Chapter 14: When You're Out and About, You Create Your Own Identity
Zhang Daqing was a gatekeeper at the Chongqiao Inspection Station, living a quiet, predictable life on a monthly salary of 2,600 yuan. His daily existence was a simple loop: opening gates, managing parking, and scrolling through his phone in the guard booth. It was a comfortable, trouble-free life until today.
As he pedaled his old bicycle around the corner, his eyes widened at the sight of a massive crowd swarming the open space in front of the station.
"Oh no! Has something happened?" he muttered, abandoning his bike to squeeze through the mass of people.
At the center of the chaos, he found a stall being set up. As a gatekeeper, Zhang knew he had to assert authority. He immediately zeroed in on the tall, imposing figure who looked like the leader.
"Who gave you permission to set up a stall here?" Zhang barked, his face set in a stern mask.
While Wang Zihao turned deathly pale with fright and Wang Ziyan's lips lost their color, Chen Yansen remained perfectly calm. He scanned Zhang, already knowing exactly who he was, but feigned ignorance.
"And you are?" Chen asked coolly.
"I'm Zhang Daqing, staff of the inspection station," the gatekeeper reprimanded. "You're blocking half the road and disrupting traffic. Don't you understand?"
Instead of fleeing, Chen Yansen broke into a warm, familiar smile. "Oh, it's Uncle Zhang! Let's talk in private," he said, pulling the man aside as if they were old friends. The crowd began to whisper, assuming Chen was Zhang's nephew or cousin, which only added to the confusion.
"Uncle Zhang, I'm the Deputy Director of Yangcheng Meimo Electronics Factory," Chen lied smoothly, adopting a thick Cantonese accent. He leaned in close, whispering that the factory manager was actually his father.
Zhang Daqing noted Chen's expensive suit—completely out of place in the summer heat—and began to believe the act. Chen then cited a "Guiding Opinion" document from the county about assisting laid-off employees, spinning a narrative that was nine parts false and one part truth.
When Zhang hesitated, Chen played his final card: "Uncle Zhang, if we can't sell this inventory, we'll all be laid off".
Relenting, Zhang agreed to let them stay. To solidify the "relationship," Chen stuffed an MP3 and MP4 player into the man's hands, eventually "selling" them at a fake 60% cost price to keep Zhang's conscience clear of gossip.
As Zhang rode away, Chen stood on a bench with a megaphone. "Everyone line up! If you disrupt traffic, we can't sell!"
Wang Zihao leaned in, whispering, "Yansen, when did you become a deputy director?"
Chen didn't look back. "Rat, remember: when you're out in the world, your identity is whatever you create for yourself".