Chapter 243: Total Rejection

As the girls discussed the scammer, Li Dong didn't intervene. 

However, it wasn't long before the conversation shifted to him. Qi Fangfang asked, "Li Dong, you've been so successful in business; you must have some tricks up your sleeve. Can you share them with us?"

Qin Yuhan's eyes brightened at these words, but she remained silent.

She wanted to ask Li Dong, but felt embarrassed to do so, especially since her original goal was to surpass him.

To be honest, she no longer had that intention.

But Dongyu Dessert House was her hard work, from renting and decorating the store to opening and managing it. She had been deeply involved in every aspect.

To manage the dessert shop well, Qin Yuhan had invested almost all her spare time.

The reality was harsh. Watching the store operate at a loss every day, Qin Yuhan had wiped away countless tears.

The reason she invited Li Dong was out of hope.

She didn't want Dongyu Dessert House to fail, but she also didn't want to continue losing money.

Li Dong didn't care if she lost money, but Qin Yuhan couldn't accept it. Losing over ten thousand yuan every month felt like a heavy blow for her.

Zhang Mengmeng also chimed in, "Li Dong, tell us what you think. Sister Yuhan has lost so much weight because of this shop."

Li Dong glanced at the group and said slowly, "Is there really any trick to doing business? It mainly depends on luck. I've been lucky, so I've made money. If you're losing money, it's just bad luck. Winter has arrived."

"Be serious!"

Qin Yuhan couldn't help but snap, feeling frustrated with his lack of seriousness.

Qi Fangfang also expressed dissatisfaction, "Li Dong, can you be less stingy? Are you afraid that if Yuhan succeeds, you won't be able to control her?"

Li Dong chuckled. It seemed the women were trying to provoke him.

But he didn't mind. He smiled and continued, "Do you really want to hear my advice?"

The group quickly nodded.

Li Dong, unhurriedly, said, "Alright, I'll share my thoughts. But remember, this is just my personal opinion. Whether you listen or not is up to you."

"Go ahead!"

"Yeah, hurry up!"

Li Dong smirked and said, "Firstly, fire all the employees in the store!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the women were stunned.

Fire all employees? How does that relate to making or losing money?

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Li Dong didn't explain further.

If the employees at Qin Yuhan's store weren't all fired, the business would be ruined.

With the boss present, the employees still behaved lazily. Without the boss, the situation would be even worse.

Moreover, despite being there for so long, the drinks were cold, and no one thought to warm them up. On top of that, there was no hot water, and no one asked if the boss needed anything else.

If this were in a distant place, Li Dong would have kicked them out long ago.

For a store, if just a few people behave this way, it's not a big problem. But if all the employees act like this, it means they're all useless. Keeping them would be pointless.

Of course, Qin Yuhan's attitude also played a part.

But just because Qin Yuhan was lenient with people didn't mean they could take advantage of her.

Seeing they were still in shock, Li Dong said with a smile, "I was just speaking casually. Don't take it too seriously."

Qin Yuhan's face showed a struggle, and after a while, she asked, "Must it be this way?"

"It's not absolutely necessary. If you can change the rules and get everyone to follow them, keeping them might be okay. But, as they say, kindness begets ingratitude. If you've let them get used to leniency, tightening the rules later may lead to resentment."

Li Dong was describing a common situation.

Some companies start off very lenient with employees and let them do as they please. But when they later want to reform and set rules, these employees can't accept it and feel the company is inhumane and the boss too harsh.

In reality, it's basic professional ethics to follow company rules when you're taking the company's money. Just because you were used to being pampered doesn't mean you can continue like that. The company doesn't owe you anything; why should it keep supporting you?

Qin Yuhan and the others had little experience and probably couldn't understand this sentiment yet.

Especially for Qin Yuhan, who treated these employees like sisters, believing that sincere effort would be rewarded.

But the reality was the opposite. The employees might be secretly criticizing her for being foolish.

Seeing them silent, Li Dong smiled and said, "Forget about it. Let's talk about something else."

"Continue!"

Qin Yuhan bit her lip, showing reluctance.

"Still want to hear more?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, let's talk about the second point: reduce all prices by half."

"That would be losing money, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, reducing prices by half will definitely result in a loss. Li Dong, what are you thinking?"

Li Dong looked at them and said, "What am I thinking? I haven't even asked what you think. If half-price leads to a loss, then why don't the milk tea shops on the street that sell for one or two yuan per cup suffer losses?"

"Your freshly squeezed juices are probably all real fruit, right? And they're probably high-quality fruits too. If you look around, who is so honest with their products?"

Li Dong shook his head, "I'm not saying you should deceive customers. Just reduce the quantity of a cup of juice to three cups by diluting it. Isn't that feasible?"

The girls looked bewildered. Could it really be done that way?

Seeing their confusion, Li Dong shook his head. With such a naive mindset, they would never understand the business world's realities.

It's not that every businessperson is devious, but in business, you get what you pay for.

Around Peking University, the supporting price is what it is. No matter how good your product is, if people don't notice it, it's useless.

If you lower the price, others might feel they're getting a bargain, leading to a win-win situation.

Li Dong continued, "Also, those health stews you have—I don't know where you learned that, but get rid of them."

"Lastly, if you don't promote your store, even the best products won't attract attention. With your current state, the lack of popularity indicates poor promotion."

He suddenly added, "In fact, dessert shops aren't very popular. If it were me, I'd rather open a spicy hotpot or snack shop. The business would definitely be better than a dessert shop."

The girls looked at Li Dong in shock, feeling as if all their efforts had been invalidated.

Especially Qin Yuhan, who felt aggrieved and said, "But dessert shops can be good too. There are several successful ones nearby."

"Then it's even worse. Those shops already have an advantage and are doing well. Do you think you can compete with them?"

Li Dong regretted speaking out. As soon as the words left his mouth, Qi Fangfang became angry, "What's wrong with us?"

Qin Yuhan also felt insulted, "Li Dong, do you look down on us?"

Li Dong cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject, "I was just joking. Actually, dessert shops are quite good and have potential. It's just that business is slow in winter. When summer comes, selling cold treats will definitely be profitable."

"Humph!"

Qin Yuhan snorted, showing her displeasure.

In fact, after Li Dong finished speaking, Qin Yuhan regretted it deeply, feeling that they had been too naive.

Business isn't something you can succeed at just by imagination. Now, Qin Yuhan had to force herself to endure.

Dongyu Dessert House was her painstaking creation.

If it were completely rejected, it would be like slapping her own face. Qin Yuhan already felt inferior to Li Dong; if he rejected her efforts, she feared she would never be able to face him again.

Li Dong also regretted his words, having told himself not to speak too much. But he had just spoken extensively.

If this criticism affected his girlfriend's fragile heart, what would he do?

Seeing Li Dong's troubled expression, Qin Yuhan couldn't help but smile, "Alright, stop pretending. We'll consider your suggestions but might not follow them."

"Exactly!" Qi Fangfang added.

Li Dong rolled his eyes, "I'm having a conversation with my girlfriend, why are you butting in?"

Qi Fangfang shot back, seeming to know what he was thinking, "Most of these ideas were mine!"

"I knew it!" Li Dong said with a look of realization. "I knew my Rainy wasn't that foolish. Turns out, these ideas were yours."

Qi Fangfang huffed and turned away in anger, not wanting to look at him.

Li Dong didn't mind and cheerfully said, "Rainy, we've been here for a while. Shall we head to the hotel?"

"Pervert!"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Whoever responds, you're really desperate in the middle of the day!"

Li Dong ignored her and said to Qin Yuhan, "Let's go. We'll discuss the store's issues later. It's the off-season now, so there's no rush."

Qin Yuhan agreed. Winter was always slow for business, and with the school about to break for vacation

, business was even slower.

At this time, whether to make adjustments or not didn't make much difference.

With that in mind, Qin Yuhan said, "Let me take you to the hotel."

Qi Fangfang was immediately upset, "Can't you two just leave us behind like this?"

"Of course, we're not taking you with us. What are we supposed to do, give you a tour?"

"Li Dong!"

The last sentence was shouted by Qin Yuhan, who turned red and said, "Stop talking nonsense or I'll ignore you."

Li Dong laughed awkwardly and said, "I'm not causing trouble. You heard it too. Qi Fangfang is looking for trouble."

"Who's looking for trouble!"

Qi Fangfang said with dissatisfaction, "I gave you all this advice for Rainy, and you've rejected it completely and left us behind. Do you think that's fair?"

Li Dong had never seen Qi Fangfang's aggrieved expression before and couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing Qi Fangfang glaring at him, Li Dong quickly said, "Let's forget about it. I'll treat you all to a big meal later, okay?"

"Really?"

"Really!"

"That's better," Qi Fangfang said, pouting.

Li Dong laughed again, bid farewell to Zhou Yue and Zhang Mengmeng, and then left the dessert shop with Qin Yuhan.

Outside, the weather seemed even colder.

Looking at the gloomy sky, Li Dong sighed, "Do you think it's going to snow?"

"It should. Do you like snow?" Qin Yuhan asked casually.

"It's alright. Snow can be quite interesting," Li Dong replied.

"Hmm, I wonder if it snows in the United States."

Li Dong turned his head and scratched his head, feeling that the question had a deeper meaning.