Chapter 40: Foundations and Fault Lines
Breaking Ground
The Kaiyuan morning was sharp with autumn chill as Rui stepped onto the dirt lot.
Workers in hard hats stood ready beside an old excavator, its paint faded but engine rumbling like a challenge.
Manager Zhou from the bank handed Rui a ceremonial shovel. "Don't make me regret this loan," he said dryly.
Rui pushed the blade into the soil, feeling the crunch of gravel and the weight of everything to come. Cheers went up, but he kept his eyes on the horizon — this was only the start.
Pressure in Mingzhou
Three days later, Gao called, his voice strained.
"They cut my Haotian supply. Official reason: 'inventory realignment.' I think they know."
"Do you still want to keep going?" Rui asked.
"I've sold more Light Riders in two months than Haotian in a year. I'm not quitting now. But I'll need more units — and maybe… less visible shipments."
Rui promised to make it happen, even if it meant hiding deliveries in the back of produce trucks.
The Ad Blitz
While the first foundation trenches were dug, Rui's marketing team rolled out their boldest move yet:
"Kaiyuan Light Rider — For Every Road, Every Rider."
Bright red posters splashed across bus stops and market squares in Mingzhou, Wenzhou, and Kaiyuan.
The ad showed a Light Rider climbing a rugged mountain road, rider grinning against the wind — no digs at Haotian, just pure confidence.
Li Wei smirked when the first reports came in. "Sales are up ten percent in Wenzhou. Seems people like mountain roads."
One Eye on the Horizon
That night, Rui walked the skeletal outline of the factory site. The moonlight lit the chalk lines marking future walls and bays.
In Mingzhou, Gao was fighting to keep his doors open.
In Kaiyuan, the ground was opening for something bigger than either of them.
And somewhere in Haotian's offices, someone was surely plotting the next move.
The difference now was — Rui had his own plans, and they were built on solid ground.