Chapter 17 — Coffee Pairing Queen

Sit at a normal desk in the office, wear noise-cancelling headphones, and help your co-worker order each cup of coffee. Clearly capable of doing more. But because I was scared, I chose to hide. "Of course." I stood next to her, Co Nhien took photos for us. In the photo, I smile very naturally. Not a polite smile. PART 28 The evening the conference ended, I drove alone back to the studio. While passing by a commercial street, I saw a familiar logo. Luckin Coffee. I temporarily stopped the car. Three years ago, right in front of everyone, I canceled my accounts on three platforms. Hundreds of thousands of points, black diamond level, immediately returned to zero. That was the most decisive attitude I could give at that time. But to be honest, after a few nights working late, I also thought... Those points are really what I've accumulated little by little. When I canceled, I didn't feel sorry because I was so angry. Waiting for the anger to dissipate, I still feel a little regretful. But it's okay. Now in my studio I have a full set of La Marzocca espresso equipment, two Fellow manual brewers and an Ikawa prototype roaster. Does not have to be exchanged for points. But I earned it myself. I started the car again, without entering Luckin. Driving to the studio building, I looked up and saw the lights on the eighth floor were still on. It's Tieu Trieu, the taster on my team, still working overtime working on the tasting report that the customer needs tomorrow. I sent a text message: "Don't stay up too late. Tomorrow morning I'll come help you finish the last few samples." She answered immediately: "Yes, boss! Then I will arrange the data and then go home!" I smiled. From "order king" helping others order food at their desks, to becoming the founder of an independent quality control brand, leading a team of six people. Three years. Long talk is not long. Short is not short. PART 29 Five years later, “That Cup of Coffee” is no longer just a public account. It has become an independent quality control consulting company with annual revenue exceeding ten million yuan. Customers span three product groups: coffee, tea drinks and baked goods, working with more than sixty brands. The quality control report issued by our team is considered a passport in the industry. For products with our seal of approval, consumers are willing to pay fifteen percent more. This is not my own merit. The previous six people have become twenty-eight people. Co Nhien's laboratory received thirty million yuan from round B funding. The industry's food safety awareness has taken a big step forward. The beginning of it all was a few moldy coffee beans. That day, after finishing the quarterly meeting at the company, I returned to my office. On the table there is a cup of hand-brewed coffee. Tieu Trieu mixed. "Boss had a hard meeting today. This bead is Panama Gesha in the lot we bought at the auction last week. Real Gesha." I picked it up and smelled it. The scent of jasmine, bergamot and ripe peach slowly rises at the mouth of the cup. Clean, clear, clear structure. This is the look Gesha should have. I took a sip. Outside the window is the skyline of the whole city. Five years ago, someone used waste seeds to pretend to be Gesha, tricking a group of people who didn't understand the profession. Five years later, I sat in my office, drinking real Gesha. As for that group of people... Mr. Trieu is still at his old company, still drinking Luckin. Tieu Tran is married and sometimes likes my posts. Ms. Ly quit her job and stayed home full-time to take care of her children. After being released from prison, Tran Ban no longer worked in the food industry. It is said that he sells goods via livestream, the products are everyday items. Phuong Di... doesn't know where she went. No need to know. Those people and stories are like the end of

a cup of hand-brewed coffee. It's faded away. PART 30 Another year has passed. A normal Wednesday morning. I'm checking the supply chain profile of a new client in the studio. The phone rang. It's an unsaved number. "Hello?" "May I ask if this is Ms. Khuong Ninh?" "Yes." "Hello Ms. Khuong, I am the representative of the parents' association of Number One High School, City XX." "The story is that recently our school bought a batch of milk tea for students, the type to give to them during breaks..." "Some parents reported that their children felt uncomfortable after drinking it. We are not assured, we want to find an independent organization to help with testing." "We found you online, heard about it." said you are the most competent person in this field." I put down the documents in my hand. "Okay. Send the product information to my email, I will arrange for the person in charge." "Just send the sample directly here. The results will come in two to three working days." "Thank you, Ms. Khuong!" The call ended. I looked out the window. Another potentially problematic drink. Another group of clueless people. I stood up, walked to the tasting table, and tied my apron. In this profession, there are jobs that never end. But someone always has to do it.