30: Chapter 30 The Store Managers' Stories (Part 8): Kevin
Kevin is the youngest employee at the San Francisco store.
Twenty-two years old, Chinese-American, a senior at UC Berkeley, majoring in Computer Science.
When Chen Yao first interviewed him, she asked: "You're a Berkeley CS student, why are you coming to a fried chicken shop?"
Kevin thought for a moment and said earnestly: "Because I don't want to write code."
Chen Yao was stunned.
Kevin continued: "My parents have been forcing me to study programming since I was a child. They said only by studying this could I get ahead. I've studied it for fifteen years, and now I feel like throwing up whenever I see a computer."
He looked up at Chen Yao, a strange light in his eyes:
"I just want to find a place where no one makes me write code."
Chen Yao stared at him for three seconds.
Then she smiled.
"Fine. Then you'll serve tables."
---
Kevin served tables for three months.
From ten in the morning to eight in the evening, serving tables, clearing tables, pouring water for customers, getting scolded by customers, getting praised by customers, being ignored by customers.
He never complained.
Chen Yao observed him for a long time.
She discovered one thing—
Every time Kevin served tables, he was smiling.
Not the professional fake smile, but a genuine smile.
Chen Yao asked him: "What are you smiling at?"
Kevin pointed to the customers: "They are happy when they eat fried chicken."
Chen Yao raised an eyebrow: "And you?"
Kevin thought for a moment and said earnestly:
"When I see them happy, I'm happy."
---
Kevin's parents came to the shop once.
Driving a Mercedes, parked at the entrance.
Two well-dressed middle-aged people walked in, stood in the shop, looking incredulous.
Kevin was serving tables and froze when he saw them.
"Dad? Mom?"
Kevin's mother looked at him, her eyes turning red.
"Son, why are you serving tables here?"
Kevin put down the tray and walked over.
"I work here."
Kevin's father frowned: "Work? You graduated from Berkeley, and you come to work at a fried chicken shop?"
Kevin was silent for a second.
Then he said: "Dad, I like it here."
Kevin's father was stunned.
Kevin continued: "When I write code, I'm not happy. But here, I'm happy every day."
He pointed to the customers in the shop:
"They eat the fried chicken I serve and smile. And I'm happy."
Kevin's father stared at him for a long time.
Then he turned and left.
Before Kevin's mother chased after him, she looked back at Kevin.
That look, Kevin couldn't read it.
---
After Kevin's parents left, Chen Yao walked over and stood next to him.
"Are you okay?"
Kevin shook his head.
Chen Yao was silent for a second, then asked: "Do you want to go back and write code?"
Kevin thought for a moment and said earnestly:
"No."
Chen Yao smiled: "Then keep serving tables."
---
Three months later, one day, a special customer came to the shop.
He was a man in his forties, wearing a plaid shirt and glasses, looking like a programmer at first glance.
He sat in a corner, ordered a portion of fried chicken, and ate it slowly.
While eating, he looked up at Kevin.
"Are you Kevin Chen?"
Kevin froze: "You know me?"
The man nodded: "I'm your dad's colleague. He said you were serving tables here."
Kevin was silent.
The man continued: "He also said you didn't want to write code anymore."
Kevin nodded.
The man stared at him for three seconds.
Then he asked: "Do you know that your dad tells everyone at the company every day that his son is a Berkeley CS major?"
Kevin froze.
The man said: "On his office wall, he has posted the first line of code you wrote as a child. Every time he brings people for a tour, he points it out to them."
Kevin's eyes turned red.
The man stood up and patted his shoulder:
"Whether you are happy or not is your business. But whether he is happy is because of you."
He left.
Kevin stood where he was, holding the tray, motionless.
---
That night, Kevin called his father.
The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up.
"Dad."
There was silence on the other end.
Kevin said: "I saw your colleague today."
Still silence.
Kevin took a deep breath:
"Dad, I'm sorry."
A soft breath came from the other side.
Kevin continued: "I don't want to write code, not because you forced me. It's because I'm not suited for it. But I didn't know you cared so much..."
Silence for a long time.
Then Kevin's father spoke, his voice a bit hoarse:
"Are you happy there?"
Kevin nodded, although his father couldn't see: "Happy."
"That's enough."
The call was hung up.
Kevin stood at the shop entrance, looking at the Google building across the street, his eyes red.
But he was smiling.
---
The next day, Kevin's father came.
Alone.
He stood at the shop entrance, looking at the sign—
[Joe's Fried Chicken · The boss is having a worse time than you · San Francisco Branch]
Then he walked in and said to Kevin:
"Give me an order of fried chicken."
Kevin froze.
His father looked at him: "What, not welcome?"
Kevin smiled: "Welcome."
He went to fry the chicken himself, brought it over, and placed it in front of his father.
His father picked up a piece and took a bite.
As he chewed, he smiled.
"Better than I thought."
Kevin sat down opposite him.
For the first time, father and son sat face to face in a fried chicken shop, eating fried chicken without speaking.
But actually, there was no need to say anything.
---
On the weekend, Lin Feng came to San Francisco.
He squatted at the entrance, biting on a straw, looking inside.
Kevin was serving tables, smiling.
Kevin's father was sitting in the corner, eating fried chicken, watching his son.
Chen Yao walked over and squatted next to Lin Feng.
"Boss, see that? That man is Kevin's dad."
Lin Feng nodded: "I see."
Chen Yao said: "He used to not let Kevin come. Now he comes every week."
Lin Feng smiled.
Chen Yao looked at him: "What are you smiling at?"
Lin Feng said: "Smiling at how well you're doing as a store manager."
Chen Yao was stunned for a moment.
Lin Feng continued: "You kept Kevin, so his dad came. His dad came, so Kevin wanted to stay even more."
He stood up and patted his butt:
"This is called a positive cycle."
Chen Yao stared at him for three seconds.
Then she smiled.
"Lin Feng, you really are a lunatic."
Lin Feng nodded: "I know ^-^."
---
Before Lin Feng left, he went to say a few words to Kevin.
"Kevin."
Kevin walked over: "Boss."
Lin Feng looked at him and said earnestly:
"Do you know what your dad just told me?"
Kevin shook his head.
Lin Feng said: "He said, thank you for letting my son serve tables."
Kevin was stunned.
Lin Feng smiled, turned, and walked toward the car.
After walking two steps, he turned back:
"By the way, you're doing a good job serving tables. Next time I come, I'll give you a raise."
Kevin stood where he was, watching the car disappear around the street corner.
Then he turned back and continued serving tables.
Smiling.
Because his dad was still sitting in the corner, eating fried chicken, watching him.
[Chapter 30 End]