Xu Dongcheng understood that running a private university, students must be the priority.
After Ding Yue woke up, he picked up his phone and called Principal Xu Dongcheng.
"Hey, Principal Xu, are you up?" asked Ding Yue.
"Yes, I am already up, I was just jogging on the campus of Mist City Arts and Science University when you called." From the phone, Ding Yue could hear Principal Xu Dongcheng panting.
"Principal Xu, you still maintain a jogging habit?"
"As I age, regular exercise is necessary to maintain good health."
"Makes sense, would you like to come down to Cafeteria II for breakfast after jogging?" Ding Yue asked.
After hanging up the phone, Ding Yue got out of bed, freshened up and left the house. He picked Huang on his way out.
Then the two of them went to the apartment where Principal Xu Dongcheng was staying. By this time, Principal Xu Dongcheng had returned from his jog and taken his shower.
So, the three of them left the Elegant Garden Apartment and headed towards Cafeteria II.
The only downside to the Elegant Garden Apartment is that it is farther from Campus II cafeteria than the former Peach Garden Apartment.
However, for Ding Yue, as he didn’t have to rush to class, the slightly longer distance didn’t matter much.
"Principal Ding, do you have breakfast at the school cafeteria every morning?"
When they reached Cafeteria II, Xu Dongcheng curiously asked Ding Yue.
For a high-profile private university principal like Ding Yue, wouldn’t his breakfast be of the five-star hotel presidential suite standard?
Xu Dongcheng himself had a meticulous breakfast routine. He clearly wasn’t a fan of cafeteria food.
This was because Xu Dongcheng had once dined in the school cafeteria while escorting education department officials during an inspection.
In a nutshell, having grown accustomed to the affluent life, Xu Dongcheng found school cafeteria food unappetizing.
"Yes, not just breakfast, I eat all my meals at the school cafeteria, just like the students." Ding Yue replied with a smile.
Shortly, Ding Yue and Huang got breakfast for the three of them. The spread was quite common—buns, fried dough sticks, soy milk, porridge, and other breakfast items.
Xu Dongcheng couldn’t believe his eyes.
A university principal who regularly eats in the school cafeteria?
It felt like spotting a rare creature!
"Principal Xu, have a taste of our school cafeteria food and you’ll understand why I dine here," said Ding Yue.
Ding Yue seemed to understand Principal Xu Dongcheng’s surprise but didn’t bother to explain. After all, wasn’t tasting the best way to understand the taste; the breakfast had been served after all?
There indeed was a university principal who ate all his three meals and even late-night snacks in the school cafeteria every single day. And that principal was indeed Ding Yue.
Xu Dongcheng nodded and picked up a soup dumpling, "To be honest, it’s been many years since I had breakfast in our school cafeteria. I assumed a high-profile person like you, Principal Ding, would have a special breakfast."
Ding Yue smiled and shook his head: "Our school cafeteria food is quite grounded and tastes good too. I don’t believe that our soup dumplings are any less tasty than those from hundred-year-old shops. Try it, Principal Xu."
After speaking, Ding Yue nodded towards the soup dumpling that Principal Xu Dongcheng had picked up, indicating he should try it while it was still hot.
Xu Dongcheng took a bite of the soup dumpling he had picked.
Suddenly, a stream of savoury broth spurted out from the dumpling, almost splattering on Xu Dongcheng’s clothes.
Principal Xu Dongcheng was a bit surprised; the soup dumpling was really good.
Once he bit into it, the savoury flavour overwhelmed him, instantly firing up his appetite.
Eventually, Principal Xu Dongcheng gobbled up the whole soup dumpling and looked quite content.
"Hmm, Principal Ding, this dumpling is delicious!" Xu Dongcheng’s eyes widened, "It’s so much better than the dumplings I usually have for breakfast!"
"Isn’t it? The cooks in our school cafeteria are quite skilled, and even though they cook in bulk, they don’t compromise the quality of the meals," Ding Yue confidently replied.
That was Ding Yue’s first lesson to Principal Xu Dongcheng: the importance of a cafeteria.
The importance of a quality-assured cafeteria to a university is self-evident.
"How do you manage that?" Xu Dongcheng asked incredulously.
Ding Yue confidently replied: "As long as you pay the cafeteria chefs a good salary, they will ensure the quality of the food each day. Yes, the cost will increase, but there will still be profits. They may be lower than expected, but the important thing is, I believe that the school cafeteria should be profitable and not exorbitantly profitable."
Ding Yue’s mother, Zhang Yuping, was responsible for the campus cafeteria. However, she was well aware that providing delicious and quality cafeteria food for students was important. Whether the cafeteria made profits was secondary; the students’ diet definitely could not be compromised.
Exactly for this reason, the quality and taste of food in both Cafeteria I and II of Mist City Arts and Science University were excellent. Even the breakfast buns were very tasty, like the soup dumpling that Principal Xu Dongcheng had just eaten.