pjbooks Chapter 73 [New Menu]
Chapter 73 [New Menu]
Chapter 73 [New Menu]
Around 7 a.m., Liu Zhuohao groggily reached for his phone on the bedside table. The first thing he did upon waking was to open the chat window with "Bishi" and say, "Administrator, I've run into some trouble recently and might need to use this platform to voice my concerns. I'm about to be maliciously reported."
"I've recently noticed that my business is doing too well, and it seems like some competitors are eyeing it."
The message was sent around 12:00.
This was posted when I had just closed up shop.
The station manager replied around 4 a.m., probably when he got up in the middle of the night and glanced at his phone.
The first reply was a lone "?".
The second point follows: "Is there any evidence? Are you sure it was malicious?"
No emojis, no small talk.
The overall dialogue style is completely different from when the "Crow" had coordinated and added contact information, and the banter had become brief, direct, and even somewhat cold and hard.
Liu Zhuohao woke up in the dim light of dawn, saw the message, and immediately replied: "Of course there is evidence."
Almost immediately after the message was sent, a voice call request popped up.
He paused for a second, then answered the call.
"Feed".
"Are you sure you're running your business without any problems?" The station manager's voice came through the receiver, slightly hoarse from just waking up, but his tone was tense. "I remember you're running a roadside stall." He emphasized this point.
In conventional understanding, roadside stalls are almost synonymous with "cannot withstand scrutiny".
"I dare to wear a camera on my head and record the entire process from opening to closing," Liu Zhuohao answered without hesitation. "All procedures are legal and compliant. I have solid evidence now, but I need a suitable public platform to protect my rights."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, and he could hear very faint breathing.
"The prerequisite for protecting your rights—" the site administrator's voice rang out again, slower and clearer than before, "is that you yourself must be absolutely clean."
"I'm very clean," Liu Zhuohao replied just as quickly.
Then, he suddenly asked, his tone rather subtle: "Station manager, you wouldn't be—recording this, would you?"
The faint breathing sound in the receiver stopped.
A suffocating silence ensued.
After a long while, the stationmaster's voice came through again, devoid of emotion: "Being cautious is better for everyone."
"So, what was your purpose in contacting me beforehand?"
He admitted it, and showed no embarrassment at being exposed.
This programmer, who started in the ACG (Anime, Comics, and Games) community and is poised to become a billionaire, does not fit the stereotypical image of a programmer.
He is shrewd and cautious.
"I will post the rights protection video on Bilibili and simultaneously on Weibo." Liu Zhuohao cut to the chase, "I need the platform's traffic support and to ensure that the video won't be taken down."
"This is a win-win situation. I can get justice for myself, and the platform can gain attention and discussion."
Rights protection videos are no longer very common after 25 years; they are more a category of videos polluted by internet traffic.
It's unclear exactly when people developed the concept of protecting their rights.
Initially, the videos of people defending their rights were very popular, and many enthusiastic netizens were happy to leave a comment or a like, just to boost the popularity of these videos and get them promoted.
However, things changed later because of the script.
Since there's a public outcry about rights protection, let's write a script and put it on stage.
Some even randomly pick an unlucky merchant to find fault with, just to capitalize on the popularity of consumer rights protection efforts.
But now—
"Of course there will be buzz." The station manager's voice remained calm, without surprise or sympathy, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. "I'll say it again, provided you're clean."
"We've never even had a proper business partnership, so we can't vouch for your integrity."
During this period, some websites were not yet slaves to traffic and had stronger self-control.
If it were in the future, a small website would likely agree to such a great opportunity immediately.
Regardless of the source of traffic, chasing traffic is the key.
"Station manager, I'll take the risk."
Liu Zhuohao emphasized, "If it is ultimately proven to be my problem, the responsibility lies with me, and has nothing to do with the website."
"From the moment you contacted me, it was already related to the website." The website owner's voice turned cold. "That's why I haven't been able to sleep soundly since I received your message."
He doesn't trust himself.
They fear that if something happens to them, they might use chat logs, or even recordings, as leverage to blackmail websites into providing support.
Liu Zhuohao paused for a moment, then posed the most crucial question: "But if I don't contact you, will my video pass the review?"
On the other end of the phone, the station manager seemed to take a soft breath.
Then he gave a concise answer: "No."
Yes, if Liu Zhuohao hadn't informed us beforehand, the video wouldn't have passed the review.
As one of the few bloggers on the platform who can produce original and high-quality works, posting videos with sensitive content like this would definitely not pass the review.
However, having been informed, the website can't pretend it doesn't know and just try to capitalize on this surge in traffic.
Liu Zhuohao asked, "Will this video pass the review?"
"----able."
The station manager's words were still clear on the phone.
At the end, he added, "But we won't be streaming your videos, just like we did with your previous videos."
"If people watch and you make it onto the charts, you get exposure; if you don't, you can only rely on your own fans to speak out."
Liu Zhuohao was already very satisfied with this answer.
I was just about to say something polite and formal.
"Regarding the commercial order issue we discussed earlier."
The station manager's voice came through the phone, "Didn't you say before that you and the supplier needed a detailed project proposal?"
"Our business department has drafted a proposal, which we originally planned to send to you in the next few days, but now it may take a few more days."
Liu Zhuohao wasn't surprised: "I understand."
To put it bluntly, if he fails to accomplish this, he probably won't be interested in pursuing any more business deals.
"Boss, what are the prices on the new menu?"
The prices are still listed on the menu, but customers still ask again when they arrive at the stall.
"This original cut steak is 58 yuan if you order it separately." Liu Zhuohao pointed to the newly posted menu on the food cart, his voice still clear amidst the noise of the night market. "It uses imported grain-fed beef. After all, the cost is what it is, so the price is indeed higher than the classic version."
He changed the subject, sliding his finger to the set meal section: "But if you order it with a classic pan-seared steak, the total for both is eighty."
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"All things considered, the classic version only costs 22 yuan."
"This is a promotional price, it's a great deal."
The customers who reached the front of the line all showed hesitation.
The guy at the front of the line laughed when he heard that: "Fifty-eight? I'll add twenty or thirty yuan and we can eat at a restaurant. They even have air conditioning!"
"Give me the classic one, black pepper." The office worker who had just finished get off work skipped the new item.
Beside them, Cheng Bing and Yang Boran, who were waiting to carry the trays, looked somewhat flustered, their eyes darting back and forth between themselves and the guests.
Li Zekai walked over and whispered a few words of reprimand: "What are you doing? The boss's steak isn't done yet, and don't just stand there."
"Go and clean up the tables where the guests left outside."
"That huge pile of waste paper on the table is really unpleasant for customers who haven't sat down to eat yet to see it."
The two of them stopped standing there waiting for the dishes to be served and instead went outside.
"Just one classic one, tomato flavor, and extra noodles."
"Can I take away one serving of black pepper? Okay, I'll eat it here then."
"Boss————"
One customer after another ordered the classic dishes, ignoring the new items on the menu.
But Huang Weixiong, who was frying steaks on another stove while wearing an apron, didn't look anxious at all.
Li Zekai, who had just walked over, was also in no hurry.
Liu Zhuohao's polite smile remained unchanged as he deftly took orders, fried meat, and kept an eye on the queue.
The price barrier has indeed deterred many people.
The first few orders were all classic styles.
But he wasn't in a hurry; the bait for the meal deal had already been thrown out.
Soon, a young couple moved to the stall.
The boy stared at the menu, pondering, while the girl whispered something in his ear.
"Boss, if we order that set meal—" the boy looked up, "is the classic version really only twenty-two?"
"Yes, two servings are eighty, the original cut is fifty-eight, and the classic cut is twenty-two." Liu Zhuohao nodded and added, "The original cut uses flank meat, which is very flavorful and chewy. You can try it."
The couple exchanged a glance and quickly did some calculations.
"Since we're already here—we're both going to eat anyway, let's spend an extra ten yuan to try something new—" the girl said softly.
"Okay! Let's have a set meal then!" the boy decided. "With mushroom sauce on all of them."
"Alright!" Liu Zhuohao raised his voice slightly, and with a "click," he opened the refrigerator with the tongs in his hand, deftly picking up a piece of well-defined, original-cut flank steak. "How well-done do you want this original-cut flank steak? I recommend medium-rare to medium, it'll be juicy."
"Huh? We can choose the level of ripeness?" The boy was taken aback, glancing at his girlfriend. "Then... how about 70%?"
"One classic mushroom dish and one medium-rare grain-fed flank steak!" Liu Zhuohao ordered to Huang Weixiong next to him, and the two exchanged a glance.
Seasoned steak is different from whole-cut steak.
The former only requires about ten practice sessions to become proficient in the entire frying process, and then you can make it well.
The latter, however, requires some culinary skills.
Although Huang Weixiong has passed his own assessment, he is still starting by learning to cook and prepare steaks to get used to the atmosphere of setting up a stall.
On the hot plate, butter sizzled, and the aroma of meat mixed with the sauce of black pepper and mushrooms rose up.
With the first order placed, those who were initially hesitant seemed to have softened their stance.
Several more couples then chose the set meal.
As Liu Zhuohao wielded his shovel, his mental calculations gradually became clear: most solo customers still opted for the classic styles.
After all, ordering for one person is too expensive; fifty-eight yuan is definitely not as good as buying from some stores in their minds.
However, for groups of two or more, the set meals become more attractive.
The price difference of a few dollars is just right, making people want to try it out.
"Remember to remind them that this steak is medium-rare, so the cut surface will look a little pink and there will be some juice left. This is normal and means the meat is well-locked in."
After Liu Zhuohao finished preparing the first new dish of the evening, he gave instructions to Li Zekai, who was preparing to serve the dish, in a loud voice that was easily heard by the guests in front of him.
These words were like a small pebble thrown into the crowd.
"Can street-side steaks really be juicy?"
"I've eaten at many affordable Western restaurants, and the meat they serve is always dry and brittle."
"So, if we're willing to use good meat, we can eat something almost as good as what you get in a restaurant even if we just eat out on the street?"
Several of them came alone.
Even though I was alone, I hesitated after hearing this, wondering whether I should order a serving to try it.
A muttering sound drifted into his ears. Liu Zhuohao didn't respond; his subordinate deftly flipped the meat on the hot plate.
"Using the same meat as restaurants?" He thought to himself, "This batch of Brazilian grain-fed meat is really pretty much the same."
Leaving aside the steaks he used to prepare, the Brazilian grain-fed steaks he's now buying are definitely worthy of being served at some budget restaurants.
Of course, it can't compare to some high-end restaurants.
Those high-end Western restaurant brands at least use high-grade Angus steak, and then maybe M9+ or A5, and then aging process.
The definition of "original cut" in Western restaurants and the general public's perception in China today, 14 years ago, is different from that in 25 years ago.
The former refers to any piece of meat that has not been pieced together or altered and has been cut directly from the cow; this is considered an original cut.
As people gain a deeper understanding of steak, they begin to pursue the origin of the beef, whether it is grain-fed or grass-fed, the grade of the steak, and the aging process.
Just because we can't compare now doesn't mean we can't compare in the future.
After all, steak is also a dish that Liu Zhuohao wants to include in the stores he plans to open in the future.
As they packed up to close, the two newcomers looked at the few remaining whole-cut steaks in stock, still shaken: "Boss, that was really scary at the beginning. I thought this new product was going to be a dud."
Liu Zhuohao remained silent, while Huang Weixiong calmly packed up his tools and replied, "Can't smash it."
"New products never sell out immediately. Someone has to try them first before others dare to follow suit."
As he spoke, he looked at the two of them earnestly, with the air of someone who had been through it all: "You are still too young."
When the stall first opened, not many people were willing to pay.
But later, after the first person ordered, others went up to watch, took a look at the cut of the steak and the juices, and then they gradually started opening for business.
"The price set by the boss can't be wrong."
Li Zekai spoke up without hesitation, just like a die-hard fan.
These two elderly people never doubted their decisions.
Liu Zhuohao squatted down beside him, the red glow of his cigarette butt flickering in the night.
Pricing is another crucial lesson for anyone in the restaurant business, especially as food delivery becomes more widespread and various coupons are offered.
If you can't learn how to price, you'll be exploited to death by customers using coupons and vouchers!
People might come into the restaurant and not order a main dish, but just thirty cans of Coke.
With a store promotion of 20 yuan off for every 50 yuan spent, plus an 11 yuan red envelope, and a voucher for adding it to your favorites, all these miscellaneous items add up to just 4.9 yuan for those 30 cans of Coke.
But if customers could learn this course, they would be forced to order 30 yuan worth of food just to get the 30 yuan discount, and then order another 10 yuan worth of food to get the 10 yuan discount coupon for orders over 40 yuan, and then—
Before you know it, you end up spending forty or fifty yuan on a single meal just to stack discounts.
During this process, customers may even feel that "I got a good deal".
Liu Zhuohao exhaled a puff of smoke, watching Huang Weixiong direct the newcomers to tidy up in an orderly manner.
This kid is starting to look more and more like a deputy.
My phone vibrated in my pocket.
When I took it out, I saw several missed calls, all from Boss Chen of Chen Youyin's beef ball factory.
He called back.
"Boss Chen, you're such a busy man. I call you this morning, and you only have time to call me back in the evening."
As soon as the call was answered, Liu Zhuohao spoke in a teasing tone.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. We had so many out-of-town customers placing orders during the National Day holiday a few days ago. The factory has been extremely busy lately."
He replied, and on the other end of the conversation was Chen Youyin, the beef ball supplier.
"Good business is a good thing." Liu Zhuohao said politely, then got to the point, "Boss Chen, have you taken what we talked about before to heart?"
"I filmed that video of beef balls for you guys, I'll probably post it in a few days, then you can take a look."
"Also, you need to hurry up with your project proposal. The platform is based in Shanghai, so there are a lot of rules and regulations. It needs to be more formal."
Chen Youyin's tone was urgent: "We've taken it to heart! Boss Liu, you've said so, how could we not take it to heart!"
"They've taken it to heart! They definitely have!" Chen Youyin said urgently, with a hint of anxiety. "We've asked around again, and your platform is indeed impressive, in a big city—"
"This is the proposal," we're used to being rough around the edges, so this really needs to be done quickly—as soon as possible! I promise as soon as possible, you talk to the people on that platform and say a good word for us, we'll get it done quickly!"
"Yes, as soon as possible." Liu Zhuohao's voice was steady, but with a touch of weight. "Boss Chen, the market waits for no one."
"As far as I know, quite a few beef hot pot restaurants are already thinking about putting up their own signs."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"Our 'authentic' brand isn't enough for us to just say so; people have to be scrambling to recognize it."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
When Chen Youyin spoke again, his impatience had subsided somewhat, replaced by a more serious tone: "I understand, Boss Liu."
"This brand has been passed down in our Chen family for decades. Isn't it the genuine article?" — This time, we need to make sure outsiders recognize it too.
They were indeed very busy, so we didn't chat much; I just wanted to give them a heads-up.
Liu Zhuohao hung up the phone. He was with the station manager, who said he was in cahoots with the supplier.
The proposal he drafted was for his own review and that of his suppliers.
But in Mr. Chen's eyes, he and the platform were in cahoots, and he was there to talk to him on behalf of the platform.
In reality, Liu Zhuohao was one of his own.
There aren't just two groups of people here, there are three groups.
He didn't put his phone away, but instead looked at the progress reports from Zhuang Zicong and Liu Honghao on editing and post-production in the group chat.
This is the second video in this project.
This time, Liu Zhuohao wants more than just clicks and data; he wants to try to monetize that data.
It's time for me to have a way to monetize my business.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Zhuohao sent Zhuang Zicong a private message: "During this time, you can keep an eye out for reliable people among your classmates. It's too tight to always have the two of you doing post-production. I can hire two more online people."
Currently, there are four people working offline as the business gradually expands.
However, there are only two online, so the progress is a bit rushed.
Once online monetization channels are established and generate income, you can start hiring online and even try to build a dedicated filming team.