The next morning hit like a truck
By 8 a.m., The Corner Pocket was already busier than it had been at the same time the previous day.
Not dramatically.
But noticeably.
Repeat customers.
That was the difference.
The same office worker from yesterday returned.
"Two combos again," he said casually.
Mrs. Zhang grinned.
"See? Not corporate sadness."
A group of students walked straight past SuperMartX without even slowing down.
That hadn't happened before.
Jin noticed immediately.
"…That's new," he said.
Eli, standing near the entrance with his clipboard, didn't react outwardly.
But he wrote one word:
Customer Retention.
Back in the office, Eli checked the mission again.
Profit Target: 30,000 yuan
Time Remaining: 18 days
Still tight.
Still dangerous.
But now
The numbers were moving in the right direction.
He updated the spreadsheet.
Yesterday's profits added.
New projections adjusted.
If momentum held…
They could reach the target early.
If.
Eli stared at that word for a second.
Then closed the tab.
"Don't get comfortable," he muttered.
Because of course...
It didn't stay smooth.
Around midday, one of the temporary vendors approached Mr. Duan, looking uneasy.
"I might need to pull out next week."
Mr. Duan frowned.
"Why?"
"Got offered a spot inside SuperMartX."
There it was again.
Eli overheard.
"How much are they offering?" he asked.
The vendor hesitated.
"…Better than here. More stable."
Mr. Duan's expression darkened slightly.
Eli stayed calm.
"When do you need to decide?"
"Tomorrow."
Eli nodded once.
"Give me until tonight."
The vendor agreed.
Left.
And just like that
The pressure returned.
Different angle.
Same opponent.
Eli pulled up his spreadsheet again.
Vendor retention wasn't just about money.
It was about value.
SuperMartX offered:
Stability
Higher immediate pay
Clean environment
But lacked:
Ownership
Identity
Flexibility
Community connection
Eli grabbed a marker and went to the whiteboard.
Vendor Retention Strategy
Revenue share increase during peak hours
Brand recognition (name on stall signage)
Featured vendor rotation
Social promotion (community boards)
Flexible pricing control
Jin watched from the side.
"So… instead of paying more…"
Eli nodded.
"We make it better."
At school, Jin didn't just listen anymore.
When someone mentioned SuperMartX—
"They're still cheaper."
Jin shook his head.
"Not really."
The table looked at him.
"They just make it look cheaper," he said. "Then raise prices later."
One student frowned.
"You sound like an ad."
Jin smirked slightly.
"Yeah, well. I've seen both sides."
Another student leaned forward.
"That market thing on Friday was actually good."
Jin shrugged, trying not to show it mattered.
"Yeah."
Then added:
"It's getting bigger too."
The conversation shifted.
Curiosity replacing assumption.
And that mattered.
More than Jin expected.
That evening, Eli met the hesitant vendor outside the store.
"I can't match their base pay," Eli said directly.
The vendor nodded.
"I figured."
"But I can offer this," Eli continued.
He showed a simple mock-up.
The vendor's stall name.
Highlighted.
Positioned near the entrance.
Prime visibility.
"Three nights a week, you'll be featured."
The vendor blinked.
"Featured?"
"Your food becomes the main draw," Eli said. "We promote you directly."
A pause.
Then:
"And revenue?"
"Higher during peak hours. Lower during quiet ones."
The vendor thought for a long moment.
Then smiled slightly.
"…That's actually fair."
He extended his hand.
"I'll stay."
Eli shook it.
One small win.
But a crucial one.
Inside SuperMartX, the mood had shifted—just slightly.
Not panic.
Not yet.
But attention.
Reports now included:
Morning customer leakage
Youth demographic drift
Increased price sensitivity complaints
The executive tapped the report.
"They're adapting faster than expected."
The manager nodded.
"What's the next move?"
The executive looked out the window at The Corner Pocket.
Lanterns already being set up again.
People gathering.
Energy building.
"…We remind them why scale wins."
The tone had changed.
Less dismissive.
More deliberate.
That night, Eli sat in the office again.
Same desk.
Same spreadsheets.
But this time
Different feeling.
He updated the totals.
Day-by-day profit accumulation.
Progress toward the mission.
Still not halfway.
But climbing.
Steadily.
Sustainably.
He leaned back slightly.
For the first time since this started
The numbers weren't suffocating him.
They were responding.
Outside, Jin's mural glowed softly.
The dragon stretched further than before.
And beneath it
More people gathered each night.
Eli closed his laptop slowly.
Then said quietly:
"Keep going."
Because now the question wasn't just survival.
It was how far they could push this
Before SuperMartX pushed back harder.