Chapter 41 — Building for the Future (or the Abyss)
The early morning fog clung to the industrial zone as Chen Hao stepped out of the black sedan. Before him stood the skeletal frame of a massive cold storage facility, the latest in his "money-losing" project list.
Three provinces already had operational cold storage centers, but in Chen Hao's mind, that wasn't enough.
"If I overbuild now, the maintenance alone will eat into the profits," he thought with satisfaction. "Warehouses sitting half-empty? That's how you lose money."
From behind, the operations manager caught up to him, panting slightly.
"Boss, I still don't understand," he said carefully. "These new facilities… the existing ones can already handle current demand. Are we expecting some massive expansion?"
Chen Hao gave him a steady, unreadable look.
"You never know what the future holds. If we want both chains to be ready for anything, we prepare in advance."
The manager nodded, admiration in his eyes. "Boss thinks five, ten years ahead."
Chen Hao didn't bother correcting him.
Over the next two months, Horizon Group — the corporate umbrella that now housed both his Italian chain and Patriot Burger, along with their shared supply operations — signed contracts for three more cold storage warehouses, another logistics hub, and a new fleet of refrigerated trucks.
The bills made the accountants wince, but on the ground, regional managers were thrilled.
A journalist from the provincial business paper caught wind of the developments and published an article praising Horizon Group's "logistics vision" as a case study in supply chain control. The headline read:
"Local Brand Sets New Standard in Food Logistics — National Chains Beware."
Chen Hao nearly spat out his tea when he read it.
"I'm trying to bury myself, not inspire people…"
Meanwhile, whispers began circulating in the food industry. Competitors muttered in back rooms:
"If they control their own logistics, our distributors will lose business."
"This Chen Hao isn't just playing around. We need to watch him."
Some were already considering ways to slow his momentum.
Chen Hao, blissfully unaware of the scheming, stood in his office late one night, staring at the project expenditure sheets and feeling a rare sense of peace.
"This… this is how the money finally goes away."
Of course, he had no idea it was laying the exact foundation that would make his expansion unstoppable in the years to come.