The first time Wu Yun'e had to greet customers at a Chef Fei restaurant, the words caught in his throat.

Fresh out of college with a bachelor's degree in internet of things engineering from Hunan Agricultural University, standing in his server's uniform, the simple "Hello" felt impossibly heavy.

"My voice was barely a whisper, like a wisp of silk," said Wu, now 25 and the head of a Chef Fei branch in Zhengzhou, Henan province. "It took me a solid week to say it loud and clear." His journey — from grappling with social anxiety to managing an entire restaurant within two years — starkly contrasts with the traditional path expected of a university graduate.

Wu's story has become familiar to many graduates unable to find careers in their chosen fields, and who are turning to professions in other industries.

When presenting the franchise's signature Hunan-style stir-fried pork with pepper dish, servers are required to introduce the dish to customers by saying: "Hello, hello, here is the signature stir-fried pork with pepper by Chef Fei, the king of the dish in the country." However, Wu was also unable to say the sentence fluently.

"My face turned completely red, to the point that the customers felt bad for me," he said.