Chapter 228: I Have God’s Right Hand

Chapter 228: I Have God’s Right Hand

The campus recruitment event at Jiangzhou University seemed to be just the beginning.

From that day onward, for the following week, the culinary scene in Jiangzhou erupted into a fierce competition. The ‘Shi Ning Ji’, hailed as the entrepreneurial model for Jiangzhou University students, and the local leading enterprise’s ‘Emperor’s Chicken’ officially began their showdown.

Today, one would launch a cashback promotion, and tomorrow, the other would counter with a gift-with-purchase offer. Neither side was willing to back down. Discount cards and vouchers flew around as if they were free.

For the general public, this was a boon. However, for other restaurants, especially small fried chicken shops, it was a devastating blow. These small businesses, already operating on thin margins, were caught between ‘Shi Ning Ji’ and ‘Emperor’s Chicken’. Now, with the two giants locked in a money-splashing battle, ordinary consumers were almost entirely drawn away.

In just one week, some small shops were struggling to keep up and began considering whether to change their business or sublet their spaces. Behind Jiangzhou No. 1 High School was one such shop, primarily selling skewers and flatbreads. Although they also sold fried chicken, it wasn’t their main offering. Yet, they too were affected by the fast-food giants’ rivalry.

This external issue quickly became a hot topic within the school.

In Class 3 of the sophomore year, Miss Jiang lay on her desk, quietly gazing out the window. Apart from the cicadas’ chirping, the only other sound was Ye Na’s boastful chatter.

“My dad says the business competition between ‘Shi Ning Ji’ and ‘Emperor’s Chicken’ will first crush the small shop owners caught in between,” Ye Na spoke like a storyteller to her captivated friends. Though her words seemed profound, they were merely adult gossip. Yet, they managed to awe the inexperienced girls around her. Even Mai Wanting turned around to join the conversation.

However, after listening for a while, Mai Wanting lay on her desk and weakly asked, “Why are ‘Shi Ning Ji’ and ‘Emperor’s Chicken’ fighting in the first place?”

Ye Na was also unsure. “I don’t know either…”

Her uncertainty gave the girls room for imagination.

“Could it be that the owners have a grudge against each other?”

A grudge? Miss Jiang thought about her own situation with Madam Shang. It didn’t seem like there was any animosity, but there was certainly a deep-seated grudge with her ‘son’. Hmm, she hadn’t seen Luo Chengming lately and wondered what he was up to.

Mai Wanting suddenly asked, “Could it be because they’re competing for business?”

Ah, our Xiao Mai is smart. Miss Jiang recalled the beginning of the rivalry between the two shops. Didn’t it all start with an unexpected entrance? Of course, there was already some animosity.

As the girls joked around, Qi Wen ran back to her seat, tapping Jiang Ning’s desk.

“Jiang Jiang, Lao Guo is looking for you.”

“What for?”

“He didn’t say, but it shouldn’t be bad news.”

Alright then. Miss Jiang felt uneasy whenever she heard Lao Guo’s name, much like when Boss Yang Mei called her during her freshman year. With no other choice, Miss Jiang dragged herself to the sophomore office.

As soon as she entered, she saw Lao Guo smiling gently at her. The look in his eyes made Miss Jiang instinctively want to avoid him. She turned to leave but was called back with a firm “Come back.”

“Where are you going?”

“Uh, I suddenly need to use the restroom…”

“Really?”

Miss Jiang sensed Lao Guo’s unfriendly gaze and quickly changed the subject.

“Uh, Teacher Guo, what did you need me for?”

“Oh, it’s about the Olympic Math Competition,” Guo Ming said, pulling a document from his drawer and placing it on the table. “Since it’s being held in Haicheng, you’ll need to stay there for two days. Is that okay with you?”

Oh, that. Miss Jiang thought about it. It was only two days, and she’d be with the school, so her mom shouldn’t have a problem. She nodded.

“Okay, I’ll follow the school’s arrangements.”

“We’ll leave next Friday morning, so make sure you pack your things in advance.”

…

At some point, Miss Jiang had grown accustomed to life in the Girls’ Dormitory. She got used to Yuan Lu’s carefree attitude after a shower, Yang Ke’s gentle demeanor despite her constant hair struggles, Little Qi climbing into her bed at night for stories, and Mai Wanting sneaking into her mosquito net with a nightlight to read romance novels.

However, the one thing she couldn’t get used to was the bespectacled Dormitory Supervisor. After lights-out, she would patrol outside the dorm like a night watchman. If not for her occasional shouts at certain dorms, Miss Jiang might have considered hanging a protective charm over her bed.

As night fell, Jiang Ning, as usual, turned off the lights and snuggled under her blanket. Using the blanket’s light-blocking properties, she took out her phone. Upon turning it on, several messages popped up.

[Jiang Ning, senior year is really exhausting. Every day after school, all I want to do is sleep. Sigh, hang in there! Just one more year! Keep going!] Seeing this message from Li Mingwei, Miss Jiang felt at a loss. Was this guy using her as a sounding board? After some thought, she replied.

[If you’re tired, sleep. If you’re exhausted, rest. If you don’t need to send messages, don’t. Just focus on your exams.]

No sooner had she sent the message than a reply came back.

[Got it! I’ll do my best!]

Well, that was pointless. Miss Jiang shook her head and opened the next message.

[Little Jiang Ning, that big diamond ring, you really went all out. But what’s with giving your sister a diamond ring for her birthday? Trying to marry me? Hehe, you’re still missing something.] — From a playful Li Mingyu.

Ha. Missing what? I have God’s Right Hand. Isn’t that better? Miss Jiang smirked without a hint of jealousy and turned her attention to her cousin’s message.

As everyone knew, her cousin rarely sent messages. But when he did, it was usually about something important.

[Ning Ning, our recent reports don’t look promising.]

[Although we have more customers, the excessive use of discounts and vouchers has led to a significant drop in net profits.]

[If this trend continues, it might hinder our growth.]

Miss Jiang understood her cousin’s concerns. Previously, even the least profitable Technical School Store showed gradual growth. But ever since the conflict with ‘Emperor’s Chicken’ began, growth had slowed, profits had dwindled, yet the workload remained the same. This made Tian Wenhao anxious.

Knowing her cousin’s mindset, Miss Jiang decided to send some reassuring messages. It wasn’t exactly comfort, just some key information she knew. She texted him about Hongsheng Group’s current financial situation and strategic focus.

With her cousin’s intelligence, he should be able to deduce the overall picture.

Just when Miss Jiang thought the battle between ‘Shi Ning Ji’ and ‘Emperor’s Chicken’ would escalate into a full-blown fight, a piece of gossip about the Luo Family reached her ears.