After spending the entire morning working himself to the bone, Xue Lei finally finished editing the projector video around noon. He uploaded it to his accounts on Bilibili, Douyin, and three other video platforms.
Seeing the notification that the video had uploaded successfully, Xue Lei could already imagine viewers discovering this hidden gem and watching the likes and follows skyrocket. Then he'd become a star in the tech sections of all the major video platforms, take over as CEO, and marry a rich, beautiful woman in no time!
A little daydreaming was good for the soul. Once he'd finished his work, Xue Lei collapsed into bed and fell into a blissful, baby-like sleep in less than ten seconds. He couldn't help it—he was exhausted. He hadn't slept in twenty-four hours.
After Xue Lei's video went up on the various platforms, it soon attracted some attention. After all, he was a moderately well-known content creator and had a few followers here and there.
Meanwhile, in another city, Chen Qingsong finished lunch and took advantage of his short break to aimlessly scroll through his phone.
First, he opened his messaging app to see if anyone had contacted him. As expected, his more than two hundred contacts might as well have been fake. He only ever saw them in his Moments feed; otherwise, the company group chat occasionally sent out notices about meetings or work.
Although hardly anyone ever messaged him, Chen Qingsong still habitually opened the app whenever he had some free time, just to check his Moments feed or read the news from the public accounts he followed. His life was truly miserable!
Since no one was contacting him, he might as well do something else. Chen Qingsong was the kind of person who didn't reach out to others if they didn't reach out to him. Maybe that was why he didn't have any friends he regularly chatted with.
He could browse Pipixia or check out Bilibili, living like an emperor every day. People sang and danced for him, and he could see all kinds of news from around the world. He even had to like the videos he enjoyed and give them a little red flower. It was hard work!
After casually browsing a couple of videos he liked, Chen Qingsong tapped refresh and came across something else that caught his interest.
"Reviewing Shenma Technology Company's Phantom Projector! This is an amazing product. Don't miss out! A projector display with unbeatable value!"
Chen Qingsong had been keeping an eye on projectors lately.
As a single guy, he liked watching movies and anime in his free time. But every trip to the cinema cost several dozen yuan, which was a bit too much for him. Besides, he preferred older movies, which weren't showing in theaters.
As an ordinary guy with a little spare cash and no partner, Chen Qingsong wanted a big screen for watching movies. A projector seemed like a good choice.
He'd read the title, and the uploader was one of the more honest creators he followed. Chen Qingsong clicked the video without hesitation and started watching.
It was a long video, ten minutes in all. It opened with the uploader explaining why he'd made it: the manufacturer had paid him a thousand yuan and sent him a product to review for free, so he'd taken the job.
Next came nearly a full minute of the uploader sharing his experience with the product, praising it in the most exaggerated terms.
If the uploader's face hadn't been so familiar, and if Chen Qingsong hadn't been a longtime fan who knew he wouldn't shamelessly shill for money, he would have thought he'd accidentally clicked on some unfamiliar sales channel's review.
True 8K resolution, sound better than speakers from major brands that cost more than two thousand yuan, a 144 Hz refresh rate, a maximum 200-inch high-definition projection, and automatic brightness adjustment. The picture stayed clear even in broad daylight with every window open. The nonstop stream of specs finally piqued Chen Qingsong's interest.
What on earth was this thing? How could it possibly live up to all that?
As the video played on, Chen Qingsong's questions gradually found their answers.
At first, the uploader clearly didn't think much of the product. His perfunctory attitude was plain to see. But as he unboxed it, the projector's performance after he turned it on immediately proved him wrong, making the moment almost comical.
To show how movies looked on the projector, the uploader even shoved a 2K camera right up against the projected image so viewers could check for pixelation.
He also brought out a brand-name speaker he'd reviewed before, one with excellent sound, and played the same song through it and the projector's built-in speakers to compare them.
There was a side-by-side comparison between the projector's image and that of the uploader's big-brand monitor, along with footage of games being played on the projector's enormous screen, and much more.
The ten-minute video proceeded steadily as the uploader explained everything. Chen Qingsong watched intently. By the time he came to, the video had reached the reveal of the projector's price: Shenma Technology Company's Phantom Projector cost 4,999 yuan and was available from the company's official Taobao and JD.com flagship stores!
Several comments had already appeared in the scrolling bullet comments.
"4,999 yuan for a projector? I'm out!"
"At that price, I could build a pretty decent computer!"
"They should've said the price earlier. If I'd known, I wouldn't have watched!"
"That price is a dealbreaker."
"Is this a sponsored video? The claims are way over the top!"
The comments below the video had already reached several dozen in just half an hour.
"I think it looks pretty good. If those specs are real, this thing would cost at least tens of thousands of yuan from a major brand!"
"This is definitely sponsored! Since when can a projector double as a monitor? 144 Hz, 1 ms response time—those are monitor specs! If you're going to shill, at least do it seriously!"
"The uploader's acting is so convincing. I never realized he was such a great actor. Why bother being a creator? He should just become an actor and make a fortune every day!"
"I looked online, but couldn't find any other reviews of this projector. The company was only founded a month ago. Is this some shell company planning to fleece people and run? They might have made their PowerPoint look nice, but the product you receive could be nothing like what they advertised. Anyone thinking of buying it should be careful."
After reading the bullet comments, Chen Qingsong still hadn't found the answer he wanted. Nobody in the comments had actually bought the product.
Without anyone who'd used it firsthand to describe their experience, it didn't feel quite reliable.
But when he thought about the uploader, whom he'd followed for a long time, he didn't seem like the kind of person who'd fake a review for money. Besides, a lot of what was shown in the video, like the comparisons with other products, couldn't be achieved just by calling it a paid promotion.
Seeing was believing, and Chen Qingsong trusted what he'd seen in the video more.
Was the uploader really going to teach himself movie-quality special effects editing just to earn a sponsorship, making a terrible product look like it had a sharper image than a monitor, better sound than a major brand's dedicated speakers, and vivid colors in sunlight—perfect for daytime projection?
Come on!
Was it actually real?
The fact that it was from a small brand made Chen Qingsong uneasy. It gave him a real headache.
If those specs were genuine, 4,999 yuan would be a bargain!
As an older single guy who neither smoked nor drank and didn't spend much on anything, his only hobbies were watching movies and anime and playing games. If he could get a product with the advertised specs by investing in a screen, it would be well worth it to him.
Was it actually real?
Full of doubts, Chen Qingsong watched the video again. This time, he turned the quality up as high as it would go. In the 2K video, the image from the projector seemed different somehow. The higher quality made it easier to see the projected picture clearly, and it really did look excellent.
And that was only a 2K video playing on a phone screen. What would it be like to watch anime or movies projected at the highest 8K resolution? Chen Qingsong couldn't wait to find out!
He watched the video three or four times in a row. Even when it was time to go back to work at two in the afternoon, he was still wondering whether it was genuine.
Should he buy this Phantom Projector made by some Shenma Technology Company?
Chen Qingsong was distracted all afternoon. He couldn't help it; that was how an older guy reacted when he saw a toy he liked!
Every cell in his body, every thought in his head, seemed to be saying, "I want it. I want it. I want it!"
By the time he finished work, Chen Qingsong had finally made up his mind: he'd wait and see.
It cost 4,999 yuan, after all. That wasn't cheap, so he needed to think carefully.
The first thing Chen Qingsong did after getting home was turn on his computer and watch the review of the virtual projector again. At the same time, he searched online for more information about it.
But there was hardly any information about the product online. There were only review videos from two uploaders, plus the product listings in its official Taobao and JD.com flagship stores.
Chen Qingsong carefully watched the other unboxing and review video, made by another creator in the tech section. It was much like the review he'd watched earlier: the uploader praised the Phantom Projector to the skies and tested its performance in various ways.
The two moderately well-known creators both recommended it, and the videos seemed quite genuine.
It didn't look fake. He really wanted one!
Clenching his teeth, Chen Qingsong grabbed his phone, found the official flagship store on JD.com, and messaged customer service.
"Hello, I'd like to ask about your Phantom Projector. Can you guarantee that it really performs as advertised? 8K resolution, a 144 Hz refresh rate, a 1 ms response time, and a maximum 200-inch high-definition projection?"
......
Meanwhile, Ning Yifan was in another city, watching the latest anime, Ranking of Kings, on a projector he'd carefully made himself. There was nothing like watching it on a big screen!
It supported a maximum 500-inch screen and up to 32K resolution. It was a true movie-theater experience—better, even, than going to the cinema!
The only downside was that the anime itself only supported up to 2K resolution, so Ning Yifan had to redo the animation himself. Other than that, it was great!
After finishing an episode, he saw that the software hadn't yet finished optimizing the next one. While he waited, Ning Yifan checked his merchant account. Unlike the dead silence of the past couple of days, there was finally a customer asking a question!
The customer wanted to know if the product was genuine.
After reading the inquiry, Ning Yifan thought for a moment, then replied.
"Hi! I'm here!
"Our product comes with a seven-day no-questions-asked return policy. If you aren't satisfied with it, you can return it as long as it's still in a condition suitable for resale.
"It also comes with a three-year warranty and a one-year replacement policy.
"And we provide shipping insurance with every product. Delivery is free, and we use SF Express's express service!"
Chen Qingsong had waited over ten minutes for a response from customer service. As soon as he read the message, he replied, "Got it!"
They'd already said he could return it if he wasn't satisfied, so Chen Qingsong no longer had any worries. He gritted his teeth and ordered a Phantom Projector. His WeChat balance was now 4,999 yuan in the red!
Two days after opening, Ning Yifan's store had finally received its first order!
As if setting off a chain reaction, over the next few hours Ning Yifan received inquiries from seven or eight more customers. Unsurprisingly, once they heard about the three-year warranty and seven-day return policy, they all decided to buy one and give it a try.
By ten that night, the store—which hadn't had a single sale in two days—had sold ten Phantom Projectors in one go!
The products were already packed and ready to ship, so Ning Yifan called SF Express to send a courier over to pick them up.
Even though it was already ten at night, the courier arrived at Ning Yifan's rented apartment within ten minutes of his call. He couldn't help it; the payout was just that good!
The ten projectors weren't very large. Still, they were all express shipments with VIP treatment, and the shipping fees alone came to over five hundred yuan!
The courier was more than happy to make the trip for that commission. It was worth as much as delivering several hundred packages over half a day.
The courier cheerfully collected the packages and left. It was already getting late.
Back in his workroom, Ning Yifan spent a few minutes writing an automatic-reply program to explain the things customers were most interested in, such as whether the product's advertised specs were genuine and the no-questions-asked return policy. At half past ten sharp, he went to sleep and entered dream-study mode.
That day had gone much as usual in the morning and afternoon. Ning Yifan had taken two outsourced app-development jobs and earned five thousand yuan.
Then, from six to ten that evening, he'd sold ten projectors. Each one cost two thousand yuan to make and sold for 4,999 yuan, earning him a net profit of about three thousand yuan apiece. Ten units meant thirty thousand yuan!
Even after deducting shipping, living expenses, rent, and everything else, he'd earned around thirty-four thousand yuan in a single day. Shenma Technology Company was still an obscure little company, and it didn't yet have to worry about taxes or anything like that.
Making over ten thousand yuan a day was that easy—and he might earn even more soon!
Off to the races!
Before you continue