Chapter 18 You say this is scrap metal? This is industrial art!

The next morning, the sunlight was thin, and the cold wind remained.

Wang Dapao pedaled an old tricycle, hit the brakes, and stopped at the steps of the Dongfeng Department Store.

The cargo bed was covered with a layer of old canvas, bulging underneath—those were the ten "red star · warm sun" units they had rushed to produce.

Lin Xi tightened his collar, took a long stride, and walked straight toward the main entrance.

Liu Guihua followed closely behind, carrying a black imitation leather bag, her expression somewhat uneasy.

Before them was the department store, a three-story red brick structure with huge glass display windows showcasing Forever Brand bicycles and Butterfly Brand sewing machines.

This was the base's consumer holy land, the Louvre of the planned economy era.

"Manager Lin..." Wang Dapao wiped away sweat, looking at that gold-lettered sign, his heart drumming a bit.

"We're really going in?"

"Can a big store like this really take an interest in these things we cobbled together from scrap metal?"

"Big Cannon, let me correct you." Lin Xi patted the canvas. "These are called industrial artworks."

Lin Xi smiled and took the lead, lifting the door curtain and stepping inside.

A wave of heat mixed with the scent of vanishing cream and rubber shoe soles hit them.

The first floor was for daily necessities. Behind the counters, several salesclerks in white coats and white hats were gathered, knitting sweaters and chatting.

When they saw someone enter, they didn't even lift an eyelid.

This was the norm for state-owned stores in the 80s—"the emperor's daughter has no trouble finding a husband."

In the livestream chat, the comments were also full of sighs.

[Unbelievable! This service attitude would be complained into bankruptcy in 2025!]

[The person above doesn't understand, do they? This is called the dignity of a seller's market! Back then, salesclerks were the coolest kids in the village.]

[Did you see that sign hanging in front? 'Do not beat customers without cause.' That's just ridiculous!]

[I just want to know, if there is a 'cause,' can they actually start swinging?]

"Don't look at those; go straight upstairs." Lin Xi kept his eyes forward and walked toward the stairs.

Liu Guihua hurried a few steps and whispered in Lin Xi's ear:

"Manager Lin, that Manager Sun isn't actually that close to me. I just used to do some mending work for his family a few times..."

"He's a formal cadre; he might not give us face."

"If the product is solid enough, we don't need face." Lin Xi didn't stop.

"Face is earned, not begged for."

At the end of the second floor, a red-painted wooden door was left ajar, with a sign hanging on it that said "Manager's Office."

Lin Xi knocked twice and, without waiting for a response, pushed the door open and entered.

The heating in the room was quite strong, but only to the extent that one didn't need to wear a heavy coat.

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man whose zhongshan suit buttons looked like they were about to be blown off by his belly.

He was holding a purple clay teapot as if it were an imperial seal, squinting as he scrutinized the newspaper in his hand.

Sun Dafu, the local emperor of the Dongfeng Department Store.

"Who is it? Don't you know the rules?"

Sun Dafu frowned, put down the newspaper, and scanned the three of them, his gaze finally landing on Liu Guihua.

"Oh, isn't this Big Sister Liu?"

"What, not mending clothes today? Dropping by for a visit instead?"

His tone was dismissive, carrying a sense of condescending superiority.

Liu Guihua forced a smile: "Manager Sun, it's not about mending clothes today."

"This is the new Manager Lin from our Service Center. He has some business he'd like to discuss with you."

"Manager Lin?" Sun Dafu sized up Lin Xi.

Too young, too green.

Is this the kid who supposedly caused trouble in the maintenance group and was exiled?

"Hello, Manager Sun." Lin Xi ignored the man's gaze and signaled Wang Dapao to bring up the prototype.

"Our Red Star Service Cooperative has developed a new type of heating equipment and would like to put it on your shelves."

"Heating?"

Sun Dafu sneered and picked up the purple clay teapot again.

"Who in our base doesn't use a coal stove? These days, who would waste money on that kind of thing?"

Clang!

Wang Dapao placed the sci-fi-looking "red star · warm sun" on the desk.

The silver parabolic reflector shone brightly under the lights, and the red LOGO was extremely eye-catching.

It was a kind of rugged yet precise industrial aesthetic.

Sun Dafu was stunned for a moment.

Could that bunch of losers at the Service Center actually make something like this... that looks somewhat decent?

"Plug it in," Lin Xi said concisely.

Big Cannon inserted the plug into the wall socket.

Hum—

No long preheating, no waiting.

Three seconds.

Just three seconds!

The nichrome wire instantly turned glowing red, like an awakening fire dragon. The precisely calculated parabolic reflector focused the heat into a beam, hitting Sun Dafu's greasy fat face like an invisible physical shockwave.

"Oh, holy crap!"

Sun Dafu shuddered, feeling as if a little sun had exploded right on his desk.

Hot!

A wave of heat rushing at him!

"This... so fast?" Sun Dafu knew his stuff; his eyes instantly lit up.

"And it's not blinding; this light is quite soft."

The same aerodynamic exterior design as the red star no. 2, with an aviation aluminum reflector.

Lin Xi threw out the selling points at the right moment, his voice full of persuasion.

"No need to start a fire, no need to dump ashes, it heats up as soon as it's plugged in. Most importantly—the electricity at our base is covered by the public."

A killing blow.

This one sentence accurately hit the weakness of everyone in this era who loved getting something for nothing.

Sun Dafu stood up, walked around the machine twice, and even reached out to touch the heavy cast-iron base.

"Interesting." Sun Dafu rubbed the fat on his chin and nodded. "This thing, how much do you plan to sell it for?"

"Supply price is 30, suggested retail price is 38." Lin Xi stated the base price.

This price wasn't low; it was equivalent to a month's salary for a second-grade worker.

But considering the hidden benefits of not having to buy coal or pay for electricity, it was definitely within the base's range of affordability.

"30?"

Sun Dafu's brow instantly furrowed into a deep scowl. "Too expensive! You dare ask for that much?"

Then, he plopped back into his chair, crossed his legs, and that bureaucratic air of posturing returned. His fingers tapped the desk, making an annoying "thump-thump" sound.

"Young man, the item is decent."

"But to get on the shelves of our Dongfeng Department Store, it's not enough to just throw the thing here!"

Here it comes.

Lin Xi sneered inwardly.

The netizens in the livestream instantly got excited:

[The classic segment! Better late than never!]

[BGM should play now: The Light of the Righteous Path!]

[This fat pig is about to start demanding bribes.]

"Do you have a production permit?" Sun Dafu asked with a squint.

Lin Xi shook his head: "It's an internal trial production by the Service Center; we don't have one for now."

"What about the price approval document from the Price Bureau?"

"No."

Sun Dafu slapped the table, the fat on his face trembling three times. The slight admiration from before instantly turned into disdain and impatience.

"You have nothing? Then what the hell are you talking to me for!"

"Products with no brand, no license, and no quality certificate! This is called speculation and profiteering, do you understand? This is called disrupting market order!"

Sun Dafu pointed at the door, spit flying everywhere:

"Is your Red Star Service Cooperative starving for money?"

"You think you can get into a formal state-owned mall with something cobbled together from a few broken parts? You're dreaming!"

"Take this pile of scrap metal and get out! Don't be an eyesore here!"

"Scrap metal?"

Wang Dapao, who had been silent, suddenly took a step forward.

This man, built like a black iron tower, had eyes turning red.

This was their hard work—was it "scrap metal" to be belittled as worthless by this fat man?

"Say that again?"