I met my whole family through Baidu Tieba.

As Shen Kang was pondering, a voice rang out beside him.

Hey, classmate.

Following the sound, a boy sat down next to him, smiling kindly, and offered him a pack of cigarettes. "Want a smoke?"

"No, thank you."

Shen Kang smiled and declined, then sized up the boy: good-looking, probably in his early twenties, likely a student at Yang University of Science and Technology, wearing a Zara shirt and pants, and a Citizen watch, suggesting he came from a well-off family.

"My name is Guo Pinyan, and I'm a third-year student majoring in financial management," the boy introduced himself.

"Shen Kang, a freshman majoring in e-commerce."

Guo Pinyan was a little surprised, but she quickly covered it up and laughed, "Wow, impressive! You're starting a business in your freshman year! I overheard you inside earlier, you're going to open a laundry room, right? Forget about it, no chance. I wanted to open one before, but it was impossible, the school doesn't allow it."

Following the principle of taking a chance, Shen Kang asked, "Senior Guo, do you know why?"

"The school just won't allow it..."

Shen Kang listened for a while and realized that the other party didn't know the specific reason either.

However, Guo Pinyan hadn't come over to discuss this with Shen Kang. He quickly changed the subject, saying, "...The laundry room is out of the question, but you could consider other projects. I'm planning to open a coffee shop with a chic, upscale style. We'll have large glass walls, tables and chairs outside, and parasols—the atmosphere will be amazing, and it'll definitely be popular! What do you think? Interested in investing?"

Guo Pinyan wasn't actually as confident in the coffee shop as he claimed. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to seek investment and reduce risk just because he met a wealthy person—this kid dared to open a laundromat, he must be rich.

Shen Kang naturally saw through it too, smiled, and said, "Never mind, I still want to open a laundry room."

Guo Pinyan asked, "The school doesn't allow it, how do you drive it?"

"Let's think of something and give it a try. Maybe they'll allow it?"...

The two chatted for a while longer, politely exchanged phone numbers, and then Shen Kang left.

Guo Pinyan watched the junior's back as he took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled a long stream of smoke.

Does this junior think the school is his family's property? He's even willing to give it a try?

In a couple of days, once this junior realizes there's really no chance, we can try to pull him back, and maybe things will work out.

Thinking this, Guo Pinyan took another puff of his cigarette, checked his watch, and realized it was almost time. So he got up and went to Yangcheng Business School next door to have dinner with his second girlfriend.

……

Shen Kang did not return to his dormitory. Instead, he called Xiao Bonian and got the phone number of Qian Ming'en, the vice dean of the School of Economics and Management, with whom he had dinner the day before. He then called Qian Ming'en and said that he had something he wanted to talk to him about and hoped to meet him.

Qian Mingen agreed, and the meeting place was set in his office.

Shen Kang had been there before, so he knew the way and went straight to Qian Ming'en's office.

Only Qian Ming'en was inside. Seeing Shen Kang enter, he smiled and said, "Please have a seat. How was your stay at Yang University of Science and Technology? Did you enjoy it?"

Shen Kang pulled up a chair and sat down opposite him, saying, "The dorm environment is excellent, and there's even a TV. Everyone says 1400 a year is incredibly good value."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shen Kang revealed his purpose: "Dean Qian, I'd like to open a laundry room on campus, but the logistics department says that the laundry room is a school-run project and outside businesses are not allowed to open one."

"Looking at that table, all the services operated by the school are essential and basic. Laundry can be done by hand; it doesn't necessarily have to be done in a washing machine, so it should be considered an added-value service. How did it end up in the basic services category?"

Qian Ming'en smiled. "Oh, so you're planning to start a business so soon?"

Then, he said slowly and deliberately, "Laundry is indeed a basic service, so you should give up on that idea. I suggest you open another kind of shop, like a milk tea shop or something; those are good options and simple."

Yesterday's encounter left Qian Ming'en with the impression that Shen Kang was a spoiled rich kid who kept saying "my mom said." He guessed that this kid wanted to open a shop in order to attract girls to date him. Qian Ming'en had seen many students like this before.

Therefore, there are many things I don't want to, and don't need to, let Shen Kang know.

Thinking this, Qian Ming'en picked up the teacup and prepared to take a sip.

Shen Kang looked at Qian Ming'en and suddenly asked, "Since the school has classified the laundry service as a self-operated item, the school should be able to get the laundry service up and running in the next two or three years, right?"

"Dean Qian, I noticed that the self-operated projects are mostly public welfare services, such as the cafeteria's fast food windows, which are sold below cost and rely on subsidies from higher authorities. Since the laundry service is also included in the self-operated projects, will there be subsidies for that as well? How much is the subsidy each year?"

After Qian Ming'en unscrewed the cup lid, he paused, and his gaze toward Shen Kang suddenly became serious, as if he were meeting this boy for the first time.

After a while, he put down his teacup, stopped drinking tea, and began to speak slowly from the beginning.

"Originally, all business operations within the school were run by the school itself. However, after the turn of the millennium, a document was issued from above to carry out the socialization reform of logistics services. In principle, based on the school's self-operation, some logistics services were opened up to introduce market vitality, improve service quality, and reduce the burden on the school."

"Therefore, deciding which projects to operate in-house and which to open up has become an important part of the socialization reform of logistics."

After explaining the general premise, Qian Mingen moved on to the specific laundry services.

"Some people at the school have put forward the argument that clean clothes are a basic guarantee of personal hygiene and also a guarantee of human health, which is essential."

"Students' task is to study, so using washing machines to free them up from hand washing clothes can free up a lot of study time, which is in line with our school's core goal of 'prioritizing education'."

"If laundry services are opened to outside businesses and the prices are too high, some students will not be able to afford them, which will reduce their study time and make educational resources unfair."

"Therefore, laundry services are essential and basic, and should be provided by schools with welfare subsidies to ensure fairness in the amount of study time for each student and to ensure fairness in educational resources."

After listening, Shen Kang couldn't help but admire them: These university teachers really know how to talk nonsense, and they do it so cleverly and logically.

"What do you think, Dean Qian?" Shen Kang asked tentatively.

Qian Ming'en chuckled, neither confirming nor denying.

Shen Kang then understood that Dean Qian was not his enemy, but a neutral party—the Dragon Slayer Manual tells us that the first task in battle is to distinguish who is the enemy, who is the friend, and who can be united.

Shen Kang finally revealed his plan: "I plan to open a laundry room, not using the school's current rental model, but adopting a joint venture model."

He had just learned at the logistics service center that Yangko University of Science and Technology's logistics outsourcing is currently based on a rental system. The purpose of the shops is clearly defined, and then the shops pay rent, and that's it. How much money the shops make or lose is none of the school's business.

"Under the joint venture model, in addition to the fixed rent, the school will also take a cut of the profits from me. As for the percentage..."

Shen Kang looked at Qian Ming'en: "Dean Qian, the school should already have a specific plan for the laundry service, right? How much is the subsidy each year?"

Qian Ming'en remained calm and nodded slightly: "The plan does exist, but the school is short of funds, so it cannot be implemented for the time being. According to the plan, after the laundry service is implemented, an additional subsidy of 20 yuan will be provided every year."

At least a portion of the annual subsidy of 20 must be genuine.

Shen Kang did some mental calculations, smiled, and said, "I think 30% is a good percentage for the commission we've offered to the school."

"In addition, we can sign a guarantee agreement with the school, stipulating that if the school receives less than 10 yuan in commission from us within a year, we will take a portion of our own profits to make up the difference to 10 yuan for the school."

"Besides, I'm still a university student, starting my own business. I lack experience and really need a mentor to help me. Would Dean Qian be willing to be my mentor?"

Qian Ming'en glanced at the boy in front of him, then finally picked up his teacup again, slowly took a sip of tea, and kept calculating in his mind.

He understood what Shen Kang meant.

Those who push for laundry services to be classified as basic services are a group of people who are profiting from it. Others don't object because it's none of their business.

Now that new money is coming in, bystanders can become participants—what was none of their business before is now their business.

10 yuan a year isn't a lot, but it's not a small amount either. After all, his salary as vice dean is only 5500 yuan a month including benefits. 10 yuan is enough for their School of Economics and Management to offer two or three provincial-level excellent courses.

This happens every year.

Moreover, those who push for laundry services to be classified as basic services don't actually receive much; everyone's share is roughly equal...

A while later, Qian Mingen finished his tea and put down his teacup.

When asked about Shen Kang's invitation to be his mentor, Qian Ming'en did not respond, but instead brought up another matter.

"I'd like to know, if it were you, how would you argue against what I just said about 'educational equity'?"

Shen Kang smiled slyly, "Why argue? I didn't tell the school not to provide laundry services. It's just that the school is currently short of funds and can't implement laundry services for the time being, right? I can do this first and test the waters for the school."

"On the one hand, during the operation, I can accumulate a large amount of user data and provide it to the school. In this way, when the school has the funds to establish the laundry service, it can plan precisely to ensure the full utilization of funds and avoid waste and shortages."

"On the other hand, before the school's laundry service is established, I will provide it first, so that students who are willing to use the service can start doing laundry, freeing up a lot of study time and improving their learning efficiency and grades."

"Under their exemplary influence, students who might not have been used to laundry services before will also be willing to purchase laundry services to improve their learning efficiency and grades after seeing the improvement in their own. At that time, the school's public welfare laundry service will also be implemented seamlessly, ensuring that everyone has access to laundry services and that everyone improves their learning efficiency and grades, thus achieving our school's core goal of 'prioritizing education'!"