I've been reborn, I'm definitely going to become an internet celebrity!

Chapter 57: [Offline & Online]

"What kind of business does Boss Liu specifically run?"

As soon as the three of them sat down at a plastic table in the corner of the factory canteen, the supervisor began to ask them questions in a warm and friendly manner.

"A hot pot restaurant? Or a noodle shop? It can't be a beef stall, can it?"

Those who come here to buy goods are mostly limited to these few items.

Liu Zhuohao picked up a meatball and casually replied, "Right now, it's just a night market on the street, so I'll make some breakfast on the side."

He glanced at the bowl; a thin layer of oil floated on the soup noodles.

"Oh...I see."

The person in charge responded, but his tone was noticeably colder, indicating it wasn't a big deal.

"Hey! Don't underestimate street vendors!" Old Zhao, who was slurping his rice noodles, stopped eating as soon as he heard this. "Do you know what Boss Liu sells on the street?"

The manager turned his head: "What are you selling?"

"Steak!" Old Zhao shouted.

"What the heck?" The person in charge was stunned, thinking he had misheard.

"Steak! You know, that sizzling steak in Western cuisine!" Old Zhao perked up. "Didn't expect that, did you? But they actually pulled it off! I swear, it's the only one like it in the whole city! Anyway, none of the guys I know in the cold chain industry have ever gotten an order like this."

He slurped up some noodles and continued rambling, "And that's not all, they have tons of fans online... on the internet, yes, online!"

The person in charge was genuinely surprised this time. "Online?"

He turned his head and looked Liu Zhuohao up and down: "Really? That age? A celebrity?"

By all accounts, he looks like a teenager. Although he acts and speaks with a maturity beyond his years, his face clearly still retains the air of a student.

Old Zhao interrupted:

"Not a celebrity, just... well, I don't really know, but they're pretty famous, and so what if they're young?"

"They've already set up two businesses, one for breakfast and one for the night market."

"This time, I bet they're thinking of opening a shop!"

Liu Zhuohao ignored them, steadily picking up a beef ball with the tip of his chopsticks. Instead of putting it in his mouth, he pinched it between his fingers. With a slight squeeze—

With a soft "pop," the meatball burst open, and scalding hot meat juices sizzled out, mingling with the rich sweetness of the beef and a hint of peppery spiciness that filled the air.

He quickly sipped the hot juice and caught it. Tsk, so fresh.

On the torn surface, the meat fibers are stretched long and thin, just like tearing open a thoroughly cooked chicken breast, which is clearly visible.

"How's the taste, Boss Liu?" the manager's voice came over.

He was skeptical of Lao Zhao's boasting, but business is business, and he still had a smile on his face.

"Not bad." Liu Zhuohao nodded and then tried the beef balls, tendon balls, and cuttlefish balls one by one.

The beef tendon balls are chewy and satisfying to chew.

The squid balls are incredibly fresh, and if you savor them carefully, you can even taste the crunchy, chewy texture of the squid tentacles.

These three types of meatballs are well-known in the Chaoshan region and are considered famous elsewhere.

The manager's face lit up with a smile: "So, how much would you like to order? When do you need the goods? That way we can make the arrangements."

"No rush." ​​Liu Zhuohao put down his chopsticks, wiped his hands, and said, "I need to try the ingredients again."

"Don't worry, I'll buy your products from the market myself from now on and try them out. I won't take advantage of you like this."

The manager's smile froze at his blunt words: "Boss Liu, aren't you being a bit too cautious? Are you afraid we'll pass off inferior goods?"

"True gold fears no fire." Liu Zhuohao smiled, picked up his soup bowl and took a sip. "Besides, better safe than sorry."

When you're on someone else's turf, what you serve is always the best.

As for what the goods shipped out will be like, that's another matter.

But at least it proves that this factory has the ability to make decent products.

Thinking of this, he put down his soup bowl and looked up at the manager: "By the way, do you sell these meatballs online? Like, on e-commerce platforms?"

……

……

"Boss, this account has tons of followers and so many comments we can't keep up. It must be making a lot of money, right?"

On the way to the night market in the afternoon, Li Zekai unusually took the initiative to speak.

Before Liu Zhuohao could say anything, Huang Weixiong, who was driving, laughed first: "What money? Not a penny!"

He asked the same question a month ago.

"...Huh?" Li Zekai was taken aback. "Really?"

He didn't believe it at all.

"With so many fans and high view counts, that last video almost got 200,000 views! This one must have at least a thousand or two hundred, right?" He counted on his fingers. "What's the point of going through all this trouble to make videos?"

Huang Weixiong grinned from ear to ear, acting like a seasoned veteran, and recited exactly what Liu Zhuohao had told him: "Then tell me, if it really makes money, who will provide it?"

"Of course, the website will pay!" Li Zekai answered crisply. "We create content for them, and the data is so good, how could they not pay us?"

"Where does the website get its money?" Huang Weixiong then asked.

Li Ka-shing hesitated this time, his tone a bit hesitant: "The website's money... doesn't it have to come from the users?"

"Are you sure?" Huang Weixiong laughed even harder, just like when he asked him the same question before. "Think carefully, since you registered on that crappy little website, have you ever put a single penny into it?"

Li Zekai was taken aback by his question and subconsciously turned to look at Liu Zhuohao.

Liu Zhuohao nodded in the back seat, which was considered an admission.

Indeed, no money was made.

From registration to watching videos to sending bullet comments, I didn't spend a single penny.

Where does that website get its money? The website itself is struggling financially!

But if that's the case, what's the point of them making videos? Staying up all night, spending 200 yuan to buy a Boston lobster for the show, and buying equipment for the show... all of that is real money and effort.

It can't really be like what the comments say, that it's all just for love, right?

"You don't see any money online," Huang Weixiong casually revealed. "But offline, it's a different story."

"Offline?" Li Zekai didn't quite understand.

"These customers now, of course, come for the taste." Huang Weixiong, as a "founding member," knows this history very well. "But in the beginning, it wasn't like this at all."

"Look at him, the boss looked just like a student back then, and he sold niche products! It was such a tough time..."

He clicked his tongue, his tone revealing the感慨 of someone who had been there: "My boss and I were all set, but on the very first day, we didn't make a single sale! I felt so disheartened, like the sky was about to fall."

"Luckily, the boss had a backup plan and offered free samples." He gestured to the meat, "The meat was cut into slices, and I was tempted just looking at it. I had to smile and hand it to passersby, feeling very nervous... At least it attracted some people."

Richard Li chimed in, "Then that settles it?"

"What's the point!" Huang Weixiong took one hand off the steering wheel and waved it. "What's that saying again..."

He tilted his head and glanced in his direction. "Oh right! Night markets and breakfast stalls are two different things; the customer flow is unpredictable!"

"People might come yesterday, but they might not come today! So the next day, it's still deserted, and we have to rely on food tastings to attract customers." He shook his head. "At that time, how well the business is depends entirely on how famous this night market is in our city and whether it can attract people."

"If we can lure people into the night market, we can use the free samples to draw them to our stalls and make them join in the fun..."

Liu Zhuohao leaned back in his chair, listening to Huang Weixiong's vivid storytelling, a very faint smile playing on his lips.

That kid has a good memory. All the arguments I had with him back then have now become his teaching materials for newcomers.