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Chapter 119 Let's call it Misty Rain Tea Princess (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

Bi Xiangyu is an undergraduate student. After graduating, he joined Wonka and worked at the headquarters for a year before being sent by Manager Wu to the Yangke University store for training. He is considered one of Manager Wu's protégés.

So Manager Wu didn't mince words and said directly, "Wonka is currently in a critical period of branding and standardization. Establishing a stable pricing system is the core strategy. We can't afford to fall into the vicious cycle of '3 yuan a cup' competition like before."

"Right now, we're like building a stable price pyramid," and the commission they're proposing, though seemingly small, could be the trigger that ignites the entire pricing system, causing the price pyramid to collapse.

Bi Xiangyu opened his mouth, thinking that Manager Wu was exaggerating: "Is it really that bad, Manager Wu?"

"Not that bad?"

Manager Wu's tone gradually became serious: "Let me ask you, have you ever thought about what it would be like if you actually cooperated with him on this commission model? It would be like you selling him a cup of milk tea that the headquarters sets at 7 yuan for 6 yuan."

"In order to attract his customers, he might be willing to earn less and sell it to them for 6.5 yuan a cup, or even sell it for 6 yuan a cup without making a profit. This would disrupt Wonka's pricing system in your area."

Bi Xiangyu was taken aback; he really hadn't expected there to be such a way to play.

But he immediately said, "Then we can sign a contract with him stipulating that he can't sell milk tea below our fixed price, would that work?"

Manager Wu shook his head on the other end of the phone. "What are the rules? He has plenty of ways to do things. Just the ones I can think of right now are things like redeeming points at board game stores or giving away free drinks for spending a certain amount. There are plenty of ways to find loopholes."

Bi Xiangyu opened his mouth, wanting to say that Shen Kang was just a college student, how could he think of these things?

However, he didn't really know Shen Kang and didn't dare to make any boastful claims, so in the end he couldn't say anything.

When Manager Wu on the other end of the phone heard Bi Xiangyu remain silent, he felt somewhat regretful, thinking that Bi Xiangyu was still too inexperienced and had not been trained enough.

Then Manager Wu continued, "This is just your area. If you start it, won't others follow suit? If too many people do it, the entire pricing system will be in chaos. A small leak can sink a great ship, and you'll be the culprit!"

"As long as you work hard and don't make mistakes, you can steadily get promoted. There's no need to take such a big risk. The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the less mistakes you make. This may sound a bit pessimistic, but it makes sense."

After saying that, Manager Wu brought up another issue.

"Furthermore, have you considered how much the hidden costs for your store will increase if you cooperate as he says? Because you need to calculate his commission, you'll have to keep separate accounts and coordinate with him, which will increase costs for personnel and management. Moreover, our company now uses computer networks and system management, so we'll have to create a special function for your store, which is another cost."

"The extra profit you make, about 200 yuan a day, can it offset these costs?"

Bi Xiangyu remained silent.

After Manager Wu explained things to him, he realized that he had oversimplified the situation.

Manager Wu continued, "Of course, it's not that we can't cooperate. Everything depends on the costs and benefits, which is why I asked about the size of your board game store earlier."

"If that board game store were a chain, and we could collaborate on a large scale to generate significant profits, then we might consider investing some resources to partner with them. But as you said, it's just a small store on campus, and the profits are too small to justify the costs and risks we incur, so we're not going to cooperate."

Manager Wu then spoke earnestly, "Xiangyu, I value you highly, and I can't let you stay in that small shop forever. So you need to learn and grow. You can't limit your vision to just one shop; you need to look at things from a holistic perspective. You can't risk harming the whole for a small, localized gain; that would be a losing proposition, picking up the sesame seeds and losing the watermelon."

"Currently, the overall strategy at headquarters is to establish a sound pricing system and pursue branding and standardization." Remember this and stay aligned with this approach to accelerate your promotions. Furthermore, if you want a deeper understanding of this, I suggest you research Anjia Home Services, a newly emerging company in Yangcheng. Although they are not in the same field, the fundamental principles are the same.

"Anjia Home Services" has done an excellent job in branding and standardization, which is why it has risen so quickly. This proves the power of branding and standardization. When you study them, you'll find that they are meticulous to the point of being rigid and inflexible, almost to the point of overcorrection. But you must know that overcorrection is necessary! If you give even the slightest opening at the bottom, the foundation may crumble.

Manager Wu really valued Bi Xiangyu, and he gave him a lesson on the spot, practically breaking it down and stuffing it into Bi Xiangyu's mouth.

After teaching for a long time, it finally ended.

Bi Xiangyu finally spoke up, unable to hide his frustration: "I understand, Manager Wu."

He wasn't frustrated that the collaboration couldn't be completed, but rather frustrated that he seemed too inexperienced and hadn't considered things thoroughly enough.

"Good that you understand."

Manager Wu concluded, "Of course, cooperation is possible if you insist, but there can be no commission."

Bi Xiangyu thought to himself, "Without a commission, isn't this the same as not having a partnership at all?"

But she still said, "I understand."

Shen Kang sat on the stool, holding the milk tea brought by the shop assistant, and glanced in the direction of Bi Xiangyu, who was on the phone. He thought to himself that this shop manager Bi was really taking a long time on the phone.

Then she put down the milk tea without drinking it.

These days, milk tea shops still use a combination of non-dairy creamer, flavorings, and tea powder. Wonka Milk Tea is no exception. Shen Kang's descendants, who are used to drinking new tea drinks made with real milk and real tea leaves, can no longer get used to this kind of milk tea.

He had been feeling quite uncomfortable because he had insisted on drinking He Qiuzhu's milk tea, but seeing He Qiuzhu's expression made him quite happy.

After thinking for a while, Shen Kang came back to his senses and looked in Bi Xiangyu's direction again, only to find that he was still on the phone.

This gave him a bad feeling.

"It seems like things aren't going too well—"

After a while, Bi Xiangyu finally finished his call and came over.

Shen Kang also stood up. "How was it, Manager Bi?"

Bi Xiangyu had already put away his dejected expression and replaced it with a professional apology, "I'm really sorry, Boss Shen, the higher-ups don't agree with the plan you put forward."

"Oh?"

Shen Kang thought for a moment and said, "Are you not satisfied with the commission rate? Or do you want to sign a sales contract that stipulates the selling price of milk tea in our 302 study room? We can all sit down and talk about it. There's no need to refuse so quickly."

Bi Xiangyu was startled: Holy crap, this college student actually guessed the higher-ups' concerns?!

If Manager Wu could think of it, so could this college student—Bi Xiangyu began to wonder if he was just too stupid.

But he knew this wasn't the time to think about that, so he quickly composed himself and shook his head, saying, "It's not about these issues. Boss Shen, actually, if you want to cooperate, it's still possible—the higher-ups mean that your 302 study room can cooperate without taking any cut."

Shen Kang confirmed again: "You mean, I put your Wonka milk tea on our menu, customers order it, our staff buys it from your store at the original price, delivers it to the customer, and we don't get any commission?"

"Yes, that's what I mean."

Bi Xiangyu seemed a little embarrassed when he answered.

In this kind of collaboration, Wonka Milk Tea got a menu spot in 302 Learning Room for free, but didn't contribute anything and even made the staff of 302 Learning Room run errands themselves, increasing costs.

Bi Xiangyu thought to himself, "This college student is probably going to get angry."

But to his surprise, Shen Kang simply smiled and said, "I understand. It's alright, even if a deal falls through, we can still be friends. Thank you for the milk tea."

After leaving Wonka Milk Tea Shop, Shen Kang did not return to his dormitory. Instead, he walked along Xiaodong Street with the unopened milk tea in his hand.

He guessed a few reasons why Wonka Milk Tea refused to cooperate with 302 Study Room, but he didn't know which one it was. However, it didn't matter anymore, the result was what it was.

What he needs to do now is think about what he should do next.

Judging from the customers' behavior in Study Room 302, they need milk tea. Since Wonka Milk Tea is unwilling to take a cut for cooperation, only two options remain: 1. Continue allowing customers to bring in Wonka Milk Tea without incident. 2. Study Room 302 makes its own milk tea.

Which one to choose?

Shen Kang quickly made a decision: he wanted them all.

302 Study Room will launch its own milk tea. Customers who like 302 Study Room milk tea can buy it.

Customers who like Wonka milk tea should buy Wonka milk tea.

Of course, there's a slight difference: 302 Study Room's homemade milk tea will be on their menu; you can order it while you're there and it will be delivered by the staff. Wonka milk tea, however, won't be on the menu. If you want Wonka milk tea, you'll have to buy it yourself.

With the strategy set, the only remaining question is: what kind of milk tea should be made in Study Room 302?

Shen Kang recalled the blank, pouting expression on He Qiuzhu's face when he had just gulped down her milk tea.

This kid seems to really like milk tea? She was quite generous when I ate her ice cream cone during the day, but she's so picky about milk tea.

However, non-dairy creamer and flavorings are also unhealthy.

Shen Kang then had an idea.

To make a milk tea, we should make it like the "new tea drinks" of later generations such as Chayan Yuese and Bawang Chaji, which are made with real milk and real tea leaves, and reject things like non-dairy creamer, artificial flavorings and tea powder.

Shen Kang's desire to create this kind of milk tea had nothing to do with He Qiuzhu. It was mainly based on the positioning of the 302 Study Room: the 302 Study Room focuses on social interaction, and social interaction is also a core component of the brand value of later brands like Chayan and Bawang.

We're both social media users, so we're a good match.

Of course, using real milk and real tea would significantly increase costs and price, but in a social environment like the 302 study room, this isn't a problem because it already carries added social value. It's a bit like how beer in a bar is much more expensive than in a supermarket, but it still sells.

Shen Kang had even thought of a name for her—"Let's call her Yan Yu Cha Ji."

After thinking it through, Shen Kang went to study room 302.

Yang Yunhan was still standing at the front desk, working on the computer.

Shen Kang placed the unopened milk tea on the table. "Thank you for your hard work. I specially bought you a cup of milk tea. Here, try it and see how it tastes."

Yang Yunhan glanced at it, then paused, "Boss, you were just gone for a short while to buy me milk tea?"

Shen Kang gave a nonchalant "hmm" and said, "After all, you work so hard every day. Buying you a cup of milk tea is just what I, as your boss, should do."

Yang Yunhan accepted the milk tea, feeling genuinely touched, and even found Shen Kang more agreeable to her.

Shen Kang asked, "By the way, how's Xu Shiwei getting into the swing of things?"

Xu Shiwei was the formal employee recruited in Study Room 302.

Yang Yunhan said, "He has already mastered the basic tasks. After all, it's not difficult. He organized several tables today, and there were no problems."

"Okay. There's something I need to tell you. Our shop is going to make its own milk tea too."

Yang Yunhan was taken aback, then subconsciously asked, "So, will customers not be allowed to bring in Wonka's milk tea anymore?"

Shen Kang shook his head: "No, let them bring it in if they want. From now on, we'll operate on two fronts: we'll make our own milk tea, and if customers like Wonka milk tea, we'll allow them to bring their own. The principle is simple: give the choice to the customers."

Seeing that Yang Yunhan understood, Shen Kang continued, "Since Xu Shiwei has already gotten the hang of the job, let's hand over tonight's work to him. Go to the big supermarkets and tea shops outside the school right away and buy a lot of milk and tea of ​​different brands and price ranges. Make sure the milk is the kind that's refrigerated and has a shelf life of no more than 7 days; don't buy room temperature milk."

"As for the tea, you can decide for yourself."

As Shen Kang spoke, he took out his wallet and pulled out all the cash inside, totaling over two thousand yuan. He gave it to Yang Yunhan and also gave her a bank card, telling her the PIN. "Also, buy a refrigerator while you're at it, to store milk and tea. Get it over tonight. If you don't deliver it, I'll charge you extra."

Yang Yunhan took the money and card, a little confused: "Boss, you want me to figure out how to make our shop's milk tea? I don't know how!"

"I knew you wouldn't know how. I'll figure it out myself. You just need to buy everything." Shen Kang didn't expect anything from Yang Yunhan.

Yang Yunhan was taken aback again. "Boss, you can do this too?"

Shen Kang replied matter-of-factly, "I don't know how either. I'll figure it out slowly. Who's born knowing how to make milk tea?"

"————Alright then."

"Remember to get an invoice."

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