The Fish Ball Shop
"Xiao Mei, could I ask you for a favor?" Li Zhi called Mu Xiao Mei.
"Go ahead, what is it?" She replied.
"I need you to design a logo for me!"
"A logo?" Mu Xiao Mei was puzzled. "What kind of logo are you looking for?"
Li Zhi described the concept of Happy Fish Ball to her as a shop that sells fish balls. I need you to design a cartoon character, similar to the old man on KFC's logo or the scarecrow on a specific soy milk brand.
Mu Xiao Mei, a professional designer, wasn't sure if she could design a logo, but she was willing to give it a try.
"Are there any specific requirements?" She asked.
"Yes," Li Zhi replied. "I need it done within a day." The decoration company is already working on the signboard, and it needs to be ready by tomorrow, so time is limited.
The Happy Fish Ball shop is designed to be simple and bright, using vibrant colors to emphasize the word 'happy'.
With a 60-square-meter storefront, Li Zhi's idea was to focus solely on takeout, without offering any dining space inside the store.
For now, the main focus will be on cooking, with two large pots designated for red and clear soup. Any potential changes will be considered after the business is up and running. This is just an experimental store aimed at gaining experience.
"I'll give it a try," Mu Xiao Mei hesitated, but ultimately agreed.
"Then it's up to you!" Li Zhi said, before hanging up the phone, that he was currently at the entrance of the University of Haicheng.
For two consecutive days, Li Zhi had not slept well. Many people say that starting a business is difficult, but those who haven't experienced it will never know where the real challenges lie.
The first factory, the first store - to be honest, Li Zhi wasn't too excited about it. He knew he would succeed and firmly believed in his own success.
In two days, they had eaten and slept at the store, discussing how to set things up more reasonably. The night after Li Zhi called Mu Xiao Mei, she designed several cartoon characters inspired by fish balls.
From her designs, Li Zhi chose a "chubby doll" - a round fish ball with a pair of small feet and hands, featuring the face on the belly, creating a very cute image.
They discussed some details, such as clothing, colors, and whether to add a bamboo skewer as hair.
Once everything was finalized, the image was sent to the decoration company, and the signboard production began.
After the store was decorated and the signboard was hung, both the inside and outside of the store were cleaned. Li Zhi then went to the mall and ordered four large refrigerated cabinets.
…
Three days passed, and when Dong Xiao Rou saw Li Zhi again, she couldn't help but frown slightly, with a hint of concern in her eyes.
"The store has been decorated, and the business license has been obtained." Now it's time to see if we can make a splash! Li Zhi said with a smile.
Dong Xiao Rou nodded, not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm. In the past few days, he had visibly lost weight.
"Tired, aren't you?" Dong Xiao Rou asked gently.
Listening to Dong Xiao Rou's gentle voice, Li Zhi laughed and shook his head. "Not tired at all, not at all!"
Dong Xiao Rou didn't say anything else.
In three days, the factory produced about two thousand pounds of fish balls!
Li Zhi and Heizi loaded the fish balls into the car, ready to transport them to the No. 1 store in the university town.
"Li Zhi, have you thought about enhancing the flavor?" Dong Xiao Rou asked softly.
"Improving the flavor?" Li Zhi looked at her, not quite understanding.
Dong Xiao Rou explained, "I'm not worried about the flavor of the fish balls themselves, but the soup we make isn't that great." Even the best delicacies need good seasoning. "Don't you agree?"
While some people may enjoy plain boiled fish balls, for regular consumption, a change in flavor might be necessary. Dong Xiao Rou's homemade chili oil was definitely lacking compared to the professionally made red chili oil.
Li Zhi's mind started to ponder.
In the 'Starry Sky i9 Intelligent Processing Factory' system, there were many components. The factory itself was unremarkable; the soul resided in the machines. The most essential things were the machines in the factory that could produce various products.
The "First-Class Red Soup Ingredient" manufacturing machine costs 650,000 for the simple level and 6 million for the complex level.
It could produce red chili oil using sixteen raw materials, primarily for hot pot base, with a simple production process.
Prospects: Low level!
650,000? Even at a basic level, it resembled the production line currently utilized in the factory for fish ball manufacturing. Looking at the figure, Li Zhi sighed. Capital, capital, it all comes down to money. Once he had the money, everything would be easier to handle.
"Let's try this for now." We can consider making changes after the business is up and running. We can consider the recipe for the chili oil once we have the funds! Li Zhi smiled, acknowledging that perfection wasn't achievable at the beginning.
In the evening, the three of them drove to the city. Upon arriving at the store, they unloaded the fish balls from the car and placed them in the refrigerated cabinets that had been prepared.
Dong Xiao Rou did not express any opinions about the store's decoration.
"What do you think?" Li Zhi was quite satisfied with the results of the past two days.
Dong Xiao Rou nodded and asked, "Who are you planning to have sell the fish balls here?"
"Are fish balls sold here?"
Li Zhi scratched his nose. He hadn't thought about this question, nor had he considered staying here to sell fish balls. His mind was solely focused on opening the store and achieving success, without considering the operational aspects.
Heizi, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "If you need assistance, you can ask Xiao Qing to come over and help." "It's not a weekend or holiday, and there aren't many people in the village."
The factory required workers, and the "Happy Fish Ball Shop" also needed staff to operate.
Even if they could recruit part-time students from nearby universities, they still needed someone to stay here long-term.
"Alright, let's have Xiao Qing come over to help for a few days," Li Zhi agreed. He couldn't find anyone he trusted to come back at the moment.
Five days!
The three of them had thought of everything they could and made all the necessary preparations.
Dong Xiao Rou even accompanied Li Zhi to have a set of uniforms tailored for the fish ball shop employees.
"Does anyone have any other opinions to share?" Li Zhi asked, with Dong Xiao Rou and Xiao Qing standing beside him, while Heizi stayed back at the factory.
Xiao Qing shook her head and said with a smile, "Boss, don't worry." "Our fish balls are so delicious, they will definitely sell well!"
Xiao Qing had been assisting at the store for the past two days, and the three of them had also enhanced the soup used for cooking the fish balls. Although it wasn't as good as what a top chef could make, the flavor was definitely not lacking, as it was made with genuine ingredients.
"Let's give it a try, and we'll see how it goes!" Dong Xiao Rou looked at Li Zhi and walked behind the counter, turning on the external signboard.
It was already dark outside, but since this was a university town, there would still be people on the streets until the dormitories closed.
The white signboard with yellow lettering reads "Happy Fish Ball," featuring a cartoon logo designed by Mu Xiao Mei in the middle.
The price of the fish balls remained the same at five yuan each!