Rebirth: My Business Empire

Blame you! I said we shouldn't go to the hotel, but you insisted. Now look what happened—the tickets are gone!
Do you think I wanted this? If I'd known we'd lose the tickets, would I have gone?
It's Fengshen's concert! From middle school to college, I've never missed a single one. Now it's ruined—I'm going to miss this one!
Stop arguing and figure out a way to get tickets already!
It's too late for that. The concert has already started. Where are we going to get tickets now?
At 7 PM, I suggested we go buy tickets from scalpers, but you all insisted on turning the house and streets upside down looking for the tickets. Now I bet even the scalpers are gone!
The group of girls anxiously scanned their surroundings, trying to spot any scalpers, while bickering with one another.
All of this unfolded before Ye Chen's eyes.
But he didn't take the initiative to offer tickets.
He wanted them to come to him.
And sure enough, they didn't keep him waiting long.
Noticing the stack of tickets in Ye Chen's hand, the girls hurried over.
"Hey, handsome! Are you selling those tickets? We'll pay a high price!"
"No, I'm not selling. I'm meeting friends," Ye Chen replied calmly.
But that didn't deter the girls.
Because not only did Ye Chen have tickets, but he had exactly six—just enough for their group!
"1,000 each. Six tickets for 6,000. Deal?"
Under normal circumstances, these girls wouldn't even glance at tickets worth only 560 yuan apiece. VIP seats were their standard.
But now, they didn't care about seating. All that mattered was getting inside to complete their perfect attendance streak.
"I said no! Do you think I'd sell them for 1,000 after I worked so hard to get them at 900 apiece? Don't be ridiculous!" Ye Chen said.
"2,000 each! Does that work?" they countered.
"No! These aren't just my tickets; they're my friends' too!" Ye Chen rejected firmly.
At this moment, the sounds of their idol's voice and the roaring cheers of the crowd echoed from the stadium.
This made the girls even more desperate!
"5,000 each. Please! We'll pay 5,000 each. Just sell them to us!" One girl was too anxious to keep raising her offer incrementally.
"5,000?"
"Six tickets for 30,000?"
The price was already through the roof!
But Ye Chen still shook his head. It wasn't because he'd seen these girls pay 11,000 each in his previous life.
He just wanted to ensure he had enough money to secure the prayer bead bracelet at the antique market. Although the gambler in his past life had bought it for 30,000, Ye Chen didn't want to risk not having enough in case the price changed.
So, he held firm. "I said no! If I sell them, how am I supposed to explain it to my friends?"
"Cut the crap!" one girl snapped. "10,000 each! That's the highest we can go. Take it or leave it. If you don't sell now, we're walking away!"
"10,000 each?" Ye Chen pretended to hesitate, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"Yes! That's our final offer. These tickets are only worth 560 face value, but we're willing to pay 10,000 each. If it weren't for the fact that you have exactly six, we wouldn't have gone higher than 3,000! Now, are you selling or not?"
"Fine, I'll sell!" Ye Chen finally relented, putting on an act of reluctant struggle.
Once he agreed, the girls wasted no time.
They scanned his QR code, transferred the money, grabbed the tickets, and dashed toward the entrance.
Meanwhile, the scalper who had previously sold those tickets to Ye Chen at 900 yuan apiece remained oblivious. If he'd known Ye Chen resold them for 20 times the price, his mind would have exploded!
Glancing at his WeChat balance, now showing 60,000 yuan, Ye Chen let out a long breath and smiled.
Thankfully, the events from his past life hadn't changed.
Otherwise, the prayer bead bracelet might have ended up in the gambler's hands again.
Looking back at the roaring stadium, Ye Chen, who had never cared for concerts in either of his lives, walked away with his earnings.
Back at his rented apartment, as expected, Chen Yinuo and Ye Youyou weren't there.
The McDonald's meal on the table was gone, but the bowl of noodles from breakfast remained untouched.
It was clear—Chen Yinuo wanted nothing more to do with him.
Staring at the clumped-up noodles, Ye Chen let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.
He leaned in to sniff them. They hadn't spoiled yet.
Without hesitation, he picked up the bowl and ate in large gulps.
His eyes brimmed with tears of guilt.
"Yinuo, just wait. I'll prove to you that you didn't marry the wrong man. I swear it!"
The next day.
Ye Chen's figure reappeared at the antique market.
This time, he didn't wander aimlessly.
He headed straight for the stall with the prayer bead bracelet.
Seeing the bracelet still there, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"What, you again?"
The stall owner's face fell the moment he saw Ye Chen lingering at his stall.
"How much for the prayer bead bracelet?" Ye Chen asked with a smile, unfazed by the hostility.
"You're here to mess with me again? I told you, it's not for sale at 500 yuan! Go cool off somewhere else!" the stall owner snapped impatiently.
Although antique markets were notorious for their exaggerated prices, the bracelet had cost the stall owner nearly 1,000 yuan. Selling it for 500 would be a loss that would sting.
"Then name your price! But don't give me that nonsense about it being 50,000. I've been to this market enough times to know better. Name a price that shows you're serious about selling."
"Fine! You want a serious price?"
Noticing the curious glances from passersby, the stall owner grudgingly softened his tone.
"This bracelet's quality, material, and craftsmanship—especially the incense patina and the intricate carving of the 18 Arhats—scream authenticity. You won't find this anywhere else on the market. It came from a temple and was blessed by a master monk. If you want it, 20,000 yuan. Not a penny less!"
The craftsmanship was indeed remarkable, which was why the stall owner had paid nearly 1,000 yuan for it in the first place.
But the talk of incense patina and monk blessings? Pure fabrication—something antique dealers were experts at spinning.
Dropping from 50,000 to 20,000, the stall owner figured Ye Chen couldn't possibly afford it and just wanted to get rid of him.
"20,000? Fine. I'll take it!" Ye Chen replied, surprising even himself.
"What? You're serious?" The stall owner was stunned.
So were the nearby vendors, who had just been joking about whether the "fool" from yesterday would show up again.
Not only had Ye Chen returned, but he was also about to shell out 20,000 yuan for a bracelet worth no more than 1,000 or 2,000!
"20,000, right? Let me scan the code," Ye Chen said, pulling out his phone.
He entered the amount and showed the stall owner the screen. "Is this correct?"
"Yes, yes, it's correct!" the stall owner stammered, unable to believe his luck.
Moments later, the chime of a 20,000-yuan payment echoed from the stall owner's phone.
Immediately, the surrounding vendors' gazes toward Ye Chen shifted.
Yesterday, they'd mocked him as a gullible fool. Now, he was the big spender they'd all been dreaming of.
They couldn't help but wonder if they'd missed their chance with him.
"Sir, I'll wrap it up for you right away!" the stall owner beamed, suddenly treating Ye Chen like royalty.
"No need to wrap it," Ye Chen said, picking up the bracelet himself.
Just then, two men—one middle-aged and the other in his thirties—approached the stall.
"Uncle Luo, do we really have to come to a place like this? Buying a birthday gift for Grandpa here is embarrassing. What will people think of us?" the younger man grumbled.
"Young man, you don't understand your grandfather. He loves antiques, especially ones that are functional. But he despises expensive, flashy things. He's always said those symbolize moral decay. If you buy him something expensive, he'll scold you! That's why we're here—to find something with character. If we're lucky enough to score a hidden gem, it'll be perfect!"
The middle-aged man chuckled, clearly unfazed by the younger man's complaints.
Though unconvinced, the younger man kept his thoughts to himself as they continued browsing.