CHAPTER 10 – The Rival Vendor

Noah had just overcome his legal troubles and was feeling confident in his growing food business. His stall, now called "Noah's Crunchy Bites," was drawing in more customers than ever. His deep-fried snacks had become a local favorite, and people even lined up just to get a taste.

But one morning, as he set up his stall, he noticed something that made his stomach drop.

A new food stall was being set up right next to his.

Noah narrowed his eyes. The stall had a strikingly similar menu: fried snacks, dipping sauces, and combo meals.

Even worse, the vendor's sign read:

"Crispy King – The Best Crunch in Town!"

Noah felt a surge of frustration.

Was this a coincidence, or was someone deliberately trying to compete with him?

---

By noon, the new stall was fully operational. A man in his early thirties stood behind the counter, handing out freshly fried snacks. He had slicked-back hair, a confident smirk, and an expensive-looking apron.

Noah watched as customers who usually lined up at his stall started looking over at the new one.

Some even walked over to try it.

Claire, who was helping Noah that day, crossed her arms. "This feels sketchy. It's like they copied your entire business."

Noah sighed. "Yeah. And it's working."

Just then, the rival vendor noticed them and walked over with a grin.

"Hey, man. You must be Noah Quinn."

Noah wiped his hands on a towel and nodded. "Yeah. And you are?"

The man extended a hand. "Brandon Uy. Nice to meet you."

Noah didn't shake it. "So, you're running a food stall right next to mine?"

Brandon chuckled. "What can I say? It's business. Customers deserve options."

Noah clenched his jaw.

Options? This guy wasn't just offering options, he was stealing his customers.

---

Over the next few days, competition became fierce.

Brandon's stall had one major advantage: low prices.

While Noah sold his fried snacks for ₱40 per serving, Brandon sold his for only ₱30.

It was a dirty move.

Brandon was clearly undercutting Noah's prices to steal customers.

And it was working.

People naturally gravitated toward the cheaper option, and Noah's sales began to drop.

By the end of the week, his earnings had decreased by 30%.

Claire frowned as she counted the money. "This isn't good. If this continues, we might start losing money."

Noah gritted his teeth.

He had worked too hard to let someone steal his success.

---

Noah knew he couldn't compete by lowering prices.

If he did, he would barely make a profit.

Instead, he needed to make his food worth every peso.

So, he decided to upgrade his menu.

The next morning, he introduced something new:

"Crunchy Supreme" – Double-fried snacks with a special cheese and garlic dip.

He also made his packaging look better, using eco-friendly paper boxes instead of plastic bags.

And to top it off, he added a "Loyalty Card."

For every five purchases, a customer would get one free.

It was a game-changer.

Within days, people started returning to his stall.

Customers who tried Crispy King realized that Noah's food had better quality.

By the end of the week, sales stabilized.

Brandon noticed.

And he wasn't happy.

---

One afternoon, as Noah prepared his food, Claire gasped.

"Noah, look!"

He turned, and his blood boiled.

Brandon had set up a "Buy One, Get One Free" promo.

He was giving away free food.

And as expected, people flocked to his stall.

Noah gritted his teeth.

This wasn't just competition.

This was war.

---

Later that night, as Noah cleaned up, a familiar voice called out.

He turned to see Josh, one of his regular customers.

Josh looked guilty.

"Noah… I need to tell you something."

Noah wiped his hands. "What is it?"

Josh hesitated before sighing. "Brandon… he's been talking to your suppliers."

Noah froze.

Josh continued, "He's trying to convince them to cut ties with you… and supply only to him instead."

Noah's chest tightened.

If he lost his ingredient suppliers, he wouldn't be able to run his stall.

This wasn't just competition, this was sabotage.

---

The next day, Noah visited his suppliers.

They were hesitant to speak at first.

But when he pressed them, they finally admitted it, Brandon had offered them more money to drop him.

Noah clenched his fists.

It was unfair.

But he refused to give up.

"If you stick with me," Noah told them, "I promise I'll keep growing. I'll bring in more business than ever."

Some suppliers wavered.

But one of them, an old woman named Aling Marta, smiled.

"I believe in you, Noah. You've been a loyal customer. I won't abandon you."

The others nodded.

In the end, only one supplier left for Brandon.

But it didn't matter.

Noah still had enough resources to keep fighting.

---

Over the next few weeks, Noah doubled down.

He focused on consistency, quality, and customer relationships.

And slowly but surely, Brandon's stall began to lose business.

People realized that cheap food wasn't always good food.

Brandon tried more dirty tricks, but none of them worked.

By the end of the month, his stall shut down.

Noah had won.

---

System Notification

> [CUSTOMER LOYALTY CHALLENGE: SUCCESS]

Reward: +3 Business Acumen, +2 Marketing Skill

Noah grinned.

This battle taught him a lot.

Not just about business, but about resilience.

And whatever came next, he was ready.

---

End of Chapter 10

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