Guide To Lying Flat And Getting Rich As A Kept Alpha - Chapter 10
10
The entire setup and business model of “Shanhe Tuling,” from its decor to its operations—dedicated order-takers, a chalkboard for scheduling, and even logo-printed clothing bags—were all ideas from Luo Hetu. Recently, she had been increasing the number of tasks she completed in the system’s marketplace, allowing her to print more books. However, since she had a guaranteed deal with a publisher, she only casually printed around twenty books a day to sell at the milk tea shop while checking on the store’s operations.
Fortunately, this was a vibrant and prosperous era. People were just starting to have some disposable income, and their demand for better food, drinks, and cultural experiences was growing. In this era, as long as you had ideas and were willing to work hard, it seemed you could make money doing almost anything.
Each cup of milk tea was sold for 2 to 5 yuan, which, in an era where a bottle of beer cost 1 yuan, was considered relatively expensive. People were willing to spend 15 yuan or more on a book, but food and drink hadn’t yet become the primary drivers of consumer spending.
The main issue was that food and drink options were limited. There were few varieties, and refined, processed foods were scarce. Most offerings were made from cheap raw materials with minimal processing, so they couldn’t command high prices.
However, Luo Hetu had positioned “Shanhe Tuling” as a “premium beverage” brand from the start. She used recipes from the system’s marketplace, inspired by modern chain milk tea shops, and adapted them to work with the ingredients available in this era. She ran the business legitimately, registering trademarks and securing all necessary permits. While others could replicate similar flavors, once the “Shanhe Tuling” brand gained recognition, competitors would only be imitating her in the short term. Her core competitive edge was her endless supply of new milk tea recipes and innovative ingredients like tapioca pearls, taro balls, red beans, sticky rice, taro paste, and complex blends of fruits and concentrated syrups that most people had never even heard of.
The milk tea shop had been open for a week and offered only seven drink options, yet it consistently generated daily sales of at least 500 yuan. After deducting costs for ingredients, staff wages, utilities, and other expenses, two-thirds of the revenue was profit. Sales were still climbing. Even before school let out, people were lining up, and when students flooded in after school, the shop was overwhelmed. The three staff members could barely keep up.
Ye Qingzhu, who was running a business for the first time, was a novice who had never seen such success. She realized that by following Luo Hetu’s guidance, she could make money at this level. Now, she diligently maintained order in the shop, observed operations, and kept careful accounts. For the first time, her eyes sparkled with a hunger for wealth.
Luo Hetu knew that building a strong reputation quickly was critical. If customers had a mediocre experience, they wouldn’t return. Considering that high school students had short breaks and no one had phones, delivery wasn’t an option. Luo Hetu came up with a solution: she set up a “pre-order mailbox” outside the shop. During school hours, they distributed printed flyers at the school gates, where students could write their names, class, and desired drinks, checking off their choices. The flyer was torn in two—one half went into the mailbox, and the other was kept by the student to pay and collect their order.
Ye Qingzhu asked, “What if some students prank us, place orders, and don’t pick them up? Won’t that waste ingredients?”
“Then we’ll announce to the customers in line that we have freshly made drinks available. If a student doesn’t claim their order, it’s first-come, first-served. People will be happy to skip the line,” Luo Hetu replied.
“But what if one day there aren’t as many customers?”
“If there aren’t many customers, we’ll stop taking pre-orders from students and have them buy directly,” Luo Hetu said, scratching her ear. “It’s all about experimenting and adapting. In the future, with electronic ordering and delivery, things will be much easier.”
Ye Qingzhu looked confused. “What’s that?”
Luo Hetu clicked her tongue, as if seeing endless business opportunities in the gaps of this era.
All of this happened within the first month of “Shanhe Tuling” opening. Meanwhile, when Cheng Youqing learned that Sun Yinuo had secretly gotten to know Luo Hetu and even received a set of books from her, she was furious. She tossed the books she had painstakingly carried back despite her foot pain onto the sofa at Sun Jin’s house. It took several days of Sun Jin cooking for her to finally calm down.
Once her anger subsided, Sun Yinuo was back in her good graces. Over dinner, they chatted about “Shanhe Tuling.”
They mentioned that the shop had been open for a month, and business showed no signs of slowing down. The milk tea was delicious, the tapioca pearls were delightful, and the grapefruit pulp was a hit.
Recently, the shop had put up a sign outside that read, “One cup a day boosts your health and doubles your smarts,” tied to their signature “malted milk tea.”
Malted milk was expensive and widely recognized as a nourishing supplement in this era. The shop displayed several cans of it on the counter. When someone ordered malted milk tea, they’d scoop a spoonful from the can in full view of customers, ensuring authenticity. The long-haired alpha boss said that all their ingredients were visible—malted milk, black tea, hand-shaken with brown sugar syrup and tapioca pearls. Not only was it harmless, but it was also good for health.
Some parents, initially worried that their kids were wasting money on unhealthy drinks at the school gate, were reassured after learning about the ingredients and the shop’s claims. High school students were at an age where they spent freely, and families with decent means gave their kids pocket money. So, they allowed their children to buy a cup a day, treating it as a nutritional boost for the grueling high school workload.
Sun Jin remarked, “This boss is clever. She’s full of ideas and knows how to capture students’ money.”
“Exactly,” Sun Yinuo agreed. “Their pre-order mailbox is super popular. Tons of students drop orders in it every day. There was this troublemaker at school who kept placing big fake orders and not picking them up. The shop didn’t lose much—they sold the unclaimed drinks on the spot. But after a few times, the boss caught him when he tried again. She told him to get his parents. He’s a delinquent who doesn’t care, so he refused. Word is, the boss and her crew ‘convinced’ him with a beating. Now he’s like a lackey, helping out at the shop every day.”
Sun Jin frowned. “Why resort to violence?”
Sun Yinuo quickly defended the shop. “That kid’s a total punk, always loafing around, not studying, and bullying others at school. Teachers can’t control him, and his parents are nowhere to be found. Beating some sense into him was the most effective way. The boss probably knew what she was doing—she used to run with the crowd at the south city market.”
Sun Jin narrowed her eyes. “Sun Yinuo, you seem to know an awful lot.”
Sun Yinuo: …
Cheng Youqing, sipping her soup, suddenly interjected, “Is that the same boss who sells books?”
Sun Yinuo, relieved by the change of topic, said, “No, it’s not Boss Xiao Luo. The milk tea shop is run by Boss Ye, another good-looking female alpha. She’s friends with Boss Xiao Luo, who only sells books—and, well, hangs around. My classmates say that while everyone else is busy, Boss Xiao Luo’s always just chilling.”
“Do your classmates know she’s the one who wrote the books?”
“Oh, yeah, they all know. Tons of students could order takeout, but they go see her after school because she’s talented and good-looking.”
Cheng Youqing quietly finished her soup, her expression unchanged, but Sun Yinuo sensed that her sister was suddenly upset for some reason.
Sun Yinuo shrank back. “I’m going to study now.”