"This punitive pricing is not only aimed at visitors, but also at students. If a meal costs more than 1 yuan, the system will automatically double the price."
“That’s right. It shows 0.3 yuan here, but it only comes down to 1.5 yuan in the end.” Qiao Meng also tried to pay for the meal and then said to everyone.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu nodded, indicating his understanding of Li Hongling's explanation. However, he still felt that such a pricing arrangement was indeed somewhat unfair to visitors from outside the area.
After all, they weren't students here, nor did they know the rules.
Furthermore, what if some students have a larger appetite? Wouldn't they have to pay twice as much for meals as others? Such a one-size-fits-all policy is still somewhat inappropriate.
Chen Yu raised his concerns: "Wouldn't such a punitive price be unfair to students with large appetites? They might not be wasting food intentionally, but rather due to physiological needs."
Li Hongling nodded slightly, clearly prepared for this question. “Your concerns are very reasonable. However, we cannot ignore the practicalities. We are currently facing an extreme cold disaster, making every grain of food especially precious. The fact that the students can enjoy affordable and delicious meals is thanks to the collective efforts and thrift of all members of the base. We've calculated that a strong adult male, 1.8 meters tall and weighing 80 kilograms, only needs 0.7-0.85 Tianyu coins per meal in the canteen to meet his basic nutritional needs. Even with a larger appetite, 0.9 Tianyu coins are sufficient for a very good meal. For students with particularly large appetites, they can eat more staple foods to fill their stomachs. Unlike in times of abundant resources, although our Tianyu base can now produce food, we cannot squander it. Therefore, for the sake of fairness, we have implemented this policy.”
Li Hongling continued, "Of course, we haven't overlooked special circumstances. For students who genuinely need more food due to special reasons, such as high levels of physical activity or growth and development needs, we have subsidy measures in place. They can submit an application and, after review, receive an additional meal allowance."
"In addition, we encourage students to participate in volunteer services in the cafeteria, such as helping to organize tableware and clean. Through volunteer service, they can earn points, which can be directly redeemed for food or discounts in the cafeteria."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu nodded, indicating his agreement with Li Hongling's explanation.
He realized that in such an environment, it was indeed necessary to take some measures to ensure the fair distribution of food and avoid waste.
“However,” Chen Yu changed the subject, his eyes revealing deep thought, “while such a system has its merits, how to ensure fairness and transparency during its implementation, and avoid harming students who genuinely need it, is also a problem we need to consider.”
Upon hearing this, Li Hongling's expression turned serious. "Indeed, fairness and transparency are goals we have always pursued. To ensure this, we have established a strict review mechanism to conduct detailed evaluations of students applying for subsidies. At the same time, we also encourage students to monitor each other, and if anyone is found to be abusing subsidies, we will deal with it severely and without leniency."
“In addition,” Li Hongling added, “we are constantly exploring and improving the system. For example, by introducing intelligent recognition technology, we can more accurately calculate each person’s food intake, thereby more accurately determining whether subsidies are needed. At the same time, we are also strengthening nutrition education for students, so that they know how to reasonably combine foods to meet their nutritional needs while avoiding waste.”
Chen Yu listened and nodded slightly, expressing his appreciation for Li Hongling's meticulous consideration. "Very good, your approach is excellent. I believe that under such a system, students will not only receive sufficient nutrition but also learn to cherish food, which will be very beneficial to their growth."
"Alright, since this was just a misunderstanding, let's eat first! The price is reasonable, but I wonder how the food will taste," Chen Yu said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere relaxed once again.
Everyone paid their bills in turn, then picked up their trays and found a seat.
"Minister Li, I want to discuss something with you," Lin Lele whispered as she approached Li Hongling.
"Commander Lin, please speak," Li Hongling replied with a smile.
"You just said you'd pay the bill for me, does that still stand? Look, can you reimburse me for this meal?" Lin Lele blinked, looking at Li Hongling with a playful and expectant expression.
"Nonsense!" Chen Yu snapped angrily. "Minister Li only earns 60 yuan a day, how can you expect him to reimburse you?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Lele pouted and reluctantly retreated to her seat, channeling her grief and anger into her appetite, and began to eat.
After all, the meal cost a full 17 yuan, which is more than one-fifth of her daily wage and roughly equivalent to the daily income of an average investor, making her feel quite distressed.
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