Chapter 30: You really are quite the troublemaker, kid.

Lin Qianfan went to the school office to find the teacher in charge of student affairs.

"Teacher, I’d like to ask if there are any students in our school who are facing financial difficulties."

The teacher paused, looking slightly surprised. "Why do you ask?"

"I’ve started a food delivery platform and am looking to hire a few people for deliveries. I’d like to prioritize students from the school," Lin Qianfan explained. "Delivery work offers flexible hours, and it could help them earn some extra money for living expenses."

Upon hearing this, the teacher’s expression softened into one of approval. "That’s a meaningful idea. Tell you what, let me look into it, and I’ll notify you if there are any suitable candidates."

"Thank you, teacher. I appreciate your help." Lin Qianfan thanked him and turned to leave.

A few days later, after a math class, Lin Qianfan was just about to leave when his homeroom teacher, Fang Zhengyang, called out to him.

"Lin Qianfan, the principal was looking for you earlier!"

"The principal is looking for me?" Lin Qianfan felt a slight stir in his heart and immediately turned to head toward the principal’s office.

The office door was left slightly ajar, and Lin Qianfan knocked gently.

"Come in."

He pushed the door open to find the principal sitting behind his desk, reviewing a document.

"Ah, Lin Qianfan, you're here." The principal looked up, his eyes assessing him. "I hear you’ve started a food delivery platform recently, and it’s become quite popular?"

Lin Qianfan nodded. "Yes, Principal. We currently have five vendors on board. The platform has just launched and is still in the trial phase."

The principal set aside the document, folded his hands, and studied him. "You’re quite the enterprising young man, aren't you?" He paused for a moment before continuing, "However, as far as the school is concerned, the value of this platform depends on whether it provides any real benefits. I hear you’re collaborating with students to handle the deliveries?"

Lin Qianfan answered candidly, "The main goal is to help students from less fortunate backgrounds earn some pocket money while also solving the logistics problem for the merchants."

The principal nodded thoughtfully. "That’s a good direction, but you should also understand that our school’s primary mission is education. Student part-time work must be kept in moderation; it cannot interfere with their studies."

Lin Qianfan immediately replied, "You are absolutely right. That is why we will strictly control delivery times and never schedule work during class hours to ensure that no student’s academics are compromised."

The principal’s brow relaxed slightly. "Very well. Since that is your intention, I support you. As long as it doesn’t disrupt the school’s management, you have a free hand. If you need any help from the school, feel free to ask."

Lin Qianfan felt a surge of joy, though he kept his expression calm. "Thank you, Principal! I don’t have any specific needs for now, but once the platform is officially up and running, I will come to you if I do."

The principal waved his hand. "Go on then, work hard and show some results." He gave a sign that he could leave.

As he watched Lin Qianfan walk away, the principal pondered silently. If this project succeeded, it would be a significant highlight for the school, potentially even contributing to his own record of achievement.

Stepping out of the office, Lin Qianfan felt a newfound sense of certainty. With the school’s support, he had one less burden to worry about. Now, his focus was to refine the operational details of the platform as quickly as possible.

Back in the dormitory, Yongpan was hunched over the computer, debugging the code.

"Well? What did the principal say?" Yongpan asked, looking up.

"The principal supports us," Lin Qianfan said with a smile. "As long as we don't disrupt the school's order, he won't interfere. We have the green light to go all out."

Yongpan exhaled in relief. "That’s good. I was worried the administration might try to find fault."

Lin Qianfan nodded, walked over to the computer, and checked the backend data. "The platform just launched, so the order volume isn't huge yet. But the feedback from merchants over the last few days has been positive. The users who redeemed the subsidies, in particular, have a high repeat order rate."

"The subsidies are definitely effective," Yongpan said, scratching his head. "But it’s burning through money fast. How long can we keep this up?"

"We can manage," Lin Qianfan replied firmly. "Once the order volume picks up, we can gradually reduce the subsidies. By then, we’ll rely on user habits to maintain the platform’s activity."

Just as they were talking, Dawei pushed the door open, looking visibly excited.

"Qianfan, our delivery platform is taking off at school! I just heard some seniors in their third year talking about how the food from our platform is not only affordable but tastes exactly like it does at the restaurant."

"Someone even said the red envelope cashback makes it feel like a great deal," he added.

Lin Qianfan nodded. "That’s excellent news. Word-of-mouth is more important than advertising. As long as people find it useful, our user base will grow naturally."

He paused, then added, "But we must be careful about one thing: we have to ensure the quality of the merchants' output. We can't let users feel that the delivered food is inferior to what they get at the store."

"Don't worry about that. I’ve already had the vendors sign agreements requiring strict quality control," Dawei replied with a grin.

"That's good." Lin Qianfan opened the backend data page and saw that the order volume had increased by several dozen compared to the previous day; he felt a slight weight lift from his shoulders.

As the platform gained traction, more and more students began using the delivery service. However, rumors about Lin Qianfan began to spread throughout the campus.

"Lin Qianfan spends all day obsessed with this delivery platform. He’s a student—instead of focusing on his studies, he’s just messing around with these trivial things. What’s the point?" A teacher in his forties muttered with disdain while flipping through his textbook during a break.

"Exactly! A student’s duty is to study. I don't know why the principal would support him in doing these money-making schemes in school," a female teacher nearby chimed in, her voice filled with confusion.

"Young people these days have learned to look for shortcuts, thinking about quick money and neglecting their proper duties. The more capable they are, the more misguided they seem to become," an older teacher remarked with a sigh of disapproval.

The students in the classrooms were no less vocal.

"Geez, Lin Qianfan has been really busy lately. I heard he’s holed up in Classroom 305 every day, either working on software or running around with vendor contracts."

"Yeah, I just don't get it. His grades are actually pretty good. Why does he have to do all this? Wouldn't it be better to just focus on getting into a good university?"

Lin Qianfan was not oblivious to these comments. In that era, the prevailing values were that a student should focus solely on their studies, and anything else could wait until after graduation.

Nevertheless, the order volume on Lin Qianfan’s platform continued to climb.

Students from wealthier backgrounds, who were never fond of the school cafeteria’s food, found the platform especially convenient.

"Wow, this platform is great! My spicy hot pot arrived so quickly today!" a girl said to her roommate while eating.

"I know, right? Plus, I got a red envelope, so it’ll be two yuan cheaper next time," her roommate replied with a smile.

"The cafeteria food is so bland. It’s finally nice to have some fresh options," someone else remarked.