Going home for the Chinese New Year with a year-end bonus of 100 million

The second day, the third day...

"Qianweifang" is doing better and better every day.

Just as Zhou Yao and Xiao Ya predicted, with universities gradually reopening and more and more students returning to school, the store's customer traffic has increased significantly.

By noon on the fourth day, just after 11:30, all eight tables were full.

The students who arrived later had to wait in line, so Xiaoya quickly brought out a few spare chairs and placed them at the door, and thoughtfully offered them lemon water.

"Please wait a moment, classmate. There are two tables ahead of us that will be finished soon!"

Lin's mother had already started simmering the third pot of soup base in the kitchen—the first two pots were gone within an hour and a half after the lunch service started.

Although she was so busy that her forehead was covered in sweat, her smile grew brighter and brighter.

Every time she heard guests praising the taste from the front of the restaurant, her hands moved even more nimbly.

Wang Xiuying and Li Cuihua gradually figured out the rhythm.

One person is responsible for serving food and clearing tables, while another person stays at the cleaning area to ensure an uninterrupted supply of vegetables.

Lin Xiaoyu became the "face" of the store.

She has a gentle voice and is patient and meticulous. Many repeat customers specifically request the service from "the girl with the ponytail who speaks very gently".

"Xiaoyu, the dipping sauce on this table isn't spicy enough. Add some more chili powder!"

"Sister Xiaoyu, we'd like to add an extra serving of pork belly to our table!"

"Excuse me, what's your store's WiFi password?"

Lin Xiaoyu handled things methodically. Although she was still occasionally flustered, she was much more composed than on the first day of business.

Yang Fan spends most of his time helping out at the store, but he spends more time observing—observing customer flow patterns, which dishes are most popular, and what aspects of the operation can be optimized.

He discovered that the "free vegetables" model of Doumi Hot Pot was particularly popular among students.

Many guys try to "get their money's worth" by adding lots of vegetables, but in reality, the cost of vegetables is almost negligible.

The option to order meat separately ensures a higher profit margin.

Average spending per person has remained relatively stable at between 25 and 30 yuan, which falls right into the "golden range" that Zhou Yao had previously analyzed.

"Brother, look!" At 2 PM, when the flow of customers slowed down a bit, Xiaoya excitedly showed Yang Fan her phone:

"Our store is now listed on Dianping! And we have several positive reviews!"

Yang Fan took the phone.

[User "Xiao Wang who loves hot pot"]:

"The newly opened Doumi Hot Pot restaurant near the main gate of the Normal University is amazing!"

"The broth was incredibly flavorful, the beans were stewed until very soft, and it smelled amazing when mixed with the dipping sauce!"

"The vegetables were free! The four of us guys in the dorm ate until we were stuffed and it only cost us 120 yuan! What a great place!"

[User "Milk Tea Without Sugar"]:

"The environment is very refreshing, perfect for girls to have a get-together."

"The proprietress is so nice. She saw that we loved the houttuynia cordata in the dipping sauce, so she gave us an extra small bowl. We'll definitely come again!"

[User "Esports Geek Not a Geek"]:

"The taste is authentic! I'm from Guizhou and have been studying here for three years. This is the first time I've had a bean and rice hot pot that tastes so close to home. I'm so touched!"

The video was accompanied by several photos—a milky white broth bubbling in a pot, colorful vegetables lining the table, and several young people smiling and making peace signs at the camera.

"It's only been four days since we opened, and we already have so many genuine positive reviews!" Xiaoya's eyes lit up.

"Hey bro, how about we do a check-in event?"

"For example, if someone posts on Douyin or Xiaohongshu and tags our store, could we get a free drink?"

Yang Fan nodded approvingly: "That's a good idea. You, Xiaoyu, and Zhou Yao discuss it and come up with a concrete plan."

"No problem!" Xiaoya said enthusiastically.

Just then, Yang Fan's phone rang.

It was Zhou Jin calling.

"Brother Fan!" Zhou Jin's voice was filled with excitement on the other end of the phone, but the background noise was a bit loud.

"The company registration is complete! It's now known as 'Xinghai Network Technology Co., Ltd.,' with a business scope including computer hardware sales, technical services, esports venue operation... everything you need is there!"

"So fast?" Yang Fan was somewhat surprised.

"I used an agent to expedite it!" Zhou Jin said rapidly.

"The corporate account has been opened and is now with ICBC."

"Brother Fan, are you free now?"

Should I send you my account information?

Yang Fan glanced at the time: "Okay, send it over. I'll transfer the money this afternoon."

"That's great!" Zhou Jin said excitedly.

"Also, Brother Fan, I've been to the site several times these past two days, taken measurements with a tape measure, and redrew the zoning plan."

"I also contacted several renovation companies and compared their quotes and plans..."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "There's just... a problem."

"The renovation company's quote was more expensive than I expected."

"According to my plan, even with a simplified renovation, the hard furnishings alone would cost around 800,000 yuan."

"This doesn't even include the interior decoration and equipment."

Yang Fan calmly asked, "Do you think this price is reasonable?"

"I checked the market price and also asked some knowledgeable friends," Zhou Jin said earnestly.

"This price is considered mid-to-high range, but all the materials used meet environmental standards, and the construction period is guaranteed."

"If you go for the cheapest option, they might cut corners on materials and workmanship, which will cause a lot of trouble later on."

"Then let's do it this way," Yang Fan said decisively.

"Don't skimp on renovations. Choose a reputable company with reliable plans, carefully review the terms before signing the contract, and try to pay in installments if possible."

"Understood!" Zhou Jin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then added:

"And then there's the equipment issue."

"I had a more in-depth conversation with those wholesalers, and they said that if we buy 200 host computers and monitors at once, they can offer us a channel price that is 15% lower than the market price."

"I did the math, and with a mid-to-high-end configuration, the cost of one unit can be controlled at around 6,500 yuan, which is more than 1,000 yuan cheaper than the market price."

"Okay," Yang Fan said. "You should finalize your intentions with them first, and then place the formal order and make payment when the renovation is halfway complete."

"Alright! Don't worry, Brother Fan, I'll keep an eye on everything!"

After hanging up the phone, Yang Fan quickly received the company account information sent by Zhou Jin.

He opened his mobile banking app, entered his account number, and entered 3,000,000 in the transfer amount field.

Confirmed, fingerprint verification completed, transfer successful.

Almost simultaneously, Zhou Jin's WeChat exploded with messages.

[Zhou Jin]: Brother Fan!!! The money has arrived!!! Three million!!! I saw it!!!

[Zhou Jin]: [Kneeling][Kneeling][Kneeling]

[Zhou Jin]: Brother Fan, don't worry! I will definitely use this money well! I will keep track of every expense! I will report to you regularly!

[Yang Fan]: Do a good job. Let's communicate anytime if needed.

[Zhou Jin]: Yes!!!

After putting down his phone, Yang Fan felt much more at ease.

Although Zhou Jin seems unreliable at times, his seriousness and professionalism when he gets down to business are truly reassuring.

Moreover, through the observations and system panel evaluations over the past few days, Yang Fan became increasingly convinced that Zhou Jin's project had a high probability of success.

Now we're just waiting for the renovations and equipment to arrive, and then we can open for business.

Once the e-sports hotel starts to make a profit and achieves a 20% return on investment, he will receive double the system's rebate, plus his first investment coin.

Then he can go to the mall to buy "Introduction to Store Management" for his mother, "Beginner's Cooking Skills" for Aunt Lin, and even "Practical Business Negotiation Techniques" for Zhou Jin...

A positive cycle will start soon.