"Yes! We're not afraid!" the workers responded in unison, their voices loud and full of confidence.

That afternoon, Director Wang brought Liu Fugui to the Hongqi Commune. Liu Fugui was wearing a faded blue work jacket, his face full of shame and unease, his hair disheveled, a stark contrast to his arrogant demeanor at the "Fuji Pastry Shop." As required by the Industry and Commerce Bureau, he publicly apologized to Lin Wanqiu and "Wanqiu Food Workshop" in front of the commune's bulletin board and read aloud his confession.

"My name is Liu Fugui, and I own 'Fuji Pastry Shop' in the county town. Previously, out of jealousy that 'Wanqiu Food Workshop' was doing better than me, I wrote an anonymous report, fabricating lies about 'dumping at low prices' and 'illegally using additives,' hoping to bring down 'Wanqiu Food Workshop' through an investigation by the Industry and Commerce Bureau. Now I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have used such unfair competition methods, and I shouldn't have framed Comrade Lin Wanqiu and 'Wanqiu Food Workshop.' I apologize to Comrade Lin Wanqiu and all the employees of 'Wanqiu Food Workshop' here, and I hope you can forgive me. I will reflect on my actions, operate with integrity, and never do such illegal or irregular things again."

Liu Fugui's voice was not loud and trembled slightly. A number of villagers had gathered around him, and they all started talking about it when they heard his apology.

"So it really was him who reported it. He looked respectable, but I never expected him to be so bad!"

"What's the use of an apology? You almost ruined their food shop before, making them live in fear for so long!"

"Director Lin is kind-hearted. If it were someone else, they definitely wouldn't have let him off so easily!"

Standing in the crowd, Lin Wanqiu looked at Liu Fugui's ashamed expression. Her initial anger subsided, replaced by a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection). She stepped forward, looked at Liu Fugui, and said, "Mr. Liu, I accept your apology. But I hope you remember what I said today. From now on, run your shop well, earning customers' trust through quality and integrity, not through jealousy and framing others. If you encounter any difficulties in your business in the future, as long as they are legitimate, I can offer you some advice."

Upon hearing Lin Wanqiu's words, Liu Fugui looked up in surprise, his eyes filled with disbelief. He hadn't expected that Lin Wanqiu would still be willing to help him after he had maliciously framed her. He quickly bowed deeply and said sincerely, "Thank you, Director Lin! Thank you for your magnanimity! I will definitely manage the business better in the future and will never do such a foolish thing again!"

The villagers around who witnessed this scene all praised Lin Wanqiu highly, feeling that she was not only good at business but also kind-hearted and magnanimous. Director Wang also said with a smile, "Comrade Lin Wanqiu, you truly repay evil with good! I believe that after this incident, Liu Fugui will definitely do a better job in business in the future."

After dealing with Liu Fugui's matter, Lin Wanqiu returned to the food shop, finally feeling completely relieved. Shen Tingzhou poured her a glass of warm water and said with a smile, "Now that all the troubles are resolved, we can focus on planning the future of the food shop. You mentioned wanting to open a branch in the city; shouldn't we start preparing for that?"

Lin Wanqiu took the water glass, took a sip, and was filled with anticipation. "Yes, the food shop's reputation is growing, and we're almost overwhelmed with orders from the county and commune. Opening a branch in the city is indeed a good idea. However, we need to go to the city first to investigate and see which location is suitable for opening a shop. We also need to find reliable staff. We can't act blindly."

She recalled the "Chain Store Expansion Guide" in the space, which mentioned that opening a branch requires considering multiple factors such as location, foot traffic, rental costs, and staffing. Thorough market research and preparation are essential to ensure the branch's successful operation. So, she said to Shen Tingzhou, "Let's take some time next week to go to the city center, check out the main streets and shopping malls, understand the local consumption level and the pastry market, and then find a few reliable renovation teams and raw material suppliers to try and open the branch as soon as possible."

Shen Tingzhou nodded. "Okay, I'll go arrange the work at the food workshop right away. Once we get back from our inspection, we'll start developing a detailed plan for opening the store. Also, I'd like to expand the production scale of the food workshop. Our pastries are not only popular locally, but distributors in the city are also placing orders. Expanding production is necessary to meet the demand for more orders."

Lin Wanqiu smiled and said, "That's a great idea! We can hire another batch of workers and add a few new production machines to improve production efficiency. However, we must ensure the quality of the raw materials and the taste of the pastries. We can't lower the standards just because we're expanding production."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Shen Tingzhou looked at Lin Wanqiu, his eyes full of appreciation and love. "With you here, I believe the food shop will only get better and better."

In the following days, the food shop's business flourished even more. The previous false accusations not only failed to damage the food shop's reputation, but thanks to the fair investigation by the Industry and Commerce Bureau and Liu Fugui's public apology, more people became aware of the integrity and quality of "Late Autumn Food Shop." Many villagers even came from neighboring villages and the county town specifically to buy the food shop's pastries, and some customers from the city even called to place orders, saying they wanted to give them to relatives and friends in other places.

One afternoon, Lin Wanqiu was processing orders in her office when she suddenly heard a commotion outside. She went out of her office and saw a van with the words "Regional Television Station" printed on it parked in front of the food store. Several people dressed as reporters were walking towards the food store with cameras and microphones.

"Excuse me, is this 'Wanqiu Food Workshop'? We are reporters from the local TV station and would like to interview Factory Director Lin Wanqiu." The female reporter in the lead walked up with a smile and said in a friendly tone.

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