Maruboshi Kosuke's breathing stopped for a moment.
He thought he heard wrongly.
"Young Master Chen... you mean... the capitals of the four major countries?"
"That's right." Senju Chen raised a playful smile at the corner of his mouth, "These are the real power centers of various countries. The places where big names and officials gather are the most worthy places for layout."
Maruboshi Kosuke's hands trembled slightly.
It's not that he doesn't understand what Senju Chen means.
Opening branches in the four major countries appears to be doing business, but in fact...
That is inserting a knife into the heart of the enemy country.
"But..." the old man's voice was a little dry, "Those places are extremely wary of outsiders. Especially Kirigakure and Iwagakure, they are wary of Land of Fire businessmen..."
"Don't worry, Grandpa Kosuke. We are just going there to open a restaurant. What we have to do now is to make our name famous. The follow-up branches in various countries are our focus." Senju Chen said with a smile.
Maruboshi Kosuke was silent for a moment.
"Old slave, I understand." He took a deep breath, "However, this requires a lot of funds and manpower."
"Money is not a problem. Just take it from the savings scroll I gave you earlier."
"As for manpower..." Senju Chen paused, "Chefs and waiters will continue to be recruited from civilians. But the manager of each branch must be someone who has been trained by you personally."
"Yes."
Senju Chen's tone became more serious, "As for the guards, I will let people arrange the manpower, but you also need to recruit some reliable ninjas from the black market."
"Understood."
"Finally..." Senju Chen stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the bustling crowd downstairs, "These four branches must all open within three months."
Three months?
Maruboshi Kosuke's heart skipped a beat.
This time is too tight.
But he looked at Senju Chen's back and finally nodded.
"I understand. Even if I risk my life, I will definitely finish it!"
"There's no need to go all out." Senju Chen turned around with a gentle smile on his face, "Grandpa Kosuke, your life is much more important than these stores."
The old man's eyes were slightly red.
"Young Master Chen..."
"Okay, stop being sensational." Senju Chen waved his hand, "By the way, where is Rin Nohara now?"
"In the guest room on the third floor." Maruboshi Kosuke quickly regained his composure, "She has been very quiet during this period and rarely leaves the room except for eating."
"Well, I'll go see her."
Senju Chen pushed Gate of Opening and walked upstairs.
Behind him, Maruboshi Kosuke looked at his back, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
How old is this young man?
Twelve years old? Thirteen years old?
But the courage and skill he displayed far surpassed those old foxes who had lived for most of their lives.
The four major countries are planning at the same time...
What kind of ambition is this?
How confident is that?
Maruboshi Kosuke suddenly remembered First Hokage Hashirama Senju.
The man known as "God of Shinobi" also showed a courage beyond ordinary people at this age.
Senju Clan...
There really is a successor.
The third floor, the innermost guest room.
Senju Chen stood at the door, raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Lin, it's me."
There was silence in the room for a moment, and then there was the sound of slight footsteps.
The door opened.
Rin Nohara stood behind the door, his face still pale, but his eyes were clearer than before.
"Chen-kun." Her voice was very soft, "You are back."
"Yeah." Senju Chen walked into the room and closed the door, "How are you doing during this period?"
"It's okay." Lin lowered her head, "Grandpa Maruboshi takes good care of me."
"That's good." Senju Chen sat down on the chair, "I'm here this time to take you to see my teacher."
Lin's body stiffened slightly.
"Lord Orochimaru..."
"Yes." Senju Chen nodded, "He has found a way to break the spell on you."
Lin raised her head, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.
"But... if it fails..."
"It won't fail." Senju Chen said in a calm tone, "My teacher's success rate is 70%."
Seventy percent...
Lin bit her lip and was silent for a long time.
"I understand." She took a deep breath, "When will we set off?"
"Tomorrow." Senju Chen stood up, "Have a good rest tonight. We will leave early tomorrow morning."
"Hmm."
Senju Chen walked to the door and suddenly stopped.
"Lin."
"Huh?"
"Believe me." He turned around with a gentle smile on his face, "You won't die."
Lin looked at his smile and her eyes turned slightly red.
"Thank you, Chen-kun."
Senju Chen said nothing more, opened the door and left the room.
In the corridor, he leaned against the wall and exhaled a long breath.
The success rate of 70% is already quite high...
To be honest, he wasn't completely sure.
But he couldn't let Lin see it.
This girl has endured too much.
If even the last hope is taken away, she may really collapse.
That night.
The back kitchen of "Food Is Heaven" is brightly lit.
Several chefs were busy preparing ingredients for tomorrow, and the sounds of chopping, cooking, and talking were mixed together.
Senju Chen stood at the door of the kitchen, watching all this, with a satisfied smile on his lips.
"Young Master Chen." Maruboshi Kosuke walked over, holding a list in his hand, "This is the person selected by the old slave who is suitable to be the branch manager."
Senju Chen took the list and glanced at it quickly.
There are five names listed above, with detailed resumes and evaluations behind each name.
"These people have all worked in the main store for more than half a month." Maruboshi Kosuke explained, "The old slave has personally inspected their abilities and loyalty."
"Well, that's good." Senju Chen nodded, "It's just them. Starting tomorrow, let them visit the four major countries to get familiar with the local conditions."
"Yes."
"By the way." Senju Chen suddenly remembered something, "Land of Birds, how is the decoration of the store over there?"
"It's almost completed." Maruboshi Kosuke replied, "According to your requirements, the first floor will be the lobby, the second floor will be the private rooms, and the third floor will be the VIP area. It is expected to open in half a month."
"Very good." Senju Chen nodded with satisfaction, "Land of Birds, it's a test field. If the operation goes smoothly, the branches in the four major countries will follow the same model."
"Understood."
The two discussed some more details until late at night.
Senju Chen returned to his room, lay on the bed, and looked at the ceiling.
A huge map appeared in my mind.
Land of Fire, Land of Lightning, Land of Water, Land of Wind, Land of Earth...
In his eyes, the territory of Five Great Nations is like a huge chessboard.
And "Food Is Heaven" is the first batch of chess pieces he dropped.
These chess pieces will continue to expand like a spider web, eventually including the entire Shinobi World.
Until then...
He will have the largest intelligence network, the strongest financial support, and the most extensive personal connections in the entire Shinobi World.
Whether it is the battle between Konoha and Hokage or the future battle between Shinobi World, he will have enough chips to influence the situation.