Chapter 155 Making Canned Food?

"I don't need you to get to know any big bosses."

Lin Fan's tone became serious:

"Phoenix Golden Street is right in the center of the university town. Although our store is currently attracting most of Jiangcheng's wealthy people to queue up thanks to Mr. Ye's name, you have to understand that rich people are after novelty and prestige, and this trend will eventually pass."

"The real foundation that allows a store to thrive and remain vibrant on this street is you college students."

Lin Fan pointed in the direction of the university town outside the gate:

"Although college students don't have the same spending power as those bosses and can't afford the 1888 yuan boiled cabbage, a few dozen yuan plum juice is something they can occasionally improve their meals on a daily basis and can afford if they grit their teeth."

"More importantly, today's young people are the most active and fastest-spreading group on the internet."

"Once you win over their stomachs, the word-of-mouth marketing they generate spontaneously on social media, campus forums, and short video platforms will be a million times more effective than any paid advertising."

Lin Fan pushed the small tin box on the table forward, looked at Su Xiaoxiao, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips:

"You're about to start school, so take this box of concentrated essence back with you."

"By the way, help me promote this around the school and make it a real deal."

At this point, Lin Fan leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and offered a suggestion that Su Xiaoxiao simply couldn't refuse:

"Of course, I, Lin Fan, never let anyone work for free. Since I've appointed you as our store's 'campus agent,' there are naturally benefits for you."

"You don't need to feel bad about taking my base salary for nothing after going back to school. Starting next month, as long as you are a student in our university town, whether you come to the store with your student ID or mention your name, Su Xiaoxiao, I will give you a separate commission at the end of the month when we settle the accounts."

"Even if only one percent of the hundreds of thousands of students in the university town are tempted by your sour plum drink and follow the trail to your store, your monthly commission will definitely be much higher than if you were just a waiter in the store earning a fixed salary every day."

Lin Fan looked at Su Xiaoxiao's eyes, which were gradually widening, and said with absolute certainty:

"That way, you can still study and earn money. You'll be able to cover all the nutritional expenses for your aunt's post-discharge care through your own hard work, won't you?"

After listening to Lin Fan's words...

Su Xiaoxiao stared at the small iron box on the table, completely stunned.

She originally thought that her boss was just being kind and sympathetic to her mother's illness, so he made up an excuse not to let her resign and was paying her salary for nothing.

But now it seems that Lin Fan not only calculated every move meticulously, but also carefully protected her self-esteem as a poor student in an extremely dignified way!

"Brother Lin..."

Su Xiaoxiao's tears welled up in her eyes, but she took a deep breath and forced them back.

"I understand, Brother Lin!"

"Don't worry! I won't suspend my studies; I'll go back to class!"

"As long as I have this box of plum juice, I guarantee that the name 'Lin's Shop' will be known throughout every dormitory building in Jiangcheng University Town within the first month of the semester! I'll absolutely dominate the market in our university town for you!"

Seeing Su Xiaoxiao's energetic and cheerful demeanor, Lin Fan nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, go to the hospital and be with your aunt. You focus on taking care of things at the hospital."

"Yes! Goodbye, Brother Lin!"

Su Xiaoxiao put the tin box into her backpack, turned around and walked out.

The sun outside was still scorching.

But Su Xiaoxiao felt that the future had never been as full of hope as it was today.

……

Watching Su Xiaoxiao's figure disappear around the street corner.

Lin Fan stood up, walked to the water bar, and poured himself a glass of water.

He took out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and dialed Qin Lang's number.

The phone was answered after ringing twice, and the background noise on the other end sounded like it was coming from a quiet room.

"Hey? Brother Lin! Why are you calling me at this hour? Are you done at the shop?"

Qin Lang's loud voice came through the receiver, conveying a sense of enthusiasm that he was always ready to help.

"Yeah, we just closed." Lin Fan said calmly, getting straight to the point.

"Are you free right now? Come to the store, I need your advice on something."

"I'm free! I'll be there in ten minutes!"

Less than ten minutes after hanging up the phone, accompanied by the familiar roar of a supercar engine, Qin Lang's flashy red Ferrari came to a steady stop in front of the store.

"Splash—"

Qin Lang easily slipped in and pulled out a chair to sit opposite Lin Fan.

"Brother Lin, tell me, what are the instructions? Are you going to beat someone up or take over the shop?" Qin Lang wiped his mouth and rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"It's not that exaggerated." Lin Fan chuckled, tapping the table with his finger. "I was just asking you, with your family in the restaurant business for so many years, how familiar are you with food processing and packaging?"

"We know it! We know it all too well!" Qin Lang patted his chest. "Those high-end customized souvenirs, mooncake gift boxes, and specially supplied sauce bottles for the Grand Hyatt Hotel are all made in a factory we have a stake in. What, Brother Lin, are you going to print your own custom takeout boxes for your shop?"

"Not a takeout box."

Lin Fan looked at Qin Lang and slowly revealed his plan:

"I want to make a batch of airtight containers."

"Huh?" Qin Lang was stunned for a moment, clearly not following Lin Fan's train of thought.

"It's a thickened glass jar with excellent sealing properties, lead-free and non-toxic, with a capacity of about 500 milliliters. It's similar to the bottles used to store high-end honey or bird's nest, but with a better quality feel."

Lin Fan described his requirements in detail.

Qin Lang blinked, paused for two seconds, and then let out a surprised exclamation filled with doubt:

"What?! Making canned goods?"

Qin Lang stared wide-eyed at Lin Fan in disbelief:

"Brother Lin, you're giving up a restaurant that makes hundreds of thousands a day to sell canned fruit?!"

"It's not canned food." Lin Fan rubbed his temples helplessly. Talking to this kid can be quite a challenge sometimes.

"It's used to hold the raw plum juice," Lin Fan explained patiently.

"The plum juice in the store is in short supply every day. I'm making it all by myself in the kitchen, and with the front of the restaurant serving the food, the efficiency is too low. Plus, there are too many people queuing up, so the experience is not good."

"I plan to bottle and seal the concentrated syrup and sell it directly to the public. People who buy it only need to dilute it with ice water according to the ratio, and the taste will be almost exactly the same as the one sold in the store."

After these words, Qin Lang fell silent once again.

But this time, it wasn't out of doubt, but because his long-cultivated business acumen was instantly activated.

"Holy crap..."

A good ten seconds passed before Qin Lang finally managed to squeeze out those two words through clenched teeth, his voice trembling slightly. He then slapped his thigh hard.