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Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Being Rejected
"Master Niu, thank you." Looking at Master Niu’s sincere face, Tong Yao smiled and said, "I really have something urgent at the moment and can’t manage the stall, so after a while, I’ll order even more milk than now."
Everyone knows how refreshing it is to drink cold beverages on a hot day. Once the refrigerator is purchased, the business will be steady. Then not only the students will buy milk tea, but the surrounding residents will also come.
"Good, good." Master Niu happily nodded in agreement, and then delivered He Fang’s portion of fresh milk.
"Sis, why did you stop ordering fresh milk at noon?" Si Xiaohui had just heard Tong Yao’s words and was almost jumping up from excitement, but held it in until Master Niu left before asking.
"You don’t understand, do you?" Tong Yao lowered her voice and quietly said, "In order to snatch business, He Fang will lower the price. If she orders too much fresh milk, she definitely won’t be able to sell it all. It’s better to sell what we have on hand and pack up early to go home."
"Are you giving up on the milk tea business?" Si Xiaohui was anxious. "Sis, if you are worried that we won’t be able to compete with He Fang, we can also lower the price. After all, we can’t just admit defeat like this! You started the milk tea business first, why should you give it to He Fang!"
Profit from selling milk tea within a day could be around sixty to seventy. Even if they dropped the price by half, making twenty to thirty dollars would not be little. This kind of profitable business is hard to come by!
"Who said I was going to give it up?" Tong Yao smiled confidently, "I have a plan. Just wait and see, He Fang won’t be able to take over the milk tea business."
Tong Yao knew something about He Fang’s character. It was a bit harsh to call her a cunning merchant, but it was indeed true that she was reluctant to invest a lot of capital in her business.
Originally when Tong Yao was selling milk tea, He Fang suggested using less fresh milk to save on cost. Tong Yao didn’t agree. Now that He Fang is the boss herself, she would definitely decrease the amount of fresh milk used and naturally the taste of the milk tea would be worse.
Sometimes, when facing others trying to snatch her business by lowering their prices, one shouldn’t rush. Chances are that those people will kill their own business themselves.
In the restaurant business, only good taste can retain customers. The flow of people at the school gate is limited and consists mainly of regular customers. If the milk tea doesn’t taste good once or twice, will people come back to buy more?
Just as Si Xiaohui was about to ask Tong Yao what her magic trick was, her attention was drawn by another milk deliveryman. She asked in confusion, "What’s going on? Why did He Fang order two portions of fresh milk?"
Tong Yao also found this strange. Seeing that the deliveryman parked his bike at the school gate, she suddenly understood something. She now had two more competitors, and there was going to be a good show.
Si Xiaohui also caught on a little, and she frowned, "There are people in the school who want to sell milk tea too?"
One He Fang was already enough to give everyone a headache, and now another one had popped up, making it seem like they were preventing others from doing business.
"Let’s see how things go." Tong Yao turned her big eyes and thought for a while, then said, "Not many people came to buy milk tea today. You can watch the stall by yourself."
"Where are you going?" Si Xiaohui looked puzzled.
Tong Yao said crisply, "I have other matters."
Before Si Xiaohui could probe further, Tong Yao had already run off to the nearby area to play with the stray dogs in the school. Si Xiaohui rolled her eyes and muttered, "Not focusing on the actual business."
Despite Si Xiaohui’s accusations, Tong Yao was currently trying to communicate with a few stray dogs. These stray dogs were initially wary of her, until they found that Tong Yao could communicate with them, they lowered their guard. In the end, Tong Yao promised to bring them chicken legs to eat tomorrow, and only then did they honestly answer a few questions.
Don’t underestimate these stray dogs. They often shuttle in and out of the school and know more about what’s going on inside than anybody else. They understood whose presence would deserve a wagging tail.
With the promise of an additional chicken leg, one dirty little black dog wagged its tail and lead the way. After going through a few alleys, they finally arrived at the principal’s house.
[Wait here, the principal leaves the house every morning at seven, he’s about to come out, I’m leaving first, don’t forget to bring me two chicken legs tomorrow.]
Tong Yao waved her hand, "You won’t miss yours, you better hurry up!"
[Don’t forget the chicken legs.] Xiaohei reminded her once more with a bark as she reached the corner.
Tong Yao waved her hand without looking back as the gate in front suddenly opened. A tall, thin man in his fifties, wearing glasses, walked out of the house. He looked puzzled at the young girl who was waving at him from his front door.
"Who are you looking for?"
"..." Tong Yao awkwardly lowered her hand, chuckled twice, and said, "Hello, are you Principal Zeng?"
"I am." Principal Zeng looked Tong Yao up and down suspiciously. He seemed to vaguely remember her but couldn’t confirm if she was a student at the school.
With more than a thousand students at the school and new faces every year, it’s hard to remember everyone. Only a few students who excel in their studies or are particularly naughty have made a deep impression on him.
Seeing his confusion, Tong Yao politely said, "Hello, I sell milk tea at the school gate."
Upon realizing Tong Yao’s identity, Principal Zeng’s brows knitted and his face turned serious. "What do you need from me?"
Wang Fugui had come to him before due to this young girl selling milk tea at the school gate. Principal Zeng hadn’t interfered with the matter and didn’t expect that this young girl would show up at his doorstep now.
Upon hearing that Wang Fugui was planning to sell milk tea in the next few days, Principal Zeng thought Tong Yao had come to him because of this, and felt slightly unhappy. He felt that Tong Yao was taking advantage of the situation.
Tong Yao didn’t beat around the bush, but directly stated her purpose for coming: "Principal Zeng, I’d like to know, are you planning to lease out the shop at the school gate?"
"You’ve been selling milk tea outside the school, and I’ve let it be. However, I won’t lease the school shop to you." Without any hesitation, Principal Zeng promptly and sternly refused Tong Yao’s request to lease the shop and walked away.
Tong Yao had prepared for the possibility of being refused, but she didn’t expect Principal Zeng to be so decisive in his refusal. After a moment of surprise, Tong Yao hurried to catch up with him and politely asked, "Principal Zeng, could you tell me why you’re not leasing to me?"
Initially, he didn’t want to have any further conversation with Tong Yao, but since she caught up, he was taken aback. He had to admire her courage. After being rejected, a young girl was not discouraged but wanted to find out the reason instead. Principal Zeng felt that this courage was worth praising, so he sternly explained the reason for his refusal.
"You’re just a young girl, still in need of someone to supervise you. How could you take on the responsibility of ensuring the hygiene and safety of beverages for thousands of students? I won’t interfere with you selling milk tea at the school gate, but I won’t agree to lease the shop to you. Don’t waste your effort."
The issue of leasing the shop at the school gate isn’t as simple as whether to lease it or not. Once it’s leased, it’s equivalent to the school acknowledging the hygiene conditions of the milk tea. If there’s an issue with beverage hygiene and students have problems after drinking it, the school has to take responsibility.
This is why the shop at the school gate has always been vacant. It’s not that it can’t be leased, but he can’t lease it easily.
Principal Zeng didn’t think a young girl, just like a high school student, could take on this responsibility. So he didn’t even consider leasing the shop to Tong Yao.
