The café is busier than ever, with players pouring in for the loyalty program and the upcoming mini-tournament. Jack feels a surge of confidence as he watches Chris handle the crowd, organizing matches and distributing snacks.
"We're almost at $400 a day," Chris says, slapping Jack on the back. "A couple more days like this, and we'll hit the $500 target."
Jack nods, feeling the adrenaline rush. "Yeah. We're almost there."
But just as things seem to be going well, the front door bursts open, and a group of players rushes in, chattering excitedly.
"Did you hear? Gamer's Den is offering half-price gaming hours for the next week!" one of them shouts. "And they've got brand-new PCs!"
Jack's heart sinks. He knew the owner of Gamer's Den was wealthy, but this kind of aggressive pricing is a direct attack. "Half-price? That's a loss-leader strategy. He's trying to drive us out."
Chris curses under his breath. "We can't match that. We're barely breaking even as it is."
[New Side Mission: Undermine the competition. Reward: $1,000 and Negotiation Mastery Skill Lv. 1.]
Jack's fists tighten. "Alright. If he wants a war, he's got one."
Jack pulls Chris aside. "We need to think bigger. We can't just compete on price. We need to create an experience they can't match."
Chris nods, his eyes gleaming. "What do you have in mind?"
Jack smirks, feeling the system interface pulse with new possibilities. "Time to step up our game."