Proposal

Over the next few days, Jiang Feng cooked the porridge early every night, put it in the Preservation Box, and had Ji Yue deliver it to Professor Li the next day. Ji Yue never understood why and assumed Jiang Jiankang had made the porridge.

At first, Jiang Feng did not trust the game's Preservation Box. It looked like nothing more than an ordinary foam box, but it actually had miraculous heat-preserving and freshness-preserving functions. No matter how long food stayed inside, it came out completely unchanged. It was practically black technology.

A blessing for the food delivery industry.

Zhang Wei had finished setting up the Official Account. He taught Jiang Feng step by step how to run it and even posted on his WeChat Moments to promote it, but the results had remained unsatisfactory.

Although Ji Yue recommended that every customer scan the code and follow the Official Account when they ordered, and QR codes for it had been posted on the tables, it still had little effect.

Their classmates had been quite supportive. Everyone followed the Official Account, and quite a few helped repost and promote it, becoming the main force behind the delivery orders. But after three days, the follower count had only just passed fifty.

Every one of Jiang Feng's tasks seemed to have hit a bottleneck, with little progress.

It was rare for them to have a free Saturday. Most A University students stayed in their dorms over the weekend and could barely be bothered to move, surviving on delivery food. Business at the restaurant had dropped considerably, leaving everyone with some free time.

Club recruitment was next week. The Chess Club had too few members to even secure an activity room, and its funding was pitifully small. If they failed to trick a few newcomers into joining this year, the Student Union would probably ruthlessly disband the club.

If they did not have an activity room, they would make one themselves. Since the restaurant was not busy on weekends anyway, all the Chess Club members gathered together to discuss what unconventional method they could use during next week's recruitment to catch the younger students' attention.

Including Jiang Feng and this year's newcomer Liu Qian, the Chess Club had nine people in total. Every last one of them gathered on the second floor of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Even Ji Yue, the former club president, joined the discussion because she was worried about the Chess Club's future.

"When did our club get another member? Classmate, what major are you in?" He Jiahui was a fourth-year art student. By rights, she should have left the club long ago, but because the Chess Club had never been able to recruit newcomers, she had put off leaving.

"I'm Liu Qian, a second-year Chinese literature student." Liu Qian had not joined any clubs in her first year, so this was her first time participating in a so-called club event, and it still felt novel.

He Jiahui was Ji Yue's direct junior. Her knowledge of chess was limited to the knight moving in an L-shape, the bishop moving diagonally, and the rook moving in straight lines. Back then, Ji Yue had completely talked her into joining.

"Senior He, you really don't pay enough attention to what's going on in our club." As the Vice President, Qiu Chen felt that he ought to say something at a time like this. "A new member joining is such a big deal, yet you didn't even know? Didn't I tag everyone in the group before? And Brother Chen, Senior Zhao, this should be your first time here since Brother Feng's family restaurant opened, right?"

When Zhao Linling heard herself being called out, she put down her phone.

She and Chen Mengxing were both fourth-years, and both were law students.

"We wanted to show our support too, but fourth-year internships are rough. We finally found positions at law firms, and we've been working overtime so much our hair is about to fall out. Where would we find the time to come out for a meal?" Zhao Linling could not help defending herself.

"Exactly! I've been busy looking for an internship too!" He Jiahui protested as well.

As soon as He Jiahui finished speaking, Jiang Feng and Ji Yue came upstairs carrying Sour Plum Drink. It had just been poured from the refrigerator, and condensation misted the cups. Paired with the amber-colored drink, it looked especially lovely.

"Senior He, have you found an internship?" Jiang Feng handed her a cup of Sour Plum Drink.

"Not yet. Us art students are unemployed before we even graduate!" He Jiahui took the drink, opened her mouth, and gulped down a huge mouthful. Her eyes immediately lit up as she eagerly swallowed.

"Wow, Junior, where did your restaurant get this Sour Plum Drink? What brand is it? It's so good! I want to buy some too!"

"My dad made it." Jiang Feng and Ji Yue handed Sour Plum Drink to everyone.

"Thank you, President." Liu Qian happily accepted hers.

"Have you reached any conclusions yet? A club with fewer than twelve members gets disbanded," Ji Yue asked.

"Not yet, Senior. Don't be so anxious! There's always a way when the time comes. If it really doesn't work, have Junior go to his college and talk a couple people into joining. Maybe he'll manage it. Look, recruitment hasn't even started yet, and they already talked Liu... Junior Liu into joining!" He Jiahui was remarkably laid-back. She drained her Sour Plum Drink in a few gulps. "Junior, another cup!"

"It's iced. Drink less!" Ji Yue could only turn to the reliable-looking Chen Mengxing. "Mengxing, you recruited Jiang Feng and Qiu Chen back then. What do you think we should do for recruitment this year?"

"There's no more Sour Plum Drink. Do you want Mung Bean Soup instead?" Jiang Feng asked.

He Jiahui nodded repeatedly, while Liu Qian hurriedly said, "President, I want some too!"

Jiang Feng went downstairs to bring Mung Bean Soup for the two of them.

"Hand out flyers. If that doesn't work, do what Jiahui said and pull people in from the freshmen at our own colleges. Freshmen don't know any better. We can trick as many as we can, then tell them afterward that they can't leave the club until three months have passed." Chen Mengxing did not have any better ideas.

"Great idea!" He Jiahui, Ji Yue, and Zhao Linling said in unison.

Newbie Liu Qian was dumbfounded.

"Um, why can't we use some normal publicity methods? For example, tell everyone that Chess Club members get ten percent off when they eat at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, along with club benefits like free Sour Plum Drink and Mung Bean Soup," Liu Qian asked.

"Who would join a pointless club with no money and no bonus credits just for a ten percent meal discount? A University says each person can only join one club," Liu Zixuan complained.

Liu Qian silently looked at him.

Liu Zixuan suddenly froze, as if he had been struck by a heavy blow.

Zhao Yang and Zhao Yu, who had both been half lost in thought the entire time, turned to look at Liu Qian as well.

"W-what's wrong?" He Jiahui looked confused, unable to understand why the room had suddenly fallen silent.

"Junior Liu joined the Chess Club for the ten percent meal discount!" Qiu Chen suddenly slapped the table.

"Is the food really that good?" He Jiahui looked utterly incredulous.

"It really is that good." Ji Yue nodded solemnly. Just then, Jiang Feng came upstairs carrying the Mung Bean Soup. Ji Yue looked at him with a gratified expression. "Jiang Feng, I knew I hadn't misjudged you back then. Handing the Chess Club over to you was absolutely the right decision!"

"Huh?" Jiang Feng looked bewildered.

"Keep it up. The future of the Chess Club depends on you!" Ji Yue patted Jiang Feng on the shoulder.

Qiu Chen explained Liu Qian's suggestion to Jiang Feng. After hearing it, Jiang Feng paused before saying, "Sorry, I need to use the restroom."

The moment he entered the restroom, Jiang Feng opened his status panel to check the progress of the main quest.

Main Quest:

1. Gain a Foothold: Have Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant earn the approval of 1,000 diners. Quest progress (34/1000)

Quest prompt: Diners' approval is crucial for a new restaurant. Please make Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant the number one restaurant at A University in the hearts of countless diners.

Quest reward: Unknown

Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had currently earned the approval of only thirty-four customers. Liu Qian was definitely one of them, but among those thirty-four customers, how many had never joined a club? And among those who had not joined a club, how many would be willing to join the Chess Club for a ten percent meal discount like Liu Qian?

Liu Qian's suggestion was not a bad method.

It was just that they needed stronger medicine.

When Jiang Feng returned to the private room, everyone was chatting enthusiastically. Zhao Linling was complaining to them about her steadily dwindling hair, saying that not even the legendary Bawang shampoo could save her.

"We'll do as Liu Qian suggested. The flyers will focus on club benefits and a ten percent discount on meals. As for the specific design, we'll need Senior He to oversee it," Jiang Feng said.

"No problem. I'll definitely make it look high-end, classy, and premium, so no one can tell that the Chess Club is a club that can't even get funding." He Jiahui gave Jiang Feng an OK gesture.

"We should still promote it in the freshman groups. We'll have to trouble Senior Zhao and Senior Chen with that."

Zhao Linling and Chen Mengxing both signaled that they were fine with it.

"The rest will take some hard work. The setup, arranging the food, and handing out flyers during the recruitment days will all depend on you," Jiang Feng said.

"Arranging the food? What food arrangement?" Liu Qian asked.

"My restaurant is still new. It doesn't have much fame or much drawing power, so naturally we need to prepare some sample pastries and drinks to attract the younger students," Jiang Feng explained.

"Pastries? Uncle can make pastries too?" Liu Zixuan asked curiously. Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant did not sell desserts.

"My eldest uncle can." A victorious smile appeared on Jiang Feng's face.

Jiang Jianguo might look like a tailor on the surface, but he had inherited at least seventy percent of Old Master Jiang Weiguo's skill with pastry dough. And when he had been courting Jiang Feng's eldest aunt, the pastries he made had been exquisitely beautiful and lifelike.

The students of A University were in for a treat.