The fresh produce store downstairs from my house closed three years ago, and the rolling shutter is covered with small ads for plumbing services.

Last month, it suddenly renovated and hung a new sign called "Neighborhood Selection."
On the day of opening, the owner’s wife stood at the door handing out eggs, six per person, scanned the QR code to join a group, and then received a free box of near-expiry milk after joining.
In three days, she created eight groups, totaling four thousand people.
She merged the eight groups into three "Team Leader Groups."
The first message in the group: Recruiting community partners, a 5,000 deposit, a 5,000 stored-value card, and a 5% dividend right.
The deposit is fully refundable after one year, and dividends are paid monthly.
That day, 97 transactions were completed.
The second message: Tonight at 8 o'clock, 30 farm eggs for nine yuan and ninety cents, limited to 200 portions.
They sold out at 8:03.
People posted screenshots of their purchases, and those who didn’t get any asked if there would be more tomorrow.
She said yes, but only for stored-value members.
The next day, people lining up to get cards spilled out into the garden.
She took the egg sales records and rented the empty shop next door to open a second store.
On the opening day, standing at the door, she told the queuing elders:
"Today, recharge 2,000 and get 2,000 free.
The freebie isn’t store credit but original shares.
Full refund after one year, no refund in the second year, but a 1.5 times increase, and in the third year, double again.
Only today, tomorrow it will rise to 5,000."
Three days later, an announcement popped up in the group:
"Our store is temporarily closed due to supply chain adjustments.
Stored-value card balances will be refunded via the original method within three working days."
Someone asked about the shares, but there was no reply.
Asked if dividends were still being issued, no reply.
Asked if the owner was still local, no reply.
Another two days passed, and suddenly a message @everyone appeared in the group:
"I am your boss’s friend’s mother. She’s in the hospital.
She covered one-third of your money herself, and the remaining part she asked me to transfer out two days ago, but I didn’t do it."
"She’ll be discharged next month, and the first thing she’ll do is convert every share into eggs at the most conservative estimate and send them to you."
Later, I passed by this store, and a handwritten notice was posted on the shutter:
"I have left the group, eggs are in the cold storage."
It was signed for next month.
Below was a box of unopened farm eggs.
The box had a traceability QR code, and scanning it revealed a line of text:
"This batch of eggs was purchased by the following community partners—" followed by a very long list of names, the first of which was already blurred, and the last line was still very clear:
"Once the owner’s wife returns, I will send you the next box."