CHAPTER 315: CHAPTER 315: BANQUET-STYLE MARATHON

Even though the local cuisine of Lin’an City is limited, many businesses from outside have opened up here.

So there are still plenty of delicious options.

Chen Yiyang followed the little accountant on a food tour and ended up with a full stomach.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve relaxed and gone out to play like this," Chen Yiyang sighed.

Every day is just about making money, with very little time to go out and enjoy.

Even on rare trips abroad, one can’t casually explore, which makes it less comfortable than being in the country.

"It’s a pity that this time we are in charge of a marathon rather than a food competition."

The little accountant sighed, "Otherwise, I think if I were to handle it, I could definitely make a lot of money. By then, collaborating with local restaurants, snack factories, and even surrounding eateries, the advertising fees wouldn’t stop flowing in."

"Turning a marathon into a food competition? That’s not possible." Chen Yiyang, hearing the little accountant’s words, suddenly had a brainwave.

He then said, "A marathon has many supply stations along the way, right? How about we increase the number of supply stations and add many food stalls? This way, we could promote the food and get sponsorships from restaurants and snack factories?"

"But aren’t people here to compete? Who would eat while running a marathon?" The little accountant was shocked by Chen Yiyang’s sudden idea.

"There are 30,000 people participating in this race; not all of them can be professional marathon runners."

Chen Yiyang continued, "I estimate that only about 5,000 people are really here for the race, and the remaining 25,000 are more in it for the experience, mainly for the fun.

They’re not running the full marathon, and not that many even run the half-marathon. Most people come for a mini-marathon just to participate.

These people will be hungry after running and want to eat.

So we might as well add more food stalls, allowing them to jog leisurely, eating as they go, like they’re indulging in a buffet."

The more Chen Yiyang talked, the more feasible he found his idea.

After returning with the little accountant, he created a simple PowerPoint presentation.

He waited until the next day to present it at the meeting.

After listening to the other assistants’ presentations and hearing nothing new, Chen Yiyang introduced his food marathon plan.

"Lin’an has long had the label of a food desert, and since this marathon aims to improve the city’s image, why not focus on its cuisine?

Transform the traditionally serious marathon contest into a culinary journey. Those focused on the race can run the marathon, while those participating for fun can savor the food.

This way, nobody’s time is wasted, and it can garner huge attention."

Although Chen Yiyang’s idea seemed whimsical,

the assistants’ discussion revealed its feasibility.

"The only remaining issue is," one assistant said, "we won’t know the effectiveness of the food marathon until after the event. How do we convince those restaurants and factories to pay advertising fees beforehand?"

"We can start with a promotional video to build anticipation," Chen Yiyang suggested, "and promote it online about fifteen days before the official launch.

If this food marathon concept generates significant buzz online, those restaurants and factories probably won’t hold back on their ad budgets."

The plan was set in motion immediately.

Chen Yiyang hired someone to shoot promotional videos for some restaurants for free. He also set up some of the marathon’s supply stations in advance.

Finally, the video was edited and uploaded online, crashing the trending topics on major network platforms.

’Lin’an Food Marathon’, ’Lin’an Buffet Marathon’, ’Lin’an Feast Marathon’, and other related trends quickly gained traction online.

The campaign drew a large response on the web.

Lin’an is a large city, although accommodation is somewhat pricey, the transportation is exceptionally convenient.

As long as the city isn’t too remote, you can reach Lin’an within a few hours by high-speed train.

The current promotional food marathon journey in Lin’an means even those not registered for the race can enjoy the supply stations’ cuisine after the race once the barriers are removed.

Since the marathon is on a Saturday, there’s another day off on Sunday.

Many people might come to Lin’an for the race on Saturday and then hit the food stalls on Sunday.

This time, the promotion was undoubtedly successful.

After going viral online, Chen Yiyang didn’t have to actively seek advertisers—restaurants and snack factories proactively approached him.

Though each company and restaurant didn’t provide much in advertising fees individually,

there were just so many of them.

In the end, collectively, nearly 20 million in advertising fees rolled in for Chen Yiyang.

Eventually, some companies even became interested in sponsoring specific supply stations to promote their own products.

Chen Yiyang was more than happy to add a few extra supply stations along the way.

"You always find a way; I truly admire you," remarked Yang Chengru, who visited Chen Yiyang before the marathon had even begun.

"It was initially a project no one wanted to take on, doomed for losses, yet you managed to turn it around and make a considerable profit."

"Just luck, pure luck," Chen Yiyang replied humbly, though his smile was blossoming.

"However, I didn’t come here tonight just to congratulate you," Yang Chengru suddenly shifted the tone.

Chen Yiyang sensed that some trouble might just be on the horizon.

Yang Chengru was always straightforward with Chen Yiyang, cutting straight to the point.

"You know how it is in the system; whoever is good gets endlessly put to task.

The higher-ups heard about your success with the marathon, so they sent me to ask you to help with another issue Lin’an City is facing."

"What issue?" Chen Yiyang asked, turning to Yang Chengru.

"Don’t ask about the issue first; let me share my thoughts,"

Yang Chengru paused and continued, "From our personal relationship, I think you should avoid taking on this problem.

Because if you take it on and can’t fix it, it’s no big deal. After all, nobody succeeds every time.

But if you resolve it, the city officials might just keep turning to you for help whenever they encounter a problem.

As I mentioned before, in the system, it’s always about using the reliable ones extensively. Occasional mishaps can actually be helpful."

"And from other perspectives?" Chen Yiyang, knowing Chengru meant well, still wanted to hear the alternative view.

"From the perspective of the local populace and businesses of Lin’an, I hope you can help resolve this issue because it involves a very important export product for Lin’an."