Chapter 1 Pei Qian's Praise

Pei Qian smiled slightly, picked up the teapot beside him, personally poured a cup of tea, and pushed it to Rui Yuchen.

"Your answer is good."

Rui Yuchen hurriedly took the teacup with both hands, while inwardly starting to fret.

A good answer?

What does that mean?

I said "I don't know"!

President Pei rarely praises people!

Does he think I'm telling the truth and being honest?

That can't be it!

Although honesty is a valuable quality, President Pei wouldn't praise someone just for that!

Or, did President Pei see through that I was pretending to be stupid? Does he think my answer took his face into consideration, so he's satisfied with my answer?

No, that's impossible too.

President Pei isn't that superficial.

Or, did my answer accidentally coincide with the deeper meaning of President Pei's question?

After eliminating two wrong answers, Rui Yuchen's brain began to spin rapidly. He realized that President Pei's simple praise must be hiding a lot of very important information.

Could it be that President Pei set a seemingly wrong operating model for Moyu Takeaway, but actually, it has a deeper meaning?

And the reason he asked this was to test me and see if I could see the deeper meaning behind it?

If I honestly answered "this model doesn't make money," then President Pei would know that I only saw the first layer, but didn't realize the existence of the second layer at all.

But now, my answer, "I don't know," proves that I not only saw the first layer but also realized the existence of the second layer.

Although I didn't get the correct answer, at least the problem-solving approach was right.

Not a perfect score, but at least 60 points for the steps.

And President Pei's praise is probably because of this...

A series of thoughts flashed through Rui Yuchen's mind.

Seeing Rui Yuchen's solemn expression, Pei Qian thought he was nervous and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Don't be nervous. It's not that important whether Moyu Takeaway makes money or not, understand?"

Rui Yuchen was shocked.

As expected, for President Pei, the second goal of Moyu Takeaway is to make a profit, and the first goal is something else!

What is it?

Is it to provide benefits to employees?

Is it to link up with other industries so that Tengda's tentacles can penetrate every aspect of life?

Is it to provide consumers with healthier dishes and change their eating habits? To guide everyone to live a healthy life?

Although he wasn't sure which one it was specifically, it must be one of the three!

Rui Yuchen was a little relieved that his answer of "I don't know" had indeed hit the correct answer!

Although there was a big deviation in the problem-solving process, the result was right.

He quickly perked up and continued to listen carefully.

Pei Qian continued, "I called you here today to give you a few tasks."

"First, starting today, Moyu Takeaway's business will be independent from Moyu Internet Cafe. You will no longer report to Xiao Peng but will report directly to me."

"The independent Moyu Takeaway will build its own stores, expand on its own, and no longer rely on Moyu Internet Cafe."

"I know you want to ask where the money comes from."

"Ask me directly for the money."

"Second, hire some nutritionists and experts at high prices to establish a 'Food Lab' for developing various healthy meals suitable for Moyu Takeaway, including the selection and purchase of tableware and various ingredients, which will also be the responsibility of the 'Food Lab,' dedicated to improving the taste of Moyu Takeaway."

"Third, develop a set of fitness meals as a supply for the gym."

Pei Qian had been considering the arrangements for Moyu Takeaway for a long time.

It has been more than a year since Moyu Takeaway was established. Not only has it solved the employees' eating problems, but it has also been working hard to lose money. Although it is a drop in the bucket compared to other money-making projects, President Pei has seen all of this effort.

However, since Moyu Takeaway relies on the internet cafe, if he wants to lose more money with the takeaway business, he has to open more internet cafes. But the internet cafe now makes more money than Moyu Takeaway loses...

This has fallen into a vicious circle.

Therefore, Pei Qian felt that it was time to separate the takeaway business.

Let Moyu Takeaway open some stores, which can spend more on rent. At the same time, after breaking away from Moyu Internet Cafe, it can expand more freely.

At the same time, Pei Qian felt that it would be a good idea to burn money on research and development for Moyu Takeaway.

Of course, he definitely wouldn't develop fast food. That's too profitable. Pei Qian doesn't want to suddenly create a fast food brand like Kentucky Fried Chicken or McDonald's one day. That would be a big problem.

Pei Qian wanted to make some healthy meals, fitness meals, and weight-loss meals that weren't very tasty, while using relatively high prices to dissuade mainstream diners.

Speaking of takeaways, there's a saying.

Why don't many healthy vegetable salads sell well?

A netizen replied: I'm already eating takeaway, why would I care about whether it's healthy or not?

Of course, this definitely doesn't represent everyone's thoughts, but it does make some sense.

Most people order takeaway for the oily and salty taste. It's really not tasty to eat green vegetable leaves, and most people can't stick to it.

Therefore, Pei Qian felt that doing this kind of so-called healthy meal was the lowest-risk choice. Even if some white-collar workers in the city ordered it for weight loss, the number wouldn't be very large.

And the characteristics of Moyu Takeaway (tableware recycling) determine that it is impossible to make a profit until the scale reaches a certain level.

This set of fitness meals can be bundled and sold with gym memberships, while dissuading gym customers and Moyu Takeaway customers. It's a double win!

Pei Qian was a little impressed by his own wit.

After listening to President Pei's words, Rui Yuchen fell silent, not knowing what to say for a moment.

He had been losing money all along, but instead of being criticized, he was promoted!

Now Moyu Takeaway is a department at the same level as Moyu Internet Cafe. Not only that, but he can also report directly to President Pei.

Anyone who has watched palace dramas knows that being able to speak in front of the emperor is a great power in itself!

This means that Moyu Takeaway no longer has to be subordinate to Moyu Internet Cafe, only cooperating and assisting Moyu Internet Cafe, but can break out of this framework and develop better!

As for the "Food Lab" and "fitness meals," there are even deeper meanings.

The former means that President Pei attaches great importance to the prospects of Moyu Takeaway, and the latter means that President Pei is willing to use other industries to help Moyu Takeaway!

These three points exude a strong hint.

You can go all out, and I will support you unconditionally!

Rui Yuchen couldn't help but feel inexplicably moved and became even more certain of his previous thoughts!

President Pei's original question did have a second meaning!

The reason why Moyu Takeaway doesn't make money is the operating model.

Healthy meals don't pay attention to taste, so they are not pleasing in the first place.

The steps of tableware damage, cleaning, disinfection, and recycling increase the cost, and it is only possible to recover the cost when a certain scale is reached.

In President Pei's view, making money is only secondary for Moyu Takeaway.

So, what is the first?

Rui Yuchen was only guessing before, but now he is completely sure.

The primary goal of Moyu Takeaway is to guide consumers so that everyone can start with their diet and live a healthy lifestyle! At the same time, Tengda Group will also lay a solid foundation for the development of various related industries in the future!

This goal is very likely that President Pei determined from the beginning of the establishment of Moyu Takeaway, but because of funding problems and related industry issues, the conditions were not yet mature, so there was no need to mention it to the person in charge of Moyu Takeaway.

But now, the conditions seem to be ripe.

Now Moyu Takeaway has a considerable scale and has a certain reputation among consumers.

If we continue to expand, and everyone establishes the concept of "healthy eating," then wouldn't making money be easy?

Sure enough, the previous losses of Moyu Takeaway were all within President Pei's calculations!

Rui Yuchen wanted to say loudly: President Pei, I understand! I understand why Moyu Internet Cafe has been losing money, I understand the true meaning of this operating model!

But seeing the faint smile on the corner of President Pei's mouth, Rui Yuchen felt that it was unnecessary to do so.

Obviously, President Pei knew that I would guess this point sooner or later.

Now shouting this makes me seem very unrefined.

As everyone knows, President Pei has never liked subordinates who often talk about their achievements, but prefers those who only talk about problems, don't talk about achievements, and work hard in silence.

After much deliberation, Rui Yuchen's thousands of words eventually converged into one sentence.

"Don't worry, President Pei, I will definitely complete the task beautifully and will never let you down!"

Pei Qian nodded with satisfaction.

Yes, this kid is teachable!

...

At the same time.

Huang Sibo was lying on the sofa in his residence. After just finishing watching a foreign film, he suddenly felt a little bored.

Looking at the date, it has been more than a week since Feihuang Studio officially went into "hibernation."

The overseas release of *A Beautiful Tomorrow* is still being arranged, and the domestic box office returns should be arriving soon.

President Pei arranged a full four months of "hibernation" time for Feihuang Studio. Only a week has passed, and Huang Sibo is already feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"It's too boring at home..."

Although paid vacation sounds great, staying at home every day doing nothing but watching movies will drive people crazy!

Huang Sibo really wants to go to work, but he doesn't dare.

President Pei said to let Feihuang Studio go into "hibernation," so it must go into "hibernation."

If he secretly goes to work and is caught by President Pei, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But maintaining the current state for four months?

That's worse than death!

Huang Sibo took out his mobile phone and sent a message to the Feihuang Studio group: "Bored!!!!"

Soon, everyone responded.

"Yeah!"

"I watch four movies a day, and I'm about to throw up."

"I miss the days when we were filming *A Beautiful Tomorrow*."

"Me too. Filming is tiring, but it's fun and very rewarding. Now, with paid vacation, I feel like I'm going to be useless."

Everyone complained.

Huang Sibo silently sighed. It seems that it's not just his problem. Everyone feels the same way!

Zhu Xiaoce: "Everyone, don't rush to complain. I have been thinking hard in seclusion these past few days and suddenly realized a problem."

Huang Sibo was stunned and quickly typed to ask, "What problem?"

Zhu Xiaoce: "What President Pei told us was not 'paid vacation' but 'hibernation.'"

Huang Sibo felt a little confused: "Is there a difference? We are in fact on paid vacation now."

Zhu Xiaoce sent a "thinking" emoji: "No, no, no, of course there's a difference."

"Paid vacation means that the work is very tiring, so give a little time to rest. At most, a week is enough."

"But President Pei gave us a crazy four months."

"For rest, this is obviously seriously overtime."

"Therefore, the word President Pei used was 'hibernation.'"

Huang Sibo was a little puzzled: "How do you explain 'hibernation'?"

Zhu Xiaoce: "'Shock therapy' is an economic concept. The general idea is that in the face of a seriously unbalanced economic situation, some strict measures are taken to achieve a balance between social demand and supply, and it may even cause the social mechanism to fail to operate normally in the short term. But if used well, it can quickly restore order after the pain."

"And our Feihuang Studio is currently facing such a situation."

Huang Sibo was a little confused: "No, right? We don't have a 'serious imbalance,' and we don't face any serious problems..."

Zhu Xiaoce: "Think about it again?"

"Isn't everyone's mentality really unbalanced?"

"Me, a director major graduate who just graduated two years ago; Brother Huang, you just switched from the game industry not long ago; as for the others, not to mention, although many of them are from professional backgrounds, who has participated in such a successful film?"

"Our studio has been filming short dramas. The first time we made a movie, we got more than 200 million at the box office, which was both well-received and a box office success."

"Who dares to say that they are not feeling cocky? Who dares to say that their mentality is not a little unbalanced?"

"Does everyone feel that 200 million at the box office doesn't seem that difficult, and it's easy to get?"

Everyone fell silent.

Huang Sibo calmed down and asked himself, and it seems that Director Zhu Xiaoce is right about this point.

Indeed, everyone is a little cocky!

But this is also human nature. The first time they made a movie, they got more than 200 million at the box office and were praised in various ways. It's difficult for normal people not to feel cocky.

Huang Sibo thought for a while and typed to ask, "Then what does this have to do with shock therapy?"

Zhu Xiaoce quickly replied in the group: "Think about it, what would happen if we used our current mentality to prepare for the next movie?"

"The success of *A Beautiful Tomorrow* is first because President Pei's script is good; second, because the inspiration accumulated by each of us has burst out, and we have completed a super-level performance in the process of film creation; and finally, it is because we are making a film for the first time and we are cautious."

"But what about now?"

"I don't doubt that President Pei can still come up with a good script, but the inspiration we have accumulated has been exhausted. At the same time, we are inflated and can no longer maintain the previous mentality."

"If we make a movie in this situation, it will definitely fail!"

"Obviously, President Pei has already seen the serious imbalance in the mentality of everyone in Feihuang Studio, so he decided to use shock therapy to let us reflect on ourselves and readjust our state!"

A word to awaken the dreamer.

Huang Sibo suddenly felt that it made a lot of sense!

He quickly asked, "Then what should we do now? Stay at home and do nothing?"

Zhu Xiaoce: "Reflecting on ourselves and restoring our mentality is only one aspect. Another very important aspect is to replenish our inspiration."

"In the film industry, it is not enough to only talk about effort and not talk about methods. If we don't have inspiration, we can only make bad films, which not only don't make money or earn reputation but also burn money and get scolded."

"Only with sufficient inspiration can we make better works."

"Therefore, we must go to study!"