The moment the school announced this decision, the entire campus was abuzz with discussion. Everyone had assumed that once the policy was released, they would at least have a few days to adjust, but as soon as the bell rang after the last class that morning, students streamed toward the main gate.

Shi Man, linking arms with Wang Qiqi, muttered resentfully, "I’m hitting as many places as I can today." There might not be another chance to eat nearby later.

Zhu Lina nodded in agreement. Just thinking about eating slop in the future made her expression sour. "Huh? Why is everyone crowded at the gate and not leaving?"

Shi Man looked up and saw the throng blocking the entrance. She peered closer. "Heavens, the main gate is closed!"

Oh no, did this mean they had to eat in the cafeteria starting today? Wait, even getting food from the cafeteria wouldn't be easy; many students were accustomed to eating outside and hadn't even brought their own lunch containers.

Zhu Lina stopped a girl who was grumbling as she walked back inside. "What’s going on?"

"They’re not allowing us to eat outside anymore, starting today," the girl snapped, clearly annoyed.

Her friend pulled her away. "Come on, let's go buy instant noodles at the convenience store before they all sell out." It was worth noting that many students had already turned back specifically to grab instant noodles to solve the immediate problem.

No way. The students trailing behind Wang Qiqi were stunned. Good grief, the school implemented policies immediately, giving absolutely no time for adaptation.

"Then let's go get instant noodles too," Shi Man said. Seeing the crowd dispersing from the gate, she immediately pulled Wang Qiqi back toward the school building. This was serious; whether heading to the cafeteria or grabbing noodles, they needed to secure a decent position first.

Instant noodles? Wang Qiqi wasn't thrilled. "Forget it, let’s check the cafeteria first. I actually want a proper meal." Even if the school cafeteria food was terrible, at least it didn't have preservatives or other additives.

"But we don't have bowls," Shi Man exclaimed, looking at Wang Qiqi in surprise. What would they eat with if they went to the cafeteria?

Wang Qiqi figured that with such a drastic setup, the school must have anticipated that many students wouldn't have brought containers and would have a solution ready. "Let's go look. If it’s impossible, we can buy bread."

Bread? Shi Man and Zhu Lina made little "eep" sounds. That stuff was dry and tasteless. Forget it; at worst, they’d just have to buy an instant noodle flavor they didn't like.

The three hurried to the cafeteria and found quite a crowd. To their surprise, they saw steel trays available. Looking around further, they noticed several new serving windows had opened. "Wow, did the cafeteria renovate? But that’s odd; there wasn't any rumor about renovations." Shi Man recalled hearing whispers that the school cafeteria was supposed to reform, but nothing ever materialized, so they assumed it was just talk. After all, some cafeteria staff were relatives of teachers, and some were relatives of administrators. No matter how you looked at it, the cafeteria was a live grenade that couldn't be touched. Yet, this principal had actually dared to tackle it.

"How long has it been since we ate here? And how many seniors even eat here?" Wang Qiqi wasn't surprised that most people hadn't heard about the overhaul. While seniors had gossipers, the gossip usually revolved around their own grade, teachers, or things that directly benefited them. No one cared about the cafeteria. "But the food looks pretty good."

Shi Man nodded alongside her. "It’s decent. If we use these trays, does that mean we don't have to wash dishes after we eat?" Washing dishes was hard labor, something Shi Man absolutely despised; even when staying at Qiqi's place, Qiqi did most of the washing.

"What are we waiting for? Let's check the menu while it’s not too crowded," Zhu Lina had expected more people, anticipating that most would opt for instant noodles or bread because they hated the "pig slop" or lacked eating utensils—just like them, had Qiqi not insisted on checking the cafeteria, they’d be eating noodles.

The three peered at each window one by one, discussed quietly, and then split up to order at different counters. "We'll try the food from these three vendors today and compare." They noticed there were suddenly five different proprietors running businesses, which struck them as strange. They quickly understood why the school had closed the gate: if everyone rushed outside to eat, how could these vendors be persuaded to spend money here? Wang Qiqi and the others weren't naive; they knew these vendors must have paid a hefty site fee to secure a spot in the school cafeteria—otherwise, why would the school let them in? The school surely guaranteed them a customer base, over a thousand people needing lunch daily. Who got the best business would depend purely on skill, and students would happily stay if the food was good and affordable, saving them the trip outside.

After purchasing their chosen dishes, the three headed to an empty long table. "Ugh, even with the cafeteria reformed, didn't anyone think to put in some stools?" They had to stand to eat. Zhu Lina felt the school really didn't consider the students. Furthermore, because they were a bit late, the tables in the better locations were taken. The one they ended up using was close to the entrance, where the north wind whistled through. Even with cotton curtains, the drafts still snuck in whenever the door opened, making Zhu Lina uncomfortable.

"Let's eat," Wang Qiqi said, checking the time. Even factoring in the delay at the gate, they got their food in about the same time as before. "It’ll get cold if we wait." The food was hot, though they missed having free soup.

Zhu Lina was just looking for minor faults; those weren't the most important things. The crucial part was, "Mmm, this dish is good, quite tasty." Although it was mass-produced food, the flavor was acceptable. The stir-fried vegetables had a bit too much vegetable and too little meat, but overall, it was fine. "It's not all slop. I asked the server at that window; they also take orders for à la carte stir-fries, and if you order those, you can eat inside where there are chairs."

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man exchanged a look. They were good at gathering intel. In the short time it took to buy food, Zhu Lina found out they offered custom stir-fries. "How much?"

"They said they have a menu, but they haven't printed them out yet these past few days." Zhu Lina took a few bites of her own dish, then sampled the food Shi Man and Wang Qiqi bought, allowing for a proper comparison.

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man did the same. The consensus was: "Not bad, pretty good. The cooking from these three places is quite skillful. Looks like we won't have to worry about eating at school anymore," Shi Man concluded. "Just hope they can maintain this standard."

"As long as we keep eating here, and as long as there's this much competition, the standard won't drop, though major improvements are unlikely," Wang Qiqi mused. There was competition, but the school was a closed environment. Students could either eat instant noodles or bread from the store, or come to the cafeteria. As long as five vendors produced decent food, business was secure. Students, in turn, would accept anything that wasn't overtly terrible. As for whether the 'princesses and princes' were satisfied? Sorry, they could order stir-fries. The arrangement was definitely geared toward satisfying the majority.

"Then that’s fine. I don't ask for much; as long as their quality stays this good until I graduate high school, I have no complaints," Zhu Lina said. She didn't expect the cafeteria quality to improve; maintaining the status quo would be a win. Even with five proprietors, the competition wasn't that fierce. She contrasted this with outside restaurants, whose food quality stayed high because the scope of choice was wider, and they had to cover rent, labor costs, taxes, and profit margins, forcing them to innovate menus. Otherwise, why would people choose their specific restaurant in a crowded market? Even prime locations saw businesses close. These five vendors, however, faced relatively low pressure with minimal overhead and labor costs.

After eating, the three just needed to return their steel lunch boxes to the window. They could keep them, of course, but forfeit the five-yuan deposit. This mechanism ensured everyone would diligently return the boxes for their deposit, though Wang Qiqi noted a potential issue: during peak return times, it might take quite a while.

When Wang Qiqi and the others returned to the classroom, they were hit by a thick smell of instant noodles. The weather was cold, and the windows and doors were often shut, trapping the aroma. "Lina, what did you eat?" Zhu Lina's deskmate swallowed the last bit of broth, patting her stomach, feeling slightly unsatisfied.

"We ate in the cafeteria. I'm telling you, the food was pretty good, not that far off from what you get outside," Zhu Lina excitedly told her deskmate. Besides, this secret was impossible to keep; some seniors had indeed gone to eat there.

What? The cafeteria food was actually good? Many were shocked. If anyone else had said that, they might not have believed it, but Zhu Lina was different; her palate was notoriously discerning. If she said the food was edible, it meant it was actually decent.

The students around Zhu Lina crowded around to hear the details, wanting to know when the cafeteria had undergone such a transformation, as they had been completely unaware. Meanwhile, Wang Qiqi shook her thermos, realizing a drawback of eating in the school cafeteria: no hot water. She could fetch some from the teachers' lounge, but she couldn't rely on mooching water every day. Sigh, it looked like she’d have to shell out some cash at the convenience store for hot water—another unexpected expense. (To be continued)