Chapter 29: Giving the Shopkeeper a Taste of Success

A low murmur of discussion rippled through the classroom.

"Lin Qianfan is something else. I didn't even understand the problem, and he solved it in minutes."

"No wonder he took first place in the math competition. He really is brilliant."

"He’s starting a business without letting his studies slip—that’s what a true big shot looks like."

Meanwhile, among the merchants Lin Qianfan had previously approached, five finally decided to give the partnership a try.

"They said they’d only prepare dishes based on orders, so we don't have to prepare anything extra. It’s worth a shot."

"Exactly. There’s no risk or cost, and if we can sell a bit more, that’s a good thing."

The remaining merchants chose to play it safe.

"Let’s wait and see how others do first. Our business is doing just fine as it is."

"True. Let’s not overcomplicate things and end up making a mess of it."

Lin Qianfan was not surprised by this. Sitting in the classroom, he received the news, tucked his phone back into his pocket, and continued reading.

Yong Pan frowned. "But are five enough? Can the platform sustain itself with so few merchants?"

Lin Qianfan opened his notebook and quickly wrote the words "Trial Run."

"We don’t need many to start. Let’s get the workflow running first. Once they see the profit, and as long as we provide top-tier service, the other merchants will naturally follow."

Yong Pan couldn't help but ask, "Qianfan, what if these merchants feel they aren't making enough and decide to pull out?"

Lin Qianfan glanced at him. "As long as they get a taste of success, they’ll want to stay. Our job is to mature the platform as quickly as possible."

Yong Pan rubbed his nose, feeling that while Lin Qianfan made it sound simple, putting it into practice wouldn't be so easy.

That weekend, Lin Qianfan’s phone rang incessantly. All five merchants called to say they had made up their minds to partner with him and wanted him to come over to sign the contracts.

Lin Qianfan didn't waste any time and headed out early.

The first stop was a Sichuan restaurant near the school. The owner was very hospitable, ushering him to a seat and bringing him a cup of hot tea as soon as they met.

"Boss Lin, I’ve discussed your platform with my family. We think it sounds pretty reliable."

Lin Qianfan waved his hands. "Please, don't call me 'Boss.' I’m too young for that—it sounds awkward. Just call me Qianfan."

He set his bag aside and pulled out the printed contracts. "Here is the agreement. Please have a look, and if there are any issues, we can revise them."

The owner took the contract, bowed his head, and flipped through the pages seriously, his brow furrowing slightly.

"A 10% commission? Isn't that a bit high? Our profit margins aren't that big to begin with."

Lin Qianfan had anticipated this and pointed to the terms in the contract.

"Look here. There’s a subsidy for the first three months that covers half of the commission, meaning you effectively only pay 5%. Plus, the more orders you get, the higher your rebate ratio will be."

The owner glanced at it, still hesitant. "But what about after three months? Once the subsidy ends, 10% is still too high."

Lin Qianfan pondered for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the tabletop.

"How about this? As one of our first-batch partners, I can give you a special offer. For future renewals, I’ll drop the commission to 2%, provided you maintain the partnership and don't drop out midway."

The owner’s eyes lit up. "2%? That’s more like it! Alright, I’ll sign!"

The two reached an agreement instantly, and the contract was signed cleanly and efficiently.

When he stepped out, Lin Qianfan checked the time and headed straight to the second shop. This was a *maocai* (spicy hot pot) place run by a young, sharp-witted landlady.

"I’ve heard that your platform is quite a novelty, so I’m thinking of giving it a try. But let me be clear: if my sales don't go up, I’m pulling out whenever I want."

Lin Qianfan nodded. "No problem. Your shop is already popular with students; sales won't be an issue. Besides, my platform has subsidy campaigns, so just get ready for the orders to pour in."

The landlady smiled and signed the contract on the spot. The other three merchants also arrived, and upon hearing the terms, they signed without a second thought.

After finishing the paperwork, Lin Qianfan hurried back to the dormitory. He pushed the door open to find Yong Pan hunched over his desk coding, while the others were either scrolling through their phones or playing games.

"Stop slacking off, it's time to work!" Lin Qianfan slapped the two contracts on the table. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone looked up.

"You got them signed?" Yong Pan was stunned.

"Signed," Lin Qianfan nodded. "Now all that's left is to list the merchants' products. Hurry up, grab your phones, take photos, and upload them to the backend."

The guys exchanged glances. Though reluctant, they put down their activities, grabbed their phones, and followed Lin Qianfan to the shops.

Inside the restaurant, Lin Qianfan stood by the counter, managing everything in an orderly fashion.

"For this braised pork, lower the angle a bit to make the portion look generous."

"Use a white plate for the soup dish so it looks clear in the photo."

While taking photos, he also negotiated prices. "Boss, let’s run a promotion on the combo meals. For example, change the original price of 15 to 12, and throw in a soup. Students will be much more likely to order that way."

The owner nodded repeatedly, grinning. "You’ve got a sharp mind, young man. Alright, I’ll do as you say."

Back at the dorm, the group gathered around the computer to upload photos and fill in product information. Lin Qianfan sat at the main terminal, opening a spreadsheet to input prices and draft a series of promotional plans.

"Crazy Wednesdays, tiered discounts, first-order deductions, coupons..." he muttered to himself while recording everything in the sheet.

When Yong Pan heard "Crazy Wednesday," he couldn't help but ask, "What kind of event is that?"

"To stimulate consumption," Lin Qianfan said without looking up. "Every Wednesday, all items are 30% off to attract buyers."

"Doesn't that cut into our profits?" Da Wei frowned.

"A little less profit doesn't matter. The key is to draw users to the platform. Once they get into the habit, we can slowly earn it back later," Lin Qianfan said with conviction.

Once the products were live, Lin Qianfan posted the link to the delivery platform on their official social media account. He then gathered his roommates and assigned a special task.

"Weren't you guys pretending to be girls to chat with those male classmates? Chat with them more now, and drop a hint that our new platform is live and that it’s super convenient for ordering food."

"Remember, be natural. Don't push a sales pitch the moment you start. Talk about topics they’re interested in first, then slowly guide them toward the delivery platform."

"For example: 'Hey, have you ordered takeout lately? I found this super cheap delivery platform, you should try it.'"

Yong Pan looked helpless. "Qianfan, your schemes really have no end."

Lin Qianfan smiled. "Your chatting skills are already top-notch, so this little task should be a breeze, right?"

"Fine, fine." Yong Pan waved his hand and opened his phone to get to work. The other roommates followed suit.

With the platform live, Lin Qianfan began to consider another issue: once the products are sold, how do they get delivered?

For now, the merchants were delivering their own orders, but once the volume picked up, they wouldn't be able to keep up. He recalled the delivery riders from his previous life, and an idea began to take shape.