The Frenzy for the Square Box

Lao Ma felt he was getting a bit out of touch. Retired at home, brewing a pot of strong tea, flipping through the newspaper, taking a stroll – life was supposed to be quite pleasant. But he couldn't ignore his precious granddaughter, Xiao Hua'er, who just started primary school this year. This Xiao Hua'er, though small, had a lively mind, always muttering about something called "Labubu"—a foreign name that sounded like a tongue-twister to Lao Ma.

"Grandpa, Grandpa! All my classmates have that little elf, the one in the square box, it's so cute! Buy one for me too!" Xiao Hua'er tugged at Lao Ma's arm, her little braids swinging, her eyes full of sparkling stars.

"What 'bu'?" Lao Ma sipped his tea. "Slow down, Grandpa can't hear clearly."

"La—bu—bu!" Xiao Hua'er enunciated each syllable. "It's a little doll, with long ears, looks really cool!"

Lao Ma felt a bit puzzled. These modern trinkets, they really came in all sorts. He verbally agreed, "Alright, alright, Grandpa will go take a look for you when I have time," but didn't really take it to heart. It's just a foreign doll, could it be more precious than the clay figurines or cloth tigers of the past?

But within two days, Lao Ma sensed something wasn't quite right. A few old ladies in the neighborhood were chatting, and they were also talking about this "Labubu." They said it was some kind of "blind box"—you didn't know which one was inside when you bought it, you only found out after opening it. They also said this thing was wild, you had to queue up in long lines to grab one, and if you went late, you couldn't even touch a box. Someone even said that a person bought several, opened a "hidden edition," and resold it immediately for several hundred yuan, equal to half his monthly pension!

Lao Ma's heart skipped a beat. Hey, these days, even a small doll involved so much fuss? He looked at Xiao Hua'er sitting on a small stool nearby, gazing at him expectantly. His initial indifference slowly turned into a sense of responsibility. His granddaughter wanted it, as a grandfather, he had to figure something out, right? Besides, what if he really drew a valuable one? It could count as some "extra income" for the family? The moment this thought arose, Lao Ma felt a bit ashamed.

He found out the details: the thing would go on sale tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, at the largest department store on the west side of the city. Lao Ma decided: Go! For Xiao Hua'er's sparkling eyes, and also for... for his own unclear, inexplicable thoughts.

The next day, before the sky fully brightened, Lao Ma got up. Wearing an old padded jacket, putting on his usual cloth shoes, changing buses twice, rushing all the way, he arrived at the department store entrance by seven-thirty. Whoa! Lao Ma sucked in a cold breath. Good heavens, what a scene! A dense mass of people, packed three layers deep inside and out, completely blocking the store entrance. Mostly young people, each holding a phone, eyes shining, chattering away like a country fair. There were also quite a few like Lao Ma, with graying hair and weary faces, presumably also here for the "little ancestors" at home.

Lao Ma found a corner, hunched his neck, and stood there. In the early spring of the north, the wind was still harsh, cutting his face like little knives. He rubbed his hands, breathing out white mist, looking at the crowd before him. Some people, judging by their clothes and appearance, didn't seem short of money, so why were they joining the commotion? Some, with arms crossed and shrewd looks, were clearly "scalpers," making a living solely from this. Most people wore expressions mixed with anticipation, anxiety, and fatigue. For a square box, was it really worth it? Lao Ma muttered inwardly, but his feet didn't move.

Time crawled by, and the crowd grew increasingly restless. Some started pushing forward, some shouted loudly to maintain order, but who was listening? Lao Ma was swept up in the human tide, moving forward involuntarily. He felt like a leaf in the ocean, unable to control his direction. The young people next to him, some listening to music with headphones, some using power banks to keep their phones alive, seemed like this "battle" had just begun.

"Hey, buddy, I heard there's a new release this time, especially hard to grab!" A young man wearing glasses next to him nudged Lao Ma's arm.

Lao Ma was taken aback for a moment, then grinned, "Is that so? I don't understand this stuff, buying it for my granddaughter."

"Hah! You're lucky, I'm buying for myself! This is called 'passion,' understand? It's also an 'investment'!" The young man adjusted his glasses, speaking quite seriously.

Lao Ma listened, completely fogged. What "passion," what "investment"? He only felt that this crowd was like a pot of boiling porridge—steaming hot, chaotic, carrying an unsettling, weird vibe.

Finally, nine o'clock arrived. The glass doors of the store opened with a "whoosh," like the opening of floodgates. The crowd surged forward violently, and Lao Ma was almost pushed over. He gripped tightly onto a nearby pillar to steady himself. All he could hear was a cacophony of screams, shouts, and the sound of things falling to the ground.

"Don't push! Don't push!" A security guard shouted at the top of his lungs, but his voice was instantly drowned out.

Lao Ma watched as the people in front swarmed like a tide towards the counter with the "Labubu" sign. He gritted his teeth and tried to edge forward too. But with his old arms and legs, how could he be a match for these young people? By the time he managed to squeeze near the counter, it was already a chaotic mess. Colorful square boxes were being grabbed handfuls at a time; some people even carried away whole cases. A long queue formed at the cash register, everyone's face showing an almost frenzied excitement.

Lao Ma craned his neck, trying to find a gap to hand over his money. But before he could reach, he heard the young salesgirl inside shout hoarsely, "Sold out! Sold out! Today's batch is all gone!"

"What? It's only been a few minutes!" someone yelled unwillingly.

"Liar! You must have hidden some!"

"Exactly! We queued for so long!"

Complaints and doubts arose from all directions. Lao Ma's heart instantly sank. He felt like a deflated ball, jostled by the people behind him, slowly retreating out.

Standing at the department store entrance, Lao Ma looked at his empty hands, then at those people holding boxes, looking smug or still excitedly opening their blind boxes. Mixed feelings churned inside him. He felt like a fool, coming here so early in the morning to endure this suffering, all for what?

A fashionable young man, holding seven or eight boxes, squeezed past Lao Ma, muttering curses, "Damn, hands were a bit slow, only managed to grab this many!"

Not far away, a middle-aged man looking like a scalper was haggling with someone in a low voice: "Add two hundred yuan per box, take it or leave it! This is the probability for a 'hidden edition'!"

Lao Ma sighed, wrapping his old jacket tighter. The sky was still gloomy, and the wind blew even harder. He suddenly felt that the little trinket called "Labubu" was like a little devil, hiding in that square box, stirring people's reason, patience, and even dignity into pieces.

He walked slowly towards the bus stop. The money he had prepared to buy the doll felt heavy in his pocket now. How would he explain this to Xiao Hua'er back home? Say Grandpa was useless, couldn't out-grab the others? Or say that thing was just worthless junk, not worth the trouble?

He couldn't figure it out. This world, it was truly becoming harder and harder to understand. A tiny square box could stir up such a huge commotion. Had people's hearts changed, or was it that these times made people hold in a fire they couldn't place anywhere, forcing them to pin their hopes on these superficial, empty things?

Lao Ma shook his head, his back stooped, and disappeared into the still bustling morning streets of Beijing. The frenzy for the square box, for him, was like an inexplicable dream. Waking up only left him with a heart full of weariness and a hint of faint sorrow. Perhaps, this is life, always having things that frustrate you, make you feel helpless, make you feel like a spinning top stuck in place, dizzy and disoriented, yet unable to go anywhere.