📖 Chapter 30 – The Shadow's Counter
Raj's victory at Zenith Finance spread through the city like wildfire. Blogs praised the bold idea of "fusion street food" at a corporate gala, photos flooded social media, and office managers began whispering that their next events needed Raj's touch. For the first time, Raj's Fusion Eats wasn't just a stall brand—it was a name echoing in boardrooms.
But success attracts shadows. And no shadow was darker than Shankar's.
In a dingy room far from the glittering towers, Shankar sat with a handful of hired men, his face twisted with rage. "The boy feeds five hundred, and the city bows to him," he spat. "But food is trust, and trust can be poisoned." He leaned forward, his voice dripping venom. "Next event, we make them choke on his name."
The chance came swiftly. Raj's catering division received another contract—this time for a media company's product launch, a glittering event with journalists, influencers, and cameras. Raj's team worked tirelessly, sourcing fresh produce from their farmer allies, preparing new fusion dishes to impress an even wider crowd. The system hummed in approval, showing demand projections that glowed with promise.
But on the night of the event, as trays of food were served, a murmur began. A guest coughed violently after tasting a dish. Another claimed the food tasted "off." Within minutes, whispers turned to alarm—"The food is spoiled!"—and a ripple of panic spread through the hall.
Raj rushed to the table, tasting the same dish himself. His jaw tightened instantly—it wasn't spoiled, but something had been tampered with. A bitter aftertaste, faint but clear. He glanced at his team, their faces pale with fear, and then at the plates—where he noticed subtle traces of powder sprinkled unevenly across the food. His mind sharpened like a blade. Sabotage.
Arjun moved to calm the crowd, Meena quickly secured the remaining trays, and Imran, trembling, whispered, "Bhaiya, I saw a man near the kitchen earlier… he wasn't part of us."
The system flared in Raj's vision:
[Crisis: Catering Sabotage Detected.]
Reputation Threat: Extreme
Countermeasure: Immediate Public Trust Action
Raj knew hesitation would kill him here. In front of the cameras, he lifted one of the "spoiled" plates and ate it whole. Gasps rippled through the hall, but his voice rang clear and steady: "Our food is safe. Someone tried to poison your trust, not your plates. And we will find them."
His certainty cracked the panic. Guests stared, uncertain but calmer. Anita Rao, watching from the crowd, stepped forward and backed him publicly. "I've worked with Raj before. His food is clean, his hands are honest. If there's sabotage, it isn't his doing."
Security was called, the trays were tested, and the truth emerged—an unknown powder had been added after cooking. The event went on, shaken but not destroyed. Raj's stall survived, though scars remained.
The panel pulsed with mixed results:
[Sabotage Countered – Reputation Damaged (Minor).]
Customer Trust -10.
Public Relations Skill: Level 2 Unlocked.
That night, Raj sat in silence, his fists tight on his knees. His empire had survived the fire, the rumors, the shortages—but this was different. Shankar had brought the war into his catering, the very battlefield where his future empire would stand.
But instead of despair, Raj's eyes hardened with resolve. "So he poisons trust," he murmured. "Then we'll build trust so strong, no poison can touch it."
Across the city, Shankar laughed in the dark, his voice bitter as ash. "Let the boy rise. I'll be the shadow that never leaves him."
And the panel glowed once more, whispering the future:
[Main Quest Updated: Protect Your Brand at All Scales.]
Failure Penalty: Corporate Division Collapse.