"Can or cannot?"
“Yuan Zhong.” The old man suddenly put down his chopsticks, put his hands on his knees, sat up straight, and his expression became serious. “I’m so old now. I still have some experience and connections, and I’m not many years away from retirement. I want to make some more moves. If I don’t make some moves now, I really won’t be able to!”
Meng Yuanzhong wanted to argue, but faced with the old man's stern gaze, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to speak. He knew his teacher's personality well; once he made a decision, he would go all the way, refusing to turn back even after hitting a wall. But considering his teacher's age, perhaps leaving this place was actually a good thing. It was a quiet, unassuming government office over there; everyone could slack off peacefully and work happily, with little backstabbing or intrigue—a good place to retire.
Thinking of this, Meng Yuanzhong completely abandoned the idea of persuading the old man. He picked up his chopsticks and reached for the salted duck, just as he was about to put it in his mouth, there was a sudden knock on the office door.
Bang bang bang————
"Come in!" Meng Yuanzhong reluctantly put down his chopsticks, sat up straight, and said loudly.
"Minister Meng." The young man who had just brought them food spoke somewhat timidly, "We've just received a lot of feedback from exhibition visitors who want the convention center to add a restaurant for them to eat."
"What's going on?" Meng Yuanzhong found it strange that the visitors would make such a request. Usually, most interested visitors attend the exhibition after lunch, and small collaborations can usually be finalized on the same day; for larger collaborations, both parties will have dinner together in the evening and discuss the collaboration over the table. It was for this reason that they only prepared lunch for the exhibitors.
The young man took a deep breath and recounted the whole story.
The problem stemmed from the inadequate facilities around the convention center. Some attendees arrived as soon as the center opened in the morning, knowing beforehand that the center wouldn't provide food and that there was nowhere to buy food nearby, so they brought their own snacks. However, when they learned at lunchtime that the convention center provided boxed lunches for exhibitors, they objected, demanding that the center treat all attendees equally and allow them to purchase boxed lunches as well.
Wow! This request is a bit tricky!
Visitors are different from exhibitors. Exhibitors are a fixed group, but visitors are constantly changing. They might come in the morning, have lunch and come back in the afternoon, or come on the first day, not the second or third, and then come again on the fourth or fifth. And just because someone comes doesn't mean they'll necessarily buy the boxed meals at the convention center. Preparing too few meals is fine; they'll just sell out if you arrive late. But preparing too many meals increases costs.
Just as Meng Yuanzhong was feeling troubled, the old man waved for the young man to leave first. After the young man left, he reminded him, "There were a total of six hotels participating in the bidding meeting."
A bidding meeting? Six hotels?
Meng Yuanzhong received the old man's reminder, but for a moment he couldn't connect the two with the requirements of the exhibition visitors. The three didn't seem to be related! Just as he was wondering, his gaze swept over the boxed lunch on the table, and the boy's voice rang in his mind.
Currently, in addition to dine-in service, Xu's Fast Food also offers delivery services and provides employee meals to various companies. We also sell boxed lunches at stalls outside three construction sites in Shanghai and other high-traffic areas.
Selling boxed lunches at a street stall! Setting up a street stall!
"Teacher, do you mean to set aside an area in the convention center so that these six hotels can set up stalls and sell boxed meals during the expo?"
A smile played on the old man's lips as he picked up his chopsticks and ate, without answering Meng Yuanzhong's question. But the smile on his face clearly told Meng Yuanzhong that his idea was correct! Following this line of thought, the more he considered it, the more feasible it seemed. He could leave the cost issue to the hotel; his job was simply to ensure no problems arose. Whether the hotel made a profit or loss was their own business; after all, the opportunity had been given to them.
Meng Yuanzhong finished his boxed lunch in a few bites, left a comment saying "not bad," and returned to his desk to start making plans.
Xu's Fast Food Restaurant.
They departed for the convention center at 10:40; arrived at the convention center at 11:20; completed the handover at 11:50 and set off back to Xu's Fast Food Restaurant; returned to Xu's Fast Food Restaurant at 12:30, just in time for the restaurant's peak dining period. The two of them got out of the car and went into the restaurant to work, working until 1:40. The customers in the restaurant finally left one after another, leaving behind tables full of messy cups and plates.
Between boxed lunches and in-store dining, they can sell over 7,000 boxed lunches in a single lunchtime, generating a net profit of over 20,000 yuan a day. It's undeniably profitable, but also incredibly tiring. Xu An was already considering having Aunt He look around for retired women who wanted to earn some extra money, so they could come and work part-time at the shop. Tasks like clearing tables and packing boxed lunches would be easy, and they could earn money while connecting with their friends—perfect!
Just as Xu An was deep in thought, his cell phone suddenly rang, startling him.
The caller ID showed a landline number, and the area code indicated it was within the Haikou city area. Xu An pressed the answer button and uttered the familiar greeting: "Hello, this is Xu's Fast Food Restaurant. How can I help you?"
"Hello, I am a member of the organizing committee for the Shanghai Machinery and Equipment Expo."
Upon hearing that they were staff members of the Expo preparation team, Xu An's heart skipped a beat. Could there be something wrong with the lunch boxes delivered at noon? Thinking of this, Xu An's heart began to race, and his breathing became erratic.
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