Chapter 27: A First Foray into Food Delivery Platforms

The owner looked up at him, seemingly wavering, but still shook his head.

"That sounds good, but I have to think about it. After all, we’re a small business, and if the risks are too high, it’s just not worth it."

Lin Qianfan pushed the materials forward. "This is my contact information. You can reach me whenever you’d like."

"Take your time to consider it. I’ll come back this time next week; if you’re interested, we can sign the contract."

The owner nodded and placed the flyer on the counter.

After leaving the restaurant, Lin Qianfan continued walking down the street, entering several more eateries and convenience stores. The results were much the same; most merchants adopted a "wait and see" attitude, unwilling to try anything new easily.

"It’s fine. The first step is just letting them know this platform exists. The rest will come in time," he consoled himself. Looking up at the sky, he turned and headed toward the school.

When he returned to campus, the sky had already darkened. Pushing open the door to Classroom 305, he found his roommates still busy at their computers, researching the delivery platform software.

"Qianfan, you’re back? How did it go with the merchants?" Yongpan asked, glancing up.

"Not bad. I gave them a week to think it over." Lin Qianfan put down his bag and walked over to them. "How is progress on your end?"

"The main body of the software is almost finished," Dawei said, pointing to the interface on the screen.

Lin Qianfan walked over to the computer and took a close look. "Has the payment gateway issue been resolved?"

"Yes, but the ordering process for users is a bit cumbersome; there are too many clicks," Yongpan said, gesturing to the checkout page.

Lin Qianfan stared at the screen for a few seconds. "This part needs to change. After the user places an order, it should jump directly to the payment page. There’s no need for another confirmation."

"Otherwise, the process is too complex, and the user experience will suffer."

"Also, the display of estimated delivery time is too rigid. We should add a feature that shows an estimated time so users know roughly when it will arrive."

"Furthermore, the sorting logic for merchants is flawed. It needs to prioritize distance and sales volume, or it will be too troublesome for users to find what they want."

Yongpan took notes as he listened and finally nodded. "Got it. I’ll fix it tomorrow."

Lin Qianfan patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks for the hard work. Get some sleep early; we have a busy day tomorrow."

Yongpan waved his hand. "Don’t push yourself too hard, either. You don’t want to burn out."

Lin Qianfan smiled but said nothing, turning to another computer to begin testing other functions.

Ten-forty in the evening. The only sounds in the classroom were the hum of computer fans and the occasional scraping of a chair.

Yongpan and the others had long since returned to their dorms, leaving only Lin Qianfan working in the classroom. He had to head back soon, as the dorms locked at eleven. Standing up, he stretched and shut down his computer.

Back at the dorm, the room was pitch black. Lin Qianfan climbed into bed and lay there, lost in thought. His mind wandered back to the idea of a campus shop. He recalled the vast variety of goods in supermarkets from his previous life. The school shop’s selection was too limited, though it was already established. However, the shop did see a lot of foot traffic.

If the shop could be linked to the delivery platform, delivering goods directly to dorms and classrooms would boost revenue significantly. If he wanted to make money, he had to do something different. Milk tea was a promising direction; many students loved it, the costs were low, and the profit margins were high. The problem was that he didn't know how to make milk tea.

Back in his previous life, while scrolling through short videos, he remembered the recipes for a few types of milk tea—simple pearl milk tea, milk cap tea, and coconut jelly green tea. He had some impression of the ingredients and ratios. But the issue was that most of these recipes relied on "high-tech shortcuts" that required precise measurements and equipment; they weren't easy to get right.

He needed someone reliable to handle it, but how many people in school could he truly trust? While Yongpan and the others were great at technical work, if he asked them to make milk tea, they would likely turn it into a chemistry experiment.

After much deliberation, he decided to secure the storefront first and synchronize the milk tea project once the software was live.

The next afternoon after class, Lin Qianfan skipped the dorm and headed straight to the commercial street near the school. He walked the length of the street, pausing at each storefront to weigh locations and rents.

"The milk tea shop can't be too out of the way, but it can't be too expensive either."

"These shops near the school gate are good—lots of foot traffic, and the rent should be cheaper than those further in."

He stopped in front of a closed shop with a "For Rent" sign posted on the glass and dialed the number.

"Hello, is this the shop for rent?"

The person on the other end was straightforward. "Yes, young man. Are you interested?"

"What’s the rent, and how is the contract structured?"

"The location is great. It’s five hundred a month. One month's rent as a deposit, three months paid in advance, and a one-year minimum contract."

Lin Qianfan calculated quickly. In those days, five hundred was a bit pricey for an average person. It was manageable for him, but the "one plus three" deposit structure was a bit steep.

He thought for a moment and said, "Boss, is it possible to do one month's rent as a deposit and one month paid in advance? My funds are limited, but I can guarantee timely payments later."

The other party mused for a moment. "One plus one isn't impossible, but you’ll have to add an extra month's rent as a security deposit."

"Deal," Lin Qianfan agreed readily.

After hanging up, he went straight to find the landlord to sign the contract and pay the deposit. Looking at the keys in his hand, Lin Qianfan felt a sense of relief.

Back at the dorm that night, Lin Qianfan placed the contract on the table. Yongpan leaned over to look.

"Qianfan, what are you up to now?"

"Rented a storefront. I’m planning to open a milk tea shop."

"A milk tea shop?" Yongpan was stunned. "Aren't you busy with the delivery platform? Where do you have the time for this?"

"The delivery platform and the milk tea shop don't conflict. In fact, milk tea can be a staple product for the delivery service," Lin Qianfan explained. "These things sell fast and have high profit margins. We need to act quickly."

Yongpan frowned. "But you can't handle all of this alone."

"The milk tea shop stuff can wait for a bit; let's get the delivery platform online first." Lin Qianfan picked up a notebook and began making a list. "Also, turn the official account into a software application. Keep the functions as simple as possible, and prioritize user experience."

Yongpan’s expression soured. "Qianfan, we’re already busy enough. Adding new tasks like this—are you trying to work us to death?"

Lin Qianfan patted his shoulder. "We’ll do it in stages. The official account software goes live first; the delivery app can come later."

Dawei nodded, saying nothing more.

Yongpan sighed. "Fine. You're the boss; you call the shots."

Over the next few days, the group in the dorm worked almost day and night developing the official account software. Meanwhile, Lin Qianfan began mapping out the plans for a web novel site. He opened his computer and drafted a proposal divided into three parts: site architecture, content acquisition, and promotion strategy.

"The core of a novel site is content. We must have enough high-quality novels to attract readers."