Chapter 37: The Milk Tea Shop Opens, Business Booms
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Once the tasting stand was set up, two employees began calling out enthusiastically.
“Xiafan Milk Tea is opening today! Free samples! Don’t miss out as you pass by!”
As it turned out, free things still held tremendous appeal, especially at this time of day, when students were just getting out of school.
A great crowd soon gathered, surrounding the tasting stand several layers deep.
People chattered excitedly, and quite a few were already tempted.
Seeing that the moment had arrived, Lin Qianfan picked up a megaphone, cleared his throat, and called out:
“Everyone, Xiafan Milk Tea officially opens today! To thank you for your support, all milk teas are half price!”
“And anyone who shares our opening announcement on their social feed can get another dollar off!”
The discount was remarkably generous. The students erupted the moment they heard it.
“Damn, it’s that cheap? What are we waiting for? Let’s buy some!”
Orders rang out one after another. The two employees were so busy they barely had time to breathe—taking payments, making drinks, and packing orders without a moment’s rest.
Lin Qianfan was busy too, taking photographs with his phone and recording the lively scene.
“Yongpan, get these photos posted on the public account right away. Add some text and give the shop a proper promotional push!”
“Got it!” Yongpan replied, immediately beginning to edit the article.
One after another, articles with enticing headlines were published on the public account. Accompanied by photographs of the bustling scene, they quickly attracted a great deal of attention.
“Wow, Lin Qianfan’s milk-tea shop is that popular? It makes me want a drink just looking at it!”
“No way, I’m going to buy one right now. Otherwise, I’ll feel like I’m missing out!”
The account’s followers left comments one after another, saying they would go support Lin Qianfan’s business.
Before long, Xiafan Milk Tea’s reputation had spread throughout the entire school. Quite a few students from nearby schools even came because they had heard about it.
Lin Qianfan roughly calculated the day’s turnover, and his heart nearly burst with delight.
Yongpan came over as well, his face alight with excitement.
“Qianfan, we’re going to make a fortune today!”
“This is only the beginning.” Lin Qianfan patted him on the shoulder. “Once our reputation grows, business will be even better.”
“By the way, how are those two employees? Can they handle the work?”
Yongpan nodded. “They’re pretty good. Quick-witted, and fast with their hands.”
“Good. Sign their contracts officially tomorrow and settle their wages for the trial period. We can hire both of them.”
Over the past few days, the integration of the public account with the app had also proceeded smoothly. Many users had downloaded the app, and activity in the system was climbing rapidly.
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What surprised Lin Qianfan even more was that the owners of several nearby supermarkets had come to him of their own accord, hoping to join the delivery platform.
“Boss Lin, you’ve done a great job with this delivery platform! Do you think our supermarket can join too?”
“How much commission does your platform take? If the terms are suitable, we can sign a contract right now!”
The owners spoke over one another, their faces filled with eagerness.
Lin Qianfan was delighted inside, but outwardly remained calm.
“I understand how you feel, gentlemen, but there’s no need to rush.”
“You also need to consider the delivery issue. Supermarket goods are different from prepared food—they’re heavier, more varied, and more troublesome to deliver.”
“Then there’s the commission. Our platform is still in its early stages, so the commission will certainly be lower now than it will be in the future.”
The owners nodded one after another, indicating that they understood.
“Boss Lin is right. Delivery really is a problem. We don’t have enough people in our stores either.”
“The commission can be discussed. As long as we can make money, a little more or less doesn’t matter.”
Seeing that the time was right, Lin Qianfan presented his proposal.
“How about this, gentlemen? I have an idea.”
“We can work together. I’ll be responsible for delivery, while you only need to provide the goods.”
“The delivery fee can be settled per order. You won’t need to hire any additional staff. How does that sound?”
The owners’ eyes lit up at once.
“That’s a great idea. It saves us a lot of trouble!”
“Boss Lin, you’re really clever. I can’t believe you came up with such a good solution!”
Lin Qianfan smiled, though his thoughts had already turned to something else.
He remembered the idea he had previously mentioned to the principal: hiring some financially disadvantaged students to work part-time as delivery couriers.
After seeing the owners out, Lin Qianfan immediately called the principal.
“Principal, didn’t you say earlier that you could arrange for some students from disadvantaged families to work part-time? I happen to need people now.”
“They can deliver supermarket goods and be paid per order. The more they deliver, the more they earn. What do you think?”
The principal was silent for a moment on the other end of the line before saying, “That does sound like a good solution. It would solve your staffing problem while helping those students.”
“All right. I’ll get in touch with them and give you an answer as soon as possible.”
After hanging up, Lin Qianfan let out a long breath of relief.
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A day later, the principal sent word that he had contacted more than a dozen students from disadvantaged families, and they were ready to start work at any time.
Lin Qianfan immediately arranged for people to coordinate with the students, teaching them how to use the delivery app and familiarizing them with the delivery process.
The supermarkets were ready as well. Their product information and prices were entered into the delivery platform one by one.
With everything prepared, Lin Qianfan’s delivery platform officially expanded. It could now deliver not only meals, but also everyday goods from supermarkets.
The news immediately caused a stir throughout the school.
“Wow, this delivery platform is incredible! It can even deliver things from supermarkets?”
“This is so convenient. From now on, we won’t have to go out to buy things ourselves!”
The students discussed it excitedly, admiring Lin Qianfan more than ever.
The disadvantaged students hired as couriers were filled with enthusiasm as well.
Their families were struggling, and now they finally had a way to earn some spending money.
Every day after classes ended at noon and in the evening, the students could be seen riding bicycles through every corner of the campus, delivering orders into the hands of their fellow students.
Lin Qianfan’s milk-tea shop, delivery platform, and public account advanced side by side like three powerful engines, driving his business to unprecedented success.
Meanwhile, Xu Qian was sitting in her dormitory, phone in hand, scrolling through Lin Qianfan’s public account.
As she looked at the articles about the milk-tea shop’s opening and the photographs of the bustling scene, her emotions became tangled and complicated.
She had never imagined that the poor boy she had once looked down on would actually make such a huge splash.
Where had he gotten so much money? Could it be, as others had said, that he was being kept by someone?
The more Xu Qian thought about it, the more irritated she became. Unable to stand it any longer, she went to find Lin Qianfan and demand an explanation.
She encountered him just beneath Building 305. In a stiff voice, she called out, “Lin Qianfan.”
Hearing someone call his name, Lin Qianfan turned around.
“Xu Qian? What is it?”
“Why didn’t you come looking for me? Why have you been spending so much time with Xia Ruo?”
“Every time I see you getting close to Xia Ruo, it makes me angry,” Xu Qian blurted out, finally voicing the question that had been troubling her.
“I advise you to keep your distance from Xia Ruo and stop associating with her. If you do that, I’ll agree to be with you.”
There was a trace of reproach in her voice, along with an unmistakably superior attitude.
“Xu Qian, what does this have to do with you? Why should I come looking for you?”
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