Chapter 25: The Unseen Threat

The days following the festival were a whirlwind of praise and success for Li Wei. His restaurant was now the talk of the city. Food critics hailed him as a culinary genius, and high-profile guests kept booking tables weeks in advance. The buzz surrounding his innovative dishes, crafted with such simple ingredients, had made his restaurant a hotspot for the wealthy and influential.

However, with success came new challenges. As the restaurant thrived, Li Wei's schedule became more demanding. Balancing his roles as a husband, father, and business owner was already difficult, but now it felt like he was being pulled in every direction.

One evening, after another long day at the restaurant, Li Wei returned home to a quiet house. Xu Lian and Little Yue were already asleep. The soft glow of the nightlight in the hallway guided him to their bedroom. Peeking inside, he saw Xu Lian curled up with Little Yue in their large bed, both of them sound asleep. A sense of calm washed over him. This was why he worked so hard—his family was everything.

He sat down at the edge of the bed, watching them for a moment before he quietly left the room, making his way to the study. There was something that had been bothering him ever since the festival, a nagging feeling that something was off. As much as the success had been overwhelming, Li Wei couldn't shake the sense that something dark was looming just beyond his reach.

Sitting down at his desk, he activated the Ultimate Family System. The familiar green screen appeared, illuminating the room in a soft glow.

[Ultimate Family System Activated]

[Current Task: Continue to ensure the happiness and safety of your family.]

As usual, the system's prompt was calm and direct, but tonight, Li Wei had questions. Something about the sudden boom in his restaurant's popularity felt too good to be true. He trusted the system's power, but even with his new abilities, the speed of their rise to fame seemed unnatural. He wondered if there was more going on behind the scenes.

"System," Li Wei said aloud, "is there any threat to my family or the restaurant?"

The screen flickered for a moment before the system responded.

[Analyzing potential threats…]

The seconds stretched on as the system continued to scan. Li Wei's heart raced slightly, wondering what it would find.

[Analysis complete. There is a potential external threat to your restaurant's reputation and your family's safety.]

Li Wei's eyes narrowed. "What kind of threat?"

[A rival restaurant group has taken notice of your success. They are using underhanded tactics to damage your reputation and will attempt to disrupt your business in the coming days.]

Li Wei's mind raced. A rival restaurant? He knew that competition in the city's high-end culinary scene was fierce, but he had always believed in fair competition. If someone was actively trying to sabotage him, they had crossed a line.

"Who are they?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

[The rival group is led by a businessman named Zhang Jian, owner of the Golden Phoenix restaurant chain. He has hired a team to spread false rumors about your business and has plans to launch a smear campaign.]

Li Wei's fist clenched. He had heard of Zhang Jian—he was known for his aggressive business tactics and willingness to crush anyone who got in his way. The Golden Phoenix chain was one of the largest in the city, and it catered to the same wealthy clientele that had recently started frequenting Li Wei's restaurant.

It all made sense now. The sudden spike in his restaurant's success had likely threatened Zhang Jian's dominance in the market, and now he was retaliating.

"System, is there any way I can stop this?" Li Wei asked, his mind already formulating a plan.

[New task available: Protect your restaurant and family from the rival group's sabotage attempts. Complete the task to receive rewards.]

A new task. It wasn't surprising that the system had anticipated this, but Li Wei knew this challenge was more personal. Zhang Jian wasn't just attacking his business—he was attacking his livelihood, his family's stability.

"What's the task?" Li Wei asked, his voice filled with determination.

[Task: Prevent the smear campaign from damaging your reputation. You will be given 72 hours to neutralize the threat. Reward: 10,000 experience points and a permanent increase to your restaurant's prestige.]

Li Wei smirked slightly. The system never failed to give him the right tools at the right time. He had 72 hours to stop Zhang Jian's plans, and he intended to do just that.

The next morning, Li Wei got up earlier than usual. He made breakfast for Xu Lian and Little Yue, ensuring everything was perfect as always. But his mind was already focused on his plan. He kissed his daughter's forehead as she giggled at the pancakes he shaped like animals, and then turned to Xu Lian.

"I might be late tonight," he said casually. "There's something at the restaurant I need to take care of."

Xu Lian raised an eyebrow, sensing the seriousness in his tone. "Everything okay?" she asked.

Li Wei smiled reassuringly. "Just some business stuff. Nothing to worry about."

Though Xu Lian nodded, Li Wei knew she could tell something was weighing on him. She trusted him, though, and didn't press further. After breakfast, Li Wei headed to the restaurant, but not before calling his most trusted staff members for an early meeting.

In the private dining room of his restaurant, Li Wei sat across from Mei Lin, his sous chef, and Sun Jie, his manager. Both had been with him since the beginning, and he trusted them implicitly.

"There's something going on," Li Wei began, his voice steady. "We're being targeted by a rival group. They're planning to spread false rumors about our restaurant."

Mei Lin's eyes widened in shock. "What? Why would anyone do that?"

"Because we're a threat to their business," Li Wei explained. "Zhang Jian of Golden Phoenix is behind it. He's not just trying to hurt our reputation—he's trying to destroy us."

Sun Jie frowned, his brow furrowing. "We can't let that happen. What's the plan?"

Li Wei leaned forward, his eyes cold with resolve. "I need you both to be extra vigilant for the next few days. We'll likely see some strange activity—reporters asking weird questions, sudden bad reviews, maybe even people trying to stir up trouble in the restaurant. We're going to handle this with professionalism, but we'll be ready to strike back."

Mei Lin nodded, still looking troubled. "But how do we fight back against something like this? Zhang Jian has a lot of influence."

Li Wei smirked, the confident glint returning to his eyes. "We fight back by being better. We'll launch a PR campaign of our own, focus on highlighting the things that make us unique. I've also got a few connections in the media—people who owe me a favor or two. We'll make sure the truth gets out before any lies can spread."

He stood up, his voice strong and commanding. "And no matter what happens, we won't back down. Zhang Jian thinks he can play dirty to get ahead, but we're going to show him that integrity and skill will always win in the end."

Sun Jie and Mei Lin both stood, their confidence renewed by Li Wei's words. They believed in him, and more importantly, they believed in the restaurant they had built together. This was just another obstacle, one they would overcome as a team.

Over the next 72 hours, Li Wei worked tirelessly. He coordinated with media contacts, instructed his staff on how to handle any suspicious activity, and even reached out to loyal customers who could help spread the word about the restaurant's excellence.

And, just as the system had warned, Zhang Jian's smear campaign began. But thanks to Li Wei's preparations, the negative rumors were quickly countered by a wave of positive testimonials, glowing reviews, and public support for Li Wei's restaurant. The rival's efforts crumbled, unable to gain any real traction.

By the end of the 72 hours, the smear campaign was dead in the water, and Li Wei's restaurant had not only survived—it had come out stronger.

As he sat in his office, reflecting on the last few days, the familiar glow of the Ultimate Family System appeared before him once more.

[Task Complete: Rival group's sabotage neutralized. Reward: 10,000 experience points and increased restaurant prestige.]

Li Wei smiled in satisfaction. Once again, he had protected his family and his business. And with the system by his side, he knew he was ready for whatever came next.