Chapter One Hundred: Hao Jianguo's Admiration

"Wei Lanhua, bring over two bottles of cola," Chen Huajiang called out to Wei Lanhua, waving his hand before settling into his seat.

"Alright," Wei Lanhua replied, quickly fetching two bottles of cola and walking over.

"Boss, Manager Hao, do you need anything else?" she asked as she opened the bottles, her gaze curious as it swept over them.

Over the past three days, all the employees in the shop had noticed that Chen Huajiang was training Hao Jianguo. At first, everyone was curious about him, wondering what qualities he possessed to earn such attention from the boss. But in those three days, Hao Jianguo won them over. He was always the first to arrive and the last to leave, with a diligent attitude toward learning. Whether it was as a server, kitchen helper, or cook, he humbly sought advice from everyone.

Facing customers, Hao Jianguo was also warm and polite. If he met someone willing to chat, he would ask for their opinions on the shop and whether there was anything that needed improvement. Some of the older women particularly liked him; just this morning, one aunt even tried to introduce him to her niece, only to sigh in regret upon learning he was already married with a son.

Wei Lanhua admired both men, but she was still curious about what they were discussing.

"No, that's all. You can get back to your work," Chen Huajiang smiled, nodding to her.

"But, since there are no customers now, may I listen in on your conversation?" The urge to gossip emboldened Wei Lanhua to ask. Having spent some time together, she knew Chen Huajiang was approachable; otherwise, she wouldn't have dared.

Chen Huajiang smiled and nodded casually. It was a quiet time, with no business, and as it wasn't anything akin to a state secret, he didn't mind her listening.

"Let's address your proposals one by one. First, your suggestion to expand the business area, adding more space and tables," Chen Huajiang said, tapping his index finger on the table as he looked at Hao Jianguo.

"This is actually a point against you. Your thinking is still stuck in the traditional restaurant and hotel model. Our shop doesn't need more space or seats; in fact, we need fewer seats."

At this, Chen Huajiang observed Hao Jianguo, curious to see if he could grasp the concept. In the future of the food industry, this was quite straightforward—it's all about positioning.

Their shop, to put it simply, was a fast-food restaurant. It might appear upscale now, but in the future, fast-food places would be considered the lower tier of dining. Take KFC and McDonald's as examples—within ten years, they'd enter the domestic market. At first, they seemed high-class, but eventually, they'd become no different from street vendors, aside from brand effect and slightly higher prices.

"I don't understand," Hao Jianguo admitted after pondering, shaking his head.

"But I still believe my suggestion isn't wrong. With more space and more tables, we can accommodate more guests, and that means higher sales," he insisted.

Wei Lanhua nodded in agreement. His reasoning was clear and easy to grasp.

"Have you looked at the accounts? The sales records? Where does our shop earn the most?" Chen Huajiang asked, looking at Hao Jianguo.

"Well—surely from the customers who buy and leave. But that's only because there are too few seats," Hao Jianguo replied, slightly surprised but confident.

It was an obvious fact.

"And if you expand? Does the number of people queuing increase? Not really. At most, there will be more customers sitting and eating before leaving," Chen Huajiang chuckled, taking a sip of cola.

Hao Jianguo frowned deeply. He knew Chen Huajiang was right, but something still felt off.

"Actually, if you look at it this way, it's clearer. Our restaurant is different from others—we don't provide much space for dining in. Most customers buy their food to take away or eat elsewhere."

"Our positioning is fast food, quick service, earning through volume. If you want to give every customer a seat to eat, how big would the shop need to be? During peak hours, you'd have to buy out the entire Nantian Hotel!"

Chen Huajiang set the bottle down, smiling.

With those words, Hao Jianguo's eyes grew bright—he finally understood.

"Then why not remove all the tables and chairs? And why create a play area for children?" Hao Jianguo asked, puzzled again, thinking it contradicted what Chen Huajiang had just said.

"That's another aspect. The current setup ensures a certain rate of dine-in, creating the impression of a bustling crowd. To outsiders, it looks lively and popular," Chen Huajiang explained. "People assume the food must be good, and passersby are drawn in to try something. The children's play area is called differentiated service, or human-centered design—it allows parents with kids to dine more easily."

"And of course, most importantly, children are hard to handle. The money spent on women and children is always easier to earn than that spent on men," Chen Huajiang continued, pointing to the small playground.

"If your son passed by and saw other kids playing there, wouldn't he want to join in? If he does, would you feel comfortable not buying anything? Even if you could resist, the smell of food and the sight of other kids eating would make your son cry, fuss, or roll on the floor. Could you still hold out?"

Chen Huajiang revealed a marketing trick that had long become commonplace in the industry, but to Hao Jianguo and Wei Lanhua, it was a revelation that left them stunned.

Both stared at Chen Huajiang, mouths agape, as if to say, "That's so cunning," "That's so shameless."

"The boss is a genius, even thinking about kids," Hao Jianguo said, full of admiration—cunning or not, he knew it was correct.

"The boss is amazing," Wei Lanhua echoed.

Chen Huajiang then proceeded to address each questionable point in Hao Jianguo's proposal, explaining and clarifying them one by one.

As he spoke, Hao Jianguo grew increasingly impressed, yet also felt a deep sense of shame. Looking at his answers now, he saw they were riddled with errors. Chen Huajiang had generously given him a passing score earlier, purely out of kindness. He'd insisted on hearing the deductions, and now realized he'd brought the trouble upon himself.

This time, Hao Jianguo was truly convinced—not just by Chen Huajiang's business acumen, but also by his character.

Wei Lanhua, too, looked at Chen Huajiang with admiration. She never imagined there could be so much complexity in running a restaurant, so many hidden tricks. The most remarkable thing was that Chen Huajiang was still young, yet seemed to know everything, as if there was nothing beyond his grasp.