Waiting for the East Wind to Rise

"Greed is one of humanity's inherent traits. People are inherently selfish, which is why most of us tend to take advantage of small opportunities.

For instance, why do elderly folks like to buy groceries early in the morning? Because supermarkets offer discounts on items like eggs and rice then. If you go too late, they're all sold out.

Customers feel like they're getting a bargain, paying a little less for the same items. Meanwhile, the store clears out inventory and attracts customers, indirectly creating a herd mentality – a win-win situation.

Now, let's talk about the promotion I've planned. On the surface, it seems like our internet cafe is losing money. We're offering bonus credits for top-ups and discounts on internet fees. There's definitely a financial loss involved.

But you have to look at things from multiple angles. First, there's the top-up rebate.

The first benefit is rapid cash flow. With money, we can do more.

The second benefit is deeply binding our customer base and increasing their sunk costs. Uh, sunk costs… to put it simply, it's the cost you've already paid and can't get back. For example, if I've topped up this much money at this internet cafe, and I want to go to another one, wouldn't all this money be wasted? So, I feel it's not worth it. To spend all this money, I'll have to keep coming back to this internet cafe. That's the general idea.

By giving up a small amount of profit, we increase customer loyalty. In the long run, it's a guaranteed profitable venture.

Next, there are the membership cards, which complement the top-up system.

If you want cheaper internet access with bigger discounts, you need to spend more. But that takes too long. What do we do then?"

Wu Xiuhua blurted out, "Top up!"

After saying so much, Chen Hao's mouth felt a bit dry. He poured a glass of water and took a couple of sips. He glanced at his father, seeing the frown on his brow relax. It seemed his father was listening. Seizing the moment, he continued, "Exactly, top up! And then, step by step, through membership tiers, we deepen our connection. The more you spend with me, the bigger the discount I give you. It's a win-win!

In reality, we're the ones profiting. How many people who get a membership card can fully use it up? Due to real-life situations like work and studies, they might not have the time or ability to come online. These unused cards, where the customer doesn't use them, are non-refundable. This effectively becomes our income.

Also, I've set up a membership system these past couple of days. You can directly pay with your membership card, which is convenient and fast, abandoning the traditional manual bookkeeping method. Oh, right, Mom, you won't have to make phone calls to check the accounts anymore. I'll teach you how to check them online later; it's very simple! Once you collect the money at the store, you just match it with the online ledger."

"Hmph, isn't that just living on credit? Back in our day, that would get you arrested!"

"Dad, times have changed. Who cares about that now? Besides, the country is even supporting loans for buying houses. Making money isn't shameful!" Chen Hao said nonchalantly.

After speaking, Chen Hao took out a few papers from his bag and handed them to his father. "School is starting soon, and there might not be enough time. These are my contingency plans for potential situations that might arise at the internet cafe later. They're all here. You can take a look and proceed step by step. If you have any questions, just call me anytime~"

Chen Xingguo didn't take them. He stood up and left directly.

Chen Hao was stunned for a moment. What was going on?

Oh, thankfully, the old man was just going to get his glasses.

Wu Xiuhua understood her son's efforts over the past couple of days. She just asked curiously, "Where did you come up with all this? I haven't seen you do this before."

"Uh, this..." Chen Hao's eyes darted around, and he casually made something up. "All the internet cafes in Ice City are like this. They're super popular, packed every day. I'm just borrowing the idea~ Besides, it's a bet, right~"

Chen Xingguo put on his glasses and sat down again, looking seriously at the contents of the papers.

The first item: expanding the scale. Assuming too many members, we'll need to buy more computers to increase the internet cafe's capacity.

Below are various details, from the number of computers to their configurations and the layout.

He looked up and asked, "You don't object to opening a branch, do you?"

"No branch. The cost would be too high. What I object to is rapid expansion using our own capital. Instead, we should use customers' money to make money. Orderly expansion is the way to go!

I see we still have some space at home. The warehouse is empty. I've converted it into a waiting area. Later, we can buy computers and put them here. If the business doesn't do well, we can sell them, and we'll still make a profit either way."

The second item: hiring. Pang Ban alone isn't enough anymore. We need to hire another internet cafe manager.

More details followed, such as it's best to hire a young, attractive girl as a manager, preferably a university graduate, and so on.

"But then the labor costs will be high. It might not even be covered by 1000 yuan."

"The sheep pays for its own wool. It's all about attracting customers and increasing user stickiness."

Actually, everyone who comes to the internet cafe to surf the web is a handsome and dashing pervert, just like you, dear readers.

The third item...

After a long while, Chen Hao, whom he couldn't understand, had already explained it. What Chen Hao thought of, he not only conceived but also refined all the details.

Am I really getting old? Am I falling behind the times?

Looking at his spirited son before him, Chen Xingguo, nearing fifty, felt both proud and sad, a mix of emotions. He gently placed the papers on the coffee table and walked silently towards the bedroom.

Chen Hao watched his father leave. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but his father's tall and imposing back seemed a little shorter today.

Before the bedroom door closed, a voice drifted out, "Kid, you win!"

Uh, Chen Hao raised his hand, wanting to say something. He opened his mouth but couldn't find the words.

"Don't mind that old man. He's probably secretly happy in there. Anyway, I believe my son will achieve great things in the future. Do you need any help tomorrow?"

"No, everything's arranged. Big Bird will come to help tomorrow."

"Good, hurry up and teach your mom how to check the accounts~"

"Okay, sure!"

Tuesday, February 26, 2002, Cloudy turning Sunny, All auspicious activities.

At 6 AM, Chen Hao woke up and couldn't fall back asleep. He tossed and turned in bed for a bit, then decided to get up.

After all, this was the first major event since he transmigrated. He was confident of success, but a sliver of unease remained in his heart.

Even though his father had conceded early, he still held himself to his original goal. Could he exceed 50,000?

Heh, if you can't even handle this, you'll get heart disease in the future? What a failure.

Chen Hao splashed cold water on his face to wake himself up, then quietly slipped out the door.

It was time to see what they were really made of. Let's do this.

When he arrived at the internet cafe, Pang Ban was already ready for battle. The waiting area was spotless, with the tables and chairs neatly arranged.

After finishing breakfast, the two of them sat at the counter, their heads sticking out like prairie dogs.

"Old Ban, when do you think the first one will show up?" Chen Hao rubbed his hands together, a little excited.

Pang Ban glanced at Chen Hao. "You should say the 17th."

"???"

"There were 16 people who stayed up all night last night." Pang Ban left it at that, not elaborating further.

"Did you get them all?"

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Chen Hao thought, Damn, these veteran gamers are really something else.

Then Chen Hao reconsidered. Usually, the people who stayed up all night were the seasoned gamers. They would definitely find it worthwhile to top up their accounts, and they wouldn't miss an opportunity like this to snag some freebies.