📖 Chapter 31 – Steel and Flame
The echoes of the poisoned event lingered like smoke. Though Raj had turned the sabotage into a display of courage, the sting of doubt remained in whispers: "What if it happens again?" His empire had survived, but scars had been carved into his reputation.
Raj sat in the hostel's common room, the glow of the panel burning before him:
[Main Quest: Protect Your Brand at All Scales.]
Failure Penalty: Corporate Division Collapse.
He read the words again and again. His stalls were his roots, his catering the branches, but trust was the lifeblood that kept the empire alive. Without it, everything would fall.
The next morning, Raj summoned his team. The air was tense, heavy with the weight of their near disaster. Arjun slammed a fist on the table. "Bhaiya, let me catch Shankar once—I'll break his bones." His young face burned with fury.
Meena shook her head, her tone sharp but steady. "Violence solves nothing. We need systems, not fists."
Even Rohit, leaning against the wall, muttered, "If we don't act, he'll poison us out of business. One more scandal and people will stop believing."
Raj listened, then spoke quietly but with steel in his voice. "We can't fight shadows with anger. We fight with light. From today, every plate, every event, every stall will shine with such discipline that no sabotage can dim it. Steel in our systems. Flame in our spirit."
The system shimmered:
[New Feature: Quality Assurance Protocols.]
– Ingredient Verification
– Team Training (Food Safety)
– Customer Transparency Tools
Raj set to work immediately. Supplies from farmers were sealed, tagged, and tracked using the system's new verification codes. At stalls, customers were shown how ingredients were cleaned and cooked, transparency turning doubt into reassurance. For catering, Raj introduced live cooking counters—guests could watch the food being prepared fresh, making sabotage nearly impossible.
The results were swift. At the next small event, skeptical guests arrived with suspicion, but left impressed. "They let us see everything," one journalist tweeted. "Raj's Fusion Eats has nothing to hide." The story spread—this time in Raj's favor. His openness became his shield.
But Shankar watched from afar, his teeth grinding. Every strike he made seemed to harden Raj instead of breaking him. His fists clenched as he growled to his men, "If steel won't break him, then fire will. If the boy builds fortresses, I'll burn them down to dust."
Back at the hostel, Raj sensed the storm gathering. He stared at the glowing panel, the mission still blazing before him. For a moment, he remembered his past life—how helpless he had once been when betrayal and ruin had crushed his dreams. But this time, his jaw set firm. "Not again. This time, I won't be broken. This time, I'll fight with steel and flame both."
The panel pulsed, words appearing like sparks:
[Empire Progression: Phase II – Chain Establishment.]
Next Goal: Expand to 5 Locations.
Time Limit: 90 Days.
Reward: Regional Dominance.
Raj's breath steadied. Shankar's fire was coming—but so was his rise.