Jiang Che and Zhang Wei walked briskly toward their classroom, the box of freshly made Brown Sugar Bubble Tea balanced carefully in Jiang Che's hands.
The rich, caramel aroma wafted through the air, drawing the attention of a few passersby who craned their necks curiously.
Reaching the classroom, they stepped inside to the usual noise of students chatting, exchanging notes, or scrolling through their phones.
Jiang Che wasted no time.
He placed the box on a desk near the front, attracting a few glances from their classmates.
Zhang Wei hesitated, whispering, "Are you sure this will work? What if no one's interested?"
"Trust me," Jiang Che replied with a reassuring pat on Zhang Wei's shoulder.
"Just watch."
He clapped his hands, cutting through the chatter and attracting attention.
"Alright, everyone! Before class starts, we've got something special for you—freshly made Brown Sugar Bubble Tea! Handmade pearls, premium ingredients, and a taste you won't forget. It's only twelve yuan a cup. Who's up for a treat?"
The room fell silent for a moment as curious eyes turned toward the box.
Someone near the back, Sun Fei, laughed and called out, "Twelve yuan? That's steep for milk tea. Jiang Che, are you trying to rob us?"
Jiang Che didn't miss a beat.
"This isn't the cheap powdered stuff you get at chain stores. This is handcrafted, with premium brown sugar syrup and fresh tapioca pearls. One sip, and you'll know it's worth every yuan."
Sun Fei scoffed.
"Blah… Big Talk! Who knows what it is made up of?"
Sun Fei acted like a person who saw through Feng Chen's trick.
"You! I will… "
Zhang Wei wanted to refute and argue with Sun Fei.
He knew what the ingredients for the Brown Sugar Bubble Tea cost, so he couldn't help but get angry when he was being doubted by Sun Fei.
But before he could argue with Sun Fei, Jiang Che stopped him and shook his head.
Feng Chen already expected such a response.
Unless you are selling a well known branded product, how could you expect others to trust your product suddenly? And give out 12 Yuan for Milk Tea?
"Sun Fei, for you, I will give it to you for free. How about you try it and tell us whether it is worth it or not?
Feng Chen said.
"Alright, let's see if you're all talk."
Sun Fei agreed as he made his way towards Zhang Wei and Feng Chen.
Zhang Wei handed him a cup, albeit a bit angry.
( Why should we give someone who questioned our Milk Tea quality for free? )
Zhang Wei thought.
However, he knew that Jiang Che must have other plans for him to do so.
Sun Fei took the cup with skepticism.
Although the Milk tea looked a bit different from what he would normally buy, he still didn't think that it would be worth 12 yuan.
Sun Fei poked the pearls with his straw, swirling the milk tea in the cup as if scrutinizing it under a microscope.
Then, finally, he took a small, cautious sip.
The moment the sweet, caramel flavor of the brown sugar syrup hit his tongue, paired with the slightly bitter undertone of the tea and the chewy pearls, his eyebrows lifted in surprise.
He said nothing, though, taking another sip, then another.
The classroom grew quiet as all eyes turned to Sun Fei.
"Well?"
Someone called out, breaking the silence.
"Is it good or not?"
"Come on, Sun Fei, spill it!"
Another classmate chimed in, craning their neck to see his expression.
Sun Fei ignored them, focusing entirely on the cup in his hand.
He drank steadily, each sip slower than the last, as if savoring every bit of the drink.
The caramel aroma lingered in the air, teasing the curious onlookers.
Sun Fei, unfazed, tilted the cup back for one last sip, draining it completely.
He lowered the cup slowly, studying it as if weighing the experience in his mind.
The class leaned forward, hanging on his reaction.
Finally, he set the cup down and let out a sigh. "Twelve yuan…" he began, pausing dramatically. "... is totally worth it."
The room erupted into murmurs and gasps.
"Wait, it's really that good?"
Someone asked, still skeptical.
Sun Fei nodded, his skeptical expression replaced with reluctant admiration.
"It's better than any milk tea I've ever had. The pearls are perfectly chewy, and the flavor is rich but not overwhelming. I never had such a drink before."
Sun Fei glanced at Jiang Che and Zhang Wei, his initial skepticism replaced by a sheepish expression.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Uh... I guess I might've been a little too quick to judge. That was amazing."
He hesitated, then added, "I'll pay for the cup I just drank, and I'll buy another one too. Here!"
He pulled out his wallet and handed Jiang Che 24 yuan, looking genuinely apologetic.
"Sorry for doubting you earlier."
Zhang Wei blinked, stunned by the sudden turnaround.
Jiang Che chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
"No need to apologize, Sun Fei. We're classmates, after all."
He picked out 4 yuan from the cash Sun Fei handed over and returned it to him.
"Let's call it 20 yuan for two cups. And since this is our first time selling, I'll offer a discount—10 yuan per cup for today only."
The class buzzed with excitement at the announcement.
"I want one!"
"Save one for me too!"
Another student called out.
"Alright, everyone, form a line!"
Zhang Wei called out, his voice full of newfound confidence as he helped Jiang Che manage the sudden surge of customers.
By the time the class was filled with the happy sounds of slurping and murmurs of approval,
Jiang Che and Zhang Wei's box of milk tea was completely sold out.
"You planned this, didn't you?"
Zhang Wei asked.
Jiang Che shrugged with a smug grin.
"Word of mouth is the best advertising. Sun Fei just gave us the best endorsement we could ask for."
Then Feng Chen began to explain how Sun Fei represented the skepticism of their product and the price, but as long as you can convince him, you are essentially convincing the whole class about your product.
Zhang Wei listened with awe. Despite being the same age, he looked at Jiang Che who seemed several years older.
Earlier, he got angrier because Sun Fei was questioning their Milk Tea quality but never looked at it from Sun Fei's perspective.
If it was the other way around, he too would have been skeptical about 12 Yuan Milk Tea.
But Jiang Che not only understood that but used Sun Fei to convince the other classmates as well.
Zhang Wei began to see Jiang Che in a new light.
"Those who want to drink the same Milk Tea tomorrow, please order it now and we will bring it tomorrow."
Jiang Che began collecting names and orders, while Zhang Wei jotted them down in his notebook, carefully tallying how many cups each classmate wanted.
"Two for me!"
"Put me down for three!"
"Add one more here!"
The classroom buzzed with excitement as students eagerly placed their orders.
Zhang Wei also handled the payments, neatly organizing the money in a pouch Jiang Che handed him.
By the end, Zhang Wei flipped through his notes and counted the orders.
"Forty-three cups preordered for tomorrow," he announced, barely able to hide his excitement.
Jiang Che smiled.
"Looks like tomorrow is going to be a busy day."