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

The steam from the hot pot hadn't even dissipated yet when a new day arrived.

Chen Xun dragged the three women out of bed early in the morning and headed straight for the World of Wonders.

The new store is located in the food court on the basement level of the mall. The storefront is bright and the four characters "寻味泡麠麠" (Seeking Flavors Instant Noodles) are designed in a trendy way. The glass door is so clean that you can see your reflection in it. Inside, the tables and chairs are neatly arranged, and the kitchen equipment is also shining.

"Sure, the renovation team Brother Zhou found did a great job." Chen Xun looked around and nodded.

Yang Xiaotao excitedly ran to the photo wall to strike a pose: "The lighting here is amazing! I'm sure lots of girls will come here to take pictures in the future!"

Lin Xinyue took the list and checked the number of tables and chairs, the location of the electrical outlets, and the dates on the fire extinguishers one by one. Li Qian went to the back kitchen, turned on the tap to test the water pressure, and then checked the exhaust duct.

"No problem at all." Lin Xinyue closed the list.

"The kitchen is fine too," Li Qian said as she came out.

A "ding" sounded in Chen Xun's mind.

[The investment in the new store "Xunwei Instant Noodles (MixC World Store)" has been completed.]

Investment amount: 280,000 yuan (including decoration, equipment, and initial materials)

[Trigger 10x Rebate]

[Critical hit rate calculation in progress... Critical hit failed]

[Rebate amount: 2.8 million yuan, already credited to account]

Chen Xun remained calm, feeling reassured. His initial funding had increased significantly.

"Okay, get ready, we'll open promptly at ten o'clock," Chen Xun said.

At 10:00 AM sharp, firecrackers went off—actually, they were electronic firecrackers, as the mall doesn't allow real ones—and the new store officially opened.

The crowd that had been waiting at the door surged in all at once.

Some were regular customers who had come from the old store, some were attracted by the mall's GG, and some were just there to watch the fun.

"20% off for the first three days of opening! Share on WeChat Moments and get a free braised egg or drink!" Yang Xiaotao called out in a clear voice from the doorway.

Lin Xinyue sat behind the cashier, her fingers flying across the screen. Li Qian and two newly hired waitresses moved around the store, serving noodles and clearing tables.

Chen Xun wasn't idle either; he went wherever he was needed to fill in.

Business was even better than expected. At lunchtime, the restaurant was packed, and a small queue had formed outside.

"Big Brother! We're overwhelmed with orders!" Yang Xiaotao took a break and ran to the kitchen entrance, shouting inside, her face a mixture of sweat and a smile.

Chen Xun had just finished cooking several bowls of noodles and wiped his hands: "Stay calm, follow the procedure. Let the customers queuing outside scan the QR code to see the menu first."

It was almost 1 p.m. before the flow of customers slowed down a bit.

Yang Xiaotao was holding her phone, scrolling through local social networking apps, when she suddenly exclaimed "Huh!"

"Big brother, look at this." She handed the phone to Chen Xun.

The screen displays a newly posted restaurant review, located on the basement level of MixC World. The picture shows a newly opened trendy beverage shop with a pink and cute decor. The post reads: "Grand Opening! Buy one drink, get the second one half price, and get a free mini cake! It's right next to Xunwei Instant Noodles!"

Chen Xun frowned, walked to the shop entrance, and looked to the side.

Sure enough, about five or six shops away, a brand new beverage shop had a large promotional sign in front of it, and the line was even longer than the one at their shop.

"When did it open?" Chen asked.

"It's today, the same day as us." Li Qian walked over at some point, her voice calm. "They opened at 10:30 this morning. They have a big promotion, and... their location is closer to the main passage and the elevator."

Lin Xinyue also came over, glanced at the crowd in line, and her expression turned a little unpleasant: "What's this? A face-to-face ultimate attack?"

"Business competition is normal," Chen Xun said, but his eyes became serious. "Let's see how things go."

During lunch break, the four of them squeezed into the store's small warehouse to eat their staff meal.

Lin Xinyue held her tablet, looking at the morning's revenue data: "The turnover is good, much higher than the old store when it opened at the same time. But the costs are also high, rent, labor, utilities... We still need to calculate the net profit carefully."

Li Qian took a sip of water and said, "I observed that many of the people queuing next door bought drinks, took their cups, and then wandered around the mall or went to eat elsewhere. Some of the people who actually stayed to buy instant noodles for a proper meal were diverted."

"Yes!" Yang Xiaotao nodded. "I saw a lot of young girls who bought drinks and cakes, took photos, and left. It's... well, it's just for showing off, not a necessity for eating out."

Chen Xun listened and shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth.

"I'll take another look this afternoon," he said. "We'll do a post-mortem review after we close tonight."

The afternoon customer flow was noticeably less than the morning's.

Although the store was still mostly full, there was no longer a queue outside. Meanwhile, people could be seen coming out of the beverage shop next door every now and then, carrying bags.

By evening, Yang Xiaotao was getting anxious: "Big brother, their promotion is going to last three days! Won't they steal all the hype from our opening?"

Lin Xinyue looked at the POS system, her brows furrowing slightly.

Li Qian didn't speak, but just looked at the lights of the shop next door outside the window.

Chen Xun clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the three women.

"What's the panic?" Chen Xun smiled. "They do their thing, we do ours. They sell drinks and desserts, they sell 'snacks' and 'afternoon tea.' We sell instant noodles, they sell 'main meals' and 'light meals.' Our customer base overlaps, but they're different."

He paused, then continued, "They rely on heavy promotions to attract customers, which is costly and can't continue like this indefinitely. Starting tomorrow, we'll launch a 'limited-time opening co-branded package'."

"A co-branded package?" Yang Xiaotao's eyes lit up.

"Yes, it's a collaboration with a local bakery brand that we've worked with before and that has a good reputation," Chen Xun said. "By buying a designated instant noodle set meal, the extra cost is minimal, and they give you a free one of their signature mini bread or dessert. It satisfies your 'main meal + dessert' needs in one go at our store. Plus, the collaboration is a great gimmick for promotion."

Lin Xinyue thought for a moment: "What about the costs? Can the markup cover them?"

"I'll negotiate, try to get a discount. Even if we don't make much money, we need to maintain the popularity and reputation from this opening," Chen Xun said. "Also, Li Qian, tonight you should contact a few reliable food bloggers we've worked with before. Not the kind who just brag for money, but the real ones. Ask them to come over and try it out in the next couple of days, and focus on filming our new products and collaboration packages."

Li Qian nodded: "Okay."

Yang Xiaotao raised her hand: "What about me?"

"You?" Chen Xun chuckled. "You're in charge of generating buzz about the co-branded meal deals among our own customer base and on our social media accounts. Make the copywriting interesting. Also, hold a giveaway and give away a few of the co-branded meal deals."

"Understood!" Yang Xiaotao came back to life.

At 9 p.m., the mall closed, and the new store also shut down.

After tidying up and locking the shop door, all four of them were a little tired, but still in good spirits.

After getting into the car, Chen Xun glanced at his phone.

Another "ding" sounded in my head.

[The team (Yang Xiaotao, Lin Xinyue, and Li Qian) was detected to be collaborating efficiently in business activities, overcoming challenges together.]

[Trigger Team Collaboration Rewards]

[Extra rebate: 500,000 yuan, already credited to account]

Chen Xun's lips curved into a slight smile. The system was encouraging team building.

"Everyone worked hard today." Chen Xun started the car. "It's normal to encounter some minor hiccups when a new store opens. The store next door reminded us that the competition in this area is indeed fierce."

"Then shall we do as you suggested and launch the co-branded package tomorrow?" Lin Xinyue asked.

"Yes." Chen Xun looked at the road ahead. "However, this is only a temporary measure. In the long run, we need to have our own core strengths. There's still a lot to explore in the instant noodle category. Flavor innovation, eating method innovation, scenario innovation... Don't just focus on that beverage shop next door. Our competitors have never been just one particular shop."

He glanced at the rearview mirror; all three women were listening.

"Remember, our core focus is 'finding the flavor of instant noodles.' We aim to make instant noodles fun, delicious, and unique enough. So that when people crave instant noodles or want to find a place to check out an interesting casual meal, we're the first place they'll think of."

The car was quiet for a while.

Yang Xiaotao whispered, "Big brother, I understand. It means... we should walk our own path and let others get involved."

Chen Xun smiled: "The words may be rough, but the principle is sound."

Li Qian suddenly spoke up: "Chen Xun, about the vehicle management office matter, did Zhou Wenbin say anything when he came this afternoon?"

During the busiest time of the opening in the afternoon, Zhou Wenbin did come by, bringing two flower baskets and chatting with Chen Xun for a few words at the entrance.

"Hmm." Chen Xun nodded. "He said he made some inquiries and found out that the report at the vehicle management office was just something a few jealous competitors did. They didn't have any real connections, and he managed to get someone to suppress it. He told us to open our shops without worry, that he knows the area well, and if anything seems amiss, he'll let them know."

Lin Xinyue breathed a sigh of relief: "Brother Zhou is actually quite reliable."

"In business, we give each other face and help each other out," Chen Xun said. "If our shop does well, it also benefits the value of his shop. It's a win-win situation."

The car drove into the city streets at night, where lights twinkled.

The first day of the new store was bustling with activity and challenging, but we managed to get through it smoothly.

More is yet to come.