Super Rich: It all started when I met a young woman in a sleeper car.

The atmosphere inside the car was a bit somber.

Li Qian parked her car in the shadows on the street corner opposite the construction site, without turning off the engine.

Chen Xun looked out the window; there was no one left in front of the convenience store.

"Have you caught up with them?" Chen asked.

"Hmm." Li Qian nodded, tapping the map on her phone to zoom in. "They ended up going into 'Jingyu Teahouse,' which is in a rather remote area in the old western part of the city. I waited outside for twenty minutes and saw two more people go in. They weren't dressed like locals, and they were carrying briefcases. It seemed like... they were there to discuss business."

Where are the people from Company B?

"They're still inside, they haven't come out yet," Li Qian said. "I asked a trusted friend to keep an eye on things nearby, and they'll let me know if there's any movement."

Chen Xun tapped his fingers on his knee.

Jingyu Teahouse.

This name sounds like it's suited for doing something shady.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Chen asked.

Li Qian thought for a moment: "Company B didn't win the bid, so theoretically it has nothing to do with our project. But their people are keeping an eye on us every day, and now they're meeting with unidentified people... I guess either they want to dig some information out of us, or..."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Or perhaps they are planning similar projects themselves, using us as a model for research, or even trying to replicate them."

clone.

These two words flashed through Chen Xun's mind.

He recalled how, during the last bidding process, General Manager Zhang had insisted on winning the bid by lowering the price.

At the time, I thought he just wanted to make money.

Looking at it now, there might be more.

"Let's go," Chen Xun said.

"Where to?"

"Quiet Whisper Teahouse." Chen Xun unbuckled his seatbelt. "Let's go see what they're up to."

Li Qian frowned slightly: "Big brother, should we go straight there? Won't that alert the enemy?"

"Let's not go directly there." Chen Xun opened the car door. "We'll go 'have tea' too. You stay outside and keep an eye on things. I'll go in and see if I can overhear anything."

Before Li Qian could say anything more, Chen Xun had already gotten out of the car.

She quickly followed.

"It's too dangerous," Li Qian said in a low voice. "What if we get recognized..."

"I don't recognize you." Chen Xun pulled a gray jacket he usually left in the car from the trunk and put it on, then ruffled his hair haphazardly. "Do I look like a small-time materials manager?"

Li Qian looked at him.

He wore a gray jacket, slightly wrinkled pants, and his face showed signs of fatigue from staying up all night.

To be honest, they really do resemble those salespeople who run around everywhere to close deals.

"It's similar," Li Qian said, "but..."

"No buts," Chen Xun interrupted her. "You stay outside and find a place to keep watch. If things don't look right, I'll signal you, and you can call the police or make some noise."

Li Qian pursed her lips.

She knew that once Chen Xun had made up his mind, she couldn't persuade him otherwise.

"What is the signal?" she asked.

"If I send you a WeChat message saying 'I've sent you the material quote,' then it's safe. But if I say 'This price won't work,' then there's trouble, and you'd better figure it out," Chen Xun said.

"Okay." Li Qian nodded. "Be careful."

"rest assured."

Chen Xun turned and walked across the street.

He took two steps, then turned back.

"Oh, by the way," he said, "if I really get stuck inside, remember to get me out."

Li Qian didn't laugh, but looked at him very seriously: "I will definitely help."

Chen Xun laughed, waved his hand, and left.

Li Qian got back into the car, drove to the entrance of an alley diagonally opposite the teahouse, turned off the engine and the lights.

She sat in the driver's seat, her eyes fixed on the entrance of the teahouse.

My palms are a little sweaty.

【Ding! 】

[Host detected initiating high-risk business investigation activities.]

[Subjects of investigation: Company B and its affiliated out-of-town capital.]

[Nature of the activity: Proactively investigating potential business threats and gathering competitive intelligence.]

[Investment risk assessment is underway...]

[Under evaluation...]

[Warning: This behavior carries a high risk and may provoke direct conflict or retaliation.]

However... because the actions aim to protect existing investment projects (cinema renovation projects) and brand assets, if key intelligence is successfully obtained and an effective countermeasure is formulated, a high risk-reward ratio will be triggered.

Current forecast: High risk, high potential return.

The system notification sounded in Chen Xun's mind.

He didn't stop walking; instead, he felt more at ease.

High risk, high reward.

This system understands him.

The Jingyu Teahouse has a small, antique-style storefront with two lanterns hanging at the entrance.

As Chen Xun pushed open the door, a whiff of tea mixed with the smell of old wood wafted towards him.

The receptionist, a middle-aged woman, looked up at him and asked, "How many are in your party, sir?"

"One person," Chen Xun said. "Let's find a quiet spot; we need to talk about something."

"Let's go to a private room upstairs. It'll be quiet there," the woman said.

"No need for a private room, the main hall is fine, by the window," Chen Xun said. "I like it bright."

The woman didn't say much, but pointed to the stairs: "There's a booth on the second floor, towards the back, it's quite quiet."

Thanks.

Chen Xun went upstairs.

There weren't many people on the second floor, just three or four tables of customers, all talking in hushed tones.

He glanced at it and quickly locked onto his target.

There was a large private room at the very back. The door was closed, but the glass window wasn't completely closed, so you could see four or five people sitting inside.

Chen Xun remembered two of them.

At the bidding meeting, the two subordinates sitting next to General Manager Zhang of Company B.

Sure enough, it's here.

Chen Xun remained calm and walked to the booth the woman had mentioned, then sat down.

The location was excellent, diagonally opposite that private room, with two empty tables in between, neither too far nor too close, allowing you to faintly hear some sounds without it seeming deliberate.

When the waiter came over, Chen Xun casually ordered the cheapest pot of green tea.

While waiting for his tea, he took out his phone, pretending to check messages, while keeping his ears perked up.

The sounds coming from inside the private room came out intermittently.

"...We've figured out the model...theme...nostalgia...low-cost renovation..."

A slightly high-pitched male voice, sounding like someone from Company B.

"...Copying isn't difficult...the key is speed...we need to seize the market before their flagship store opens..."

Another voice, a bit deep, with a slight accent from out of town.

Chen Xun felt a chill run down his spine.

Copy?

To capture the market?

He secretly tapped his phone to start recording, his finger under the table.

"...Price war...their prices are too high...we'll just offer a 30% discount...students...are price-sensitive..."

"What about their supply chain? Their distribution channels for light meals..."

"We're currently in contact... Several companies have indicated they can supply simultaneously... as long as the quantity is sufficient..."

"Okay... let's proceed with this plan... funding is not a problem... what we need... is rapid expansion... to create brand dominance..."

The dialogue is ongoing.

As Chen Xun listened, a chill ran down his spine.

These people don't just want to copy.

They want to use capital to crush the competition, low prices, and rapid expansion to directly destroy the market that "Xunwei" has not yet fully established itself in.

Good grief, they're playing a game of commercial dimensional reduction here.

The tea is here.

Chen Xun picked up the cup and took a sip.

My mind works incredibly fast.

The recording is complete.

The other party's intentions are clear.

What to do next?

Should we just rush in and confront them?

No, that would alert them, and without concrete evidence, they could deny it.

Call the police?

Business competition is none of the police's business.

Chen Xun put down his cup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

We need to find a way to obtain more solid evidence without alerting the enemy.

He looked toward the private room.

Inside the glass window, a person just got up and walked towards the door.

It looks like they need to go to the toilet.

Chen Xun's heart skipped a beat.

He immediately picked up his phone and sent Li Qian a WeChat message: "I've sent you the material quotes."

Then he stood up, pretending to go to the restroom as well, and walked towards the private room.

At the corner of the corridor, he came face to face with the person who came out.

He was a young man, wearing a suit, with a shrewd look on his face; he looked like the kind of salesman who worked for an investment company.

Chen Xun didn't stop walking and brushed past him.

As they passed each other, Chen Xun "accidentally" bumped into him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Chen Xun quickly said.

"It's nothing, it's nothing." The man waved his hand, not paying any attention, and continued walking towards the restroom.

Chen Xun then quickly went downstairs.

Walking up to the front desk, he said to the middle-aged woman, "Boss lady, was that guy who just brushed past me the manager of 'Xinrong Capital'? He looked like him."

The woman paused for a moment, then said, "Huh? I'm not quite sure..."

"Oh, maybe I've mistaken them for someone else." Chen Xun smiled. "They come here often to discuss business, right? They must be running a pretty big business."

The woman, probably trying to win over regular customers, casually added, "I come here often, and even more recently. It seems like there's some kind of catering project I'm planning to start."

"The restaurant, huh? No wonder." Chen Xun nodded, paid for the tea, and said, "Thanks, proprietress."

He walked out of the teahouse without looking back.

He crossed the road, walked quickly to Li Qian's car, opened the door, and got in.

"Let's go," Chen Xun said.

Li Qian immediately started the car and drove away from the alley.

After driving two blocks, she finally asked, "How is it?"

Chen Xun took out his phone and turned on the recording.

As Li Qian listened, her expression grew increasingly grim.

"They want to copy us? And wage a price war?" Her voice was a little cold.

"Not only that," Chen Xun said. "They want to quickly expand their stores before our flagship store opens, using capital to overwhelm the market and squeeze us out."

Li Qian tightened her grip on the steering wheel: "Then we..."

"We can't let them succeed," Chen Xun said. "Go back to the shop, call Xin Yue and Xiao Tao, and have a meeting."

The car accelerated into the night.

As Chen Xun watched the lights flashing past the window, he began to formulate a counterattack strategy in his mind.

Price wars?

Capital dominance?

Let's see whose money can withstand being burned more.

Whose model is more likely to take root?

He twitched the corner of his mouth.

This battle is getting interesting.