The next person to step forward was a young woman who looked very quiet and gentle.
She didn't seem to be there for a challenge, but genuinely had a need.
She asked somewhat shyly, "Boss, excuse me... do you have a pet cat for a thousand yuan?"
Lu You looked at the girl's sincere eyes.
Without a second thought, he replied in an even more enthusiastic tone than before, "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"
After saying that, he excitedly turned and ran into the back storeroom.
A moment later, he carefully walked out holding a fluffy, blue-eyed Ragdoll kitten.
The little cat meowed "meow, meow," melting hearts with its cuteness.
That wasn't all. Lu You immediately brought out cat litter, a litter box, and a large bag of imported cat food from the back storeroom.
"Here you go, miss, the cat is yours. Consider these items a free starter pack from me!" Lu You said with a hearty laugh. "Oh, and if you need a cat tree, I have those too, luxurious solid wood ones!"
The girl clearly wasn't there to cause trouble or make money; she simply wanted to buy a cat she liked.
When she saw the adorable Ragdoll kitten, stars instantly lit up in her eyes, and her face was full of happy smiles.
She paid 1000 yuan without hesitation.
Then, she excitedly said she wanted the cat tree too and would come back to pick it up in the evening.
Another 1000-plus yuan and a large amount of business points were credited.
The barrage in the live stream had shifted from shock to complete "admiration."
[I'm convinced! I'm truly convinced! This boss really does have everything! It's just freaking unbelievable!]
[He even gives away cat litter and cat food? Full-service! You might as well not call it a Hardware Store; call it the 'Universal General Store'!]
[I suspect even the Plaza 66 might need to source their goods from you!]
Starting with the pet cat, the subsequent challenges became increasingly bizarre.
But no matter how absurd the request, Lu You's answer was always the same—"Yes!"
"Boss, do you have those old-fashioned vinyl records my grandma wants to listen to?"
"Yes!"
"Boss, I'm missing a part for my model kit, Bandai, discontinued. Do you have it?"
"Yes!"
The entire morning, Old Lu Hardware Store directly staged a real-life version of a "Doraemon's Treasure Bag" showcase.
Lu You was like an all-powerful genie, fulfilling one bizarre wish after another.
And his business points and bank balance were skyrocketing wildly.
As time ticked by, the line outside Old Lu Hardware Store shortened in speed.
Each person who walked out of the store was carrying something they originally thought was absolutely impossible to buy.
The audience's mindset also went through a rollercoaster-like transformation.
At first, they clicked in with a mindset of watching a joke.
Wanting to see how this boastful boss would be slapped in the face by reality.
Then, when things like spicy hot pot and sanitary pads were actually produced, they were dumbfounded.
They began to doubt whether their definition of the word "Hardware Store" was somehow wrong.
Later on, when a tobacco monopoly license, discontinued model kit parts, and even a live pet cat appeared one after another, their mindset completely slid from confusion into shock.
Driven by this sentiment, the live stream's viewer count also shot up like a rocket.
From an initial ten thousand or so, it skyrocketed, breaking through twenty thousand, thirty thousand, and finally stabilized at the fifty thousand mark!
For an individual streamer, especially a new streamer without any support from an MCN agency, this was simply an unimaginable miracle.
[I followed. Not for anything else, just to see where the boss's limit really is.]
[This live stream is addictive. I originally just browsed it while taking a bathroom break, and now I've almost worn out the toilet seat.]
[Best feel-good show of the year! Way more interesting than those TV dramas!]
[From today onwards, I declare that Old Lu Hardware Store in the old City district of Yangcheng City is our Dragon Country's Hogwarts! The boss is the Dumbledore who runs a Hardware Store!]
Countless follows and gifts came flooding in like a tide.
In just one morning, Lu You's follower count skyrocketed from fifty thousand to nearly one hundred thousand!
And it was still growing at an astonishing rate.
After all, such an interesting, mysterious, and creative content creator was a rare find on the entire short video platform.
But the online world is never just about praise.
When a light shines brightly enough to illuminate an entire room, shadows are inevitably cast.
Where there is praise, there will also be doubt and envy.
Just as the live stream atmosphere was at its peak, an incongruous comment abruptly scrolled past.
[It's a show, right? How could a Hardware Store have so many things? Use your brains, please.]
This comment was like a small stone thrown into a pot of boiling oil, instantly causing a thousand ripples.
Those who had harbored doubts from the beginning but were suppressed by the fervent atmosphere, as if finding their tribe, immediately started following suit.
[Exactly! These must be hired actors! Otherwise, a Hardware Store selling spicy hot pot? Selling pads? Too fake!]
[Finally, someone brought this up! I've been suspicious all along! How can it be such a coincidence that he has whatever is asked for? The script is way too obvious!]
[Everyone earlier were plants, right? That guy buying cigarettes, that girl buying a cat, they were clearly arranged!]
Once voices of doubt appeared, they spread like a virus.
Many netizens who were originally just watching the fun and remained neutral began to waver under the influence of these remarks.
[Well... that does make some sense. No matter how strong one person's stocking ability is, it can't cover so many different fields, right?]
[Young people nowadays will say anything for traffic! No bottom line!]
[Sigh, another scammer. Such a handsome young man, why resort to this method to deceive fans and make money? Unfollowing, unfollowing.]
[Are there any brothers nearby? Coordinates: neighboring City. I can't stand watching anymore! Anyone want to go to the scene with me to debunk this?!]
As soon as this call-to-action comment for debunking appeared, it immediately received countless responses.
[Count me in! I'm local in Yangcheng, I'll go this afternoon!]
[Create a group! Create a group! Let's go together as a team and expose his true colors!]
[Right! Make him lose money on stream! Let's see how he keeps up the act!]
In no time, various chat groups like "Yangcheng Debunking Vanguard" and "Expose the Script Squad" sprang up like mushrooms after rain.
Countless netizens who fancied themselves as justice warriors, filled with the passionate desire to expose a scam, began heading from all directions toward this small Hardware Store in the old City district of Yangcheng City.
The instigator of all this—Lu You—remained completely unaware.
He had just seen off the last challenger of the morning, a nostalgic older brother who wanted to buy an "original Nokia 8210 battery from 1999."
Lu You brought out that still-sealed-in-package battery from the back storeroom, and the older brother was so excited he almost knelt down.
After sending off wave after wave of customers, Lu You was immersed in the joy of making big money.
He looked at the long list of payment records in his mobile banking app.
He sensed the business points in his mind that had surged to tens of thousands of points, and he nearly couldn't stop grinning.
Struck it rich! This time, he really struck it rich!
He had almost forgotten he was still live streaming.
It wasn't until he picked up his water cup, ready to take a breather,
that he noticed the screen of his phone filled with doubts and insults.
[Scammer! Refund the money!]
[Can't even write a proper script, full of holes!]
[Waiting for you to go bankrupt this afternoon!]
Lu You was stunned for a moment, then understood.
He looked at those indignant comments.
Instead of getting angry, he smiled.
Doubt? That was completely normal.
If he hadn't experienced it himself, he wouldn't believe such an unbelievable thing existed in the world.
And this doubt, for him, was not a crisis but an even greater opportunity!
He cleared his throat, faced the live stream camera, and revealed a confident and composed smile.
"Friends, I've seen all the doubting voices in the live stream."
His voice came through the microphone clearly, reaching every viewer's ears.
"I understand everyone's skepticism. After all, the situation with my store is indeed a bit... beyond normal logic."
He paused, his eyes scanning the camera lens.
As if he could see the skeptical faces behind the screens.
His tone showed not a trace of panic; instead, it was full of confidence.
"Therefore, I hereby officially announce: everyone is welcome to come to 'Old Lu Hardware Store' for on-site debunking!"
"The address is 134 Wutong Alley, old City district, Yangcheng City. Whether you're a local friend or from out of town, as long as you come, you're welcome."
"Moreover, my promise from this morning still stands this afternoon! All fan friends who come to the scene can ask me questions according to today's rules. Any product under 1000 yuan, if I can't produce it, it's still—ten times compensation!"
These words were resolute, filled with irrefutable confidence.
In the live stream, those who had been clamoring to debunk him were instead stunned upon hearing Lu You's words.
[Holy shit? He dares to actively invite us?]
[This... is he giving up? Or is he truly confident?]
[Isn't he afraid we'll really go and clear out his entire store?]
As for the fans who had always supported Lu You, they instantly seemed injected with adrenaline, reclaiming the comment barrage.
[Boss is awesome! This is a real man!]
[A straight body casts no crooked shadow! Supporting the boss! Crush those haters!]
[Brothers, the chance for a reverse debunking is here! Let's go to the scene to support the boss, buy out all his stock!]
Hearing Lu You openly challenging everyone in the live stream, those netizens who were originally hesitant, thinking the journey was too far, were now also stirred by a competitive spirit.
They had to go!
They had to see with their own eyes whether this young man truly had the capability or was just bluffing!
They had to expose this fake, pretentious young man!
In no time, many vehicles speeding toward the same destination appeared on the roads around Yangcheng City.
At the high-speed rail station, many young people hurriedly boarded trains bound for Yangcheng.
Their target was only one—
Old Lu Hardware Store!