Chapter 81 - 80: Competitor

Chapter 81: Chapter 80: Competitor

This food stall was far from simple; both the noodles and the sliced pork belly held hidden depths, not to mention the rich, golden broth.

Chen Momo took a spoonful of the liquid. It was tangy and savory with a hint of spice, but that slight heat was merely a garnish, quickly dissipating after hitting her tongue. Furthermore, a subtle milky aroma could be tasted within the rich broth. With just one sip, the flavors cascaded in complex, distinguishable layers.

Chen Momo and Xu Xiaoka couldn’t help but drink several more spoonfuls. Once they finished the broth, they eagerly moved on to the noodles.

Xu Xiaoka suddenly remembered someone and reminded her, "Sister Momo, I should call Xiao Bao out so he can have a taste too!"

Xiao Bao was currently waiting obediently by himself in the break room.

"There’s no need to call him," Chen Momo said. "There’s not even enough for the two of us to eat. If he wants some, he can have it next time."

Xu Xiaoka was utterly speechless, wondering if those were words a biological mother could actually say.

Together, the two of them polished off the entire bowl of Japanese ramen. They didn’t just finish the noodles; they drank every last drop of the broth.

"Sister Momo, what do you think of this ramen?" Xu Xiaoka licked her lips, looking as if she still hadn’t had enough.

"This Japanese ramen stall will definitely be a formidable rival," Chen Momo replied.

"Then what should we do next?" Xu Xiaoka asked worriedly.

"We’ll play it by ear," Chen Momo said. "This stall just opened. Let’s see how things develop."

Xu Xiaoka looked toward the ramen stall and nodded with a hint of concern.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yunhai, Song Chuhuan, Yi Ronghao, and Ouyang Feng arrived at the cafeteria. Jiang Yunhai instinctively looked toward Chen Momo at the sauerkraut fish stall first, but to his surprise, Ouyang Feng pointed to the stall diagonally across from it.

"Look, there’s a line at this one too!"

The four of them simultaneously turned their gaze toward it. "Wanwan’s Japanese Ramen"—a newly opened stall.

"I don’t care, I only want sauerkraut fish." Jiang Yunhai found a table and plopped down heavily into a chair.

The other three boys also took their seats. Song Chuhuan, as usual, went to get a cup of coffee first.

"That new stall looks pretty good, and a lot of people are lining up," Ouyang Feng suggested. "How about we buy one portion of sauerkraut fish and one portion of Japanese ramen today?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Feigning nonchalance, Yi Ronghao cast a glance toward Chen Momo’s stall, noting that the line of diners waiting for sauerkraut fish had shrunk by at least half today. Chen Momo was sporting her usual playful bun. Even though half her business had been snatched away by the competitor across the hall, there was not a trace of worry on her face.

She was chatting and laughing with her assistant, a girl who looked like she had just recently graduated. They seemed to be talking about something delightful, and Chen Momo actually covered her mouth and laughed joyfully.

Yi Ronghao’s heart skipped a beat.

In his impression, Chen Momo had always been serious and never smiled. She was perpetually tense, as if fighting a silent war, and he had never seen her truly relax. Yet, as he accidentally caught the smile on her face today, he realized just how beautiful she looked. Her usual "do-not-approach" aura was completely gone, replaced by the warmth of a girl next door.

Her smile was so warm, piercing straight into Yi Ronghao’s heart like a sudden ray of sunlight.

"Young Master Yi?"

Yi Ronghao snapped back to reality to find Ouyang Feng staring at him.

"You’re treating us again today," Ouyang Feng said playfully. "The rest of us are broke."

Generously, Yi Ronghao pulled out his cafeteria card and handed it over. Card in hand, Ouyang Feng trotted off cheerfully to buy their food.

Because the newly opened Japanese ramen stall drew away many customers, Chen Momo only sold thirty portions of sauerkraut fish that day. It was a massive drop from her usual sales.

However, Chen Momo wasn’t overly worried. After all, the other party used to own a chain of over a hundred restaurants; she undoubtedly possessed real skills and a natural aura of success. It was only reasonable that she would snatch away some business on her opening day. But Chen Momo wouldn’t just leave it at that. She needed to brainstorm a good strategy to win her customers back.

"Sister Momo, we have to come up with a plan," Xu Xiaoka said anxiously. "If things continue like this, all our business will be stolen by the Japanese ramen stall across from us."

When closing up for the afternoon, Zhang Wanwan seemed incredibly satisfied with her sales. She cast a provocative glance toward Chen Momo’s sauerkraut fish stall.

Zhang Wanwan believed this was only the first day. Sooner or later, she would snatch up every single customer from the sauerkraut fish stall! When that time came, the stall across from her would have no choice but to shut down for good, and all the customers would belong solely to her.

With such a victorious first step, Zhang Wanwan was instantly brimming with confidence regarding her future business. Before the apocalypse, she had fought her way to the top from scratch. Even in the apocalypse, as long as she had breath in her lungs, she could fight her way up from nothing all over again. Everything she had lost, she was going to take back!

Meanwhile, news that the headquarters was going to open a production center spread like wildfire throughout the base. People who had some money on hand and wanted to invest flocked to the front desk to inquire about it.

In response, the front desk staff—who seemed to have already received strict orders from the base administration—uniformly answered with, "I don’t know," or, "I haven’t heard of that." Alternatively, they would give a highly official reply: "If there is any relevant news, our base will release an announcement. We have not received any such notices at this time."

Yang Shunsheng had already bumped into several people asking the front desk about the production center. These people had heard rumors about the base’s plans from other hubs or alternative channels. They were all former business owners whose hard-earned fortunes, built over half a lifetime, had been buried by the blizzard and reduced to nothing. Unwilling to accept defeat, they were determined to seize this new opportunity to become wealthy magnates once again in the apocalypse.

As a result, everyone was keeping a close eye on the news, tightly clutching their base currency. They were all waiting to secure contracting rights for a plot of land once the production center was built. However, the front desk was tight-lipped, making it impossible to glean any useful information. Everyone had no choice but to return disappointed.

The more people went to ask, the more Yang Shunsheng grew certain that the rumors were true. Businessmen were always the first to sense a shift in the wind; their channels for acquiring information were the most sensitive. Now that all these people were coming to inquire about the project, the news of its impending construction was, in all likelihood, entirely accurate.

With so many people vying for this opportunity, Yang Shunsheng decided to act first. Society still ran on relationships and favors; as long as he greased the right wheels, he would be at the front of the line when the opportunity finally presented itself.

The first person Yang Shunsheng thought of was Gu Rongjin. As the base chief, Gu Rongjin held supreme authority.