Chapter 214 – Audio Cassette Tape Shop Part 2
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Feng Yu had wanted to go through the tapes in the box to see if he could find some tapes he likes when he heard Li Na shouted.
“What are you doing? I saw it first.”
“What you saw it first? I am the one who is holding it now, and it belongs to me.” A youth was holding a CD. He was gloating at Li Na.
Feng Yu ran over, smacked the youth’s hand away and pulled Li Na to his side: “What happened?”
“I saw that CD first, and he snatched it from my hand.” Li Na said angrily. This person was unreasonable. She was already holding on to the CD. How can he snatch it from her hands?
Feng Yu stretched out his hand towards that youth: “Give it back.”
The youth looked at Feng Yu and arrogantly said: “Brat, you know how much does a CD cost? This is imported. Do you even understand English? Do you even have a CD player? You people should go and buy those cassette tapes over there.”
Now in China, people were still listening to cassette tapes. Although CDs were already imported into China, very few people can afford. Just an original CD cost a few dozen RMB, not to mention CD players. This was many times more expensive than cassette tapes and cassette players. Many people cannot afford.
But Feng Yu was apparently not one of those that can’t afford. In Feng Yu’s bag, there was even a Discman.
Feng Yu slowly took out the bulky Discman from his bag. The Discman in that era was still not those small and slim types, where you can hang it on the waist or put in the pocket. This era, if you don’t have a bag, you can’t even bring it out!
Feng Yu held the Discman in his hand and used the same tone as the youth: “Brat, you know what is this? Discman, imported product. This is the latest and also the most expensive model my friend bought for me from the US! You have a CD player? Take it out and show me. You understand English? Do you even understand the lyrics?”
Both the youth and the store owner were shocked. They never expect this student to take out a CD player from his bag!
The youth was still in a daze with the CD in his hands. Feng Yu took out a 100 RMB note from his bag and gave it to the store owner: “Boss, I want that CD!”
The store owner immediately grabbed the CD from that youth and gave it to Feng Yu. This kid’s family was really wealthy. He even brings 100 RMB out. His family was not afraid of him losing the money? Also, he didn’t even ask for the price when he buys things!
The youth’s face became red with embarrassment and anger!
Feng Yu purposely shouted: “Later I will drive you to the town for some good food. There is a new Sichuan Restaurant. I heard that dinner would cost over a hundred RMB. Oh, do you take spicy food?”
That youth had wanted to get some thugs to beat up Feng Yu, but he changes his mind when he heard Feng Yu drove here.
To drive a car in this era, you must either bee someone powerful with authority, or someone wealthy. Regardless of whether Feng Yu had authority or money, the youth knew that he could not mess with Feng Yu. His father was only a clothing businessman.
The youth left the shop with his head bowed down. Feng Yu turned to Li Na with a triumphed expression. The words “look at how great I am, hurry up and praise me” was written all over his face!
Li Na smiled and shook her head. Feng Yu had really learned all the bad things from Wen Dongjun. Since when did he start to flaunt his wealth?
If Feng Yu knows what Li Na was thinking, he would scream innocent. Although he had flaunted his wealth, that was to send a message to that youth to not mess with him. This was to prevent more trouble arising from this conflict. This flaunting was different from Wen Dongjun’’s boastings!
“Brother, you do not want to choose any more cassette tapes and CDs from the box?” The store owner saw that Feng Yu was wealthy and wanted to recommend more products. This kid’s family must be wealthy, and this kid is a spendthrift. The store owner wants to grasp this opportunity to earn more.
“Forget it. Those are all punctured CD. Your connections are quite strong. All these are smuggled in?” Feng Yu asked smilingly.
In this era, because of the restriction on importation and the price of original cassette tapes and CD were too high, there was a market for these types of punctured tapes and CDs.
A punctured CD cost only a few RMB, and you can listen to at least one song in the CD. It was worth buying and was popular with people that can’t afford original CD.
The popularity of this illegal stuff continued until 1995. It was not because of China easing on the importation regulations, but it was the rise of piracy. A pirated CD or a pirated cassette tape cost less than 30% of the original. Some were even one-tenth of the original. This was even cheaper than punctured CD, and you still can listen to all the songs. Who would still buy these smuggled CDs?
You are able to find all sorts of pirated CDs, regardless whether it was Chinese or overseas’ songs. The sound quality was excellent, and it was cheap. It was also because of piracy CDs and cassette tapes, it spurred the rise of portable music players.
Punctured CDs were all originals, and because they had overproduced and the company could not lower the prices due to regulations, they can only destroy them. The CDs and cassette tapes had a hole drilled through them, and then businessmen imported these into China as plastic scraps. They then resell these punctured CD and cassette tapes to the audio cassette shops.
This was considered smuggling. That’s why Feng Yu was asking the owner.
The store owner laughed but did not explain much.
“Bro, you don’t like these punctured CDs and cassette tapes? I also have videos for rental. You want to take a look? All are the latest movies. I have domestic, Hong Kong, Taiwanese and even the US movies. You should have a video cassette player at home. Rent a few of these movies back to watch. It’s better than TV shows.”
The store owner could not sell his punctured CDs and tapes, so he tried to promote his video rental. Looking at Feng Yu, the owner does not want to return any change to him. He wants to make Feng Yu spend it all!
Feng Yu also does not like to watch the TV programs now. Why not rent a few videos back? He walked over and took a look at the titles. There were not only movies but also Hong Kong dramas like
Li Na was still choosing the CDs, and Feng Yu was looking at the videotapes. He was not interested in most of them, and when he was about to pick some Hong Kong triads movies, the owner pulled him to aside and asked secretly asked: “Young man, do you want to go further in and pick? There are more interesting ones inside!”
Feng Yu blinked and saw the owner’s naughty smile. He immediately knew what videos the owner was talking about.
But Feng Yu still rejected the owner’s offer. He had Li Na by his side, and he can’t touch her. If he still watches these type of movies, he would go crazy!
Furthermore, if his sister found out about that videotape, his dad would come over and teach him a lesson with a feather duster!
Feng Yu was thinking this way in his heart, but his hand still reached out on its own.
“Feng Yu, are you done?”
Feng Yu immediately withdraw his hand and casually grab 2 videotapes along the way: “Yes, I’m coming over.”
Once out of the audio cassette shop, Feng Yu looked back at the shop. Hmmm, must remember this address……
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