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

Yang Fan pondered for a moment.

This is an opportunity, but it also carries risks—investment will increase, and normal business operations will be affected during the competition.

However, the potential publicity effect may far exceed the investment.

"We can give it a try," Yang Fan decided.

"Keep following up, and provide me with a proposal outlining the required budget."

"That's great!" Zhou Jin clenched his fist excitedly.

"Don't worry, Brother Fan, I'll definitely get this done!"

It was already 12:30 pm when I came out of the construction site.

Yang Fan drove back to the hot pot restaurant, but before he even reached the entrance, he realized something was wrong.

The store was packed with people, with at least twice as many people queuing as usual!

"What's going on?" He parked his car and walked over quickly.

Xiaoya was maintaining order at the door. When she saw him arrive, she felt like she had seen a savior.

"Brother! You're finally back! Our shop... seems to be booming!"

"It's trending?"

"Around 10 a.m., a food blogger came to check out the restaurant!"

Xiaoya speaks very fast:

"She has 500,000 followers on Douyin! She ate our hotpot during her live stream and raved about it!"

"As soon as the live stream ended, people flocked over! There are now over thirty tables in line!"

Yang Fan glanced inside.

The restaurant was packed, with every table occupied and many customers taking photos with their phones.

Lin Xiaoyu and Wang Xiuying were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground as they moved between the tables.

Lin's mother's somewhat anxious voice came from the direction of the kitchen:

"We're almost out of broth! Xiuying, please ask the customers waiting in line outside to wait a moment; the next pot won't be ready for another twenty minutes!"

"Mom, let me help!" Without saying a word, Yang Fan took off his coat, washed his hands, and went into the kitchen.

The kitchen was steaming hot.

Lin's mother was tending to two large soup pots; one was empty, and the other had just been started.

Her face was covered in sweat, and several strands of her hair were wet.

"Auntie, let me cut the vegetables." Yang Fan rolled up his sleeves and stood in front of the worktable.

On the cutting board were piles of pork belly and beef rolls waiting to be cut, and next to them were baskets of vegetables.

Yang Fan's knife skills are not top-notch, but he excels in both steadiness and speed.

He focused intently on processing the ingredients, and thin, even slices of meat fell one by one, quickly piling up into a small mountain.

Lin's mother glanced at him, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes, but she didn't have time to speak and turned back to tend to the soup.

At 2 PM, the queue finally thinned out a bit.

But the store was still packed.

Exhausted, Wang Xiuying and Li Cuihua sat on small stools in the back kitchen, too tired to even speak.

Lin Xiaoyu's voice was a little hoarse—she had spent the afternoon explaining countless times "what is bean and rice hot pot", "how to make the dipping sauce", and "why the vegetables are free".

Xiaoya counted the number plates and said with a wry smile, "Since 11 o'clock, we've turned over four tables. There are still eight tables waiting outside."

Yang Fan poured a glass of warm water and handed it to Lin Xiaoyu: "Drink some water to soothe your throat."

"Thank you, brother." Lin Xiaoyu took it and sipped it, her bangs damp with sweat and clinging to her cheeks.

"What's going on with that blogger?" Yang Fan asked.

"Her name is Xiaowei, the foodie. She specializes in exploring the food scene in the university town." Xiaoya took out her phone and opened Douyin (TikTok).

"Look, over 30,000 people have watched the live stream replay! The comments are full of people asking for the link!"

In the video, a girl with a bun hairstyle and a sweet smile is enjoying a meal in front of the camera.

"Family! This bean and rice hot pot is amazing! The broth is so delicious it's making my eyebrows fall off!"

"The beans are stewed until very soft, mixed with the dipping sauce... Mmm! This tastes so authentic! And the vegetables are free! A blessing for students!"

The comments below are densely packed:

[Please provide the address!]

[The main gate of the Normal University? I'll go tomorrow!]

[Looks delicious! I'm hooked!]

[Is the blogger exaggerating? You can eat this for just over 20 yuan per person?]

[Let's go as a group tomorrow! Anyone want to join?]

"The publicity effect is... amazing," Yang Fan exclaimed.

Who would have thought that a chance visit to a restaurant could bring in such a huge amount of traffic?

"Brother, we have to seize this opportunity!" Xiaoya's eyes lit up.

"I suggest that starting tomorrow, we launch a 'Blogger-Style Set Meal,' combining the dishes she ordered in her live streams and offering it at a special price."

"Let's set up a photo wall so customers can get a free drink when they post on Douyin or Xiaohongshu."

"Okay." Yang Fan nodded. "You and Xiaoyu can discuss it together."

Lin Xiaoyu put down her water glass and said softly, "But... if there are too many people, Mom and the others will be exhausted. They've already exceeded their capacity today."

This is indeed a problem.

There are only three people in the kitchen, and Lin Xiaoyu and Xiaoya mainly help in the front of the house. Yang Fan and Yang Hao can only help for a limited time.

"We're hiring," Yang Fan said decisively.

"We need to hire two part-time students, one to help with serving and cleaning, and the other to wash and prepare vegetables in the kitchen."

"We'll start with hourly pay, beginning with the lunch and evening peak hours each day."

"That's a good idea!" Wang Xiuying exclaimed after recovering her composure.

"Business is good now, and we're really too busy to handle everything."

"Hiring two diligent students would be a great help."

"Then I'll go post the job advertisement this afternoon," Xiaoya said.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the last group of guests left.

Everyone was exhausted.

But when the sales figures were tallied, everyone was stunned.

"Three thousand...three thousand eight hundred and sixty yuan?" Li Cuihua's hands trembled as she looked at the numbers on the calculator.

In one day, the turnover was close to four thousand!

After deducting costs, the net profit is at least 1,500!

"This...this is too much..." Lin's mother couldn't believe it.

"This is just the beginning!" Xiaoya said excitedly. "Once that video goes viral, there will be even more people tomorrow, the day after..."

Yang Fan, however, remained calm:

"Having more people is a good thing, but we need to be prepared. Starting tomorrow, let's make some adjustments—"

"First, hire two part-time workers to alleviate the manpower pressure."

"Second, increase the amount of ingredients prepared by 50%, and make two more pots of soup base."

"Third, we will launch package deals and check-in activities to increase the average order value and promotional effect."

"Fourth," he said, looking at Lin's mother:

"Auntie, you need to teach Aunt Wang and Aunt Li how to make soup base. You can't bear all the pressure alone."

Lin's mother nodded: "Okay, I'll teach you."

"I'll learn too," Wang Xiuying said immediately. "We can't let Xiaoyu's mom get tired all by herself."

"Me too!" Li Cuihua retorted, not wanting to be left behind.

Seeing his family united as one, Yang Fan felt a warmth in his heart.

This is the life he wants—family together, working towards a common goal, and life getting better and better.

After closing time in the evening, Yang Fan and Lin Xiaoyu walked at the very back, as usual.

Night had fallen, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow.

The two walked side by side, their shadows stretching long on the ground.

"Are you tired?" Yang Fan asked.

"I'm tired," Lin Xiaoyu admitted honestly, but then smiled.

"But I'm so happy. Seeing so many people enjoy my mom's cooking, seeing how accomplished she is, makes me feel... it's all worth it."

She paused, then said softly, "Brother, thank you. If it weren't for you, we might still be back in our hometown, and Mom might never have had this opportunity in her life."

"Opportunities are something you have to earn yourself," Yang Fan said earnestly.

"It's because Aunt Lin is so skilled, and it's because your whole family is hardworking and diligent. I just... lent a hand."

Lin Xiaoyu shook her head and didn't say anything more, but the gratitude and dependence in her eyes were unmistakable.

As Yang Fan approached his doorstep, his phone vibrated.

It was a message from Zhou Jin.

[Zhou Jin]: Brother Fan, the fire safety designer has come to inspect and provided a solution. Although it will cost extra, it will guarantee the floor height and fire safety standards. I've sent the solution to your email.

[Zhou Jin]: Also, I've scheduled a meeting with the e-sports association for next Monday. I'll prepare all the necessary documents.

[Yang Fan]: Okay. Thank you for your hard work.

After replying to the message, Yang Fan looked up at the sky.

The nights in mid-March are still a bit chilly, but the air already carries the scent of spring.

The hot pot restaurant is doing brisk business, and the e-sports hotel project is progressing steadily.

The smiles on her family's faces brightened, and Lin Xiaoyu's eyes shone with more light.

Everything is going in a good direction.

Although he hadn't received the investment coins yet, and Zhou Jin's project still had a long way to go, Yang Fan was full of confidence.

He has a systematic approach, vision, and strong execution skills.

More importantly, he has family and friends who are willing to fight alongside him.

This is enough.

The rest is up to time and hard work.