Chapter 42 — The Tightening Net
By early summer, the hum of activity in Horizon Group's offices felt constant. Logistics blueprints, property deeds, supplier contracts — Chen Hao's desk looked more like a battlefield than a workspace.
On the ground, Patriot Burger and La Stella Italiana outlets were multiplying steadily in the three provinces.
The pattern was simple but aggressive:
In first-tier cities within each province, Horizon opened clusters of stores, buying properties outright whenever possible.
In smaller cities, they picked premium intersections and busy commercial streets, snatching up prime locations before rivals realized what was happening.
It wasn't just expansion — it was encirclement.
In one meeting, regional manager Zhang Wei pointed at a wall map dotted with red pins.
"Boss, with the next three Patriot Burgers in Jiangnan, we'll have every major urban district covered. Competitors will have to fight for scraps."
Chen Hao leaned back, forcing a faint smile.
"Good. Let's keep the momentum."
Inside, he was thinking something else entirely.
"Perfect… that means sales will peak, and profits will start piling up… then I'll drown it all in the next project."
Meanwhile, the new cold storage facilities under construction became the talk of the supply team. The scale was intimidating — high-capacity refrigeration units, loading docks designed for simultaneous truck convoys, and warehouse space far exceeding current needs.
To his employees, this was evidence of a grand national vision.
"Boss is thinking ahead of the curve," one logistics supervisor said admiringly.
"He's laying the supply chain foundation before we even step outside the province."
Chen Hao didn't argue.
By the end of the quarter, Horizon Group had:
47 Patriot Burger stores in three provinces.
31 La Stella Italiana restaurants in three provinces.
Property ownership in over 85% of all locations.
Every step brought them closer to saturation in their current territory — and quietly, Chen Hao was already wondering which province would be the best "money-burning" sinkhole for Phase Two of his grand miscalculation.