Chapter 287: Boss Qian Tries to Sell Crayfish

Let Chen Zhangfu go, it's also to give him a chance; he is a bit sharper than Chen Zhanglong, and Ye Cheng wants to train him a bit.

Besides that, Ye Cheng had other ideas about him.

"Since it's decided, let's do it this way: tomorrow early, collect the shrimp and start making them; we'll also make another flavor, bringing both flavors."

Also, the shrimp must be washed clean; nobody will eat at a dirty restaurant.

To be honest, tomorrow when I go to Boss Qian's, I expect he'll give me face; but I just want to do long-term business, and it still depends on the flavor.

The next morning, Ye Cheng went to Zhang Guafu's; Boss Qian's place does seafood, and the spicy flavor might not sell well, so he also had Zhang Guafu make another garlic-flavored version, which is not spicy and more suited to the light taste of seafood eaters.

At 10:30, Ye Cheng had Chen Zhangfu sit in the back seat, took 40 catties of shrimp, and set off.

Boss Qian's place was already familiar to him; Ye Cheng had called him yesterday, so as soon as he arrived, Boss Qian warmly came out to greet him.

"Hey brother, you're not selling seafood to me anymore, you're selling finished products now." Boss Qian teased.

"Boss Qian, rest assured, my crayfish are no worse than seafood; the texture is excellent."

Ye Cheng had Chen Zhangfu bring out the crayfish and place them on the table.

Besides, this bright red appearance really does spark instant interest.

Ye Cheng picked up two crayfish, had Boss Qian taste them; the first was the spicy flavor, and Boss Qian nearly choked on the first bite.

"Cough cough, brother, this is too spicy; I run a seafood restaurant." Boss Qian shook his head, saying this strong flavor is more suited to street stalls.

"Then try this garlic flavor; it's not spicy." Ye Cheng peeled the garlic-flavored ones and handed them over.

Boss Qian, out of politeness, had no choice but to bite in cautiously; this time it wasn't so stimulating.

He savored it slowly, nodded, and said, "This texture is acceptable; my customers should be able to accept it."

Upon hearing Boss Qian could accept it, Chen Zhangfu finally breathed a sigh of relief; he had been afraid Boss Qian wouldn't take any, but now at least he could take one.

However, Ye Cheng wasn't satisfied with just that; he himself picked up the spicy ones, peeled a few for himself, and then peeled a few for Boss Qian.

"Boss Qian, come, have a few more."

"No, brother, I can't handle this spiciness." Boss Qian waved his hand.

"Boss Qian, try again; although it's spicy at first bite, don't you feel much better now, and don't you want to eat more?" Ye Cheng looked at Boss Qian confidently.

Boss Qian originally wasn't inclined to try, but after Ye Cheng said that, he felt he actually had a bit of an idea; looking at the spicy crayfish, his saliva started to secrete a bit,

"Then let me try two more?"

"Go ahead and try; I'm just afraid you won't be able to stop."

Boss Qian picked up two and ate them; they were still spicy, but he also had a different kind of flavor; he continued to take a few more from the plate and ate them on his own, hissing as he ate from the spiciness.

Ye Cheng didn't stop him either; Boss Qian ate five or six before stopping, his lips red, his eyes excited.

"It's tasty, and a bit addictive." Boss Qian grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth and hands.

"Boss Qian, I wouldn't bring something that isn't tasty; you can rest assured."

"It's tasty, but I don't know if my customers will like it; let's put these out for a trial sale. If it works, I'll order some every day; if customers don't like it, there's nothing I can do."

"Okay, we'll do as you said, Boss Qian. This we're bringing over is ten yuan per catty." Ye Cheng announced the price.

"Ten yuan per catty isn't cheap either." Boss Qian hesitated a bit.

"If you sell it at 15 or 20, there'll definitely be no problem."

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

That's the advantage of a big hotel: when street stalls come over, they have to raise prices by more than 50% directly.

Having said that, Boss Qian had someone bring the crayfish to the ordering area; it was almost lunchtime, and selling them directly would show the effect.

Ye Cheng and Chen Zhangfu didn't leave either; they ordered a few dishes and sat in the lobby watching, to see if they could sell.

It's no wonder crayfish could become a nationwide bestseller later on; besides good taste, their appearance also matches Chinese aesthetics—strong, vigorous, red and auspicious—so as soon as they're put out, people start asking about them.

After the waiter's introduction, the third table's customers ordered two catties to try.

Less than half an hour later, that table's customers rushed out, pointing at the crayfish and saying,

"What kind of shrimp is this? Give me another two catties; it's addictive."

Within less than an hour of lunchtime, by 12:30 the crayfish were all sold out, leaving Boss Qian baffled that the best-selling item was actually the spicy flavor.

He didn't know that "mala xiao" is a proper term.

"Brother Cheng, they're all sold out."

Chen Zhangfu was very excited; originally he had been a bit worried about selling crayfish at a big hotel.

Deep down he knew this stuff is cheap, while this big hotel is a high-end place frequented by wealthy customers who might look down on such cheap items.

But in fact, as long as something is tasty, it usually appeals to both rich and poor; you don't see rich people stop eating pork just because they have money.

After lunchtime ended, Boss Qian came over and sat down.

"How about it, Boss Qian, can we do this business?" Ye Cheng spoke up.

"No problem; the customers who tried it all said it's tasty. From now on you can sell it through me, but the price needs to be cheaper by one yuan—I'll supply you at nine yuan per catty. How about that?"

"What? Nine yuan? We can sell it for ten yuan outside." Chen Zhangfu was a bit dissatisfied; obviously it sold well, so why do we have to lower the price here?

Ye Cheng waved his hand to stop him, turned to Boss Qian, and said, "Alright, Boss Qian, nine yuan per catty it is; we'll deliver every day, starting with a hundred catties per day—how does that sound?"

"Good, doing business with you, brother, is the most straightforward." Boss Qian reached out and shook hands with Ye Cheng.

That counts as the deal being settled; from now on Chen Zhangfu will be the one delivering the goods.

On the way back, Ye Cheng saw Chen Zhangfu's dissatisfied expression and had to stop to explain things to him.

"How? Are we definitely losing money?"

"Yeah, Brother Cheng, we can't keep selling outside like this; we're off by one yuan." Chen Zhangfu said.

"Then let me calculate it for you, and you'll understand." Ye Cheng picked up a few stones and laid them on the ground.

"Look at this pile of stones; they were originally Boss Qian's property, and they can generate high profit—something that costs ten yuan can sell for thirty or even forty."

"But this stone is our crayfish; because we've taken a share of the profit, he can't earn that much, and moreover."

Ye Cheng raised his voice, moved a small portion out from that pile of big stones, and pointed at that small portion, saying,

"Customers can eat that much; after eating our lobster, they won't be able to eat Boss Qian's high-profit goods—you say, should we pressure his price?"