The morning sun spilled golden light over the campus street, but inside Liang Chen's café, the atmosphere was tense. The usually lively hum of students laughing, chatting, and munching on croissants and chili potatoes had thinned out noticeably. Tables sat empty, waiters leaned on counters with forced smiles, and the once-long line outside the entrance had dwindled to almost nothing.
"Boss, the crowd…" one of the student-chefs hesitated, wiping sweat from his forehead. "They're all going across the street."
Across the road, Zhao Rui's café—recently refurbished with gold-trimmed signs and flashy lights—was packed to the brim. The rich heir had slashed prices ruthlessly. Burgers were one yuan, milk tea was cheaper than bottled water, and buy-one-get-one-free posters plastered the walls. Students from the university, always strapped for cash, naturally swarmed there in droves.
Zhao Rui himself sat at the entrance, legs crossed arrogantly, sipping an overpriced imported espresso while he watched Liang Chen's café bleed customers. Beside him was another rich scion from the city, Zhou Kai, who had joined hands with Zhao Rui in this sabotage. The two were laughing boisterously, like predators savoring a slow kill.
"See that, Rui? His little toy café won't last a month.""Hah! A country bumpkin dares to open shop near me? Let's see how he crawls out of this one."
Inside his café, some of the students-turned-staff looked worried."Boss Liang, should we fight back? Maybe… maybe we can lower our prices too? If we go cheaper, they'll come back!"
Liang Chen shook his head calmly, his eyes glinting."That's what they want. A war of wealth. Burn money until one side breaks."
He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers thoughtfully. The truth was, he could join the price war if he wanted. With the $2 million he had earned from the stock market, crushing Zhao Rui in short-term spending was easy. But what then? Even if he "won," the losses would be devastating. He wasn't here to waste money proving a point.
"No," he said firmly. "We'll wait. Reduce our ingredient stock, keep only the freshest items. Cut costs but maintain quality. Open in shifts, and take care of our loyal customers."
The student-staff exchanged glances. They didn't fully understand—but something about Liang Chen's unshaken confidence made them believe.
The next few weeks saw Zhao Rui doubling down. Every day he poured more of his family's money into discounts, giveaways, and flashy advertisements. Zhou Kai added fuel to the fire, hosting free events with DJs, loudspeakers, and neon banners.
From the outside, it looked like Liang Chen's café was finished. Zhao Rui even spread rumors online, mocking Liang Chen as a "pitiful clown" who had been "crushed in a real business war."
But inside, Liang Chen stayed calm. He smiled as he sipped his coffee, scrolling through the Business Simulation System interface at night. His funds weren't bleeding away in a futile war; they were multiplying.
While Zhao Rui burned millions, Liang Chen's $500,000 "personal fund" was growing rapidly.He spent his nights in the Stock Exchanges and Markets, analyzing companies, predicting trends, and investing smartly. Within a week, that half-million had turned into a jaw-dropping $5 million.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Stock Trading Lv. 2 → Lv. 3. Reward: $500,000 bonus fund.]
The notification made Liang Chen grin.
One night, as Liang Chen exited the stock exchange interface, a golden screen shimmered before his eyes:
[New Module Unlocked: Real Estate Playground][Reward: Real Estate Lv. 1 | Knowledge: Property Valuation, Rental Yields, Land Development Basics.]
Liang Chen's heart thumped. Real estate—the backbone of wealth. The system wasn't just pushing him toward businesses, it was paving the path to empires.
He dove into the module, absorbing blueprints, market charts, and valuation formulas until his mind buzzed with clarity. He now understood how to spot undervalued properties, how to calculate yields, and how to plan developments that would snowball profits.
Instead of wasting energy on Zhao Rui's price war, Liang Chen struck elsewhere. Using a portion of his new fortune, he quietly bought up several rundown properties near the university at bargain prices.
One was converted into a Game Café.
The ground floor became a vibrant arcade with claw machines, bowling lanes, and VR booths.
The upper floor was transformed into a sleek, cozy lounge where students could sip bubble tea, play on high-end gaming PCs, or rent private karaoke rooms for parties.
The opening week was explosive. Word spread like wildfire: "Liang Chen's new hangout spot is insane!" Students flooded in, and lines once again curled around the block—this time not for food, but for entertainment.
Suddenly, Liang Chen wasn't just the café owner anymore. He was the campus king of leisure.
Meanwhile, Zhao Rui and Zhou Kai were in trouble. Their "discount café" had bled money for weeks without turning a profit. The daily losses were staggering, and unlike Liang Chen, they had no other income streams.
"Rui, this can't go on," Zhou Kai muttered, his face pale. "We've spent millions already. My father's furious!"Zhao Rui slammed the table, veins bulging on his forehead. "That bastard! How is he still standing?!"
But reality was brutal. While Zhao Rui had wasted his fortune on shallow tricks, Liang Chen had grown stronger, smarter, and richer.
Within months, Zhao Rui's café was empty, debts piled up, chefs and staffs resigned, and investors backed away. Finally, Zhao Rui had no choice but to shut it down, tail between his legs.
Back at Liang Chen's café, the atmosphere was vibrant again. Students filled every table, not just for food but also to chat excitedly about the new game café. The "face-slapping" couldn't have been louder—Zhao Rui had tried to bury him, but ended up burying himself.
As Liang Chen stood by the window, watching the crowds of smiling students, his phone buzzed.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. For overcoming hostile competition without falling into financial traps, you are rewarded with $1,000,000 bonus fund and Real Estate Lv. 2.]
Liang Chen could only smile.