56: Chapter 56 Inside and outside
The rain was still falling, and the city scenery outside the window gradually changed from the quietness of the old town to the prosperity of the commercial district.
Half an hour later, the car pulled into the underground parking lot of the mall.
Taking the elevator directly to the first-floor atrium, the mall was noticeably sparse due to it being a weekday combined with rainy weather.
The location of "Taste Bud Memory" was quite good, right next to the escalator on the first floor, a bright corner shop.
The decoration had clearly cost a fortune: wood-toned walls, soft spotlights, the open central display case wiped until it gleamed, with several signature pastries meticulously arranged under acrylic covers, accompanied by small, simply designed black product description cards.
At first glance, it looked exactly like a trendy boutique bakery or a cultural and creative brand store.
However, the shop was empty.
Only one young clerk, wearing a work uniform, was leaning behind the counter, engrossed in his phone.
Qiao Yichen and Shen Bowen observed from outside the shop for ten minutes.
During that time, several groups of young people passed by, mostly girls or couples together.
Some of them were suddenly attracted by the exquisite storefront, then slowed their pace, and some even took out their phones to snap a picture of the shop sign or the window display.
"Come look, this store's decoration is really nice."
"Yeah, it looks like an internet-famous spot. Let's take a picture and check in."
But after they peered into the shop, their gazes only lingered briefly on the beautifully displayed pastries.
Then, without stopping, they walked past, chatting and laughing; not a single person pushed the door open.
"Just taking pictures, not going in," Qiao Yichen murmured.
Qiao Yichen and Shen Bowen pushed the door open and entered. It took a while before the clerk looked up and said with a smile, "Welcome."
The interior of the shop was equally clean and bright, with soothing piano music playing in the background.
The products were the same ones seen at the old store, only now they were individually or group-packed into transparent plastic boxes. A newly designed label was affixed to one corner of the box, making the overall appearance much cleaner than the old store's greaseproof paper bags.
Qiao Yichen picked up a box of the "Four Flavors Shortbread Combination," looked at it, and then put it back.
He walked near the counter and bought a box of pastries.
The clerk placed it into a paper bag printed with the store's logo and handed it to him.
After leaving the shop, Qiao Yichen didn't leave immediately. He stood a few steps away, holding up the paper bag and the transparent box, comparing them against the soft spotlights and the wood-toned walls inside the store.
"See the problem?" he asked Shen Bowen.
Shen Bowen looked at his gesture, then looked at the store, frowning, "This bag... and this store, they don't look like they belong to the same company?"
"Exactly." Qiao Yichen handed him the paper bag. "They spent a fortune decorating the storefront to make it look as exquisite as a high-end boutique. But when you actually buy something and receive it, it's in a transparent box that looks like what supermarkets use for cookies or cakes, along with this simple paper bag just printed with a logo."
Shen Bowen took it and touched the paper bag. "Actually, looking at the box and bag individually, they aren't bad. But placed in a store like this... it definitely gives a cheapening impression."
"That's the feeling exactly," Qiao Yichen said. "The store raises people's expectations—their psychological anticipation is too high, making them think they are buying a luxury item."
He paused and continued, "The result is that after receiving the product, the packaging tells you this is just ordinary pastry. Even if these young people understand the essence of the pastry, they will feel a sense of being deceived. Over time, even if the pastry tastes great, they won't be satisfied."
"Then how do the regular customers of the main store buy it?" Shen Bowen asked.
"The main store is different," Qiao Yichen replied. "Although the main store looks worn out, the Master Craftsman wraps it for you on the spot with greaseproof paper. That provides a sense of personal connection, which complements the environment. Customers who come to buy are seeking that personal touch and craftsmanship."
Qiao Yichen then pointed toward the new store, and Shen Bowen followed his gaze.
"The new store abandoned the main store's 'personal touch' and 'in-person' ceremony, leaving only an empty shell. What distinguishes this time-honored brand from other pastry or cake shops? Plus, the packaging isn't distinctive. Why should people pay for it?"
He then gestured toward several young people nearby queuing up and taking photos at a milk tea shop.
"Most young people nowadays don't just want something delicious; they want something visually appealing enough to post on their Moments or social media."
"Bo Wen, look. Isn't this storefront exquisite enough? But after buying, carrying a bag like this, do you feel comfortable continuing to shop around the mall?"
Shen Bowen understood: "So the primary issue is that the packaging needs to change?"
"Yes." Qiao Yichen nodded, his tone very certain. "The packaging must be designed to be the type people are willing to photograph and share."
He glanced at the notebook in Shen Bowen's hand. "Write this down: The core problem of the new store—the store looks like a boutique, but the packaging looks like wholesale goods. The feeling is wrong, so people don't enter. Our solution must bring the packaging up to the same standard as the decoration, transforming it from 'something to hold things' into a 'display item.'"
Shen Bowen quickly jotted it down, finally circling the note heavily.
The rain hadn't stopped, and the two turned to walk toward the parking lot. Qiao Yichen was still holding the slightly plain paper bag, but in his mind, the material, texture, and look of the new packaging already had a vague outline.
The two said no more, started the car, and drove toward the third point on the map—the second new store located on the other side of the city.
The situation was identical to the first new store.
The same prime location, the meticulous decoration, the sparse foot traffic, and the somewhat incongruous packaging.
Qiao Yichen also bought a box of pastries. The familiar feeling he got upon receiving it made his last shred of luck disappear.
The problem with the new stores was universal.
He walked out of the mall and back to the car.
Qiao Yichen glanced at the time; it was three-thirty in the afternoon.
He fastened his seatbelt but didn't start the car immediately. Instead, he said to Shen Bowen in the passenger seat, "I'll drop you off at the nearest subway station. Take these with you,"
He pointed to the box of pastries just bought from the second new store and the main store's paper bag packaging in Shen Bowen's hand, "and go back to the company. Synchronize what we saw today—the main store's personal connection and packaging issue, and the new store's discrepancy between appearance and reality—with Li Yong and Meng Zhi. Then, the three of you together, unbox these two boxes of pastries, focusing on the packaging details, and taste the flavors too."
Shen Bowen nodded, "Understood, Brother Qiao. And you...?"
"I have something urgent and need to go to the west side of the city," Qiao Yichen started the car, pulling out of the parking lot and merging into traffic. "I'll return to the company after I finish."
"Okay."
The car stopped smoothly near the entrance of the nearest subway station.
"Be careful on the road. See you at the company," Qiao Yichen said.
"Brother Qiao, you hurry back after you finish your business too." Shen Bowen, carrying the box of 'task pastries,' pushed the door open, got out, and quickly walked into the subway station.
Watching his figure disappear, Qiao Yichen didn't leave immediately. He picked up his phone, tapped the pinned chat box, and typed:
"Just finished looking at the 'Taste Bud Memory' new stores and bought their pastries for you. But now I have to go to Jiayi Xuan Auction House to finalize the payment. I'll be back at the company later."
He sent it.
A few seconds later, a reply came back.
Liu Yanran: "Okay. Be safe on the road."
Qiao Yichen smiled faintly as he looked at the screen.
He put down his phone, and his gaze naturally fell to the back seat of the passenger side.
On it were the "Four Flavors Shortbread" pastries purchased separately from the new store and the old store.
He shifted into gear again, turned the steering wheel, and the white Audi slowly slid out of the temporary parking spot, heading in the direction of the west side of the city.