Bai Lu got scammed, but I became a superstar through e-commerce.

"Qingxiao, quick, lend me all the money you have."

When Bai Lu pushed open the door, Qing Xiao was squatting on the ground packing.

September in Hangzhou is still hot and humid. This rented farmer's house on the first floor in Jiubao is 40 square meters and is piled with clothes and express delivery bags.

There was no air conditioning, but the fan was blowing loudly.

Qingxiao's T-shirt was soaked through, his hands were wrapped with yellow tape, and he didn't even look up.

"How much do you want? I'll transfer the money to you after I finish packing this."

"fifty thousand."

Qingxiao paused, and the tape snapped with a ripping sound.

He looked up and saw Bai Lu standing in the doorway: "Look at which part of my body is worth 50,000, and come and cut it off with a knife."

Bai Mengyan, oh no, she's now given herself the stage name Bai Lu.

Qingxiao has known her for over ten years. They grew up together in the small city of Changzhou. She has been beautiful since she was a child, with big eyes, a high nose, and a small tiger tooth when she smiles.

She was always the lead dancer in elementary school arts performances, and she always stood in the center position at junior high school anniversary celebrations.

The year she graduated from high school, she told everyone that she was going to South Korea to become a trainee and a big star.

It was 2012, she was eighteen years old, and she went to Shanghai alone to participate in SM Entertainment's global auditions.

She was eliminated in the first round; the judges said she lacked professional training.

To put it bluntly, they're not qualified.

Out of thousands of people, only a handful are chosen. What makes her, a girl who has practiced dancing in front of the mirror in a small town for several years, compare to those who have grown up in dance academies?

Later, she came to Hangzhou and started working as a Taobao model.

"What's the rush?" Qingxiao asked.

Bai Lu plopped down on the pile of packages next to him.

"A talent scout contacted me! Just the day before yesterday, I was taking photos by West Lake, and he said I had exceptional potential. His company specializes in talent development, and if I signed him, they could arrange for me to appear on variety shows and shoot short films, with a starting annual salary of one million."

Qingxiao slowly put down the tape in his hand.

"and then?"

"Then yesterday I went to their company. It's in an office building near Wulinmen, and it looks very professional. Their director talked to me personally and said that my appearance is just as good as those with formal training, but I just lack professional presentation."

As Bai Lu spoke, he took out a business card from his bag. The logo on it was gleaming gold, and it read "Starry Century Culture Media Co., Ltd." The title was "Artist Director · Li Wei".

"Just pay 50,000 yuan for training, three months of physical training and acting classes, and you'll sign a contract immediately after completion. They said I have a good foundation now, but I lack some professional training. With my qualifications, they can fill that gap..."

"Bai Mengyan," Qingxiao interrupted her.

Bai Lu was taken aback; Qing Xiao rarely called her by her real name.

"Believe me," Qingxiao looked into her eyes, "this is a fraudulent company."

Bai Lu's excitement froze.

How did you know?

Qingxiao opened his mouth.

How did he know? Of course he knew.

It's 2013 now.

In his past life, he witnessed Bai Lu being scammed by such a company, and she wasn't the only one who fell for it.

"I've heard about it from others," Qingxiao could only say. "These companies recruit people on the street, specifically targeting pretty girls. All that talk about million-dollar salaries and contract packages is just empty promises. What they want is that 50,000 yuan training fee. Once you pay, three months later they'll find a hundred reasons why you're not good enough, and the contract will be void. Or they might just shut down the company and disappear without a trace."

"What makes you say that?" Bai Lu's voice rose. "Have you even gone to see it? Do you even know that company?"

"I don't need to see this kind of thing..."

"Qingxiao!" Bai Lu stood up, his eyes already glistening with tears. "Do you know how long I've waited for this opportunity?"

"Last year during the SM auditions, I took the train to Shanghai alone, queued for four hours, sang a song, danced a short dance, and was let out after three minutes. Do you know how long I practiced for those three minutes? I practiced for three whole years."

"After I came back, I didn't dare tell anyone. I hid in my rented room and cried for three days. Later, I figured it out. I didn't want to be a trainee anymore. I wanted to be a model, take photos, and save money. But do you know how much a Taobao model earns a day? Eight hundred yuan. Shooting from morning till night, changing a hundred outfits, and only earning eight hundred yuan."

"Now someone is telling me, 'You can do it, you just need a little more training. They're willing to sign me.' You haven't even seen them, and you're already calling them scammers."

As Bai Lu spoke, tears began to fall from his eyes.

"You... after all these years of friendship. If you don't want to lend it, then don't."

She turned and opened the door, letting in the September heatwave.

"Bai Mengyan!" Qingxiao called out.

Bai Lu did not look back.

The door slammed shut.

The room quieted down, with only the fan continuing to whir.

Qingxiao was about to chase after him.

"Ding-dong."

The computer speakers are working.

Qingxiao almost reflexively got up and rushed to the table.

The Want Want icon is flashing.

"Hi, do you have this sweater in stock?"

Qingxiao's fingers flew across the keyboard, typing faster than he could think: "Some customers, order today and we'll ship tomorrow. What size do you usually wear?"

"Size M, I'm 160cm tall and weigh 52kg, will it be too small?"

"No, dear. This is a loose fit, and size M will fit perfectly. You can refer to the size chart on the product details page. The model is 168cm tall and looks just like this in size M."

The model is 168 cm tall.

The model is Bai Lu.

After Qingxiao finished typing this line, he stared at the screen for three seconds in a daze.

Then the chat window rang again; it was another customer.

This is where Qingxiao's entrepreneurial dream of getting rich began.

This 40-square-meter farmer's house contains a second-hand desktop computer, a Canon 600D camera, three photography lights, and a pile of clothes carried back from Sijiqing.

This is the third month since his rebirth, and also the third month since the opening of the "SUNSA" women's clothing store.

Because Bai Lu came to Hangzhou for development, Qingxiao followed him there.

I've been working hard in Hangzhou for two years, doing all sorts of jobs.

I've been working as a real estate agent for two months without closing a single deal. My base salary is 1,800 yuan, and I get yelled at by my manager every day.

The courier had been delivering packages for three months when he damaged a customer's package and had to pay half a month's salary in compensation.

He also worked as a helper at a stall in Sijiqing Market, worked on an assembly line in an electronics factory, and served dishes at a barbecue restaurant.

Whenever he felt like giving up, Bai Lu would tell him, "It's okay, take it slow."

Later, Bai Lu told him that online stores seem to be quite easy to run. He saw that they made money very easily by opening online stores, so why don't you give it a try?

Qingxiao said, "Then let's give it a try."

At first, he couldn't even understand the Taobao backend.

What is Taobao Express? What is Taobao Display Ads? What is conversion rate? I looked it up word by word on Baidu.

Bai Lu posed as his model for free.

He said that wouldn't work, but he'd consider it a share investment.

Bai Lu said, "Sure, if it works out, I'll get a share of the profits."

And that's how "SUNSA" started.

When Qingxiao registered the store, he named it "SUNSA". It didn't have any special meaning, but he felt that it was easy to pronounce and had a Japanese brand feel to it.

Even the reborn Qingxiao would never have known that this name would become a legend in Taobao women's clothing over the next ten years.

It will become the first Taobao brand to list women's clothing.

Right now, it's just a small shop that sells twenty or thirty orders a day.