Chapter 26 — The owner of the car shop behind the school gate

Huy changed his mind after calculating the cost of a billboard himself.

He arrived at the garage with a stack of papers, his expression rarely so serious. "I asked the media team. A large banner costs more than just printing. There are design fees, change fees, performance measurement fees, photography fees. If placed at the gate, it also requires people to rebuild the walkway."

Khoa asked: "How much is the total?"

Huy gave the board. The cost was almost as much as the entire ramp and lights the group was missing.

“And effectiveness is measured by views,” Huy said. “Does not measure whether users pass through safely or not.”

Vy looked at him. “Can you say this in the meeting?”

"I have to say. Because I was the one who proposed the promotional area before."

Huy said the media team was rewarded if they increased the number of people scanning the code. He thought a nice garage would create a good image for the school and its sponsors. But when looking at the data, he realized that many people scanned the code just because they wanted to receive the keychain, no one read the terms of use of the photo.

Quynh Chi asked him if he felt embarrassed. Huy said yes, but being embarrassed was not the plan to fix the mistake. He asked the communications team to remove the code scanning goal from the budget and switch to the safety and accessibility goal.

The team adds an opportunity cost comparison table. A logo sponsorship could buy the lights, but it could also set a precedent for the walkway to be sold piecemeal. A small donation from the community is slower, but doesn't require anyone to provide personal data.

Huy proposed to organize a budget public meeting, inviting those who had supported the banner. Khoa was afraid the meeting would turn into an argument. Huy said that if you only invite people who agree, it is not public.

In the evening, Huy called Van Hung's sister Lan and said the group did not object to sponsorship but needed to remove the media quota. After listening, Ms. Lan asked him if he knew he was making things difficult for the company. Huy replied: "I know. But if the company really wants to talk about sustainable transportation, it has to endure a cost sheet without a logo."

Ms. Lan remained silent and then promised to send back the commitment.

The next day, Huy brought a new board model. At the top is the line: “Sponsorship does not buy decision-making power.” Below, clearly state the source, amount, purpose, deadline and how to withdraw from the agreement. Vy looked at that line, not knowing whether to praise or tease him.

“Where did you get this sentence?”

"At the garage. Since you guys forced me to write down each valve."

Khoa laughed. “At least this time you're in the right place.”

During lunch, a group of former students returned. They joined the car repair club last year, bringing home-made tool kits. They agreed to teach new members again, without receiving any compensation, as long as the school provided a parking space.

Huy added the value of volunteering to the plan, but Quynh Chi stopped him. "Don't turn other people's time into numbers to make a pretty estimate. Acknowledge contributions, but don't use it to cover up real expenses."

Huy edited the table, writing "community resources" in a separate section.

Vy realized he changed not because he became anti-business, but because he understood that a project must consider intangible costs: time, privacy, user confidence, and maintainability after opening day.

That night, three people sat on the steps. Khoa asked Huy if he still wanted to pursue a career in communications. Huy said yes, but wanted to do campaigns that made people understand more, not just see more.

Vy asked him what he would write about the garage. Huy replied: "A place where no one remembers the brand name, but everyone remembers being helped."

Khoa gently clapped his hands. “This sentence sounds good.”

Huy bowed in mock greeting. Vy burst out laughing. The argument about the banner still remained, but the three of them were able to talk about it without seeing each other as enemies. In a community project, changing your mind is not betraying your team. Sometimes it's the most faithful to the original goal.

Vy wrote that sentence next to the light board.

He wrote that sentence in his career book and did not use it as a slogan. Khoa said that if Huy forgets in the future, please show him the cost sheet. Huy replied that he only needed to look at the lamp to remember, because the lamp was bought with the money from the discarded banner.

Vy asked Huy if he felt sorry. He said yes, but it's better to regret an incorrect idea than to regret an injured person.

Huy decided to use his design reward to buy more reflective signs. He did not announce it as a noble act; Just give the invoice to Quynh Chi to record personal contribution. Vy asked if he wanted to give his name. Huy said there was no need, because the sea didn't know who paid.

Another media group came to ask how to run the campaign. Huy showed them the cost table and the terms of not collecting data. He emphasized asking the user before taking a photo. When they asked if they could skip it to do it quickly, Huy replied that if speed was the only goal, they wouldn't need to go to the garage.

Khoa heard and laughed that Huy had become a difficult person. Huy said he was just saving apologies for later.

Vy asked him if he still wanted to do advertising. Huy replied yes, but he wanted to make ads that made people ask questions, not just click like.

Quynh Chi heard it and said it was the most suspicious sentence Huy had ever said. He smiled and hung the cost chart on the wall.

Huy asked the media team to see the original plan. He discovered that the item "increased recognition" was placed before the item "user safety". He suggested reversing the order, but was asked if business goals were being overlooked. Huy said that a campaign that wants to live long must start with what the user needs, not what the creator wants to show off.

The meeting did not change immediately. Huy returned looking disappointed. Vy told him not to expect a successful proposal just because it is reasonable. Khoa added that sometimes it has to be resubmitted multiple times, each time with more data.

Huy created an opportunity cost table: if money is used for banners, how long will the ramp be delayed; If you buy lights, how many safer evening shifts are there? if collecting code, how much time does it take to explain privacy. He did not use the board to force, just to make the discussion concrete.

Ms. Lan read the board and asked permission to bring it to the company council. A week later, Van Hung agreed to drop the code scanning target and shift the budget to lights and anti-humidity cabinets. They still want to be named in the report, but do not request a photo of the person.

Huy asked if that meant winning. Vy said it was a better deal, not a victory for one side. Khoa told him to learn to be happy when the right thing is done without his name on it.

The day the light was installed, the technician set the switch too high. Huy discovered it when he tried using it with his left hand. He called back, asking to lower it within the reach of the young student. The technician said the drawings show standard heights. Khoa points to actual usage data. They corrected it.

Huy stood under the new light, looking at the car of a lower classmate. You said it first Here you think the media is about making people see. Now he understands that sometimes the media helps people see a dangerous spot before they fall.

Khoa asked Huy if he wanted to install a reflective sign himself. Huy said he only knew how to drill, not knowing the right position. They asked the security guard, measured their eye level and tried many angles. Huy realized that even hanging a sign could not be done according to feeling.

Vy records the test time, then chooses a position with them. The new lights are brighter, but the board still needs clear text. Adjust the spacing, removing a decorative line, so the guide stands out.

“If no one reads it, no matter how beautiful the sea is, it's useless,” he said. Khoa nodded and gave him a checkup after a week.

A week later, Huy stood at the entrance right after school. He saw sunlight shining on the board, losing a line of text. He did not change color immediately; He asked three passing students what they could read. Two of you read it wrong, one of you didn't see it. Huy wrote it down, changed the position of the board, and tried again.

Khoa said he understood why user testing sessions were important. Huy replied that in the past he often thought that users had to see exactly what he designed. Now you see that design is responsible if the user sees it wrong.

Ms. Lan sent an internal report, asking Huy if he could write a paragraph about eliminating the code scanning quota. Huy agreed, but asked to include the part where the company had to change its process. He didn't want to turn a difficult decision into a hero's story.

Vy read the draft and edited a sentence that seemed overly complimentary. Huy is not proud, thank you. Both learned how to write about change without taking credit for the people who forced them to change.

The lights turn on when it's dark. A student stops to read the board, then walks the right way. Huy looked after, but did not take pictures. You said that was enough.

Vy writes the next inspection date on the light board.

Huy looked at the date, set a reminder on his phone and shared it with the person on duty.

Vy stores the calendar on the common board.

Clear.