Chapter 54: The Plan to Steal Techniques

“I’m fine…” Xu Qian replied mechanically, curling up on her bed, utterly lifeless.

A few days later, Xu Qian’s homeroom teacher, Mr. Sun, noticed her unusual behavior.

“Xu Qian, what’s going on recently? Why have you been taking so many leave days?”

“I…” lowering her head, she couldn’t bring herself to explain.

Realizing the issue was more complicated, Mr. Sun quickly sought out Mr. Wu, the homeroom teacher of Lin Qianfan’s class, trying to understand the situation.

“Has Lin Qianfan posted something on the school’s official account recently?”

Upon hearing this, Mr. Wu’s expression darkened instantly. “You’re still talking about him? That student is completely out of control!”

“What did he do?”

“He used the official account to stir up opinions among students. Now the whole school knows, and it’s causing quite a stir!”

Mr. Wu slammed his desk. “I’m docking his credits right away and calling his parents. Let’s see how arrogant he is after that!”

Lin Qianfan’s grandfather was watering the vegetable patch in the yard when he received the call.

“Are you Lin Qianfan’s guardian? He’s caused trouble at school!”

Hearing this, the old man nearly dropped his watering can. “Qianfan? What happened to him?”

“He started some kind of delivery platform at school, and now it’s a big uproar, seriously affecting the school’s atmosphere!”

The old man was stunned for a long moment, then repeatedly apologized, “I’m truly sorry. The boy is immature; I will have a serious talk with him.”

News of this incident soon reached Xia Ruo, who immediately posted an article on social media defending Lin Qianfan.

“Why should economically disadvantaged students be criticized for supporting themselves through part-time work?”

“Is entrepreneurship not a form of striving for progress? Why must some twist it into neglecting responsibilities?”

“Think carefully about how many people Lin Qianfan’s actions have helped.”

Her words sparked lively debate, even surpassing the attention drawn by the previous anonymous article.

The principal saw the article online and promptly convened a meeting, demanding a thorough investigation.

He also specifically spoke to Mr. Wu, sharply reprimanding him. “Student entrepreneurship is a good thing; how can you just suppress it?”

The principal then personally called Lin Qianfan’s grandfather to explain the matter in detail, addressing all his concerns.

After hearing the principal’s explanation, the old man finally felt relieved.

—

After a week of intense renovation, Boss Liu’s Jiahecheng Supermarket was completely transformed.

The former crowded shelves were reorganized to include a leisure area, neatly furnished with several sofas and small round tables, complemented by a few self-serve beverage vending machines.

The snack counter introduced a few simple hot dogs, sandwiches, and milk teas, all reasonably priced and tasty.

Most eye-catching was the promotional area at the supermarket entrance, featuring a large banner:

“Scan the code to order, delivery straight to your dorm! Plus discounts waiting for you!”

On opening day, Boss Liu stood nervously at the entrance.

Watching the students gathering outside, he couldn’t help but ask Lin Qianfan, “Boss Lin, will this really work? Can it really attract people?”

Lin Qianfan glanced at the slowly gathering crowd. “Relax, Boss Liu. It’s just a trial run today. The results won’t disappoint.”

No sooner had he spoken than a group of students swaggered in. Some settled in the leisure area, some tried scanning codes on their phones to order, and others bought snacks directly at the counter.

“This place is nice. You can buy stuff and sit down to chat.”

“Now I can order right to my dorm. No more lugging snacks up the stairs.”

“Hot dogs only three yuan? Cheaper than stalls outside.”

Students chatted in small groups, their faces full of satisfaction.

Boss Liu listened from the side, finally feeling relieved. He patted Lin Qianfan’s shoulder.

“Boss Lin, you’re amazing. It’s only the first day and so many people have come.”

“This is only the beginning,” Lin Qianfan said, pointing to the leisure area. “Those who come today will tell their friends, and tomorrow even more will know about this place.”

Sure enough, the next morning, the popularity of Jiahecheng Supermarket soared.

At the same time, Lin Qianfan’s official account thrived, with daily reading and interaction steadily increasing.

“Fan, today’s article hits over ten thousand views!” Yongpan excitedly ran over holding his phone. “And many are asking when the next event is.”

Lin Qianfan waved him off. “Don’t rush. New users are growing fast. We need to keep the pace steady, not flood them with too many events.”

“Got it. We’ll follow your lead,” Yongpan nodded.

Meanwhile, Gu Haotian’s official account was struggling.

He had asked his family for a lot of money, hoping to replicate Lin Qianfan’s success, but it clearly hadn’t worked and he was losing money.

His family refused further investment in the account, instead wanting him to try something else.

“What’s going on? Our followers dropped again this week?” Gu Haotian stared at his phone, his face dark.

His follower Liu whispered, “Brother Haotian, our posts just aren’t appealing. Students seem to prefer Lin Qianfan’s articles.”

“Nonsense!” Gu Haotian slammed the report onto the table. “It’s just a lousy account! If he can do it, why can’t I?”

Liu hesitated, “But Lin Qianfan has the milk tea shop and delivery platform supporting him, we…”

“There’s actually a new business opportunity on campus,” Gu Haotian said. “I heard Lin Qianfan’s milk tea shop is doing great. Maybe we should open one too?”

Gu Haotian paused, then sneered, “A milk tea shop? If he can succeed, why can’t I?”

The next day, Gu Haotian and Liu went to Lin Qianfan’s Xia Fan Milk Tea Shop and bought a dozen cups.

By the third day, they had studied every ingredient, packaging, and even the menu design.

“Brother Haotian, the recipe seems pretty simple,” Liu said after tasting a mango smoothie. “If we find a skilled chef, making better milk tea isn’t impossible.”

Gu Haotian made a decision, “Then let’s find one! Also find me a place to open a shop. I don’t believe I can’t beat him.”

Unaware of Gu Haotian’s scheming, Lin Qianfan was already setting his sights on a broader market.

“Fan, are you really going to expand the milk tea shop and delivery platform to other schools?” Dawei asked worriedly. “Isn’t that a bit too soon?”

Lin Qianfan shook his head. “In business, it’s about being early, not late.”

“As long as we establish ourselves in other schools first, competitors won’t have a chance.”

“But we’re unfamiliar with other campuses. How do we break in?”

Lin Qianfan pulled out a proposal. “We’ll start by partnering with student unions at several universities to attract students through campus events.”

“After the events, we’ll send promotions through the delivery platform to gradually integrate ourselves.”

“Brilliant!” Yongpan gave a thumbs-up.