Chapter 136
NexusTV's production crew arrived in Oakhaven five days later. Claire, CEO of the Evermore Group and daughter of the Carter family, welcomed them. "Run, Friends, Run," a popular nationwide variety show, was filming an episode at the Evermore Diner, attracting fans from Oakhaven and beyond.
The Newhaven Commercial Plaza was crowded with fans throughout the filming. The Oakhaven traffic department and police station deployed numerous officers to manage traffic and control the crowds. Journalists from across the country also arrived, hoping to obtain exclusive stories. News of the filming had already gone viral online.
The Evermore Diner also made headlines for several days, resulting in a surge in online searches. Anticipating this, Claire had launched the diner's official website, showcasing its specialties and "food therapy" concept. Within days, the Evermore Diner had captured significant online attention. A month-old video of Denton and Claire enjoying the diner's food resurfaced, further boosting its popularity. Lilian, a popular celebrity endorsing the diner, added to the buzz.
Claire and Lilian, both prominent figures associated with the diner, initially viewed each other with some apprehension, but quickly formed a close friendship.
Meanwhile, the Evermore Group's 80 Oakhaven branches completed renovations. Amidst cheers and confetti, they opened their doors after 15 days of work. A fleet of trucks, assembled by Dave, delivered fresh ingredients from Elmwood to the 80 kitchens. That same day, a new episode of "Run, Friends, Run," sponsored by the Evermore Diner, aired on NexusTV. Celebrities on the show frequently promoted the diner's organic and healthy food. Lilian's advertisement for the Evermore Diner also ran on various channels.
As expected, the Evermore Diner gained nationwide fame thanks to the show and advertisements. Business boomed at all 80 locations. Lilian, overseeing branch management, had prepared for the influx of business, recruiting hundreds of chefs and waiters and managing ingredient supply.
The opening of 50 Evermore branches alarmed some local competitors. Gastronova Ventures, Oakhaven's largest catering business, reacted first. Inside their headquarters, Ms. Patterson approached Vice President Benjamin Palmer.
"Mr. Palmer, bad news!" Ms. Patterson reported anxiously.
Benjamin, reviewing the stock market, asked, "What's wrong?"
"Mr. Palmer, Evermore Diner opened 80 branches in half a month! Their popularity threatens ours," Ms. Patterson worried.
Benjamin smiled. "I know. No big deal. They spent 25 million dollars on promotion and hired Lilian for a commercial. It's expected given their investment."
"But what if it continues? What if they steal our business?" Ms. Patterson pressed.
Benjamin remained calm. "Ms. Patterson, Gastronova Ventures surpasses Evermore Diner in scale, service, and taste. Their 'food therapy' is a scam. Once customers realize this, they'll decline."
Ms. Patterson suggested offering discounts to counter Evermore Diner's success. Benjamin agreed, confident in Gastronova Venture's superiority, its high stock price, and the market's optimism.
Benjamin nodded. "Go ahead. I need to watch the stock market."
Ms. Patterson left. Benjamin watched Gastronova Ventures' stock rise, gloating over his success and Gilmore's past losses. He planned to acquire Evermore Diner's branches at low prices, recoup his losses, and ultimately acquire Claire and the Carter family's fortune.
Suddenly, his face darkened. Gastronova Ventures' stock price was plummeting—dropping by over 300%! Overwhelmed, Benjamin collapsed in his chair.
(Note: Some typos and unclear phrasing remained, even after editing. For example, "cibes" is likely a misspelling, and the exact meaning of some sentences was unclear and therefore left as they were written).