Chapter 84 - 83: Assessment

Chapter 84: Chapter 83: Assessment

Unaware that Chen Momo and Zhang Wanwan were already secretly at war, Liu Hui Chun nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. The base chief and I have discussed your two food stalls, and we have one more announcement to make."

Chen Momo and Zhang Wanwan both looked at Liu Hui Chun in unison.

"There will be a two-week assessment period," Liu Hui Chun continued. "We will comprehensively evaluate both of your situations and score them. The stall owner with the highest overall ranking will accompany our base chief to welcome the person in charge from headquarters."

Chen Momo’s heart leaped with joy. This was a golden opportunity!

If her pickled fish stall could win this chance, she would get to meet the person in charge from headquarters! Moreover, she could make a name for herself overnight and completely establish her pickled fish brand. That way, not only would her sales skyrocket, but she would also leave a profound impression on Gu Rongjin and the headquarters’ executive. With that, numerous opportunities would surely follow, and she would even secure priority for the production center’s contracting rights. It was a win-win on all fronts!

Hearing Liu Hui Chun’s words, Chen Momo secretly resolved that she absolutely had to seize this chance.

Beside her, Zhang Wanwan listened, glanced at Chen Momo, and curled her lips into a disdainful smirk.

Her Japanese ramen had managed to expand into a hundred franchise stores nationwide, proving that it had been thoroughly tested by the market. And what about Chen Momo? From Liu Hui Chun’s introduction earlier, she was just a... housewife?

How could a mere housewife possibly be mentioned in the same breath as the boss of a hundred-store Japanese cuisine chain? Winning against Chen Momo would be as easy as flipping her hand! This time, victory was certainly hers!

Zhang Wanwan could already picture the scene where she became the center of attention immediately upon arriving at the Han City Base. She even hoped to use this opportunity to gain the headquarters’ appreciation. If the executive from headquarters was willing to guide her, her future development would be smooth sailing, and her prospects would be boundless!

So what if it was the apocalypse? A truly capable person could still make a comeback and rise to the top, even in the cruel end of the world!

After the meeting ended, Chen Momo and Xu Xiaoka walked home together.

"Sister Momo," Xu Xiaoka asked worriedly, "that newcomer, Zhang Wanwan, is the boss of a national Japanese cuisine brand. She has much more experience and knowledge than we do. Can we really beat her?"

"You need to have confidence in yourself," Chen Momo said calmly. "The outcome is still up in the air, and anything can happen. But I will absolutely not give up on this opportunity."

If she had been a submissive and timid person before the apocalypse, Chen Momo’s personality had completely transformed since the end of the world began. Now, she was no longer afraid of any challenge. She would be fully prepared, and whenever an opportunity arose, she would charge forward and seize it at all costs!

As soon as she finished speaking, a disdainful laugh suddenly rang out from behind them. "I won’t give up on this opportunity either."

Chen Momo and Xu Xiaoka turned their heads at the same time, only to see Zhang Wanwan walking toward them with a smirk.

Zhang Wanwan’s hair was exquisitely pinned up, exuding the aura of a powerful businesswoman. Her bright red lips made her look even more intimidating. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked Chen Momo up and down, her tone dripping with contempt. "A housewife’s pickled fish? That sounds absolutely hilarious."

Xu Xiaoka said angrily, "You’re looking down on people! So what if you’re the boss of a hundred Japanese cuisine restaurants? Does being a boss give you the right to look down on others? Housewives are incredibly great too, okay?"

"Then let’s wait and see," Zhang Wanwan sneered. "However, Miss Housewife, I should warn you in advance. Before the blizzard hit, my Japanese ramen was developed by our team of chefs after meticulous research. It’s our store’s signature dish. As for your pickled fish, if I’m not mistaken, it’s just something you threw together yourself, right? Heh, how can a dish you tinkered with on your own compare to a product developed by our professional R&D team? Don’t punch above your weight. I advise you to give up early!"

Staring at Zhang Wanwan expressionlessly, Chen Momo replied coldly, "There’s still half a month left. It’s too early for you to be saying things like this. Although your Japanese ramen was developed by a team of chefs, you should know that what many people love eating the most isn’t some meticulously engineered product—it’s exactly simple, home-cooked meals."

These words left Zhang Wanwan choking on her response, completely speechless.

Beside them, Xu Xiaoka clapped vigorously. "Well said, Sister Momo!"

Zhang Wanwan shot Chen Momo a furious glare and coldly scoffed. "I was trying to save you some face by letting you give up early, but you just had to overestimate yourself! Fine. Since you want to make a fool of yourself on the day of the competition, let’s wait and see!"

With that, she spun on her heel and strutted away.

Dissatisfied, Xu Xiaoka shouted loudly at Zhang Wanwan’s retreating back, "Then we’ll wait and see! Why are you being so arrogant? What’s so great about you anyway?"

Chen Momo glanced at Xu Xiaoka. "Let’s go home."

Xu Xiaoka linked her arm through Chen Momo’s and said, "Sister Momo, that Zhang Wanwan is so arrogant!"

"After all, her strength is evident," Chen Momo replied coolly. "As of right now, her Japanese ramen is indeed more popular with customers than our pickled fish."

"Then what should we do? We only have half a month left. Is it still possible for us to surpass her?"

Watching Zhang Wanwan’s arrogant figure disappear into the distance, Chen Momo’s tone turned firm. "Anything is possible. Although our pickled fish might currently pale in comparison to her Japanese ramen, we will absolutely not give up until the very last moment. Xiao Ka, you have to remember this: we must fight to the very end. Even if we lose, we have to lose with a clear conscience."

Xu Xiaoka had initially felt quite insecure, given how formidable their opponent was. However, hearing Chen Momo’s words, her confidence instantly returned.

She nodded vigorously and said, "Sister Momo, you’re absolutely right. We have to fight to the last moment and work hard until the very end! Even if we lose, we’ll do so with a clear conscience!"

"Comrade Chen Momo, you’re back from your meeting?" The receptionists warmly greeted Chen Momo the moment she and Xu Xiaoka walked into the lobby.

Xiao Bao, who had been playing on an iPad nearby, had a gleam in his eyes when he saw them. He hopped off his stool and ran over to welcome them.

"Mommy! Sister Xiao Ka! You’re back!"

Chen Momo gently rubbed Xiao Bao’s head and spoke to the two women at the front desk. "The meeting is over. Comrades, thank you for taking care of Xiao Bao for me."

As it turned out, when Chen Momo received the notice for the meeting, she had worried that it wouldn’t be safe for Xiao Bao to stay home alone, so she had asked the two ladies at the reception desk to help watch over him for a while.

These two ladies already liked Xiao Bao, so when they heard they only needed to look after him for a little bit, they had agreed without hesitation.

Now, both of them smiled brightly at Chen Momo. "Comrade, you’re being too polite. Xiao Bao is such an adorable child; both of us really adore him."

"That’s right. Sitting here at the front desk is usually pretty boring for the two of us. Mr. Xiao coming over has brought us quite a bit of fun. If anything, we should be the ones thanking you."

Xu Xiaoka couldn’t help but look at Xiao Bao with affection. "Xiao Bao, hurry and say thank you to them. They’re praising you!"

"Thank you, Aunt Zhang and Aunt Wang," Xiao Bao said in a sweet, soft voice. "Goodbye."