Chapter 37 – New Ground, New Problems
The first Patriot Burger in Jiangnan City opened to the smell of fresh sesame buns and sizzling patties. Chen Hao stood at the entrance, greeting customers with the same warm handshake and nod he'd used when launching the Italian chain.
From the street, it looked festive: red paper lanterns swaying above the entrance, a lion dance troupe pounding drums, and a crowd gathering so thick that passersby stopped just to see what was going on.
Inside, however, the staff was already in trouble.
Opening Day Chaos
A truck carrying beef patties for the Italian restaurant's Jiangnan branch had gotten stuck behind an overturned lorry on the expressway. The local Patriot Burger manager rushed over, pale-faced.
"Boss, the delivery's delayed three hours. If we run out of patties—"
Chen Hao cut him off. "Boil more corn, fry more potatoes. If anyone complains, tell them fries and a drink are on the house while they wait."
It worked better than he expected. Customers chuckled, some even praising the hospitality. One local reporter, covering the opening for the city's evening paper, wrote:
"A new burger shop from the capital offers free snacks to waiting patrons — perhaps foreign-style service really has arrived in Jiangnan."
Competitor Pushback
Not everyone welcomed them. Two nearby fast-food shops lowered prices that same week. One even hung a red banner across its doorway: "Support local, not copycats!"
Chen Hao just smiled. "Good. Let them talk."
Ironically, the insult drew more curious customers. People wanted to see if Patriot Burger was truly a cheap imitation. Many left saying the taste was better and the price fairer.
Cold Storage Headaches
In Beijiang, construction of the new cold storage facility hit a snag. The land Chen Hao had bought turned out to have old, unregistered utility pipes running underneath. Moving them required a special work crew and a hefty "administration fee" to the municipal office — nearly triple the original budget.
The project manager apologized nervously, expecting anger. Instead, Chen Hao waved him off.
"Spend what needs to be spent. Losing money is the point."
The manager left muttering to his assistant, "The boss is fearless… no wonder the company's growing so fast."
Momentum Despite the Mess
By month's end, the new cities each had one Patriot Burger and one La Trattoria Italiana open, with three more stores under renovation. All land for future sites was already purchased — millions locked away in property deeds.
Chen Hao reviewed the numbers and frowned. Revenue was still climbing.
"How can we be expanding this fast and not losing money?" he muttered.
His CFO only smiled. "Boss, you've built a foundation that even mistakes can't shake."