Chapter 16 – The Last Push and a New Enemy
By early autumn, Li Ming's Italian restaurant chain had planted its flag in every city, county seat, and even most larger towns in the province.
The map in the head office was nearly solid red with location pins.
There was nowhere else to go—at least, not without leaving the province.
A Competitor Makes a Move
Just as Li Ming was considering a slower pace, trouble arrived.
A well-funded regional chain—specializing in spicy hotpot—began opening locations right next to his restaurants.
It wasn't just coincidence.
They matched his store locations street for street.
Where he had one restaurant, they opened two.
The worst part?
They ran aggressive promotions:
Free drinks for a month
"Half-price if you bring an Italian restaurant receipt"
It was blatant provocation.
Li Ming's Frustration
At the next executive meeting, his managers were in a panic.
"They're stealing our foot traffic!" one complained.
"Should we fight them with discounts?" another asked.
Li Ming waved his hand.
"No. They want a price war. That's just throwing money in the fire."
A dangerous smile formed on his lips.
But throwing money… maybe I should throw it somewhere else entirely.
The Burger Plan Gains Weight
That evening, he stood outside one of his busiest locations, looking across the street at a familiar sight:
A crowded American burger chain.
The thought from before came roaring back.
"If I can't expand my Italian restaurants here anymore, I'll just start a whole new chain. One they can't directly compete with. Burgers… big, greasy, dripping money losers."
He even sketched it out on a napkin:
Buy properties for the stores instead of renting
Build a brand-new supply chain for buns, cheese, and beef patties
Use the Italian chain's profits to "feed" the burger business until it bled red ink
In his mind, it was the perfect self-sabotage.
He didn't realize he was also laying the foundations of something much bigger.
A Quiet Decision
He didn't announce it to anyone yet.
First, he'd make sure the Italian chain was fully secured—stores upgraded, supply stable, and logistics running smoothly.
But in his heart, the next battle was already chosen.
The burger war was coming.