With nearly four million left on his shopping card, Charles couldn't let it go to waste, he had always had a fondness for watches and now was the perfect time to indulge. After all, the saying "the rich play with watches" wasn't just for show.
As he reached the top floor, the Patek Philippe boutique immediately caught his eye. Charles walked right in and a friendly sales associate greeted him at the entrance.
"Hello, sir! Welcome to Patek Philippe, how may I assist you today?" Her perfectly timed smile was truly welcoming.
Charles couldn't help but feel a bit of his shopping fatigue lifted and he smiled back. "I'd like to look at some watches."
"Of course! Right this way, sir."
Her smile grew even brighter at his interest, "do you have a purchase history with us, sir?"
"I do!" "Could you please provide your name? It will help me look up your records."
The question was routine, but the sales associate perked up when Charles confirmed he did have a history. Patek Philippe wasn't like other brands; some of their watches came with restrictions that meant money alone couldn't buy them. As a symbol in the watch world, having a membership gave one priority when multiple people wanted the same watch.
Charles was aware of this and replied with a smile, "Charles Matthews!"
"Alright! Please come this way, you can take a look first," the saleslady said sweetly.
"Sure!" Charles Matthews was already thinking the same and agreed happily.
Charles then wandered into the display area alone, he admired a beautifully crafted, dazzling watch for a while before remembering his budget was just under four million. So, he shifted his focus to the section with watches under four million.
Four million sounded like a lot, but in the world of luxury watches, it was hardly significant.
He continued to browse carefully and found one that perfectly matched his taste.
Just then, the saleslady approached him.
"Mr. Matthews, as a junior member of our store, is there anything I can assist you with?" she asked respectfully.
Being a junior member was no small feat; it required assets worth tens of millions to qualify for even a basic membership at Patek Philippe.
"Could you take this watch out for me to have a closer look?"
"Of course!"
The saleslady expertly retrieved the watch and handed it to Charles, then began her professional introduction: "This is from the Grand Complications series, model Cal.240LUCLC, with a movement diameter of 38 millimeters, a thickness of 6.81 millimeters and 45 jewels..."
"Alright, I'll take it. You have it in stock, right?"
"Absolutely!"
The waitress was momentarily stunned, she had never encountered such a generous customer before. Quickly regaining her composure, she replied with great enthusiasm, after all, this was her client and closing the deal would mean a hefty commission of over a hundred thousand for her!
"Oh and wrap up that one for me too!"
Charles said as he walked over to another display case.
Boom!
She was hit by the overwhelming scent of money and her head was spinning as she packed up the items for Charles.
At that moment, Charles slipped the watch onto his wrist. The mechanical feel and exquisite design left him thoroughly satisfied.
"Indeed, you get what you pay for!"
He had previously checked the price of this watch—over two million. In the past, he wouldn't have even considered it.
He then headed straight to the counter, where the saleslady was already waiting and gave her a slight smile.
"Charge it!" He handed over his shopping card.
The cashier took it and inserted it into the card reader.
"Mr. Matthews, could you please enter your PIN?"
The cashier prompted.
Without hesitation, Charles entered his PIN.
Beep!
The card reader printed out a receipt immediately.
The saleslady who had previously attended to Charles was overjoyed. She had exceeded her monthly sales target, earning nearly two hundred thousand in commission and now she could finally afford the handbag she'd been eyeing for so long.
"Mr. Matthews, please take your items!" The receptionist, snapped back to reality, handed Charles his card and another watch, while also feeling a twinge of envy towards the saleslady.
"Thank you!" Charles nodded in acknowledgment.
"Oh, sir, we'll also be gifting you two matching watch straps from the same series!" the saleslady added excitedly, having just realized it herself.
Charles nodded, took the items and turned to leave, leaving behind the admiring gazes of the two young women.
"That man is so handsome!" one of them remarked.
"Even better looking than a star and rich too!" the other replied.
"Got a crush, have you, Girl Curtis?"
"You're one to talk!"
They teased each other, fully aware that after today, they probably wouldn't have the chance to see Charles again.
Nextgen Platform was the largest streaming platform online, boasting top-tier popularity and traffic. Alice Baxter was a mid-level streamer on Nextgen. With nearly 200,000 followers, Alice was considered only moderately attractive, a look that wouldn't typically make waves in the influencer world. And indeed, for over a year, her live streams barely kept her afloat—until three months ago.
By chance, she stumbled upon an online group advocating for women's rights, a community of like-minded individuals, these were women who criticized men from a standpoint of female empowerment and righteousness. When Alice saw their posts, she felt an instant connection, like she had found her tribe.
She began to use this platform to promote women's independence and freedom, she would say things like, "There's not a single decent man in society, and this world should be led by women." Her bold statements attracted a large following of women who resonated with these ideas.
As her online presence grew, Alice became more dedicated to her cause, her critiques of men became more relentless and as a result, the majority of her live stream audience were female. This newfound fame brought her numerous opportunities, with various female-oriented brands reaching out for endorsements.
These endorsements allowed her to earn commissions, filling her pockets with money. Recently, she endorsed a lingerie brand and her enthusiastic promotion led to a spike in sales, earning her a significant profit.
Just a while ago, another brand approached her for a partnership and today she was at Grand Shopping Mall to promote it. So, as soon as she arrived, she started her live stream.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Alice Baxter! Right now, I'm at the famous influencer hot spot, the luxury shopping paradise of Grand Shopping Mall in Huahai City."
"If you want to know if a man really loves you, bring him here and see for yourself!" Alice declared confidently to her live-stream audience.
"Alice, you're amazing!"
"Exactly, Alice is so right! someone who spends money on you might not love you, but someone who won't spend a dime definitely doesn't like you!"
"Yes, I'll make my partner bring me here when he gets back!" "Alright, alright, now let's go interview some people here and see what they have to say!"
Alice was feeling quite pleased with herself as she watched the flood of comments in her live-stream. She had successfully stirred up the conversation and now it was time to find someone to interview to solidify her persona.
Using the perfume she was endorsing as a perfect segue, she could complete the sponsor's task while also attracting more viewers, however, she needed to carefully select the right person for the interview.
Just then, Charles stepped out of the elevator, catching Alice's eye.
His looks were comparable to a popular star, making him the perfect interview subject, Alice knew her audience well—they were a bunch of dreamers with unrealistic fantasies. Despite claiming to be single by choice, deep down, they were all secretly longing for connection.
A handsome guy like Charles appearing on screen would have them swooning in no time, there was no doubt it would boost her live-stream's popularity significantly.
Moreover, she could drop a hint to that handsome guy to follow her script, that way, she could rake in another wave of cash.
At this moment, Alice could almost see countless bills waving at her.
"Alright, folks, let's have our host take you to meet today's lucky audience member," she announced to the live-stream viewers, then quickly made her way forward.