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

Chen Xun sat in his office chair, the light from his phone screen reflecting on his face.

He looked at that string of numbers several times.

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million...fifty million.

There's still some change left.

He exited the bank app, and the system notification sounds in his mind had just stopped.

【Ding! 】

[High-risk investment (business gamble/intelligence warfare) successfully concluded!]

[Target: Jiang Tianxiong's forces.]

[Investment outcome: Utter defeat.]

[Triggered 10x base rebate calculation...]

[Calculation in progress...]

[Due to the competitor's business influence collapsing to 100%, additional factors are applied...]

Team collaboration level assessment: Extremely high.

[Critical hit triggered! Critical hit multiplier: 5x!]

Final rebate amount: 100,000,000 yuan.

[The money has arrived.]

One billion.

In addition to the money in the account before.

Fifty million.

Chen Xun placed his phone face down on the table and leaned back in his chair.

There was a knock on the office door twice, then it was pushed open.

Li Qian stood at the door, her purple hair slightly dim under the corridor lights: "They've both finished packing, and the shop's closed. Now... going home?"

Chen Xun looked up at her: "No rush."

He stood up, walked to the office door, and called out, "Xin Yue, Xiao Tao, come here for a moment."

Lin Xinyue and Yang Xiaotao walked over from the cashier.

Yang Xiaotao, her face still flushed with excitement, exclaimed, "Big brother! Shouldn't we celebrate? Today was so satisfying! Jiang Tianxiong's face, haha!"

Lin Xinyue tugged at her arm, then looked at Chen Xun: "What are the plans next?"

Chen Xun looked at the three people in front of him.

Li Qian was calm, Lin Xinyue was composed, and Yang Xiaotao was excited.

"That's the arrangement," Chen Xun said. "To celebrate."

Yang Xiaotao exclaimed "Yay!"

"But not now," Chen Xun added. "Tomorrow at noon, it's on me. You guys choose the place. Our team will have a proper celebration."

Li Qian's eyes flickered: "Celebrating victory?"

"Yes." Chen Xun nodded. "Jiang Tianxiong is down, we've won. We should celebrate when it's time to celebrate, and we should also summarize when it's time to summarize. Let's talk over lunch tomorrow."

Lin Xinyue asked, "Just the four of us?"

"It's just the four of us," Chen Xun said. "We're on the same side."

Yang Xiaotao immediately raised her hand: "I know a newly opened all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant! It's super popular! You have to make a reservation in advance!"

"Okay," Chen Xun decided. "That's the place. Xiao Tao, you'll be in charge of making reservations."

"Leave it to me!" Yang Xiaotao took out her phone and started scrolling.

Chen Xun looked at Li Qian and Lin Xinyue: "Don't be late tomorrow."

Li Qian nodded gently.

Lin Xinyue said, "Okay."

"That's all for today." Chen Xun waved his hand. "Go back and rest. See you tomorrow."

The three women left.

Chen Xun stayed in the office alone and sat there for a while longer.

He looked out the window at the city's night view and tapped his fingers on the table.

Fifty million.

That's a considerable number.

But not enough.

Far from enough.

The next day at noon, at that all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant.

The private room was specially booked by Yang Xiaotao, and it offered excellent privacy.

When Chen arrived, the three women were already there.

Yang Xiaotao wore a light yellow dress today, her hair was carefully styled, and she looked full of energy. Lin Xinyue wore a simple shirt and jeans, looking capable. Li Qian was still wearing her usual business-style suit, her purple hair tied in a low ponytail, sitting there quietly.

Some appetizers and sashimi were already laid out on the table.

"Big brother's here!" Yang Xiaotao waved. "Come sit down, come sit down! We ordered so much, we have to eat our money's worth today!"

Chen Xun sat down opposite her and smiled, "Order whatever you like, it's on me today."

"Absolutely!" Yang Xiaotao picked up the menu. "I won't be polite!"

Lin Xinyue poured Chen Xun a cup of tea: "Was there traffic?"

"It's alright." Chen Xun took the teacup. "How about you guys?"

"We came together," Li Qian said. "Xiao Tao was driving."

As Yang Xiaotao checked off the menu items, she said, "My driving skills are rock solid now! I'll pass the driving test on my first try!"

The dishes were served one after another.

The four of them ate and chatted, initially about lighthearted topics such as which dish was delicious, which restaurant had opened a new branch, and the drama that Yang Xiaotao was currently watching.

Chen Xun put down his chopsticks after he had almost finished eating.

The private room fell silent for a moment.

"Let's get down to business," Chen Xun said. "Yesterday's matter with Jiang Tianxiong is completely settled. He's gone in, and he won't be out anytime soon. Our shop is safe now."

Yang Xiaotao nodded vigorously: "We're safe now! Let's see who dares to mess with us again!"

Lin Xinyue put down her teacup and looked at Chen Xun: "But this incident has also served as a reminder to us. Jiang Tianxiong is not the first, nor will he be the last."

Li Qian chimed in, "That's right. Now that our store is famous and making money, there will only be more envious people. This time it was Jiang Tianxiong who used underhanded tactics, next time it might be someone else using different tactics."

Chen Xun nodded: "So while we're celebrating, we still need to think about what needs to be thought about."

He paused, then looked at the three of them: "We have money in our account now. I won't go into the exact amount, but it's enough for us to keep going for a while."

Yang Xiaotao's eyes lit up: "How much, brother? Can you give me a hint?"

Chen Xun smiled and said, "Anyway, opening a few branches, hiring some people, and building some things will be enough."

"Wow!" Yang Xiaotao covered her mouth. "Does that mean we're going to become rich overnight?"

"Whether we get rich quick or not is another matter," Chen Xun said, "but we really should think about the next step."

He looked at Li Qian: "You go first. What do you think we should be doing right now?"

Li Qian thought for a few seconds and then said, "Consolidate."

"How to consolidate it?"

"Although Jiang Tianxiong has fallen, his network of connections and his subordinates may not be entirely clean," Li Qian said calmly. "We've put him in jail this time, but there's no guarantee that no one will want to 'avenge' him, or simply dislike us and want to kick us while we're down. So the first thing we need to do is protect our gains."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "I suggest establishing a brand protection mechanism as soon as possible. Legally, find a reliable lawyer or team to clarify contracts, trademarks, and patents, registering what needs to be registered and applying for what needs to be applied for. For risk control, we need to keep a close eye on both online and offline channels, monitor public opinion, and issue early warnings for malicious competition—all of these are essential."

After listening, Chen Xun nodded: "That makes sense. Go on."

Lin Xinyue continued, "We must defend, but we can't just defend. We're on a winning streak right now. With Jiang Tianxiong gone, a space has opened up in the market. My idea is to take advantage of this momentum and expand."

Yang Xiaotao blinked: "Expansion? Opening a new store?"

"Yes," Lin Xinyue said. "The MixC World store has already proven successful. The themed renovation has been effective, and the customer flow is stable. We can definitely replicate this model and open a second and a third store. Moreover, we can't just open stores in shopping malls; we can consider community stores and office building stores to differentiate ourselves."

She took out her phone, opened the map app, and swiped around a few times: "I've looked at a few places recently. One is near a university town, where there are many young people with good spending power. The other is a new commercial area with many white-collar workers. I can consider both of these places."

Yang Xiaotao exclaimed excitedly, "Opening a new store is great! Does that mean I can design even more fun activities? Like the previous 'Nostalgic Graduation Ceremony,' we could do a 2.0 version!"

Chen Xun listened without interrupting.

He only spoke after the three women had finished speaking.

"I agree with everything you've said," Chen Xun said. "We need to defend, but we also need to attack. So, in the next phase, we have two core objectives."

He held up two fingers.

"First, establish a brand protection mechanism. Li Qian, you're in charge of this. Find lawyers, build a risk control system, you propose a plan, how much money and how many people are needed, and I'll approve it."

Li Qian nodded: "Okay."

"Second, launch the chain expansion plan." Chen Xun looked at Lin Xinyue, "You will take the lead in new store location selection, standardized processes, decoration plans, and operating models. Xiao Tao will assist you and be responsible for marketing and event creativity."

Lin Xinyue replied, "Understood."

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

"You'll continue to be in charge of marketing creative," Chen Xun said. "But you can't just think about having fun. The campaigns need to be effective, they need to attract traffic, and they need to convert leads. You need to keep a close eye on the data and calculate the return on investment clearly."

Yang Xiaotao stuck out her tongue: "Okay! I'll do my best!"

Chen Xun picked up the teacup and took a sip.

"Also," he put down his cup, "we're not just the three of us anymore. With more stores and more people, management will need to keep up. So, starting today, the three of you are officially promoted."

The three women were all stunned for a moment.

"A promotion?" Yang Xiaotao asked.

"That's right," Chen Xun said. "Li Qian, Director of Brand Protection and Risk Control. Lin Xinyue, Director of Chain Expansion and Operations. Yang Xiaotao, Director of Marketing Creative. Salaries are rising, authority is increasing, and responsibilities are also greater."

He paused for a moment, then said, "From now on, you'll have to take on more responsibility for opening the shop, hiring, and managing people. I can't do everything myself; I have to let you handle things."

The private room was silent for a few seconds.

Li Qian spoke first: "I'm fine with it."

Lin Xinyue took a deep breath: "I will try my best."

Yang Xiaotao jumped up, went around the table, and hugged Chen Xun's arm: "Big brother, you're so great! I love you to death!"

Chen Xun smiled and pressed her back into her seat: "Work hard, and if you do a good job, you'll all get a share of the year-end bonus."

【Ding! 】

[The host has been detected upgrading the management structure and appointing personnel to the core team.]

[Investment Nature: Team building and brand management.]

[Investment Amount: Implicit (position, authority, salary increase).]

[Triggering a 10x rebate calculation...]

[Calculation in progress...]

[Due to the extremely high level of teamwork and alignment with goals, additional factors are being considered...]

[Rebate has been credited to your account.]

[Note: Team stability and growth potential will directly impact the return on subsequent business investments.]

The system notification sounded in my mind.

Chen Xun's expression didn't change much, but he felt a little more at ease.

The money arrived, and the deal was settled.

He raised his teacup: "Come on, let's toast with tea instead of wine."

All three women raised their glasses.

The four cups clinked together, making a crisp sound.

"Let's celebrate winning this battle," Chen Xun said. "And let's also celebrate that we're about to start the next one."

Li Qian looked at him: "Will the next battle be even more difficult?"

"It's definitely going to be difficult," Chen Xun said, "but right now, we have money, people, and experience. What are we afraid of?"

Lin Xinyue smiled: "I'm not afraid."

Yang Xiaotao nodded vigorously: "Yes! I'm not afraid!"

Chen Xun put down his cup.

"Then it's settled," he said. "Li Qian will start working on brand protection when she gets back, Xin Yue will begin working on a detailed plan for the new store's location, and Xiao Tao will think about what kind of activities we can organize next. We'll meet again in a week to see how things go."

All three women wrote it down.

The celebration banquet was coming to an end.

Yang Xiaotao went to get another round of desserts, and the four of them chatted while eating.

When it was time to pay, Chen Xun swiped his card.

The amount was considerable, but he didn't even blink.

Stepping out of the restaurant, the afternoon sun was a bit too bright.

Yang Xiaotao stretched and said, "Now that we're full, let's go back to work!"

Lin Xinyue looked at Chen Xun: "Are you going back to the shop?"

"I'll go back to the shop first," Chen Xun said. "I have something to take care of."

Li Qian said, "Then I'll go with you. We can talk about some details about brand protection on the way."

"OK."

Yang Xiaotao took Lin Xinyue's arm: "Then I'll go with Sister Xinyue! Let's go shopping and see if we can find any inspiration for new stores!"

The two groups separated at the restaurant entrance.

Chen Xun and Li Qian got into the car.

After the car had driven a short distance, Li Qian suddenly spoke.

"You didn't finish what you said at the meeting just now," she said.

Chen Xun gripped the steering wheel, looking ahead: "What didn't you say completely?"

"Money," Li Qian said, "How much is in the account?"

Chen Xun smiled and said, "You guessed it?"

"Probably," Li Qian said. "The system's rebate on Jiang Tianxiong's deal won't be small. Adding the previous ones, it'll probably be at least fifty million, right?"

Chen Xun did not deny it.

"So," Li Qian turned to look at him, "your next step isn't just about opening a few stores, right?"

Chen Xun remained silent for a few seconds.

"Yes," he said. "Opening a shop is the first step. But just opening a shop isn't enough."

"So what do you want to do?"

"Build a brand," Chen Xun said. "A brand that others can't easily touch. A brand with its own supply chain, its own channels, its own fans, and its own competitive advantage."

He paused, then continued, "Why does Jiang Tianxiong dare to target us? Because we seem to only have a few stores and a few trendy products, with a shallow foundation. But what if we have more than just a few stores? What if we have factories, R&D, a nationwide store network, and a massive membership system behind us?"

Li Qian understood.

"You want to build a platform," she said.

"It's not a platform," Chen Xun shook his head. "It's about building an ecosystem. We want the name 'Xunwei Instant Noodles' to represent more than just a bowl of instant noodles; it represents a lifestyle, a cultural symbol, something that... no one can replicate."

The car stopped at the red light.

Chen Xun looked at Li Qian: "This road is long and difficult. If you're afraid, it's not too late to back out now."

Li Qian looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Afraid?" she said. "Chen Xun, have you forgotten where I came from?"

Chen Xun was taken aback.

"I crawled out of the mud," Li Qian said softly but firmly. "You pulled me out and gave me a place to stand. Now you're telling me there's a mountain ahead, and I have to climb it. Do you think I'd be afraid?"

The green light is on.

Chen Xun stepped on the gas.

The car rejoined the traffic flow.

He didn't say anything more.

But the initial excitement that arose from the immense wealth slowly subsided.

Money matters.

But more important than money are the people who are willing to climb the mountain with you.

He glanced at the rearview mirror.

In the mirror, the city buildings gleamed in the sunlight.

Their car was steadily driving towards that light.