Chapter 220: Lighting the Fuse

The carriage stopped outside the inn. At the entrance, Ma Chun had been waiting anxiously for a long time. Seeing Lin Dong jump out of the carriage, he quickly ordered a servant to drive the carriage from the back door to the front yard.

“Boss, not long ago, a servant from Xilan City Inn came to report that Changlin Restaurant has been bought by Fenglin Restaurant. For the first three days after opening, all dishes and drinks are free, and for a month, they’re half price.”

“Changlin Restaurant was bought by Fenglin Restaurant?”

Lin Dong was stunned and stopped in his tracks as he headed toward the front yard.

“Yeah, it happened ten days ago,” Ma Chun said worriedly. “We just finished preparing in Qiufeng City, and yet Fenglin Restaurant started its moves from Xilan City again.”

Lin Dong remained silent, frowning in thought before gradually forming a plan in his mind.

Ling Zhengyang’s target must still be Lin’s Inn in Qiufeng City.

In Xilan City, Lin’s Inn had dominated the market for over half a year. Although free or discounted prices posed a significant threat, Lin’s Inn could simply counter with its own discounts. The regular customers were already accustomed to its atmosphere and cuisine, which was enough to offset Fenglin Restaurant’s losses in gaining popularity.

If Fenglin Restaurant really wanted to steal business, it would need to offer half prices for at least a year or two to lure away some regulars. In contrast, Lin’s Inn in Qiufeng City was much easier to deal with. Its regulars were kept loyal through VIP cards and specialty dishes. Moreover, with so many large restaurants in Qiufeng City, people’s taste standards had risen, so they wouldn’t feel too uncomfortable switching to another restaurant.

Just as Lin’s Inn in Qiufeng City’s business had been declining lately, even if it were replaced by Lin’s Inn from Xilan City, it wouldn’t drop so sharply despite competition from guilds and trade associations. It would be much easier to recover afterward.

Lin Dong tapped his head. If he hadn’t figured out Fenglin Restaurant’s grand scheme through the guilds and trade associations, upon hearing this news, he would have rushed to Xilan City right away. Even at the fastest speed, it would take over twenty days to go and return. By the time he got back to Qiufeng City, Fenglin Restaurant would likely have already launched a surprise move.

Unfortunately, Ling Zhengyang could never imagine that Lin Dong had already guessed the general outline of his plan. Moreover, it wouldn’t take over twenty days to travel back and forth to Xilan City—just twenty minutes would suffice.

Walking all the way to the front yard, Lin Dong remained deep in thought. Ma Chun didn’t dare disturb him and kept watching his expression closely from behind, until his furrowed brows gradually relaxed. Realizing he had found a place to sit, Ma Chun then asked, “Owner, what should we do next? Has Xilan City also started to introduce the Vital Beef Balls and Vital Balls?”
Once seated on the stone bench, Lin Dong tapped his index finger slowly on the table. The soft tapping sound helped clarify his thoughts.
“Let Zhang Ye figure out what to do regarding Xilan City,” Lin Dong said. After gesturing for Ma Chun to sit across from him, he asked, “How’s the promotion for the Vital Beef Balls going?”
“All the invitations have been sent out. It depends on what happens first thing tomorrow morning,” Ma Chun replied. “As for the Vital Ball tables and rackets, everything is arranged, and the carpenters are working hard to finish them.”
“Any news from the guild?” Lin Dong pressed.
Ma Chun shook his head. “There was no news this morning. But according to the habit of Fenglin Restaurant, they release some updates every day. We’ll have to wait until afternoon.”
“I hope we can give Fenglin Restaurant a surprise tomorrow!”
Lin Dong smiled calmly. No matter what the effect of the Vital Balls or Ling Zhengyang’s detailed plans were, the news that Lin’s Inn was offering three free days—a generous gesture—would surely create a sense of crisis among other restaurants. A big battle was imminent!
Ma Chun nodded slowly, thinking about the possible chaos that might last a month or even longer. If things went wrong, Lin’s Inn might have to retreat to Qiufeng City. Although he was just an executive following the owner’s plans, he couldn’t shirk responsibility.
“Alright, go get busy! Close the inn early tonight so the staff can rest and recharge. Tell them that if there are over 200 tables on the second floor during those three free days without any trouble, each of them will receive one or two silver coins as a reward.”
Lin Dong stood up calmly. Unlike Ma Chun, thinking about the possible chaos among all the major restaurants in the city tomorrow, he felt his blood boil at the thought that his decision could be the catalyst for a major battle.
Ma Chun nodded helplessly. Winter was approaching for the inn, yet the owner was still spending money freely. Such composure was beyond what he, as an executive, could match.
Returning to the back yard, Lin Dong didn’t go straight to his room but used the storage room to head to Xilan City.

At the Lin Ji Inn in Xilan City, Ma Chun was in charge, so Lin Dong didn’t see the need to visit. But Zhang Ye was different. Although he, like Ma Chun, came from a rough background and had been in charge of the Lin Ji Inn alone for some time, his abilities were still far behind Ma Chun’s. If left unguided, Lin Dong believed Zhang Ye would likely scoff at the strategies he planned for Fenglin Restaurant and ignore them, or else gather all the local hooligans to cause trouble at Fenglin Restaurant three times a day. Although the Lin Ji Inn’s position in Xilan City was unshakable for now, being constantly disturbed by Fenglin Restaurant wasn’t good either—either way, it would only harm the Lin Ji Inn. Lin Dong’s skills weren’t particularly outstanding to begin with, but dealing with so many problems had improved him greatly in both management and competition. He called Zhang Ye into his room and gave him one instruction: increase discounts on VIP cards—10% off for copper cards and 20% off for silver cards. If Fenglin Restaurant didn’t back down, add another 10% discount every half month. As for Vital Beef Balls and Vital Balls, Lin Dong didn’t plan to introduce them in Xilan City right away; he thought it would take a month or so. The return of Fenglin Restaurant to Xilan City could serve as a gimmick. Even if the wealthy patrons were no longer accustomed to its atmosphere and taste, the novelty would still hold some appeal. First, use discounts to attract them, and once the novelty wore off, introduce Vital Beef Balls to secure a decisive advantage. Back in Qiufeng City, after further consideration and confirming there were no major flaws, Lin Dong returned to his room to practice. The next day, he sat at the counter early, watching as two employees went to the front door to remove the panels. Just as the middle two panels were taken down, a bald head with only a few strands of hair appeared as the breeze blew. Seeing this head, Ma Chun didn’t even need to look at the person’s face before smiling and stepping forward, “Boss Niu, why are you here so early today?” Niu Jinshui waved the invitation in his hand and said cheerfully, “How could I not come early for a free meal? If I’m late, I’m afraid there won’t be a table available even in the middle of the night.” “What are you saying, Boss Niu? You’re our top regular customer. There can’t be no seat for you! At the very least, I can arrange a table for you in a guest room.”

Ma Chun spoke politely with a smile. Niu Jinshui ran a leather goods shop, and there were only a dozen or so such shops in the entire Lingnan region. Guild affairs had little impact on him, so his frequency of visiting Linji Inn hadn’t changed much during this time. It could be said that Ma Chun wasn’t lying—if Niu Jinshui really couldn’t reach a table and didn’t want to wait, he would definitely reserve a Room Type A.

“That sounds good. Just because of what Manager Ma said, I’ll have to give it a try tomorrow,” Niu Jinshui said with a smile as he entered the lobby.

“Alright, I’ll make sure the staff reserves a Room Type A for you tomorrow, so you can use it right away,” Ma Chun replied with a smile. He glanced behind Niu Jinshui and was momentarily stunned before quickly calling out, “Madam Niu, Young Master Niu.”

Following behind Niu Jinshui were, unusually, not merchants transporting leather goods, but a beautiful woman and an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy.

Madam Niu gave Ma Chun a gentle nod, while the boy stared around the lobby with curious eyes.

“Boss Niu!” Lin Dong also came out from behind the counter to greet him.

“Manager Lin is here too!” Niu Jinshui slapped his thigh in delight. “I was worried about how to approach Manager Ma! He’s fine about giving one or two dishes usually, but he becomes hesitant when it comes to the inn’s rules. Last time, it was Manager Lin who had to intercede for my VIP card.”

“Just let me know if you need anything, Boss Niu,” Lin Dong said with a smile.

“It’s mainly about this kid,” Niu Jinshui said, pulling the boy aside. “He went home for the holidays yesterday and kept insisting on getting some Energy Balls all night. When I asked, I found out that their school suddenly had a dozen or so of those tables, and apparently only top-performing students can use them. Besides sleeping and playing, he doesn’t have the skills, yet he’s extremely eager for them. After being troubled by him all night, I suddenly remembered that there was something called Energy Beef Balls mentioned on Linji Inn’s invitation. Guess what happened when I asked?”

“What happened?” Lin Dong asked with a bright smile. An early enthusiast for Energy Balls had appeared.

“That silly kid finally remembered to take out a crumpled piece of paper from his wallet. When I saw it, it was none other than Linji Inn’s rare item—Energy Beef Balls!” Niu Jinshui laughed. “Those rare Energy Beef Balls aren’t available until three days later, but I thought I’d be bold enough to ask Manager Lin for a few in advance.”

“That’s easy to arrange. Ma Chun, bring five of them up to Boss Niu later,” Lin Dong instructed with a smile.

“Then I really owe Manager Lin a thank you,” Niu Jinshui said happily. “One or two silver coins per item for food and drinks, but I’m willing to pay five silver coins to get them. Manager Ma, please add it to my account later.”

“These are precious and energetic beef balls. Our inn’s rule is to give them away for free, not sell them. Boss Niu let us break the rule once; we can’t break it a second time.” Ma Chun shook his head repeatedly with a smile. Compared to strengthening his relationship with a regular customer, five taels of silver was nothing—without Lin Dong’s reminder, he knew exactly what to prioritize.
“Manager Ma, now I like it when you follow the inn’s rules in everything you do.” Niu Jinshui rubbed his bald head; Ma Chun’s words made him feel very proud.
“Boss Niu, Madam Niu, Young Master Niu, please come upstairs…”
Ma Chun cheerfully led the three of them to the second floor. After greeting them for a while before going back downstairs, another wealthy man holding an invitation entered through the gate, walking with a wide stance.
At the same time, in the streets of Qiufeng City, a new vendor appeared. What he sold were several oddly shaped wooden boards and strange rectangular tables, with wire mesh hanging in the center of each table.
No matter how much the passersby guessed, they couldn’t figure out what advantage these tables had over ordinary square or round dining tables.