Food: Selling Boxed Meals at a Construction Site

The ability to wash over a hundred pounds of fruits and vegetables in five minutes was amazing, but his wallet was telling Xu An no.

Besides, even if Xu An bit the bullet and bought it, he had nowhere to put it. And even if he found a place, Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant didn’t need that kind of capacity right now. A machine worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of yuan running for only half an hour to an hour a day would be far too extravagant.

However, the three smaller machines he’d had his eye on earlier were a definite possibility. There was enough space to install them in the second location. A task that would normally take seven or eight people an hour of hard work could be done by the machines in less than twenty minutes. ’Technology really changes your life!’

After finishing the tour with Xu An and Liu Daxi, Uncle Han picked up the remaining box lunch and walked over to the negotiation table. He sat down, opened the bag, took out the container, and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Wow, the variety and portion size of this box lunch are great! Which fast-food place is this from, and how much is it?"

"It’s from Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant. Eight yuan for three dishes and a soup," Xu An answered smoothly.

Only then did Uncle Han notice the character ’Xu’ on the bag, which was as brilliant as a full moon—simple and dignified, yet with a touch of elegance. If Xu An hadn’t told him himself, Uncle Han would never have believed a box lunch like this could cost only eight yuan. ’What an honest-to-goodness business!’

After his moment of admiration, it was time to dig in. The sweet and refreshing carrot and corn soup soothed Uncle Han’s parched throat. The rice, drenched in braised chicken gravy, filled his rumbling stomach, and the fresh, tender bok choy nourished his body and soul.

This single box lunch had rescued him from the hell of a diet of steamed buns and mineral water. It was a truly hearty and satisfying meal!

As Uncle Han cleaned up the lunch container, which held nothing but a few scraps and some leftover sauce, a thought suddenly struck him. ’How wonderful would it be if the box lunches for the expo were supplied by this Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant!’

But he knew it was unlikely. ’Based on what Xu An said, this Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant is just a small roadside shop that’s been open for less than three months. For a formal event like the expo, the catering is almost always handled by large hotels.’

’What a shame.’

By the time Uncle Han had tossed the remains of the box lunch into the trash, Xu An and Liu Daxi had finished their discussion. Both of them were very satisfied with the machines.

Liu Daxi, in particular, was full of praise for the machines that would free his team from so much manual labor. He had had more than enough of the recent days, which involved an hour of peeling and two hours of chopping before they could even start cooking.

"Uncle Han, what kind of discount can you give us for buying these three machines together? Do you have them in stock, and when can they be delivered, installed, and ready to use?" Xu An held up the brochure, pointing out the three machines he wanted one by one for Uncle Han.

"The three machines together come to 10,800 yuan. I can round that down to an even 10,000. But since it’s for your friend or your boss, I’ll give you another 5% off, bringing it to 9,500. That includes delivery, installation, and setup. We can have them delivered as early as tomorrow." Uncle Han produced a calculator from somewhere and, after clacking away at the keys, gave him the final price.

’That price wasn’t bad at all, completely within his budget. He could afford it without needing a loan from Hai City Bank.’ Since the price wasn’t an issue, Xu An immediately decided to buy them. "Uncle Han, I’ll take all three machines. Deliver them to the Zijing Road South Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant. I’ll give you a 1,500 yuan deposit now, and I’ll pay the remaining balance tomorrow after they’re installed."

"Don’t you need to check with your boss first?" Uncle Han asked, worried that Xu An was acting on impulse.

Xu An flashed a picture-perfect smile at Uncle Han. "No need. I am the owner of Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant."

?

A giant question mark popped up over Uncle Han’s head. ’This kid... when did he become the owner of a fast-food restaurant?’