Chapter 73: So Weird, Just One More Sip...
Along with the cooler came promotional posters and other materials from Haiquan Beverage Company for their apple vinegar.
After carefully reviewing the materials, Xu An confirmed his suspicion was correct: there was a loophole in the promotion contract.
While it stipulated the sales method, sales price, and numerous restrictive clauses, it missed one thing: there was no clause prohibiting free giveaways.
In other words, as long as Xu An gave away five thousand cans for free, he would be guaranteed to get the double-door beverage cooler.
Of course, this was all on the condition that the Haiquan Beverage Company employees didn’t discover the loophole.
But with daily inventory checks and restocking, it would be abnormal if they *didn’t* find out.
Xu An was now exploiting this loophole. On the first day, any customer who made a purchase would get a free can of apple vinegar to let everyone have a taste.
Although Xu An knew this apple vinegar was a perfect fit for the tastes of Hai City’s residents, for now, it was just an unfamiliar, unknown beverage to everyone.
As a new drink just entering the market, nobody knew what it tasted like. Why would they spend money on it for no reason? Even one yuan is still money!
Second, he had to stir up everyone’s desire to buy it.
The posters provided by Haiquan Beverage Company desperately emphasized the cheap promotional price, but cheapness is shown through comparison, not just by shouting about it!
Xu An paid out of his own pocket to buy some Coke, Sprite, and orange juice from a convenience store. He also went to a print shop to make some price tags—red text on a yellow background—and stuck them inside the beverage cooler. The 2.5 yuan price was exceptionally eye-catching.
Then he stuck a large "Add-on for One Yuan" sign on the outside of the cooler’s glass door, ensuring the striking notice would catch everyone’s eye.
Finally, he posted the Haiquan Beverage Company’s posters outside the restaurant entrance, and the preliminary preparations were complete.
At eleven o’clock the next morning, quitting time arrived at the construction site.
Qiao Xingguo got in line for a boxed lunch at Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant. After paying at the register, he picked up a tray and was about to head to the hot food counter to get his food.
"Hey there, our restaurant is running a promotion with Haiquan Beverage Company. This apple vinegar drink, originally 3.5 yuan, is now just a one-yuan add-on..."
Qiao Xingguo was a little interested when he heard about the promotion, but he immediately refused when he heard the "one yuan" part. "No thanks, no thanks. I’m not really one for drinks, haha."
"Today, it’s a free giveaway."
"Well, if the boss recommends it so highly, I’ve got to give it a try." With that, Qiao Xingguo smoothly took the can of apple vinegar from Xu An’s hand. "Whoa, it’s even chilled! Thanks, boss! Hope you get rich!"
Qiao Xingguo had just gotten his food and sat down when his wife burst in.
"What’s with the sun today? It’s hot as hell!"
She reached for the soup bowl, intending to gulp it down to cool off, when she suddenly noticed a can beaded with condensation on the table.
Her gaze swept across the restaurant and finally landed on the beverage cooler.
’One yuan, that’s not expensive. I could use something cold to cool down.’
That’s what Qiao Xingguo’s wife thought, and that’s what she did. She casually picked up the can, pulled the tab, and GULP, GULP, GULP, downed half of it in one go.
The carbonated bubbles exploded in her mouth. As she swallowed, the cold liquid rushed down her throat and into her stomach. The chill spread from her stomach to her limbs, and the oppressive heat that had settled in her body instantly dissipated by more than half.
Ah, that’s the stuff!
「Aisha Clothing Company.」
Today it was Old Han and his two colleagues’ turn to deliver the Aisha Clothing order. The three of them picked up thirty-two boxed lunches from the entrance of the Hai City Company, placed them in delivery boxes, and got on their bicycles. A few pedals later, they were at the entrance of the Aisha Clothing Company.
When the receptionist saw them, she didn’t even need them to say anything, simply sending a single word to the company’s group chat: Food.
The trio placed the boxed lunches on the reception desk. The receptionist keenly noticed that there was a drink inside each one.
"What’s this?" the receptionist asked quizzically, pointing at the apple vinegar.
"It’s a promotion our restaurant is running with the Haiquan Beverage Company. If you order a boxed lunch, you can add on a can of Haiquan Apple Vinegar for just one yuan," Old Han said with a smile.
The receptionist glanced at the apple vinegar and frowned slightly. It wasn’t expensive, but putting it directly in the lunch box... ’Are they trying to force a sale?’
Old Han saw her reaction and knew what she was about to say. He cut in before she could speak, "Today’s the first day of the promotion, so the apple vinegar is a free gift. If you try it and like it, you can add it to your order for one yuan tomorrow."
Hearing it was a free gift, the receptionist said no more. She took the boxed lunches, paid for them, and sat back down at her desk.
She reached out to take the can of apple vinegar, and the moment her fingers touched it, a chill shot through her.
’Ooh, it’s actually cold!’
She set the apple vinegar aside and took the flyer out of the bag to use as a bone plate, but suddenly noticed there were actually two flyers today. One of them was a promotional leaflet for the apple vinegar drink.
’Sweet and sour, and it aids digestion?’
’Should I give it a try?’
The pull-tab on top of the can was opened. The FIZZ of bubbles came from inside the can, and along with it, the distinct sweet-and-sour aroma of apple vinegar.
She cautiously took a sip. The cold apple vinegar flooded her mouth, and carbonated bubbles burst and roamed freely. The sourness was just right—any more would be too tart, any less too sweet. The sweetness wasn’t a boring, flat sweetness either; stimulated by the acidity, it had a unique crispness.
’Huh, sweet and sour. How weird. Let me have another sip... still weird. Another sip...’
After taking seven or eight consecutive sips and drinking a third of the can, the receptionist finally realized she had drunk so much in one go!
’Oh no, oh no. I’m not going to be able to finish my lunch today.’
She put down the apple vinegar with some regret and picked up her chopsticks to attack her boxed lunch.
The scenario she’d imagined—of being unable to finish her food—didn’t happen. She ate every last bite of her lunch.
After finishing, she even felt a little empty, craving something sweet and sour to drink.
Her eyes involuntarily flickered to the can of apple vinegar on her desk. A guilty hand slowly reached out and seized it.
’Just one sip. One more sip and then I’ll stop!’
’I swear!’
「Anxin Food Processing Company.」
Lately, Zhang Daoyi had been going out more and more often, but every time he just circled around Qianhai Town, occasionally went to the seaside to feel the breeze, and then came back.
Lin Xu Yang and the others followed him each time, full of expectation, and returned disappointed every time.
Today, Zhang Daoyi went out again, dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase.
The team had been led on too many wild goose chases lately, so their enthusiasm was low. They just followed him from a distance as usual, waiting to see where he was headed.
When they reached an intersection, Zhang Daoyi’s vehicle didn’t turn left as it usually did, but went right instead.
Everyone’s spirits lifted. Something was different!
They tailed Zhang Daoyi’s vehicle all the way to Beitun Town and saw him get out of the car and hurry into the Fishermen’s Tavern.
The people in the car quickly got out and followed Zhang Daoyi into the Fishermen’s Tavern.
However, after entering the Fishermen’s Tavern, Zhang Daoyi went straight to the second floor and into a private room.
By the time they entered, Zhang Daoyi was already out of sight. They had no choice but to find a table in the main hall with a view of both staircases and the main entrance.
To prevent Zhang Daoyi from sneaking out the back like a thief with a guilty conscience, Lin Xu Yang and a colleague sat at a table near the back door to keep an eye on it.