The dating reality show host just wanted to give up, but the rich girl fell for him.

The atmosphere in the living room was even more somber than if they hadn't managed to snag any discounted eggs at the supermarket.

The production crew, like a ruthless raiding party, were carrying large black garbage bags and conducting a thorough search of every corner of the villa.

"That bag is my low-fat potato chips! I hid it behind the toilet tank!" Lin Chacha let out a shrill scream.

The staff member expressionlessly tossed the potato chips into a bag: "Confiscated."

"Hey! Those are truffle chocolates I brought back from France! They're still unopened!"

Zhao Kuo tried to stop him, but was silenced by a glare from the director.

Even the bag of ChaCha sunflower seeds that Lin Mo had hidden under his pillow was not spared.

A few minutes later.

The coffee table, which was originally piled high with snacks, is now empty, with only four brightly colored but meager red banknotes remaining.

One hundred yuan per group.

This is their only hope for the next three days.

The director stood behind the camera, a signature "I love watching the drama" smile on his face, and announced the rules through a megaphone:

"Ladies and gentlemen, as mentioned in the broadcast just now, in order to test your survival skills and business acumen, the program team has officially launched the 'Night Market Showdown' segment."

"The rules are simple: each group starts with 100 yuan."

"You need to use this hundred dollars to set up a stall at the night market tonight to earn money. The money you earn will be your food expenses for the next three days."

"Special reminder: The last-place team will be responsible for cleaning the entire villa for a week, including... unclogging the toilets."

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Cleaning? And unclogging the toilet?

For these pampered young masters and ladies who never lift a finger, this was worse than death.

[Hahaha! Unclogging the toilet! The production team really knows how to punish!]

Zhao Kuo's face turned green; he probably hadn't held a toilet brush in his life.

What can you do with 100 yuan? You can't even buy anything worthwhile these days, right?

This is absolutely a hellish start! I bet a bag of spicy strips that all these guys will go hungry tonight.

Amidst the wails, Zhao Kuo suddenly straightened his back.

He straightened his tie, which had been wrinkled from guarding his food, and a smug, almost greasy, smile crept onto his lips.

"Ha, I thought it was some kind of difficult problem."

Zhao Kuo glanced disdainfully at the banknotes on the table, his eyes filled with the arrogance of a "business elite." "So it's a test of business thinking, huh?"

He turned around and spoke eloquently to the camera, as if he weren't recording a variety show, but ringing the bell at Nasdaq:

"One hundred dollars may not seem like much, but in the hands of someone who knows how to invest, it's leverage."

"As long as you choose the right products and leverage your target audience and consumer psychology, turning 100 yuan into 10 times your initial investment is a piece of cake."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chacha immediately adopted an admiring expression and asked in a high-pitched voice, "Young master, what are you planning to do?"

Zhao Kuo smiled mysteriously and shook one finger:

"Bar Street".

"What do young people lack most when they go to bars these days? Atmosphere!"

"I've already decided, I'll go to the wholesale market and buy 100 yuan worth of trendy glow sticks and light-up headbands."

"These things only cost a few cents to make, but outside bars, they're sold to drunk young couples, and people are fighting over them for twenty yuan apiece!"

"What's this called? This is called leveraging the 'emotional value' premium, understand?"

After saying that, he deliberately gave Lin Mo, who was sprawled on the sofa, a provocative look.

It's as if it's saying: Learn from this, this is what making money is all about.

[Holy crap! Although Zhao Kuo is pretty pretentious, I have to admit, his line of thinking is pretty sharp!]

Indeed, those glowing trinkets outside bars are incredibly profitable!

[Buying goods for 100 yuan, and selling them for a profit of 1,000 or 2,000 yuan, right? Zhao Kuo seems to have really won big this time.]

[Oh no, Lin Mo is in danger! With Lin Mo's lazy personality, he would never have thought of such an idea.]

Lin Mo really wasn't thinking of any ideas.

He was yawning.

Although he enjoyed the "Manchu Han Imperial Feast" last night, it was quite a lot of work to prepare, which has left him a bit sleep-deprived.

"Lin Mo..."

Jiang Ruoyun, who was beside him, tugged at his sleeve, her voice barely audible, "What can you buy with a hundred yuan?"

She stared at the lone red bill on the table, her brow furrowed, as if it were the smallest denomination of currency she had ever seen.

"I usually spend over two hundred on an ice cream..."

Jiang Ruoyun looked desperate. "How about... I give you this money, and you go buy some noodles, and we just cook them together? Let's not bother with all this."

This is the mindset of a rich heiress.

Since I can't make any money, I might as well eat this hundred yuan first; at least I won't lose out.

Lin Mo opened his eyes and couldn't help but laugh when he saw Jiang Ruoyun's cautious and aggrieved expression.

This silly girl.

You're about to go unclog the toilet, and you're still thinking about eating noodles?

Give me the money.

Lin Mo stretched out his hand, his fingers long and strong.

Jiang Ruoyun obediently handed over the money, her eyes still showing a hint of reluctance: "Spend it sparingly..."

Lin Mo took the money, flicked it in his hand, and it made a crisp "snap" sound.

Then, he stood up, stretched, and his joints cracked all over.

"Walk."

Lin Mo's words were concise and to the point.

"Where to?" Jiang Ruoyun paused for a moment. "Aren't we going to buy noodles?"

"What kind of noodles do you want to buy?"

Lin Mo glanced at Zhao Kuo, who was still boasting about the "closed-loop business model" to the camera, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"Go to the wholesale market."

"Buy candy."

"Huh?" Jiang Ruoyun was completely dumbfounded, her beautiful big eyes filled with question marks. "Buy candy? Are we going to buy candied hawthorns? But hawthorns are very expensive now, a hundred yuan won't buy many."

"Who said they were going to sell candied hawthorns?"

Lin Mo strode out, his back view exuding a sense of determination and...excitement?

"Then why buy candy? Can candy fill you up?" Jiang Ruoyun jogged after her.

Lin Mo stopped, turned around to look at her, and smiled mysteriously:

I don't know if it will be enough to fill me up.

"But I know that even if Young Master Zhao loses all his underwear tonight, he still won't win this bag of candy from me."

……

Half an hour later, at the Yunhai City Small Commodities Wholesale Market.

This is the noisiest, most crowded, and most vibrant place in the entire city.

Zhao Kuo led Lin Chacha straight to the jewelry section on the second floor, pointing at a pile of cheap plastic glow sticks like a nouveau riche:

"Boss, this one, this one, and that one with rabbit ears, give me a hundred bucks' worth! The flashiest one!"

As he picked through the selections, he boasted to Lin Chacha, "See? This is what you call precise product selection. You'll be counting your money tonight!"

On the other side...

Lin Mo led Jiang Ruoyun into the grain, oil and dry goods section in the corner of the first floor.

"Boss, how much is the sugar?"

Lin Mo stood in front of a stall piled with white woven bags, skillfully grabbed a handful of white sugar, rubbed it between his fingers, and felt the coarseness of the granules.

"Three yuan and fifty cents a pound."

"Give me twenty catties."

Lin Mo waved his hand and spent seventy yuan in one go.

Jiang Ruoyun was dumbfounded when she saw the large, heavy bag of white sugar.

"Twenty pounds?! Lin Mo, are you opening a sugar factory?"

"And we only have thirty dollars left! We still need to buy tools!"

Lin Mo ignored her exclamation and turned to go to the nearby general store.

"Do you have a discarded marble slab? It doesn't need to be too big, just smooth."

"I'll rent that little coal stove tonight."

"Give me another copper spoon."

Lin Mo spent all of the remaining thirty yuan.

Even that last little coal stove was rented by him after much pleading and haggling with the landlady, all thanks to his handsome face.

At last.

Lin Mo was carrying twenty pounds of white sugar in his hand, a heavy marble slab on his back, and a small, dark coal stove tucked under his arm.

Jiang Ruoyun, like a little follower, carried an empty bag that not only had no money but also owed the landlady two yuan as a deposit, and held a copper spoon in her hand.

This outfit looks shabby no matter how you look at it.

They look like a group of refugees fleeing famine.

[It's over, it's over, Lin Mo has completely gone mad.]

Why buy so much sugar? Are you going to eat it raw?

Even if I were making candied sweet potatoes, I didn't buy any sweet potatoes!

I don't understand it, but I'm deeply impressed. If this could make money, I'd eat my phone screen!

[Zhao Kuo next door has already bought two huge boxes full of glow sticks; it looks pretty impressive.]

[Lin Mo is probably in deep trouble this time; unclogging the toilet is a must!]

The audience's doubts did not affect Lin Mo's mood.

He even hummed an unknown tune as he walked briskly through the bustling crowd.

……

Night falls.

As dusk settles, the city lights begin to twinkle.

The bustling Xihai Night Market in Yunhai City is now teeming with people.

The smoky aroma of barbecue, the unique fragrance of stinky tofu, and the upbeat music emanating from various speakers intertwine to create a vibrant urban nightscape brimming with desire.

The guests split into two groups.

Zhao Kuo and Lin Chacha, carrying two large boxes of glow sticks, marched proudly towards the bar street at the end of the night market.

Luxury cars were everywhere, and handsome men and beautiful women came and went in an endless stream; it was indeed a "prime location" in Zhao Kuo's eyes.

"Let's go! Tonight's target is two thousand yuan!" Zhao Kuo pumped his fist at the camera.

Lin Mo then led Jiang Ruoyun to the most inconspicuous corner of the night market.

There are no neon lights here, only a dim street lamp.

Next to it was a sock stall, and across the street was a ring toss game stall.

Although there is a large flow of people, they are mostly parents with children and elderly people taking a walk, not high-spending groups at all.

"Let's stay here."

Lin Mo put down the marble slab on his back and found two bricks to level it.

Then, he slowly lit the dark little coal stove.

Blue flames shot up.

Lin Mo placed the copper spoon on the fire and put in a handful of white sugar.

He looked up at Jiang Ruoyun, who looked bewildered, and then at the curious passersby around him.

"Boss Jiang, are you ready to collect the money?"

Lin Mo's voice sounded particularly languid in the night, yet it also carried a sense of unwavering confidence, like that of a master.

"The show is about to begin."