sovbooks Chapter 186 Persuasion
Chapter 186 Persuasion
Song Huan and Xiao Yunqing explored the area for a while longer, and after asking a few passersby, they finally chose the next shop to join the food alliance.
It's a milk tea shop that's supposedly been open near the school for almost twenty years.
The signboard has faded and the edges are curled up, but the floor tiles in the store are still the same, worn shiny.
Song Huan pushed open the door and went in; the bell on the door rang once.
The owner, a man in his fifties, stood behind the counter, wearing a faded apron, wiping cups.
There were a few people sitting in the shop, not many, but it was already quite good for this season.
Song Huan walked to the counter and ordered, "Two cups of signature milk tea."
The boss nodded and turned to start cooking.
The tea leaves are scooped out of the jar and poured into the filter. Hot water is poured over them, and the tea soup flows out from the bottom of the filter. It is reddish-brown and has a fragrant aroma.
Xiao Yunqing stood next to Song Huan, watching the boss's hands. He was wearing gloves, and his hand holding the cup was steady. There were no water stains on the table, and the dishcloth was folded neatly.
It is clean and hygienic, with no risk of collapse, making it suitable for long-term cooperation.
She turned her head and glanced at Song Huan, who noticed it too and nodded.
The owner brought over two cups of milk tea and placed them on the counter. "Enjoy."
Song Huan paid the money, took the milk tea, and didn't leave.
He looked at the shop owner and said casually, "Boss, the government is going to turn this street into a food street. I'm afraid your business will fluctuate in the future, right?"
The boss was taken aback for a moment, then said, "So what if there are fluctuations? We've been open for so many years anyway."
Xiao Yunqing glanced at Song Huan, and Song Huan nodded.
"That's how it is now."
Song Huan placed the milk tea she was holding on the counter. "I'm planning to form a food alliance. Would you be interested in joining?"
The shopkeeper glanced at him, then at Xiao Yunqing. He thought the two kids were some kind of guy trying to sell something, so he waved his hand, about to refuse.
Xiao Yunqing took half a step forward and said anxiously, "Boss, this food alliance is to unite all the businesses on this street and issue a food card. Students will get a 20% discount with the card. We'll handle the promotion, and you just need to take care of the customers."
The boss laughed, the kind of laugh an adult gives a child, "Why should I believe you?"
Song Huan leaned against the counter, her tone flat, "Because I am a student from No. 1 High School."
The shop owner paused for a moment, and Song Huan continued, "I'm a student, so I understand students' needs best. As long as it's cheap and has benefits, they'll definitely come."
The boss looked at him but didn't say anything.
The way this child talks doesn't sound like a child.
Song Huan pushed the milk tea aside and took a half step forward. "Boss, your shop's products are pretty good, but the location is a bit out of the way, so it definitely can't compare to those newly opened shops. But I can help you attract customers and let all three thousand students in the school know that your shop is here."
The boss's hand stopped on his apron.
Song Huan didn't stop, "I expect to issue more than 500 of these cards initially. The students who hold these cards are all your potential customers. If you give them a 20% discount when they come to your store, you won't lose money."
The boss's mouth moved slightly, but he didn't make a sound.
Song Huan held up one finger.
"There's one more thing: my card will only be used with your milk tea shop. I'll only sign up with one shop of the same type. Once you sign up, no one else can get in."
The boss's expression changed.
Song Huan heard his inner thoughts, like beads on an abacus being turned.
[What this kid said seems to make some sense.]
[That new restaurant across the street has been stealing a lot of my business lately.]
[If a few more bubble tea shops open in the future, my business really won't be able to keep up.]
[If he can really attract students...]
Song Huan's heart skipped a beat, and she spoke up again, "Boss, that milk tea shop across the street recently launched a new product, and it's taking away a lot of your business, right? I can help you bring those students back."
The boss's face darkened.
Song Huan didn't give him time. "With a 20% discount, you'll earn 20% less, but the customer traffic might increase by 30% or even 50%. In the end, you'll earn more."
The boss clenched his hand on his apron for a moment, then let go.
"As for your concerns, I know all of that."
Song Huan took the contract out of his pocket, unfolded it, and placed it on the counter. "It's all in black and white, clearly written so both parties have a clear understanding. And even if this food alliance fails, you won't suffer any losses."
The boss lowered his head, staring at the contract, and didn't say anything.
Song Huan picked up the milk tea, took a sip, and put it down.
His tone softened, as if he were talking about something trivial.
"Boss, think about it. If one of these newly opened shops is a bubble tea shop, and I partner with them, how much of your customer traffic will be taken away?"
He paused for a moment, then said, "You say you don't care, but what if one day you see other people's businesses getting better and better, while you can only sell two or three cups a day? Can you really still stay calm?"
The shop became quiet.
The bell didn't ring, and no one came in.
Xiao Yunqing stood to the side, not daring to breathe.
The boss's expression shifted between gloom and sunshine, like the sky outside the window, where clouds obscured the sun and then dispersed.
Song Huan didn't say anything more.
He picked up the milk tea, turned around and walked out. "Let's go check out that milk tea shop across the street."
Xiao Yunqing opened his mouth as if to say something, but he had already walked out.
She could only keep up.
The bell rang once, and the door was about to close.
"Wait a minute." The shopkeeper's voice came from behind the counter.
Song Huan stopped in her tracks.
He turned around, deliberately feigning a puzzled expression.
The shop owner stood behind the counter, hands resting on the countertop, looking at him. "I agree."
Song Huan breathed a sigh of relief, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
Finally, we succeeded!
He walked back, took a pen out of his pocket, and handed it over.
The boss took it, signed his name on the contract, his handwriting was messy, but every stroke was heavy.
He pushed the contract back, leaned back in his chair, looked at the two children in front of him, and sighed.
"Young people these days are getting smarter and smarter, starting to do business at such a young age."
Song Huan folded the contract neatly and put it in her pocket.
He stood in front of the counter, looked at the boss, and said in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant, "Boss, many years from now, you will thank yourself for signing this contract today."
The boss looked at him.
There was something in this child's eyes that I couldn't quite put my finger on. It wasn't confidence, but rather a sense of certainty, as if he had already seen things many years into the future.
What he didn't know was that it was just an inexplicable confidence that reborn people have when facing the future.
Holding the signed contract, Xiao Yunqing still felt like she was dreaming as she walked out of the milk tea shop.
These 20-year-old shops have really been taken over!
Xiao Yunqing was somewhat incredulous, then, recalling Song Huan's negotiation just now, he couldn't help but look to the side with a hint of admiration.
Song Huan was drinking her milk tea with her head down, seemingly lost in thought.
He's really, really amazing...
Xiao Yunqing couldn't help but feel a mixture of admiration and happiness for him.