The industry’s leading players were all seasoned experts. It was rare for them to cooperate seamlessly without probing or acting cautiously.

Leveraging the opportunity to curry favor with Mingde while taking down a competitor was naturally a golden chance.

With Mingde entering the scene, their domestic market share would inevitably shrink. If Xinghe fell, the remaining “cake” would naturally be divided among them.

Even for their own benefit, they fought with great enthusiasm.

The Shenzhen market remained peaceful because Xinghe couldn’t even enter it.

But outside Shenzhen, the battle was already raging in full force.

For Xinghe, this summer felt bone-chilling and could be considered one of the darkest chapters in the company’s history.

Take Beijing as an example: brands and groups formed alliances, tied themselves together, and cooperated in ways that excluded only one—Xinghe.

To the average, less discerning consumers, these battles went unnoticed.

The most direct impact they felt was beneficial: products suddenly became cheaper as brands engaged in promotions.

At this point, Xinghe no longer had the energy to focus solely on countering Mingde.

After being pressured for some time, they realized their opponent’s aggressive intentions and refused to sit idle. They leaped into the promotional battles.

However, standing opposite Xinghe was a massive coalition, occupying nearly four-fifths of the national market.

Meanwhile, online, Xinghe received endless ridicule. No matter how many strategies they employed or how low they stooped, at this stage, they were destined to remain suppressed.

The boss of Xinghe traveled to Beijing to handle the crisis, but as he sat in his office, witnessing his forces crumble, he was left with a mix of shock, anger, and confusion—

At the start, wasn’t his goal simply to capture the Shenzhen market?

How did it come to this, where even their home base was at risk of falling?

What went wrong in between?

His unreliable brother-in-law tearfully lamented, “I told you, Shenzhen is a strange place! Mingde isn’t a normal company. Look at how they’ve beaten us… Maybe we should light some incense and pray!”

---

While Xinghe struggled to survive, Mingde was calm, even brewing new waves.

After several twists and turns, their product line was finally ready for nationwide—and even global—distribution.

Even Mr. Jin, a typically composed and pragmatic man, had recently been frequently visiting temples with his wife to pray for smooth operations ahead.

Having lived to this age and priding himself as an entrepreneur, Mr. Jin had once thought managing Mingde’s dozen stores in Linjiang was proof of his business prowess. When his daughter expanded the chain from Linjiang to Shenzhen, he already felt outmatched. Now, Mingde’s products were about to reach the world!

Although his daughter had once openly expressed her ambition to expand Mingde nationwide, he had treated it as a mere joke at the time.

Who could have imagined the company would achieve this?

Even the headquarters in Linjiang was shocked by the developments in Shenzhen.

Executives frequently traveled back and forth between Linjiang and Shenzhen to support operations, all under the pretense of work, but really to “pay homage.”

Not to him, though.

But to his daughter, who had firmly established her authority.

Mr. Jin felt no dissatisfaction—only pride.

With less work stress, his health improved significantly. After his surgery two years ago, he still occasionally felt fatigued.

But now, hiking and temple visits with his wife only left him with a few beads of sweat.

Back home, he found his daughter cooking dinner while casually taking a business call.

“Is the new industrial park and office ready?”

As she lifted the pot lid, an indescribable aroma filled the air.

She peeked into the pot, swapped her utensil for tongs, and pulled out a piece of thoroughly braised meat to cool on the cutting board.

After hanging up, she turned to wash her hands, but her father, already prepared, stepped in with a knife. “You’ve got work to do; no need to worry about dinner. Just rest at home. Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll handle it.”

Jin Yaotiao smiled, understanding her father’s concern about her busy schedule. “I like cooking.”

Indeed, no matter how busy work was, she found joy in preparing meals.

Mr. Jin, slicing meat with skill, commented on the tenderness of the newly introduced donkey meat she’d used for the dish. The family shared a hearty dinner, savoring the unique flavors while discussing the company’s progress.

As Mingde’s products officially launched, they sparked debates due to their high prices.

But this time, without Xinghe in the picture, the wave of criticism was quickly drowned out by glowing reviews from satisfied customers across the country—and even abroad.

Mingde’s confidence in their products proved justified.

Instead, due to production not being able to keep up with the ferocious market demand, several cities soon followed the path of Shenzhen and had to implement purchase restrictions. At the same time, distributors were urged to restock as quickly as possible.

Gradually, someone online coined an honorary title for Mingde: “The Luxury King of the Industry.”

Whenever someone questioned the price, avid fans would immediately retort:

“Do you know what ‘Hermès of Dumplings’ means? And you’re still complaining about the price?”

“Sure, the yellow croaker rice cake is pricey, but its flavor is as premium as Himalayan crocodile leather. Being able to buy such a luxury brand without jumping through hoops already satisfies me!”

“Ever since my fridge has been stocked with Mingde products, I walk with confidence wherever I go. It’s more thrilling than saving up for a designer handbag!”

Uninformed netizens: “???”

Hearing this… it did sound quite exclusive.

Jiang Bai led the team to receive them.

When Jin Yaotiao stepped out of the car, she was greeted by an expansive and empty factory area.

The middle-aged park manager, who had arrived in the car behind her, saw her satisfied expression and relaxed a little before approaching.

“Chairwoman Jin, how is it?” he asked.

Jin Yaotiao withdrew her gaze from the factory and nodded. “Thank you. This place is excellent.”

The manager smiled. “We’ve shown our utmost sincerity in allocating this land to Mingde. Now that you’re satisfied, I can report back with peace of mind.”

As he spoke, his gaze toward Jin Yaotiao grew complicated.

Thanks to the old leadership team now working as security at Mingde, the industrial park had maintained good relations with the company, often seeking opportunities to curry favor and stay relevant.

But this time, Mingde’s ability to secure such a large new factory site had nothing to do with him or those old leaders.

Mingde’s rapid rise had made the municipal government recognize its potential directly. Moreover, Linjiang City had actively courted them, offering land and favorable policies, afraid that Mingde would be completely claimed by Shenzhen.

As a result, the industrial park felt a competitive urgency toward Linjiang.

Thinking back to when Mingde first came to Shenzhen, he had been asked by Xia Ren of the Shang family to stir up trouble. Back then, Mingde had seemed like a small company, insignificant enough to be trifled with.

Who could have guessed it would reach this point?

Before the visit, the park’s senior leadership had specifically instructed him to meticulously record Mingde’s needs and fulfill as many as possible, provided they were reasonable.

After all, Mingde’s future was clearly boundless.

With its expansion into the international dining market, the political significance was immense.

Linjiang, despite being a small city, had offered all it could. Shenzhen, as a major player, couldn’t afford to fall behind.

Jin Yaotiao led her team through the spacious park, assessing their needs.

The allocated space was generous, clean, and well-equipped in terms of transportation and capacity. With the new factories in Shenzhen and Linjiang starting simultaneously, the immediate demand could be met.

In the future, there would be more ventures like this in other cities and even worldwide.

They walked past the factory to an empty office building. It wasn’t particularly tall but covered a large area, complete with its own courtyard.

The manager explained, “This is a newly built office space in the park. It’s never been used. The location is convenient—just a ten-minute walk to the nearest subway station and close to bus stops. Parking and public transport are both easy.”

Jin Yaotiao counted the floors and nodded. “This will do nicely.”

As her new ventures expanded, she had plans to establish a subsidiary led by Jiang Bai’s department.

This meant the original branch company, initially set up to manage restaurants, was now severely understaffed. With the subsidiary hiring new employees, the old office space was due for an upgrade.

The current office had been a temporary base chosen by her father when they first arrived in Shenzhen. It was cramped and outdated, far from the grandeur of the Linjiang headquarters.

From the moment she stepped into that building, Jin Yaotiao had known she would one day lead the team to broader horizons.

And she had delivered.

As a cool autumn breeze blew, she bent down to pick up a red leaf at her feet, stood up, and looked at the barren landscaping. “Are these maple trees?” she asked.

The manager glanced at the leaf. “Probably blown in from somewhere else.”

Jin Yaotiao didn’t dwell on it.

She held the leaf and continued her inspection. Jiang Bai noticed her looking at it occasionally and asked, “Chairwoman Jin, do you like maple trees?”

“Yes. Linjiang has a beautiful maple viewing spot,” she replied with a smile. Memories of Mingzhu Mountain came to mind. This year, however, she had been too busy to visit. Unfortunately, Shenzhen didn’t seem to have a maple-viewing tradition or suitable spots for it.

Her gaze shifted to the new office courtyard, and a sudden idea struck her. “Why not plant maple trees for the new landscaping?”

Jiang Bai paused, imagining the scene, and nodded. “Sure, I’ll bring it up with the park.”

But Jin Yaotiao stopped him. “No need. Requests unrelated to policies or essential needs shouldn’t involve the park. The company can handle it—it’s not a big deal.”