulled out my "Complete Review Book for Postgraduate Entrance Examination Mathematics," a boy wearing an inexpensive suit and with his hair neatly combed walked into the classroom, holding a stack of flyers in his hand.

Geng Zhi could tell at a glance it was a sales pitch, so he ignored it and continued reading.

However, the moment he looked up, he noticed that the salesman didn't approach the groups of students closer to him, but instead walked straight towards his corner.

Geng Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat puzzled, but remained silent and simply turned the pages of the book.

The salesman walked up to him, glanced at the book titles on the table, and lowered his voice: "Excuse me, young man. You're... preparing for the entrance exam for the Computer Science graduate program at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, right?"

Geng Zhi was now genuinely curious.

There was clearly a math book on the table, so how did he know he was taking the computer science exam, and even applying to a different school?

Seeing the slight change in Geng Zhi's expression, the salesman knew he had guessed correctly and immediately added:

"Competition for computer science at National Chiao Tung University is particularly fierce this year, with the application-to-admission ratio estimated to exceed 15:1. Moreover, this is the first year that the computer science major courses have switched from self-administered exams to national unified exams, which has significantly increased the difficulty and scope of the exams."

He only got the academic master's degree right; the professional master's degree is still subject to independent examination, but many people just don't know that.

"Are you also a computer science major?" Geng Zhi asked curiously. "You seem to know quite a bit about computer science."

"No, that's not it," the salesman smiled and said frankly, "I majored in drainage engineering as an undergraduate. In our line of work, understanding the exam requirements for various popular majors is a basic skill."

"Then how did you figure out I was from another school?" Geng Zhi asked his second question.

"It's simple. Students from National Chiao Tung University who are preparing for exams all gather in the library, where it's quieter and has a better atmosphere. Only students from other universities who can't get into the library come to the study rooms. Besides—" He pointed to Geng Zhi's desk, "you didn't bring a water bottle, so you don't seem like a regular."

"How did you know I applied for computer science?"

"This is the main building of the Computer Science Department," the salesman said with an unchanged smile. "Most of the people who come here to study are here because they're interested in computer science."

Geng Zhi felt a slight tremor in his heart and re-examined the person in front of him:

In his late twenties, he had a lean face, bright and lively eyes, and always wore a perfectly timed smile. His leather shoes were polished to a shine, but the edges were already worn. He exuded a shrewdness and resilience honed by life in the marketplace.

"Last year I met someone in a similar situation to you. He came from another university to take the computer science exam and is now a first-year graduate student in the computer science department. If you need it, I can get his study notes for you." The salesperson didn't directly try to sell, but instead played the "empathy" card.

Geng Zhi didn't respond, but simply kept smiling and watched how he continued to promote the product.

He was willing to listen because he genuinely needed to enroll in tutoring classes at that moment.

In his previous life, he was confident enough to pass the postgraduate entrance exam without enrolling in any prep courses. He simply studied methodically and still passed.

But after being reborn, facing an unfamiliar syllabus and unfamiliar knowledge, having a reliable tutoring class to help organize the information can indeed save a lot of effort.

However, he was completely unaware of the current postgraduate entrance examination training market.

Seeing that Geng Zhi did not show any resistance, the salesperson knew it was time to get down to business.

"I'm Li Haipeng, a senior postgraduate entrance exam consultant at New Oriental. Hey, I see you haven't enrolled in any postgraduate entrance exam preparation classes yet, right? We've just launched our 'Postgraduate Entrance Exam Intensive Course,' covering mathematics, politics, and English."

"Last year, our Professor Xu accurately predicted three essay questions on the postgraduate entrance exam in politics! His explanations of dialectics and epistemology are especially suitable for science-oriented students to quickly improve their scores..."

"Teacher Wang's reading comprehension methods are especially suitable for boosting scores... The essay templates are distilled from the analysis of 345 high-scoring model essays... Students using this method can improve their scores by an average of 15.5 points or more..."

"Our math teacher is a renowned expert in the postgraduate entrance exam preparation field..."

Li Haipeng spoke fluently, his rhetoric filled with specific figures and success stories, which did indeed sound very convincing.

What surprised Geng Zhi in particular was that, as a salesperson, his understanding of the knowledge structure of each subject in the postgraduate entrance examination and the common difficulties students faced far exceeded that of an ordinary salesperson.

However, Geng Zhi simply listened quietly, his face showing little emotion.

This kind of marketing rhetoric is ineffective against him, a seasoned veteran.

He knew that by 2009, the so-called "famous teachers' secrets" in postgraduate entrance examination tutoring had long lost their absolute barriers, and the core content of each institution was highly homogenized.

The real difference often lies not in the course itself, but in marketing packaging and distribution capabilities.

All he needs is a course that can help him efficiently organize his knowledge framework and point out the direction for his review. It doesn't really matter which one he chooses; the key is the cost-effectiveness.

"Could you give a more detailed introduction to your teaching model?" Geng Zhi asked.

"There are two main models," Li Haipeng said, his spirits lifting. "One is in-person classes, where renowned teachers come to the teaching locations to teach, divided into large classes (around 100 people) and small classes (less than 30 people). The other is video classes, where students gather in designated classrooms to watch high-definition recordings of renowned teachers' lectures."

"Before the exam, there will be a segment where expert teachers predict the key points for the political essay and the English composition. This is extremely valuable, and we have accurately predicted the core test points for many consecutive years." Li Haipeng lowered his voice, his eyes conveying the message "you know what I mean," as if he held an exclusive secret manual.

"Video lessons... I can watch them anytime, anywhere in my dorm, right?"

"That definitely won't work," Li Haipeng shook his head with a smile. "We have to watch it all in a designated classroom. If we could just watch it ourselves, and one person bought a ticket for the whole class to watch, wouldn't we be losing out big time?"

Geng Zhi nodded; the reason sounded logical.

"The advantage of face-to-face classes is their strong interactivity. You can ask the teacher questions on the spot, creating a more immersive learning atmosphere and resulting in the best learning outcomes," Li Haipeng emphasized the value of face-to-face instruction.

Geng Zhi simply nodded without replying.

For him, in-person instruction was not necessary; watching videos was sufficient.

"The most valuable thing in preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam is time," Li Haipeng advised sincerely. "Especially for students like you who have come all the way from out of town to Shanghai to prepare for the exam, the travel expenses and accommodation are considerable costs. And you can't afford to waste any more time."

"Enrolling in a class and having a renowned teacher systematically review the key points, difficult points, and exam points is like having someone pave the way for you, so you can just focus on your studies. A 30% increase in efficiency is a conservative estimate; the time and energy saved are invaluable."

"Oh," Geng Zhi replied, still not asking the price.

He knew that whoever asked about the price first would be at a disadvantage in the negotiations.

Seeing that Geng Zhi's attitude was ambiguous but he didn't see him off, Li Haipeng took the initiative to probe: "Classmate, you're considering taking classes in person for math, English, and politics, right?"

"Face-to-face instruction is more effective, I will definitely only consider face-to-face instruction," Geng Zhi replied, echoing his words.

A hint of joy flashed in Li Haipeng's eyes. He pulled out a price list for in-person classes from the flyers and pointed to it as he introduced, "In-person intensive course, 2500 per subject. Now there's a package discount for the National Day holiday, three subjects together, originally 7500, now only 5966."

Geng Zhi fell silent.

This wasn't tactical silence; they were genuinely taken aback by the price.

In 09, nearly six thousand yuan was definitely not a small amount for most postgraduate entrance examination students.

"Young man," Li Haipeng keenly noticed his reaction and probed, "Do you feel the price is slightly over your budget, or are you worried that the effect won't match the value?"

"Sorry, the price is indeed far beyond my expectations, I'm not considering it anymore." Geng Zhi deliberately retreated to advance.

Li Haipeng immediately chimed in, "Well, I can see you really want to pass the exam. To boost my sales performance this month, I'll personally apply for a special discount for you! Three courses for 5466, I'll put in 500 myself, that's the absolute lowest price I can offer."

"Six or seven hundred yuan is more like it," Geng Zhi blurted out abruptly.

Li Haipeng was amused. "Young man, you've gone a bit too far with your joke! This price can't even buy the most basic video course!"

"How much do your video lessons cost?" Geng Zhi asked deliberately. "Even if you offered me such a low price, I wouldn't sign up!"

Li Haipeng pulled out another, simpler-looking page from the flyers. It read "Video Premium Class" and was priced at 1988 yuan for three courses.

"Your in-person classes are three times the price of video classes? That's too expensive!" Geng Zhi feigned surprise.

"Of course! In-person instruction has always been more than three times more expensive than video lessons. Top teachers fly all over the country, and the costs of venues, travel, and class fees are naturally higher. It's definitely not comparable to watching videos..."

Li Haipeng was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly realized he had misspoke and immediately stopped.

Geng Zhi seemed to be deep in thought, and slowly began to speak:

"Actually, it's already October, and the official registration for the postgraduate entrance exam is about to begin. Those who wanted to sign up for tutoring classes have already done so. You probably don't have many new users now, right?"

"Furthermore, whether it's face-to-face or video instruction, adding one more student is just adding one more chair and printing a few dollars' worth of teaching materials. The marginal cost is practically zero, am I right?"

Li Haipeng was clearly taken aback, and the way he looked at Geng Zhi changed.

He spoke the truth, but he couldn't admit it.

Just as Li Haipeng was about to organize his thoughts in rebuttal, Geng Zhi didn't give him the chance and directly presented his own solution:

"Three courses, package price 2000 yuan. If you think that's acceptable, we can continue negotiating. If not, forget it."

This is a further reduction of 3466 yuan from the already discounted price of 5466 yuan. This is even more than a 50% discount!

This was the first time Li Haipeng had encountered a student who was so capable of chopping and who was so self-righteous about it.

His smile was somewhat stiff, while his mind raced with calculations.

Seeing his hesitation, Geng Zhi knew he had a chance, so he waved his hand dismissively, saying, "If it doesn't work out, that's fine. I understand. I still need to study. Sorry, thanks for the introduction."

"Wait!" Li Haipeng gritted his teeth. "Hey classmate, if you order the three-subject package now and refer another classmate to sign up, I'll apply for a group price of 2666 for you! I'll also give you a complete set of electronic lecture notes for all three subjects, plus three mock exams with feedback, all for free!"

"I can't introduce you to any classmates; I don't know anyone here." Geng Zhi shook his head, then asked, "How much are the things you gave me worth?"

"It's worth 666 yuan in total."

"Okay then, I don't want these free gifts. Just deduct the corresponding 666 yuan from the total price." Geng Zhi said earnestly.

Li Haipeng was stunned.

2666 yuan, minus 666 yuan, it's still 2000 yuan...

Moreover, this 2000 yuan is only 200 yuan more than the institution's minimum price of 1800 yuan.

If this deal is indeed completed for 2000 yuan, Li Haipeng will only receive 260 yuan based on his 13% commission from face-to-face classes.

"Okay, classmate... let's be friends." Li Haipeng gritted his teeth and agreed. He was under pressure to meet performance targets, and 260 yuan was a considerable amount of income for him.

"You just said that face-to-face classes cost three times as much as video classes, right?" Geng Zhi suddenly asked again.

"Hmm...yes." Li Haipeng had a bad feeling.

"Okay, I've changed my mind. I won't sign up for in-person classes, I'll sign up for video courses. Let's round it up to 700 yuan. We can sign the contract right now." Geng Zhi said with a beaming smile.

Li Haipeng: "..." He felt completely entangled.

Five minutes later, the two signed the contract.

Based on a 15% commission rate for video lessons, Li Haipeng can only earn 105 yuan from this order.

"Please don't tell any other students about this price, otherwise it will be very difficult for me to do my job..."

"Don't worry, I know the rules." Geng Zhi nodded.

Logically, once the deal was signed, Li Haipeng should have turned around and looked for the next target, but he didn't leave immediately.

He took out a New Oriental notebook from his bag, tore off a page, and wrote down a mobile phone number, a QQ number, and a QQ group number.

"Hey, this is my personal phone number and QQ. If you need any help with your postgraduate entrance exam preparation, feel free to contact me anytime. I'll do my best to help. This QQ group is a mutual aid group I created. It has some resources and mentors in it. You can also ask questions there."

"Thank you." This gesture made Geng Zhi look at him with new respect.

"By the way, have you contacted any professors or senior students in the Computer Science Department? If not, I can really introduce you to a first-year graduate student I know. I wasn't just kidding you earlier." Li Haipeng said earnestly.

"I've already contacted them, thank you."

"Okay, I wish you good luck in your postgraduate entrance exam and hope you pass with flying colors!" After saying that, Li Haipeng turned around and prepared to walk towards the next pair of targets.

"Mr. Li," Geng Zhi called out to him, voicing his doubts, "You just entered the classroom, why didn't you go and promote your product to them, but came to me first?"

"Because the probability of successfully selling to you is the highest." Li Haipeng turned around and smiled.

Why?

"Today is the National Day holiday. Those who come to study are either truly studious or in love." He gestured with his lip towards the couples huddled together in the front row. "And you, you're the one in this classroom who most looks like the former."

After saying that, he waved his hand and walked over to a couple in the front row who were talking and laughing quietly.

"He's not very old, but he has a mature methodology for pre-sales, sales, and after-sales. He's a promising talent, and maybe we can poach him," Geng Zhi thought to himself as he watched his retreating figure.

Just then, a hand gently patted his shoulder from behind.