How did she do it? I was curious.
And eventually, when we were leaving the mall, I got my answer.
At the entrance, there was a setup that was not there when we first arrived that read Charity Points. Beside it was a shiny signboard with simple details on it.
Fresh flower for ten bucks. Eighty percent of the proceeds will go to people in need. Leave a scent.
This was a high-class mall, so people that visited the place would not mind the mere ten bucks. Moreover, a self-service QR code scan was utilized for making payment, so it was less of a hassle. Women usually picked one up as they walked by. Some even made the payment but left the flower there.
While we stood there and watched, Summer gave us an explanation.
“If the customers buy the flower, the mall will track the payment to the customer’s member profile and award them points that could be used to redeem gifts from the mall. With this, not only does the mall fulfill some customers’ wish to do charity, but it also becomes an extra source of income. The little girl won’t have to make her pitch one at a time anymore because we’ve already made a preliminary agreement with the mall. This will be the girl’s kiosk from now on, so she should see some improvements in terms of income. I hope this helps with her mother’s illness.”
Emery nodded her head in satisfaction after hearing that. “You did great, but I’m quite curious about how you convinced the manager of the mall to do this.”
I had that same question in mind, knowing that an agreement would only get accepted if the terms were mutually beneficial to both parties. To malls like this, profit from these acts of charity was just spare change. On top of that, their partner was a little girl. With so many variables to consider, it was obvious that the risk outweighed the reward. As the manager, they did not need to let the mall go through the hassle.
“About that…” Summer calmly put up the side-eye and showed us her phone that she took out of nowhere. “This is my Facebook account. I promised the mall that I would write an article promoting their good deeds every month for the coming six months, so they agreed. There were some other conditions, but we don’t have to talk about that.”
We squinted our eyes to take a look and instantly understood everything.
ForeverAutumn. One million and more followers.
Advertisements on Facebook accounts of that caliber usually cost around fifty thousand per post. That meant that the mall saved three hundred thousand in terms of advertisement expenditure by just utilizing a small section of the wide-open space at the entrance. It’s a deal with no downsides. Why wouldn’t they?
Indeed, amassing such a following at such a young age would be considered a momentous feat if it was anyone else. But, not Summer. She was a genius that received early admission into a university overseas that made an exception just for her. It was almost expected of her to accomplish this much.
That said, I was still a little surprised. “Did you make this account on your own?”
“Yeah.” Summer smiled. “We’re living in the era of the internet. You’d be amazed at how fast information can travel. I initially did this to amass following in hopes of finding you sooner, Mommy. Even though I no longer need it, it still feels great to be able to use it for a good cause.”
“Not bad.” Emery applauded as though she was Summer’s superior, but she still gave her some sharp critiques. “That name’s got to go, though. It’s too corny. People would think you’re an old granny from hearing that. Change it to something like FourSeasons. With some photo’s taken by the company I invest in and your reputation as a teenage genius, I reckon your followers would double in number. Then, you only have to hire someone to manage it for you and wait for the cash to roll in.”
Summer pursed her lips and smiled before lowering her head to look at her phone. “It’s okay. I like that name. I want to remember how autumn feels, always.”
I did not know why, but at that moment, the smile on her face looked a little gloomy, like she had gone through many hardships.
Separated for six years, absent from the most crucial time of her life, it was no wonder I could no longer understand Summer fully.
