Chapter 138: Deduction

"There are two ways to obtain outfits: one is through direct top-ups, and the other is by completing tasks. However, the latter needs to be a drawn-out process, ideally controlled to take between half a month to a month..."

Inside the office, Zhao Fan drew upon his memories to explain some gaming strategies from the future. Jia Yuanteng’s eyes lit up as he meticulously recorded everything Zhao Fan said.

"I’ll go gather the team right now to add the top-up system to the game."

"Hmm."

As Jia Yuanteng was about to leave the office, Zhao Fan called out to him.

"Oh, and if there’s time, create some mini-games. It would be best if they could be accessed directly through a web browser—and make sure they run well on mobile phones, too."

"Understood."

Jia Yuanteng rushed off.

While the situation with the game seemed to have a preliminary solution, the supermarket issue remained at a stalemate. Wang Chengchuan’s actions, bringing reporters along under the guise of an interview, had pushed Feiteng Supermarket into the eye of the storm. Fortunately, one supermarket was temporarily closed, and another was undergoing reorganization, so there were no additional losses. As for the third and fourth locations, they were still in the process of airing out, and remained unaffected. Truth be told, Zhao Fan found the irony of the situation rather bittersweet; in the end, it was the closures that actually mitigated the losses.

When he arrived home that evening, his parents were sitting in the living room. Zhao Fan walked over. "Why are you both sitting here?"

His mother looked up. "Xiaofan, how is the matter with the supermarkets coming along?"

"Don't worry, it'll be settled soon."

His father sighed. "Xiaofan, I received a few calls today."

"What kind of calls?"

"The factories that supply the supermarkets—they all said they can no longer collaborate with us. They're cutting off our supply."

Zhao Fan narrowed his eyes. "All of them?"

His father glanced at him and nodded. "All of them."

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Fan's eyes, though the corner of his mouth curled upward. "That’s good. They’re practically handing us money."

His father grew anxious. "The partnerships are severed. Where would the money come from?"

"We signed contracts previously. Even though I made some concessions, the breach-of-contract penalties are still quite substantial."

His father was stunned. "There are penalty clauses?"

"Yes. If there weren't, either side could terminate the agreement on a whim. How could anyone conduct business with peace of mind like that?"

Upon reflection, his father realized this was true and felt a sense of relief, though worry quickly followed. "If the factories stop supplying us, the supermarkets can't reopen. If this continues, we'll have to shut them down for good."

"What are you afraid of? Yangcheng is a big city; it’s not limited to just those few factories. We can just establish new connections. You don't need to worry. The moment the food poisoning incident is resolved, we will have new suppliers."

"Really?"

"Of course, it’s real."

After calming his parents and seeing them off to their rooms, the smile on Zhao Fan's face vanished instantly. The factories supplying Feiteng Supermarket were major operations; they wouldn't suddenly cut off supplies for no reason. Was it the Bai family, or someone else?

He pulled out his phone and contacted them one by one, only to receive the same answer: they were unwilling to continue the partnership. It wasn't until he reached the last person that he gained a bit of insight.

"Someone contacted me out of the blue and told me to cut your supply. They even paid the breach-of-contract penalty for me. Don't blame me for not warning you, Boss Zhao—I’m afraid there isn't a soul in all of Yangcheng who can help you now."

Someone...

After hanging up, Zhao Fan rubbed his phone, the coldness in his eyes deepening. It was just as he had suspected; someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. However, the identity of this "someone" sparked doubt in his mind. It was true that the Bai family had once been a major power in Yangcheng, but after the blows he dealt them, they had suffered heavy losses. It was plausible that Bai Yongyuan, fueled by resentment, might target his supermarkets or his game. But was it really possible for them to go to such great lengths to cut off his supply lines? Furthermore, was it true that the Bai family’s shadow loomed over everything, or was someone deliberately guiding his suspicions toward them?

*The Du family of the capital.*

For some reason, these four words popped into his mind, and his hand stopped rubbing the phone. The Bai family had been weakened; they might be able to target his supermarkets or game separately, but to pay such a steep price to cut off his supplies was beyond their current means. Looking at his phone, Zhao Fan decided to invite Jiang Ying out for a drink.

It was a sweltering September evening. Zhao Fan and Jiang Ying sat down at a roadside barbecue stall and ordered a generous amount of food. Pedestrians walked by on the street, bustling about.

Zhao Fan toyed with his phone. "President Jiang is quite relaxed."

Jiang Ying smiled. "My phones are selling well and I'm making money, so of course I'm relaxed. Unlike you, President Zhao; you've been hit with one thing after another lately. So, any thoughts?"

"No thoughts, but I do have a question." Zhao Fan looked at Jiang Ying with a smile. "For instance, regarding the investigation results—did you really tell me everything?"

Jiang Ying’s gaze flickered. "President Zhao, what do you mean by that?"

"What do you think, President Jiang?"

The surroundings remained lively, but the two men sitting across from each other fell into silence. After a while, Jiang Ying smiled and lowered his head. "I shouldn't have underestimated you, President Zhao. I didn't tell you everything, but even if I had, there’s nothing you could do about it."

"Is it because of the Du family in the capital?"

Jiang Ying’s smile nearly faltered. "How did you know?"

Zhao Fan shook his head with a laugh. "At first I was only suspicious, but with you saying that, I’m certain."

Jiang Ying: "..."

So he was the one being probed all along.

With a wry smile, Jiang Ying picked up a beer. "I must say, President Zhao, probing me like that is going a bit too far."

"I just found it strange. The Bai family doesn't have the resources to go to such lengths to deal with me."

"Or perhaps the Bai family is currently too preoccupied to go to such lengths to deal with you?" Jiang Ying corrected him.

Zhao Fan shrugged. "There is no difference between the two."

"The difference is massive."

As they spoke, their order arrived. Zhao Fan reached out to take it. "Last year, hardly anyone was doing business on this street. This year, stalls are popping up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain—so many, so fast. This is my first time eating barbecue."

Zhao Fan added silently to himself: *The first time since I was reborn.*

Jiang Ying picked up a skewer. "This is my first time sitting here to eat, too. You have to admit, this is such a good era. As long as you use your brain a little, you can make money. It’s significantly better than how things used to be."

"Indeed."

After finishing their meal, the two said nothing more and strolled off into the night.

The next day, Zhao Fan had his secretary, Xiao Chen, compile information on all the food processing plants in Yangcheng. That afternoon, he called them one by one. Initially, the conversations went well, but as soon as he mentioned that he was looking for suppliers for Feiteng Supermarket, the other party would go silent or hang up immediately.

After several attempts, Zhao Fan was so frustrated he laughed. The Du family of the capital really thought quite highly of him. *Oh well*, he thought, *the supermarkets are already temporarily closed for various reasons anyway. I'll deal with this later.*