Chapter 16: Developing Other Product Lines?

Just as Yu Zui was organizing, a customer suddenly walked in.

"Hello, is anyone there?"

"Hello, miss, I'm here," Xiao Ka's voice spoke up directly.

The customer was momentarily stunned but continued, "Is this the shop where that influencer, 'Thin as a Lightning Bolt,' bought the oolong tea?"

"Yes, it is."

Receiving the confirmation, the customer glanced around the shop and then walked over to the shelves to browse.

Seeing that Xiao Ka could handle customers on its own, Yu Zui returned to her tasks. She promptly moved the requested items out from the warehouse and quickly placed an order for more oolong tea on the General Store app to restock the shelves. She had a feeling today would be even busier than yesterday, so it was best to prepare in advance.

Sure enough, just as she was getting ready, more customers arrived. Xiao Ka continued to host them, offering only a simple "Welcome" without unnecessary chatter. It had learned to adapt to different times and different people.

As time passed, the number of customers grew. Many were confirming that this was indeed the "Yu’s General Store" visited by "Thin as a Lightning Bolt." Once confirmed, the oolong tea began to sell steadily.

"Hello, follow our Taobao store or Dianping for a 5-yuan discount during the first three days of our grand opening."

"That will be 183 yuan in total, please show your payment code."

Xiao Ka’s voice rang out from time to time. Seeing that the system was handling everything with ease, Yu Zui felt more at ease with her work. Through her efforts, over a hundred orders were finally packed. However, when she checked her phone, she was shocked to see a dozen more orders had come in. She sighed softly and began processing the new orders. She just had to remember: it was all money!

At that moment, Tang Siyuan and his colleague arrived, each dragging a large handcart loaded with boxes and bubble wrap. After packing yesterday, they had gained experience and brought everything they needed. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that vehicles were forbidden in the Ancient Street, they would have driven a truck right up to the door, given how heavy the beverages were.

Just as the two were feeling pleased with themselves, they saw that a dozen more orders had appeared in the backend.

"Zheng Hanwen, more orders are coming in," Tang Siyuan said to his colleague in disbelief.

Zheng Hanwen raised an eyebrow, "Looks like this place is really blowing up."

"Hehe, good brother, we’ll share the fortune! Let’s count this as performance for both of us!" Tang Siyuan said without hesitation.

"Is that really okay?" Zheng Hanwen asked instinctively.

"I can't handle it alone; it's better if we work together," Tang Siyuan continued, "You’ll see once you go in."

Zheng Hanwen didn't say anything more. A moment later, the two arrived at the shop. While most other shops had little business, Yu’s General Store was crowded with customers. Some had already finished their purchases and were standing outside the door, taking photos and checking in.

The scene left the two men staring at each other. This shop had really become a hit!

Once inside, they discovered that the checkout was handled by a machine, a very intelligent one at that, capable of hosting customers on its own. They gained a new level of respect for Yu Zui’s capability as the owner. Looking over, they saw the owner busy tinkering with online orders in front of the warehouse.

"Boss Yu," Tang Siyuan called out.

Yu Zui looked up, pleasantly surprised. "You're finally here! Please, help me pack these; I've already laid them out in order."

"Understood," Tang Siyuan nodded and looked at Zheng Hanwen, who gave a nod in return. They had reached an agreement.

The two men quickly moved the boxes and bubble wrap inside. One packed, one boxed, and they used a permanent marker to label the boxes with serial numbers. They were much faster than Yu Zui, and soon, a stack of packed boxes began to grow in the corner.

After some time, the first batch of over a hundred orders was completed. The second batch of a dozen was relatively easier, though all three were feeling quite tired. The workload was significant, yet as the saying goes, they were "happy in their pain."

Looking at the mountain of shipping boxes, Tang Siyuan and Zheng Hanwen exchanged a glance. They still had to move them out. They searched around and finally spotted a locked door at the back of the shop. "Can this back door be opened? We can move them out through the back without disturbing your business."

"It should be fine," Yu Zui nodded and opened the back door. To their surprise, there was a small, level clearing behind the shop, with another similar wooden building located behind it.

"Our carts can go around the back," Tang Siyuan told Yu Zui, "Boss Yu, don't worry about us; we'll take care of everything." They stood to earn quite a bit from these large orders, so a little hard work didn't matter.

"Good," Yu Zui replied. She returned behind the counter and sat on her chair, feeling exhausted but relieved. She opened the General Store app, and seeing no more red notification dots, she let out a long breath.

She checked the store's data:
Today's orders: 134
Sales by item: Iced Black Tea 43, Oolong Tea 232, Fresh Milk 13, Sour Plum Juice 58.

Most people were here for the oolong tea. Some orders were for 10 bottles, others just one or two, as Yu Zui’s shipping fee was only 5 yuan. Calculating it all, these online orders alone would net her over 7,000 yuan!

For a moment, Yu Zui felt a bit dazed. Only three days ago, she had been worried sick about the 100,000 yuan monthly rent. Now, she had already met the requirements and even earned a high profit. It felt like a dream, but it was a deeply satisfying one.

As the old saying goes, money isn't everything, but you can't do anything without it. Money could solve most problems. To ensure even more income in the future, Yu Zui took a breath, stood up, and skillfully brought out tasting cups from behind the counter to offer samples to her customers.

Especially the milk—yesterday she sold 79 bottles, plus 13 online, totaling 92. If she sold just 8 more this morning, she would complete the reward for the enhanced version of Side Quest 2. Among the rewards were 100 bottles of sour plum juice, worth 18,800 yuan.

Was she tempted? Yes! So, she took action immediately, targeting the customers who had purchased oolong tea.

"Would you like to try oolong tea mixed with milk?" Yu Zui asked.

Suddenly, she was surrounded by customers. They each picked up a sample. After drinking it, many of their eyes visibly lit up. Yesterday, they thought the influencer's claims were exaggerated, but after tasting it themselves, they realized it wasn't an exaggeration at all—the taste was top-tier!

Since they had already bought the oolong tea, why not buy a bottle of milk, too?

"Boss, you're tempting us in broad daylight!"
"Exactly, you're going to empty our wallets."
"If I hadn't bought a bottle of oolong tea yesterday and felt the results, I wouldn't have bought this. *Sob*, there goes another 188 yuan."

The customers grumbled, but their hands were very honest, reaching straight for the shelves.

+1, +1, +1, +1...

When the 8th bottle was sold, the system notification chimed.

[Side Quest 2 (Enhanced Version) complete.]
[Received: Yu’s Sour Plum Juice *100, Display Cabinet *1, Item Card *1, Set of Tables and Chairs *1.]

Another reward in the bag!

Yu Zui set her sights on the freshly acquired Item Card and paused. Should she draw for a new beverage, or explore a different product category?