The Rise of a Loser: The Wild Growth of Weeds in 2008

In late spring of 2008, Ye Chen, a dropout, and his friend Lin Feng, harboring dreams of getting rich, were lured to the Huicheng Jilong Commercial City by a shady employment agency. The two encountered a bus abandonment scheme, a cunning salary trap set by the agency, and were forced to work at the counterfeit mobile phone store "Huayu Digital City." Under the manipulation of the store manager, Zhong Liang, Ye Chen began his first lesson in the harsh realities of life. Ye Chen was reduced to a lowly apprentice with a base salary of 800 yuan, distributing flyers and serving tea, while Lin Feng, with his sales talent, worked at the counter. In the commercial city filled with counterfeit signs and cutthroat competition, they faced workplace exploitation (tiered salaries and insecure contracts) and a shrewd store manager. They also encountered the captivatingly beautiful Aya in the dormitory. From jointly selling an exorbitantly priced mobile phone to a romantic rescue in a bathroom, how will Ye Chen overcome his predicament? Amidst the bittersweet reality of survival at the bottom of society, he will experience the disillusionment of youth and the growing pains of adulthood. When Zhong Liang proclaims, "On the road to wealth, I'll also solve life's major problems," will the two teenagers be able to hold onto their original aspirations amidst the mud? What impact will the impending financial storm have on them? And what will become of Ye Chen's future?