Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 321, Section 319: Annual Interest Rate Showdown
The city of Wuhan was bustling with activity in 2015.

Optics Valley was filled with the festive atmosphere of the beginning of the new year, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, and bright red ornaments hanging on the shop logos.

Since its trial opening on New Year's Day, a shop called "Relief Coffee" has quietly appeared on the Spanish-style street.

Wow, what a long line!

"These people all came after receiving notifications from the Relief Coffee App, right?"

"Absolutely! With such a great discount, you can enjoy a coffee for just 9.9 yuan. Can you even imagine that normally?"

"Damn it, Jiangcheng is really stupid, you have to queue up everywhere."

"Alright, alright, it doesn't matter where you go during the Chinese New Year."

The fact that it was in trial operation did not diminish the fact that Relief Cafe had become a small focal point on this street.

During the three-day holiday, the number of customers at the Optics Valley store surged.

From nine o'clock in the morning, curiosity drives people to gather here.

Around 1 or 2 p.m., when the sunlight shines on the stalls in the charming street, the popularity of the "Relief Coffee" reaches its peak.

A long, winding queue had formed in the open space in front of the store, resembling a living stream flowing slowly into the store.

New Year, new look; new people, new style.

For the long-established and sophisticated Joyful Coffee, taking this step is indeed incredibly solid.

In just over half a year, the company not only successfully attracted customers through the Relief Coffee App and ignited the private social circles of college students in the Nanhu area, but also gradually built up its reputation.

In fact, compared to later coffee giants like Lucky Mart and Didi, which swept the nation and had hundreds or thousands of stores in first- and second-tier cities across the country, the development speed of Jieyou Coffee was much slower.

But this rate of development is what entrepreneurship is really like in reality.

Practical work and empty talk are of course different.

It's important to know that although Zhou Mingyuan is a visionary with extraordinary abilities, neither he nor Gu Caiwei has any experience in running a real business.

Open a store in one month, open a branch in two months to replicate the success, secure venture capital in three months, and expand nationwide in six months.
Please, wake up.

That's an ideal world, just bragging, something from novels, movies, and TV series. In the real world, where do things go so smoothly?
How to deal with cost pressures?

How to select coffee beans and raw materials?
How to solve the problem of homogeneous competition?

To put it simply, just dealing with the issues on the ground is enough to give an ordinary college student a real headache.

Although Zhou Mingyuan and Gu Caiwei seem carefree and nonchalant in the shop, they have developed a tacit understanding after months of working together.

Identify the problem, analyze the problem, and solve the problem.

Both of them are quick learners, and their communication is seamless.

The coffee shops that used to be on Beiyuan Street didn't even survive until 2014.

Some businesses have been transferred, while others have ceased operations.

When you're running a business, especially a low-cost, highly homogeneous coffee shop, there are bound to be people who engage in malicious competition and create trouble.

But
When it comes to this kind of business, no one can outsmart the shrewd and calculating Zhou Mingyuan.

When we first launched on Dianping, some competitors used anonymous accounts to maliciously leave negative reviews.

Isn't this just like showing off one's skills in front of Lu Ban (a legendary master carpenter)?
As soon as the traffic team made their move, genuine real-person accounts were instantly activated, instantly boosting the other party's store to one star.

Some competitors even hired people to deliberately sabotage the store's operations.

Every now and then, a few burly men, sculpted with dragons and tigers, would sit in a coffee shop and do nothing—neither ordering nor buying anything—and sit there all day long.

This little thing was no problem for Zhou Mingyuan.

What does he do?
A top-tier lawyer by training, this guy made his first fortune on the ground after his rebirth!

How could these petty thugs on the streets be a match for the legitimate financial lending industry?

After Gu Caiwei complained to him about this issue, he quickly contacted a group of people and used their own methods against them.

Besides these, there are all sorts of other messy little tricks.

For example, maliciously placing a large number of takeout orders and then canceling them all at once, deliberately selling coffee at low cost, copying new products from the "Relief of Worries" brand, engaging in false promotions, and imitating advertising methods.
Etc., etc.

Only after solving one problem after another can the Relief Coffee truly establish itself in the Nanhu area.

Only then can we consider opening the next branch.

Otherwise, these problems will simply repeat themselves in every store in the future.

"Ms. Gu looks beautiful today!"

"congratulations!"

"Vivi, I'd like a vanilla latte, to go!"

"An iced Americano, please."

The scene inside the store was even more lively.

The Optics Valley store is almost twice the size of the Relief Coffee shop in Beiyuan.

At midday, the sunlight shone perfectly on the wooden tables and chairs, the walls were adorned with simple black and white photographs, and the area near the window was filled with green plants—it was absolutely beautiful.

In a girl's eyes, every angle and detail of the Relief Cafe is a perfect photo opportunity.

A well-designed shop is the best billboard in itself.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows display everything inside the store without reservation.

A large red Chinese knot hangs at the entrance, adorned with a small card that reads "Relief Coffee · New Year in Optics Valley".

Bar counter, shop window, coffee, posters, beautiful women
Optics Valley has always been known for its abundance of beautiful women.

But looking across the entire Spanish-style street, no one can compare to the female owner of the Relief Cafe in terms of looks or temperament.

"Weiwei, I'm late~"

"I've been so busy these past few days. Congratulations on the grand opening of your new store!"

A crisp, tinkling sound came from the doorway.

A familiar face wearing a brightly colored logo greeted Gu Caiwei with a smile.

"Haha, it's okay, welcome!"

The person who came was her high school classmate Zhao Xue, accompanied by a boy holding a bouquet of flowers.

Upon seeing a familiar face, Gu Caiwei immediately looked up from her phone screen, her dimples clearly visible.

As she greeted Zhao Xue, she nodded to Cai Zhipeng beside her.

I know this person too; we've even had late-night snacks together.

Although the distance from Nanhu to Optics Valley is not very far.

However, most classmates and acquaintances only go to the nearest Relief Coffee shop, let alone make a special trip to the Optics Valley store to support it.

She couldn't help but blink and take another look at Zhao Xue in front of her.

Um.
My old classmate seems to have changed a lot since I last saw him a few weeks ago.

"Seriously, your 'Relief Coffee' app is really good!"

"I happened to be shopping in Optics Valley with a friend today. When I thought about the new store opening, I thought I'd come and see you. And you actually were here."

Zhao Xue giggled and took Gu Caiwei's small hand, acting as warmly as best friends.

How have you been lately?

"."

Gu Caiwei pursed her cherry lips, leaned over and whispered a few words to the barista before turning her head back.

Why bother using this adjective?
friend?
The perceptive little princess immediately noticed Cai Zhipeng's stiff expression.

She didn't expose him, and continued, "It's just like that, nothing special."

"I'm definitely not as good as you. I saw your live stream a while ago."

"What's your situation now? Have you switched careers to become a financial news anchor?"

Even Gu Caiwei couldn't help but ask about Zhao Xue's changes.

Wasn't she studying management?
With the increase in live stream viewers, the style of WeChat Moments and Weibo has also changed, with people frequently offering investment advice.

In the past, Gu Caiwei could usually remain calm and composed when looking at Du Jianuo.

Because she had listened to the expert on contracts, Li Zhi, carefully analyze the intricacies of the matter.

Du Jianuo may appear glamorous, but in reality, she is just an ordinary worker whose income is mostly given to Jieyou Media behind her.

But what about Zhao Xue?

Zhao Xue hasn't been in the industry for very long, right? What's going on?

Being a live streamer can be so lucrative.
How much money did she actually make?

That's right. Whenever a real princess meets a fake heiress, she can see through most of the details in just one glance.

The LV bag, which used to appear frequently in public, has been replaced by a more understated Hermès bag at some point.

Even the scarf hanging around her neck had a certain nouveau riche vibe.

Zhao Xue is different today.

In Gu Caiwei's eyes, the timid gray sparrow in the alley of Shanghai finally soaked its feathers in gold leaf and became a proud, gilded nightingale.

The only remaining trace of the past is the back of my hand, which I unconsciously hid when holding the coffee cup.

Replica rings that are the wrong size are prone to leaving red marks.

"It's alright, I just help my followers with their investments, talk about investment philosophies, and share my experiences."

Zhao Xue didn't explain much, happily accepted the coffee, put her arm on the edge of the bar, and chatted casually with Gu Caiwei.

"When it comes to professional expertise, how can we compare to those of you with formal financial training!"

"Hey Weiwei, I remember you were always trading stocks back in your school days, right?"

What were the stock market returns last year?

The girl raised an eyebrow and asked casually.

"me."

Gu Caiwei cleared her throat, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "Only 18%, that's not much."

You know what, being a female anchor really helps develop emotional intelligence.

Zhao Xue is quite good at asking questions!
The annual stock market returns finally came to a close on December 31st of last year.

The figure of 18% excited Gu Caiwei for quite a while.

When she was a child, her idol was Warren Buffett.

The old man wrote in his autobiography that even someone as strong as Buffett himself only achieved an annualized return of 19% over sixty years!

So Gu Caiwei immediately shared the profit chart in the family group to show off.

Thanks to a good mentor, she was successful in everything she did in the second half of the year, achieving great success and making a name for herself.

"18% is indeed not much."

"."

Gu Caiwei was stunned, her smile freezing on her lips.

"I'm investing in precious metals now, and I don't need to do much. I've already achieved an annualized return of over 25%."

Zhao Xue didn't even blink, looking completely unconcerned.

"so tall?"

"Yes, let me show you my trading history."

The two little heads immediately huddled together.

"Really?"

The little princess, who was speaking Shanghai dialect, was quickly intrigued and pulled Zhao Xue to sit down near a table and chairs in the corner, her bright eyes full of curiosity.

"Don't be Ga Sanhu!"

Cai Zhipeng remained silent, looking completely bewildered, like a robot.

This was the first time he had ever heard Gu Caiwei and Zhao Xue together, chattering in Shanghai dialect that he couldn't understand, and using financial jargon that was even more baffling.

strangeness.
Is my girlfriend really that close to Gu Caiwei?

Out of sheer boredom, Cai Zhipeng could only take out his phone and play with it for a while.

But he was also a little bored, so he looked around at the bustling Relief Cafe in front of him.

If Cai Zhipeng hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that Gu Caiwei and Zhou Mingyuan, both freshmen, could open such a coffee shop in Optics Valley, where land is incredibly valuable.

The prime location within the core business district.

The interior design is so beautiful it's eye-catching.

Even the baristas and servers are more refined and professional compared to the Beiyuan branch, which mainly serves students.

It's so lively
The aroma of coffee seemed to gain weight, blending with the sounds of people chatting and laughing, and together they entered the five senses.

As he looked around, he spotted a familiar face, holding a small, exquisitely decorated box.

Isn't this Zhou Mingyuan?
"Hey hey!"

"Old Zhou, Old Zhou!"

"here!"

Cai Zhipeng put down his coffee cup, quickly stood up, and waved his arms vigorously to signal to Zhou Mingyuan.

"Old Cai is here too?"

Zhou Mingyuan hadn't expected that his first stop back in Jiangcheng would be such a lively scene.

He spent ages squeezing through the long line at the entrance.

He walked over to his roommate, patted Cai Zhipeng on the shoulder with a smile, naturally pulled out a chair and sat down, handing the small box in his hand to Gu Caiwei.

"Here, this is for you."

"What is it?"

The moment Cai Zhipeng spoke, Gu Caiwei noticed the tall and imposing Zhou Mingyuan.

snort!
No such person could be found even during the New Year's Eve period!
She initially intended to ignore him out of spite, but one can't hit a smiling face, especially when there was a small gift involved.

The little princess's eyes were already brimming with joy, which she couldn't hide.

"I brought you some local Hangzhou souvenirs."

"A small dessert."

"Dessert? Then I can open it now?"

Gu Caiwei didn't hold back at all.

In front of Zhao Xue, she rolled up a small section of her sleeve and quickly tore open the red paper on the box.

Wow, Zhiweiguan!

"How do you know I like this?"

The girl looked up, her bright pupils filled with stars.

"Have a vision."

Zhao Xue chimed in from the side.

"You might not know this, but Weiwei and I are from Hangzhou. Every time, she would bring Dingsheng cake from Zhiweiguan to the students who made the most progress in their grades."

"Yes."

Gu Caiwei pouted and said, "I never get to eat any; I can only scrape together a small piece from other classmates."

"That's because your grades are so consistently good!"

Zhao Xue giggled.

"Here, here, you all have a taste."

The dessert given to Gu Caiwei had the shortest shelf life among all the souvenirs.

But it touched the other person's heart.

Gu Caiwei, who is always generous and considerate, immediately opened the outer packaging and shared it with everyone. She not only gave some to Zhao Xue and Cai Zhipeng, but also to the barista and other staff.

"Delicious! Handmade is the best, it tastes just like before."

Zhao Xue squinted and nudged Gu Caiwei with her elbow with a gossipy look on her face.

"I also managed to snag one; it's a souvenir I brought back specially from Hangzhou."

Women are all born actresses.

Zhao Xue, who spent every day with Zhong Yujun, was naturally aware of the intimacy between her roommate and Zhou Mingyuan.

But she put on an expression of intensely shipping the couple, winking and making faces at Gu Caiwei.

I saw it from a great distance.

Zhou Mingyuan quickly changed the subject.

"You two were laughing so happily just now, what were you talking about?"

(End of this chapter)