Next Door – Cao Ji Branch Store
The reporters were picking at the now-cold Full River Feast, their frustration growing more and more obvious by the minute.
“Weren’t we told it would be 40 minutes? It’s been almost an hour—why hasn’t Elder Nie shown up yet?”
“Yeah, it’s killing me!”
“I’ve got other stuff to do after this. If this drags on any longer, even the side dishes’ll go stale.”
“Is this some kind of prank?”
The moment that was said, the room went quiet.
“…Don’t say that, but honestly? It’s possible. Elder Nie hasn’t done a media interview in forever. He doesn’t even give face to CCTV—why would he care about Cao Ji?”
“But I heard he’s got some history with the current female CEO of Cao Ji.”
“History or not, the real question is whether he’s actually coming—and if he is, will he even agree to an interview? We can’t just keep waiting here.”
“Exactly.”
“Let’s have Liu Shanhua come in and tell it to us straight.”
“Alright. Waiter—can you get Chief Liu? Thanks.”
Meanwhile, Liu Shanhua was even more on edge than the reporters.
His phone was practically on fire from how many times he’d called, but all he got was: “The number you are trying to reach is currently turned off…”
Swearing under his breath, he opened WeChat and fired off a series of messages:
[Where’s the person you were supposed to bring?!]
[What do you mean he ran off halfway?]
[Where the h*ll did he go?!]
[Is your phone just a decoration now? Calls unanswered, messages ignored!]
…
[You’re fired.]
[Get lost.]
…
[But before you leave, bring Elder Nie here!]
[Or you can forget about your salary and year-end bonus!]
…
Whether it was curses or threats, every message sank like a stone in the ocean—no reply.
A waiter cautiously approached: “Manager, those reporters are getting really impatient and are asking to see you.”
Liu Shanhua took a deep breath, put away his phone, and headed to the private room.
Elder Nie may not have shown, but he had another card up his sleeve…
In the room, Liu Shanhua walked in with a smile. “How’s everything? Sorry about the delay—I was busy with other guests and forgot to check in with you personally.”
The reporters exchanged knowing glances, trying to suss out what he was up to.
“Busy with guests?”
Really?
There were maybe two or three tables occupied downstairs!
And he could say that with a straight face?
“Chief Liu, earlier you said Elder Nie would be here. But it’s been over an hour and still no sign of him?”
“Apologies, there was a bit of a hiccup on the way—that’s what caused the delay.”
“Still, you could’ve at least given us a heads-up. It’s not fair to leave us hanging like this.”
Liu Shanhua offered a warm apology: “Truly sorry to trouble you. I only just got the update myself, which is why I rushed over.”
“Just tell us honestly: is Elder Nie coming or not?”
His tone was firm. “He’s definitely coming.”
“When?”
“That, I can’t say for sure—I don’t have the exact details.”
The group clearly wasn’t satisfied with that answer. After another round of eye signals: “Well then, let’s proceed with the interview part for now. As for Elder Nie… let’s just leave that up to fate.”
Liu Shanhua kept smiling. “Of course.”
The reporters let out a breath of relief. Anything was better than waiting around.
They’d just wing the interview with a few generic questions and be done with it.
“Shall we begin?”
Liu Shanhua glanced at his watch. “Actually, could I trouble you to move to the front entrance? Some very distinguished guests are about to arrive—I think you’ll find it quite interesting.”
“Distinguished guests?”
“Yes. Chairman Li of Chenghai Biotech, President Sun of Windbell Real Estate, and CEO Zhou of Jumei Daily Products…”
Gasp!
“President Liu, you invited these big shots?!”
Liu Shanhua responded humbly, “They’re just giving a little face to me, a newcomer in the industry.”
The reporters’ eyes lit up.
“Let’s go now?”
“Absolutely! Right now!”
They grabbed their cameramen and rushed out.
Outside the entrance, firecracker debris still covered the ground, a silent reminder of how lively things had just been.
A black Mercedes slowly rolled up. Liu Shanhua stepped forward with a smile and opened the door. “President Li, thank you for coming. You honor my humble shop.”
“None of that. Wishing you booming business and overflowing fortune!”
“Right this way, please—”
The reporters quickly swarmed in. “President Li, is Chenghai Biotech collaborating with Cao Ji? You seem very close—any story there?”
One by one, President Sun and President Zhou were also welcomed.
The once-lackluster reporters were now full of energy, totally forgetting about wanting to leave early.
Liu Shanhua let out a breath, half-squinting as he glanced toward the neighboring store.
That long line was still there. Even after all this time, it hadn’t shortened a bit.
He’d mentally prepared for Jiang Ji to be popular—but not this popular.
Especially when he saw their signboard—
They were doing “Private Home Cuisine”!
He had thought it would be like the last shop—selling pancakes. But no…
With this setup, their menu clashed directly with Cao Ji’s.
This wasn’t just about Yu Shangmei targeting Jiang Da anymore—it was a full-blown brand war.
And it was only going to get more intense.
Liu Shanhua looked back at his own nearly empty dining room.
Since business couldn’t beat them, he could at least win the PR war.
After all, the general public only sees what the news shows them. However reporters write it, however the camera frames it—that’s the truth in their eyes.
Cao Ji had big names from biotech, real estate, and cosmetics. What did Jiang Ji have?
Just a bunch of squealing fangirls.
This wasn’t over yet.
—
But in reality—
A black Bentley pulled up by the curb. The car door opened, and a tall man in a tailored suit stepped out—handsome features, mature aura, exuding the charm of a successful man.
Ling Qingzhou raised his hand. Several bodyguards followed, each carrying a large flower basket to place at Jiang Ji’s entrance. The red ribbons on them read in gold:
President Ling Qingzhou of Ling Group Congratulates on the Grand Opening!
The girls in line gasped.
“Oh my god, so handsome!”
“That’s the Bentley! I’ve only seen the model version before!”
“He’s literally the CEO from a romance novel—so manly!”
“Wait, that’s Ling Group!”
“What’s the big deal?”
“You don’t know?! Are you even from Linhuai?! They’re the biggest daily goods manufacturer in the country! Ling Qingzhou is a regular on both the Hurun and Forbes rich lists—the tycoon of tycoons!”
“He came for Jiang Ji?! Uncle Jiang is that influential now?”
“Uncle Jiang is out here making waves. Respect!”
Just then, a Rolls-Royce pulled up ahead of the Bentley—like it was trying to one-up them.
Ling Qingzhou sneered. Childish.
The back door of the Rolls opened, revealing first a long leg in a royal blue suit pant, polished leather shoes, and sleek black socks.
Then came the man—over 1.8 meters tall, clearly built from years at the gym, radiating vitality that made him look younger than his age.
His smile was playful and carefree, a stark contrast to Ling Qingzhou’s refined demeanor.
Yet both were magnetic in their own right—captivating the crowd instantly.
“Eek! Two hotties! I’m melting!”
“Suddenly, cute young guys don’t do it for me. These seasoned men hit different.”
“Seasoned? He looks more like a charming older brother~”
“Gross!”
“…LOL.”
Yi Hansheng snapped his fingers, and his bodyguards brought out an even larger flower basket.
On it was written:
President Yi Hansheng of Yi Group Wishes Jiang Ji a Prosperous Business!
“Yi Group? That name rings a bell…”
“Don’t hurt your brain—Linhuai’s biggest real estate developer, top ten in the country. Your condo? Probably built by them.”
“Holy cr*p! Ling Group and Yi Group? Jiang Ji is legit stacked with support!”
“I thought I was stanning a small underdog shop… turns out all these tycoons are quietly backing my baby! Wahh, I’m crying!”
Zhang Yuan had just wrapped up an interview. She said goodbye to Han Yunru and was about to leave—when she got to the door and saw the two most elusive CEOs of Linhuai’s finance pages…
Right there, in the flesh.
