The herd effect worked not just in investment and spending. It worked even better when it came to getting refunds.
On the first day after the holiday, Yi Jiahui and Li Yongling sat in the office, one checking receipts, the other recording entries, with a stack of crumpled red receipts between them.
The first to arrive were the young couple selling grilled wheat gluten.
The man walked in front, the woman behind. They smiled as they entered. "It's not that we don't want to wait. It's just..."
Before they had finished, they had already pulled the receipt from a pocket.
Yi Jiahui took it, checked the amount against the stub, then pushed it over to Li Yongling.
Li Yongling glanced at it, tapped her phone, and completed the transfer.
The whole process took less than two minutes.
The couple had barely left when the fried rice noodle vendor came in.
Then came the fried tofu vendor.
The grilled skewer vendor.
The cold noodle vendor.
One after another, as though they had planned it together.
That was how people were. Once the first person spoke up, everyone else followed.
Yi Jiahui stayed serious throughout. She checked what needed checking, signed what needed signing, put her pen down on the desk, and called for the next person.
Li Yongling was even more direct. Once the amount matched, she transferred the money instantly without even looking up.
Neither was deliberately giving anyone a cold face. They were just seething. The momentum they had finally built had been cut short just like that. Who could feel good about it?
In truth, few of these vendors had actually lost money. They knew better than anyone how booming business had been during those first few days. One night's profit had covered their stall fees several times