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

After Chen Xun said "Let's fuck them," the four of them quickly finished their breakfast.

Lin Xinyue cleared the dishes: "So, will you be open as usual today?"

"Open." Chen Xun wiped his mouth. "Isn't the place across the street temporarily closed? Let's take this opportunity to bring all the customers back."

Li Qian nodded: "I agree. Every day they close, we can do business for one more day."

Yang Xiaotao whispered, "But... what if they do something bad?"

Chen Xun glanced at her: "Definitely. So be alert today, and speak up immediately if anything seems off."

After the four of them finished packing, they arrived at the store at 8:30 sharp.

Open the door, clean, prepare the ingredients.

At nine o'clock, the business sign was hung up.

Business was alright in the morning, with some regular customers coming in one after another.

"Boss, why is the shop across the street closed?" a regular customer asked while eating.

"Internal restructuring," Chen Xun said.

"It's time to clean it up. It should have been cleaned up a long time ago." The customer shook his head. "That place is really bad. I never want to go there again after eating there once."

Lin Xinyue called out from the kitchen, "Big brother, the soup base is almost empty!"

"Coming." Chen Xun went in to help.

We were busy until noon, and the store was about 70-80% full.

It's better than the previous two days.

During lunch break, the four of them sat in the shop eating.

Yang Xiaotao was scrolling through her phone when she suddenly exclaimed "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Lin Xinyue asked.

"Look," Yang Xiaotao said, turning her phone around.

It's a chat log from a local community group.

Someone sent a message: "I heard that instant noodle shop on XX street was inspected? It failed hygiene standards?"

Someone replied below: "I don't know, it's closed today."

"Serves him right, he plagiarized others and still thinks he's right."

"But I heard the boss has a strong background, so it'll probably reopen in a couple of days."

Chen Xun finished reading but didn't say anything.

Li Qian put down her chopsticks: "They will definitely come again."

"I know," Chen Xun said.

He had barely finished speaking when his phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar number.

Chen Xun glanced at it and answered the call.

"Feed?"

The voice on the other end of the phone was that of a man, who sounded to be in his forties and spoke very politely.

"Is this Mr. Chen Xun, the boss?"

"Yes, that's me. And who are you?"

"My surname is Zhang, and I'm the owner of 'Instant Noodle Research Institute'," the other person said. "Would it be convenient for us to meet up and chat?"

Chen Xun paused for a moment.

Lin Xinyue, Li Qian, and Yang Xiaotao were all looking at him.

"What are you talking about?" Chen asked.

"It's a business matter," said Mr. Zhang. "I'm at 'Time Cafe' near your shop, on the second floor by the window. Just the two of us, let's talk privately."

Chen Xun thought for a moment: "Okay. I'll be there in half an hour."

I hung up the phone.

"Who is it?" Lin Xinyue asked.

"The boss across the street," Chen Xun said, "has asked me to meet in person."

All three of them were stunned.

"What is he going to do?" Yang Xiaotao asked nervously.

"I don't know." Chen Xun stood up. "I'll go check."

"I'll go with you!" Lin Xinyue said immediately.

"No need," Chen Xun shook his head. "He said it's just the two of us. You two stay in the shop and keep watch, so you can help out if anything happens."

Li Qian looked at him and said, "Be careful."

"Okay." Chen Xun grabbed his coat. "Call me if you need anything."

He walked out of the shop, crossed two streets, and found the "Time Cafe".

A middle-aged man was sitting by the window on the second floor.

Wearing a polo shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, he looked quite refined.

Chen Xun walked over.

"Boss Zhang?"

The middle-aged man looked up and smiled: "Boss Chen, please have a seat."

Chen Xun sat down.

The waiter came over, and Chen Xun ordered an Americano.

After the waiter left, Boss Zhang said, "Boss Chen is young and promising; the shop is doing a great job."

"You're welcome," Chen Xun said.

"I'll be frank," Boss Zhang pushed up his glasses, "I want to buy your store. The price is negotiable."

Chen Xun looked at him.

"Or, franchising is also an option," Mr. Zhang continued. "You provide the technology and management, and I'll provide the capital and distribution channels. We can cooperate to expand the store."

Chen Xun remained silent.

"Boss Chen, you're still young, you might not understand." Boss Zhang's tone was gentle, but his words carried a different meaning. "In business, taste alone isn't enough. You also need connections and resources."

"I've been in this industry for over a decade, and I know more bosses and managers than you've ever tasted salt."

"Your shop looks alright now, but how long will it stay popular? A month? Two months?"

"Work with me, and I guarantee you'll earn ten times more than you are now."

Chen Xun took a sip of water.

"Boss Zhang, is your store temporarily closed due to hygiene issues?" he asked.

Boss Zhang's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his smile.

"It was a minor issue, and it's already been resolved."

"Really?" Chen Xun said. "I heard that the kitchen uses cheap seasonings and there's rotten meat in the trash can."

Boss Zhang's smile faded.

"Boss Chen, there are some things you can't say carelessly."

"I didn't make things up," Chen Xun said, looking at him. "I have a video."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

Boss Zhang suddenly laughed.

"It's good for young people to be energetic," he said, "but if they're too impulsive, they're likely to suffer losses."

"I don't like to suffer losses," Chen Xun said.

"So we have nothing to talk about then?" Boss Zhang asked.

"There's no room for negotiation." Chen Xun stood up. "I won't sell the shop, nor will I franchise it."

Boss Zhang nodded.

"Alright," he said. "From now on, it's up to each of us to rely on our own abilities."

Chen Xun turned and went downstairs.

As he walked out of the coffee shop, he glanced at his phone.

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

He walked back.

As he approached the store entrance, he saw Lin Xinyue, Li Qian, and Yang Xiaotao standing outside, all of them looking rather grim.

"What's wrong?" Chen Xun walked over quickly.

Then he saw it.

On the wall in front of the shop, several large characters were splashed with red paint:

"You rip-off! Get out!"

The paint wasn't dry yet, and it was dripping down the wall.

Like blood.

Yang Xiaotao's eyes reddened.

Lin Xinyue clenched her fists tightly.

Li Qian looked at Chen Xun: "You hadn't been gone long when someone came to throw things at you. You ran too fast and they couldn't catch up."

Chen Xun remained silent.

He walked over and looked at the words.

He looked at the ground again.

The paint bucket was lying to one side; it was an ordinary red paint bucket.

"Call the police," Chen Xun said.

"Huh?" Yang Xiaotao was taken aback.

"Call the police," Chen Xun repeated, "and then check the surveillance footage."

Lin Xinyue realized what was happening and immediately took out her phone.

Li Qian went to the store to pick up her computer.

Chen Xun stood at the door, looking at the blinding red.

He knew this wasn't over.

The police arrived quickly, took photos, and recorded statements.

The surveillance footage showed two masked men who splashed the liquid and ran away; their faces were not visible.

"We will investigate," the police officer said. "We will keep you informed if we have any updates."

The police left.

Four people were standing at the store entrance.

The smell of paint is very pungent.

"Are you still open today?" Yang Xiaotao asked softly.

"Keep the area clean and open for business as usual," Chen Xun said.

Lin Xinyue looked at him: "Big brother..."

"It's alright," Chen Xun said. "The more they act like this, the more anxious they are."

He took out his phone and took a picture of the paint on the wall.

Then I posted it on my WeChat Moments.

The caption reads: "Thank you for your support and for such a generous gift. The shop will remain open, and noodles will continue to be sold."

After sending the message, he put his phone away.

"Get to work," he said.