Everyone found the situation unusual. The area was mainly inhabited by ordinary residents who typically couldn't afford high-end dining. Yet, across the street, there was a long queue outside a restaurant, which seemed abnormal no matter how they looked at it.
"In that case, let's go check it out," Erina said, crossing her arms with a determined tone. "I want to see what kind of game they're playing."
At this moment, Erina had regained her calm, queen-like demeanor.
Together, they all left their restaurant to investigate.
"Have you heard? This place was opened by a top-tier chef," one customer in line said.
"A high-end restaurant? That sounds expensive," another replied.
"Surprisingly, the prices are very reasonable. They're using premium ingredients, too. A bowl of lobster ramen is only 1,200 yen."
"No way! Lobster ramen for that price? Regular ramen is nearly 1,000 yen!" the customers continued, their excitement evident.
"Lobster ramen?" Erina furrowed her brow in thought.
"Ah, I see. You're here to spy on the competition?" A voice came from behind. It was Ann, emerging from the restaurant with a slight smile. "Makes sense, given that your store's empty."
Sōma chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, we're curious to see what you've got here."
Ann smirked. "You're an interesting one. Well then, come on in."
Exchanging glances, Sui and Erina nodded before stepping into the restaurant.
Inside, the spacious dining area was already packed with customers. There were five distinct food stalls, each offering a different kind of dish: traditional Japanese ramen, Italian pasta, udon, cold noodles, and more. The variety was impressive.
A large pot of lobster broth bubbled away, filling the air with a rich, savory seafood aroma.
"These are all expensive ingredients," Megumi observed, noting the lobsters, king crabs, and other high-end seafood on display.
"The food must be pricey, right?" Sōma asked, still puzzled. With such luxury ingredients, surely the prices would be high. But then, why were so many customers lining up?
"On the contrary," An replied with a slight smile. "The prices are almost identical to the ramen shops on the street."
Erina frowned. "In that case, you must be running at a loss, right?"
"Exactly," Ann nodded, smiling. "But we're measuring turnover, not profit."
"Isn't that cheating? Using expensive ingredients to lure customers, even if it means losing money?" Megumi asked angrily.
"Financial strength is also a form of power. As I've said before, WGO isn't something you student rookies can oppose," An replied calmly, her smile unfazed.
To her, this was just a calculated loss. Gaining control of the area without a fight would yield immense profits in the long run.
"The food is delicious, and such generous portions of lobster for such a low price! You're very kind, owner!" one customer exclaimed.
"This is the best food I've ever had! It's just as good as what you'd find at a Totsuki graduate's restaurant, but at a fraction of the price. So affordable!" another customer added, clearly enjoying their meal.
"Of course," Ann said, spreading her arms in a grand gesture, her face alight with a serene smile, like a preacher delivering a message. "WGO's mission is to bring excellent cuisine to everyone while eliminating substandard restaurants. Soon, many more restaurants like this will open in the area, so we hope you'll visit us often."
"Really? That's fantastic!"
"I hope more stores like this open up!" the guests responded, delighted.
"Let's go," Erina said coldly.
The group returned to their own restaurant.
"Will they really keep selling food like this?" Megumi asked, her voice filled with concern.
"You're too naive," Erina replied sharply. "How could they sustain a loss-making business? WGO is a large organization, and running it requires vast funds. If all their future stores operate this way, where do you think the money will come from? Do you think they're a charity? They're just fooling those unsuspecting customers."
"But if they do continue like this, we'll lose our competitive edge on pricing," Sui mused.
For the same price, customers could enjoy premium ingredients from WGO, whereas their restaurant could only offer regular ramen. The ambiance across the street was far superior as well, making it hard for any customer to choose their store over the competition.
Of course, they could adopt the same strategy—buying expensive ingredients and selling at a loss—but they didn't have the financial resources to compete. They simply couldn't outspend WGO.
Although Erina had the authority to acquire top-tier ingredients through Totsuki, she wasn't on close terms with Tōsuke Megishima or connected to any ramen artisans. She had come here mainly to spend more time with Sui, so there was no reason for her to provide a surplus of ingredients for free.
Moreover, she disdained using such underhanded methods.
"If the competitor were an ordinary chef, I could use basic ingredients and still make a better dish than one using premium products. But this opponent isn't ordinary," Subaru said, shaking his head.
Everyone was stumped, and even Erina fell silent.
"Well, let's at least buy some higher-quality ingredients to close the gap," Tōsuke Megishima suggested. "Even if we can't afford luxury ingredients, we can still get good ones."
He turned to the ramen artisans. "How much money do we have?"
"With everyone's contributions, we've pooled together about 8 million yen," one of the ramen chefs replied. "If we rally support from other regions, we can raise more."
Of course, people would come to help when needed, but they couldn't contribute much more than a few thousand or ten thousand yen each.
"Although I can get ingredients at cost through Totsuki, 8 million yen isn't enough for high-end items like lobster. However, we can still purchase some quality seafood and meat," Erina said, offering what help she could.
Hearing this, Sui had an idea. He began checking the food catalogs, searching for the best ingredients he could buy with their 8 million yen budget.
____
Time for the Spirit Bomb!
Goal for a mass release: 500+/1000!
We need less than 500 more on the second day, guys!
____