Lin Canrong’s thinking was progressing.
At first, he believed Mingyun Private Kitchen and Slackin’ Delivery were following completely different paths, with no need for mutual jealousy.
Then, he thought Mingyun Private Kitchen and Slackin’ Delivery could share the Food Lab and resources.
But now he realized that Mr. Pei’s true intention must be for the two dining departments to develop deep cooperation, striving to become inseparable!
Lin Canrong couldn’t help but lament how narrow-minded his previous departmental prejudice had been!
No wonder Mr. Pei became so unhappy whenever he mentioned opening branches.
Mr. Pei had been hinting all along that Slackin’ Delivery was already the budget branch of Mingyun Private Kitchen—why look elsewhere when what you need is right in front of you?
“Create a… budget version of No-Name Restaurant?”
Rui Yuchen’s expression was bewildered; obviously, she had never considered this before.
After thinking for a moment, Rui Yuchen frowned slightly. “Brother Lin, this approach doesn’t seem very feasible, does it?”
“Mingyun Private Kitchen and Slackin’ Delivery have vastly different positioning.”
“Can they be forced together?”
“Won’t we end up with Slackin’ Delivery failing to go upscale while also dragging down Mingyun Private Kitchen’s reputation, creating a lose-lose situation?”
“After all, when most people think of delivery, they consider it synonymous with ‘lack of sophistication.'”
Rui Yuchen’s concerns were not without reason.
Brand image is an intangible thing that often depends on people’s associations. A high-end brand can instantly lose all its prestige through a misguided operation.
It’s like an international luxury brand suddenly losing its mind and hiring an obscure D-list celebrity as a spokesperson—the brand image would be instantly ruined.
No-Name Restaurant’s high-end brand impression wasn’t built overnight.
Although food delivery has been developing rapidly recently, most people still associate delivery with concepts like “cheap,” “unsophisticated,” and “unhealthy.”
Even though Slackin’ Delivery’s positioning was clearly a tier above other delivery services, people unfamiliar with the details would still subconsciously conflate Slackin’ Delivery with other delivery services.
If they forcibly used No-Name Restaurant to endorse Slackin’ Delivery but failed to elevate it, instead making people think No-Name Restaurant had lost all its prestige, wouldn’t that be a huge loss?
Lin Canrong nodded. “I know, there’s definitely that risk.”
“But, it’s what we make of it.”
“We can consider it from three aspects.”
“First, we need to be completely transparent with all consumers that Slackin’ Delivery cannot offer dishes of the same caliber as No-Name Restaurant. We’re only guaranteeing that it’s a budget version of No-Name Restaurant—we shouldn’t let them develop excessive expectations.”
“Second, we must strictly control the content of the dishes.”
“Not all of Mingyun Private Kitchen’s dishes are suitable for Slackin’ Delivery. Some dishes are delicious because of their ingredients—switching ingredients would completely change the experience. Some dishes require extremely complex, tedious processes that take hours to prepare and are difficult for ordinary chefs to execute.”
“We need to rigorously evaluate which dishes from Mingyun Private Kitchen can be adapted for delivery while maximizing flavor despite limitations in ingredients and chef expertise. We must be extremely careful about this.”
“Finally, we must start from scratch and make people’s understanding of this new brand separate from the original concept of ‘Slackin’ Delivery.'”
“Many people mistakenly think Slackin’ Delivery is like other ordinary delivery services—just more expensive and healthier. This perception is difficult to change, so we can’t force it.”
“We’ll create a new high-end brand on top of Slackin’ Delivery, and from the very beginning of promotion, separate its concept from ordinary delivery services and distinguish it in every aspect.”
Rui Yuchen nodded repeatedly.
It seemed Lin Canrong had indeed anticipated these risks and prepared contingency plans.
“The first two points are very clear, but for the third point… how exactly do we create a new high-end brand?” Rui Yuchen asked.
Lin Canrong organized his thoughts a bit. “The principle is simple—like how car companies create luxury brands based on their mass-market brands.”
“Luxury cars don’t sell in volume and aren’t the main profit drivers; they exist purely to elevate the mass-market brand.”
“The name ‘Slackin’ Delivery’ is a mass-market brand name—approachable but not high-end enough. I’ve thought of a name: Shi·He.”
Rui Yuchen: “Food Box? Like ancient food delivery containers?”
Lin Canrong shook his head. “That’s the idea, but with different characters. ‘He’ means ‘harmony’ as in ‘harmony in diversity.'”
“To establish a high-end delivery brand in China, the best approach is to connect the brand with traditional elements.”
“In fact, food delivery existed in ancient times. When scholars and nobles went out to visit friends, enjoy nature, or attend poetry or literary societies, they often enjoyed wine and conversation, requiring exquisite dishes and fruits as accompaniments.”
“In other words, food boxes have a long history and embody traditional cultural connotations. Many food boxes can even be considered exquisite works of art, naturally carrying high-end concepts.”
“My thinking is that the name Shi·He makes customers think of ancient food boxes while also separating these two characters to add cultural value.”
“Food is essential to people, and gentlemen seek harmony without uniformity. The original pictographic meaning of ‘He’ relates to eating. Moreover, ancient food boxes were typically made of bamboo or wood, taken from nature and passed down through generations, conveying a concept of harmony between humans and nature.”
“And this happens to align perfectly with Slackin’ Delivery’s philosophy.”
“Slackin’ Delivery’s characteristics are healthy food and fully recyclable tableware, which inherently embodies a harmonious philosophy. If we extend and elevate this philosophy further, isn’t that exactly what the Shi·He brand wants to express?”
Rui Yuchen nodded. “Indeed. We’ll definitely need to put effort into the packaging too, right? At the very least, all Shi·He dishes should be delivered in specially customized food boxes to clearly differentiate them from other delivery services.”
Lin Canrong nodded. “You can consider that. I’ll go back and think carefully about which dishes are suitable for the Shi·He menu. This can’t be rushed—we need to plan for the long term!”
With a brief discussion, many details were quickly settled.
…
…
June 10th, Friday.
Xiao Peng let out a deep breath.
“Mission accomplished! Slackin’ Internet Café 3.0 and ROF’s new computer cases all perfectly meet Mr. Pei’s requirements!”
The first Slackin’ Internet Café 3.0 store opened in Jingzhou, in a shopping mall near Handong University.
Xiao Peng had chosen this location after comprehensively considering Mr. Pei’s requirements.
Mr. Pei had said that Slackin’ Internet Café 3.0 could only open in Jingzhou or places with lower economic levels than Jingzhou, while also ensuring fewer seats, more space, higher prices, and better locations.
In plain terms, they could only open in shopping malls in second and third-tier cities.
After consideration, Xiao Peng ultimately chose the mall near Handong University. Although there would be some overlap with the Slackin’ Internet Café 1.0 at Handong University, considering that the 3.0 model was more suitable for young people with stronger purchasing power, and that Slackin’ Internet Café 3.0 didn’t have many seats, this location wasn’t problematic.
Moreover, it was close to Tenda headquarters, and Xiao Peng frequently moved between these two internet cafés, increasing his chances of running into Mr. Pei—which was crucial.
Now, Xiao Peng was very satisfied with the completed Slackin’ Internet Café 3.0.
“I should find someone to take a look and give me some feedback.”
“Who should I ask…”
“Mr. Pei?”
“No, that’s too abrupt, and besides, Mr. Pei is very busy and might not have time.”
“I’ll ask Mr. Zhang to come take a look.”
Xiao Peng thought Zhang Yuan was the most suitable candidate because he was the former head of Slackin’ Internet Café, still missed it, and was knowledgeable enough to provide appropriate evaluations and feasible suggestions.
Now in charge of DGE Esports Club, his work shouldn’t be too busy, so he should be able to make time.
Xiao Peng called Zhang Yuan, who immediately agreed, saying he would leave Mingyun Resort right away and arrive shortly.
Xiao Peng simply sat down and started a game of GOG.
…
Following Xiao Peng’s location, Zhang Yuan arrived at the fourth floor of the shopping mall and found the newly renovated Slackin’ Internet Café.
From a distance, Zhang Yuan was already attracted by the café’s signage.
Below the four characters for “Slackin’ Internet Café” was a small line of text: “Esports Lifestyle Center”!
This time, not only was the interior completely renovated, but the exterior as well, creating the cool esports style that gamers love. Deep black and various colorful lines outlined a youthful quality, and the outer wall had even been transformed into a huge display screen.
Looking further inside, the interior was also decorated in an esports theme. Through baked glass, mirrored floor tiles, and mirrored stainless steel materials, they utilized principles of light reflection, refraction, and diffuse reflection to create a sense of the future and technology.
Although the seating spacing was more sparse compared to Slackin’ Internet Café 2.0, it had very clear zoning.
Immediately upon entering, you could see soundproof rooms divided into red and blue sides in the distance, with surfaces noticeably higher—clearly dedicated competitive battle zones, with a retractable projection screen above.
In front of the two soundproof rooms was a more dispersed battle zone, all with irregular pentagon-shaped computer desks, each seating exactly five people when full.
These tables were arranged in a staggered pattern, neither rigid nor loose.
Compared to the traditional row seating arrangement, this distribution resembled more of a party or crosstalk theater.
The edges of the computer desks curved inward, ensuring everyone could freely turn to observe the large screen. This design also ensured enough movement range for the right-hand mouse, and the space behind each display could be used for drinks or snacks.
In the depths of the internet café, several compartments were separately partitioned, also with five people per row, but staggered and continuously rising, creating a stepped effect.
The highest five-seat section was the most magnificent, in an inverted V-shape, with the apex position like a throne overlooking all.
Zhang Yuan was shocked.
He had heard that Xiao Peng was preparing Slackin’ Internet Café 3.0 but had never seen the design drawings or visited during renovation.
Visiting for the first time today, he had only one feeling—that the level of prestige seemed to have increased by more than just a little compared to Slackin’ Internet Café 2.0!
Xiao Peng, who was casually playing a game at a seat in the main hall, saw Zhang Yuan arrive and quickly stood up.
“Mr. Zhang, what do you think?” Xiao Peng asked with some pride.
Zhang Yuan asked in disbelief, “This is Mr. Pei’s plan?”
Xiao Peng shook his head. “No, Mr. Pei didn’t get too involved, he just gave me a general direction. I worked out the overall plan myself.”
“However, the reason I could come up with this plan was because I had predicted Mr. Pei’s next direction!”
Zhang Yuan was stunned. “Predicted Mr. Pei’s direction? What direction?”
Xiao Peng said, “Combining the competitive relationship between DGE Esports Club, GOG, and ioi, along with Mr. Pei’s general direction for Slackin’ Internet Café 3.0, I predicted that Mr. Pei’s next target must be esports!”
“So, I decided to shape the Slackin’ Internet Café 3.0 model into an Esports Lifestyle Center, jumping on this bandwagon!”