After seeing Mr. Li off, Chen Xiaoru and Zhou Si fell into deep thought.

"Zhou Si, what do you think?" Chen Xiaoru asked.

Zhou Si frowned. "This Mr. Li has come with bad intentions. He first wanted to buy the secret recipe, and after being rejected, he proposed a partnership, and now he's even asking for a stake. I have a feeling he has a bigger plan behind this."

Chen Xiaoru also nodded: "I think so too. Investing in a restaurant is no small matter. He definitely did this for more than just the seasoning."

"Wife, why don't we reject him? We have worked hard to run this restaurant, and we can't let him interfere so easily." Zhou Si said.

Chen Xiaoru shook her head. "It's probably not that easy to refuse now. Mr. Li is not a good person at first glance. If we refuse directly, he will definitely use other means to deal with us."

"What should we do? Do we really have to let him invest?" Zhou Si was a little unwilling.

Chen Xiaoru pondered for a moment and said, "How about this? Let's hold him back first. At the same time, let's find out more about him. Let's find out who he is and what his purpose is."

"Okay, let's do it." Zhou Si nodded.

Over the next few days, Chen Xiaoru and Zhou Si dealt with Li Yuanwai while secretly investigating his background. They sought information about Li Yuanwai through various channels, but still found nothing. This Li Yuanwai seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, mysterious and unpredictable.

Mr. Li would come to the restaurant from time to time, urging Chen Xiaoru to make a decision as soon as possible. His attitude became increasingly tough, and he seemed to have lost his patience.

That day, Mr. Li came to the restaurant again.

"Manager Chen, what have you considered?" Mr. Li sat on the chair, crossed his legs, and looked impatient.

Chen Xiaoru took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Li, we have already discussed the matter of buying shares."

A hint of anticipation flashed in Mr. Li's eyes. "Oh? What's the result?"

Chen Xiaoru said slowly: "Sorry, we refuse."

Mr. Li's face changed, he stood up suddenly, and slammed the teacup in his hand heavily on the table, splashing tea everywhere.

"Shopkeeper Chen, have you thought it through? It will do you no good to reject me!" Mr. Li said in a cold tone, with a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

Chen Xiaoru looked at him calmly, "Mr. Li, my husband and I started this restaurant from scratch. This restaurant is like our child. We don't want it to become a tool for others to profit."

"Hmph, if you don't accept my toast, you'll have to drink for it!" Mr. Li snorted coldly, "Manager Chen, do you think this little restaurant can stop me?"

Zhou Si stepped forward, blocking Chen Xiaoru's way and glaring at Li Yuanwai: "What do you want to do? How dare you rob me in broad daylight?"

Mr. Li sneered contemptuously, "Robbery? I, Li, would never do such a thing. But..." He paused, glancing at the restaurant, "Yours is not the only restaurant in Anning Town."

He approached Zhou Si, lowered his voice, and said threateningly, "Manager Chen, Boss Zhou, I'm giving you one last chance. Either you let me invest, or... you can expect to close down!"

After saying that, Mr. Li turned away, leaving Chen Xiaoru and Zhou Si looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Wife, what should we do now?" Zhou Si held Chen Xiaoru's hand tightly, his palms full of sweat.

Chen Xiaoru took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Don't be afraid. If an enemy comes, we will fight him. If a flood comes, we will block it with earth. Didn't he say that Anning Town has more than one restaurant? I don't believe he can cover the sky with one hand!"

"Besides, have you forgotten what I did before? I'm afraid of him."

Zhou Si was stunned for a moment, then hope lit up in his eyes: "Yes! Wife, you used to be...well, anyway, we are not afraid of him!" He clenched his fists, as if to cheer himself up.

Chen Xiaoru looked at him, smiled slightly, and her eyes were firm: "Well, we are not afraid. However, it is not enough to just not be afraid. We have to find a way to deal with it."

(Scene: Inside a restaurant, Chen Xiaoru and Zhou Si are sitting at a table with a few small dishes on it, but no one is eating.)

Chen Xiaoru pondered, her fingers tapping lightly on the table. "Since he said there's more than one restaurant in Anning Town, he must be taking some action. We need to find out what he's planning to do."

Zhou Si frowned and nodded: "Well, only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you win every battle. Wife, what do you think?"

A sly glint flashed in Chen Xiaoru's eyes. "He wants us to close down, doesn't he? Well, we won't let him have his way. The more he wants to do something, the more we'll stop him."

"But...how can we stop it?" Zhou Si was a little confused.

Chen Xiaoru smiled confidently, "He's just trying to compete by lowering prices or resorting to some underhanded tactics. We're not afraid of that."

She paused and continued, "We can compete with low prices. If he can lower prices, so can we. At worst, we'll make less money during this period. As for those despicable tactics... humph, if he dares to use them, I'll make him pay for it!"

Zhou Si looked at Chen Xiaoru, his eyes full of admiration: "Wife, you are really amazing! So what should we do next?"

Chen Xiaoru thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Go to town tomorrow and find a few vegetable and meat vendors you're familiar with. Talk to them and see if you can get them at a lower price."

"Okay!" Zhou Si responded immediately.

Chen Xiaoru added, "Also, go ask around at the other restaurants in town to see if there's been any activity lately. Especially... have they had any contact with Mr. Li?"

Zhou Si wrote them down one by one: "Yes, I have noted them down. Wife, what about you?"

Chen Xiaoru smiled slightly: "Me? Of course I will stay in the restaurant to stabilize the morale of the troops, and by the way... add a few new dishes to our restaurant."

Her eyes gleamed with confidence: "He wants to compete with low prices, then we will use delicious food to attract customers firmly!"

"Okay! Wife, let's act separately!" Zhou Si stood up, his eyes full of fighting spirit.

The next day, Anning Town Market.

Zhou Si shuttled through the bustling crowd, visiting familiar vegetable and butchers one by one.

"Brother Wang, how is your business lately?" Zhou Si greeted a vegetable vendor with a smile.

"Hey, don't mention it. Business has been bad lately!" The vegetable vendor sighed. "I heard a new restaurant is going to open in town. The competition will be even more intense then."

Zhou Si's heart moved, and he asked tentatively, "New restaurant? Brother Wang, do you know who opened it?"

The vegetable vendor shook his head: "I don't know, but I heard that he has a big background and seems to be related to Mr. Li."

Zhou Si's heart sank, as expected.

He talked to several vegetable and butchers and got similar information.

It seems that Mr. Li has already taken action in secret.