Chapter 247: Clout-Chasing

The news of the “100x compensation” promise spread through Hai City with incredible speed. People who had never even heard of Xu An’s two shops were now hearing about them, and many grew curious, asking around to find out the full story.

Some customers who had eaten at Xu An’s two shops first felt worried when they heard the news, then angry. But finally, a faint, inappropriate sense of anticipation began to emerge.

‘What if… what if the inspection results really do show a problem? And what if the owner actually keeps his word and pays out a hundred times the value? I could get at least eight hundred yuan in compensation!’

This was immediately followed by a wave of regret. They hadn’t saved the receipts from their previous orders. What a huge loss!

The most excited of all were the employees of the Aisha Clothing Company—everyone except for Luo Min and Ding Nan. Their company had been buying meals, and every single receipt was proof of a purchase from Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant. According to Xu An’s 100x compensation promise, their company alone was owed tens of millions!

If the company split that money evenly among them, wouldn’t that be like getting an extra year’s salary out of thin air!

But many others who heard the news thought it was just a publicity stunt by Xu An. Maybe the law enforcement officers were actors he hired. Or perhaps he was just saying this to keep everyone calm while he secretly planned to skip town.

Regardless of what people thought, Xu An’s two shops had now become household names. Many people didn’t even know where the shops were located, but they had all heard about the “100x compensation” promise.

「In the law enforcement vehicle.」

After they finished collecting samples from Xu’s Braised Shop, the officers confiscated Xu An’s and Zhang Dezhen’s identification. They left one officer behind to watch the two of them, ensuring they had no contact with the outside world until the team of four finished collecting samples from Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant as well.

On the way to Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant, the words “100x compensation” echoed in Lin Xu Yang’s mind, filling him with a sense of unease. He had known Xu An for less than three months, but he had a good grasp of his character. Using poppy pods to cook? Xu An hadn’t done it during the difficult opening period, so now that his business was booming, it was even less likely.

People only resort to desperate measures and dirty tricks when they have nothing to lose. Once they have something to protect, they become more cautious.

Moreover, Xu An had two children and an elderly parent at home. Given how much he valued his family, and after personally witnessing what happened to the owner of Jiajia Fast Food Restaurant, there was no way he would do something like this. If he went to jail, his family would fall apart!

But Lin Xu Yang was worried. What if someone had maliciously framed him?

‘Even if Xu An himself would never do it, he has so many employees now. What if the person who reported him bribed one of them? He would be walking right into a trap! Then not only would Xu An go to jail, but he’d also lose all his money…’

“Sir, can you let me deliver the samples and personally monitor the entire testing process?” The more Lin Xu Yang thought about it, the more anxious he became, finally making the abrupt request.

“Xu Yang,” his superior, who had been quiet for the entire ride, finally spoke. “I know what you’re worried about. That’s why this time, I will personally deliver the samples for testing. You can’t possibly suspect me, can you?”

Lin Xu Yang almost nodded instinctively. Fortunately, he caught himself just in time and shook his head instead, forcing a smile. “I’m not worried, not worried at all.”

Although he said he wasn’t worried, the concern in his eyes and the strained smile on his face betrayed his true feelings.

“Forget it.” His superior sighed, tapping Lin Xu Yang’s forehead with a finger in fond exasperation. “You can come with me. But this time, there’s no overtime pay, no subsidy, nothing!”

「At the entrance of Xu’s Braised Shop.」

The surging crowd hadn’t dispersed; in fact, it was growing larger. Many people were shouting, asking if Xu An’s promise was real. Some who had never even been customers shamelessly pushed forward, asking if they could still buy something now…

Xu An fought the urge to roll his eyes. After a few polite words, he motioned for Zhang Dezhen and the part-timers to head back inside. He pulled down the rolling metal shutter, blocking everyone’s view, and turned to Zhang Dezhen. “Brother Zhang, tell me exactly what happened.”

“…Right when the customer succeeded in the challenge and everyone was celebrating, the law enforcement vehicle suddenly pulled up. They came into the shop, said someone had filed a report, and told us to suspend business. They wouldn’t let me call you or anything…” Zhang Dezhen recounted everything he knew in detail.

‘Alright, no need to guess anymore. This was definitely a malicious report.’

“B-Boss, do we still get paid for today?” one of the part-timers asked timidly. The other two immediately fixed their gazes on Xu An, awaiting his answer.

“Of course. You’ll be paid for the full day! Once the results are out in a couple of days and the shop can reopen, you’re welcome to come back if you want!” With a wave of his hand, Xu An took cash directly from the register and paid the three of them. After getting approval from the officer, he opened the shutter and let them leave.

After the three left, Xu An started to pull the shutter down again. But a young man slipped inside with surprising agility, scratching his head sheepishly. “Um, I successfully completed the challenge for the first prize… the prize money…”

“It’s yours! Of course, it’s yours! Not only will I give it to you, but I’ll do it out in the open for everyone to see!”

Hearing this, Xu An suddenly remembered the real reason he’d come to Xu’s Braised Shop. His hands, which had been pushing the shutter down, now reversed course, pushing it up with a loud CLANG. The three of them walked out of the shop and over to the challenge stage.

Many of the onlookers outside had dispersed, but a dozen or so people still lingered, Yu Liang among them.

During the seven-day grand opening event for Xu’s Braised Shop, he had gained 23,000 new followers—highly engaged ones at that. In those seven days, every post he made got over 2,000 likes, 500 comments, and 3,000 shares! This included three promotional posts, which performed just as well!

His numbers rivaled those of some major bloggers with over 100,000 followers.

As someone who had found a second wave of fame thanks to Xu’s Braised Shop, Yu Liang wasn’t about to miss this final opportunity to ride its popularity. He had arrived before the shop opened, dutifully recording the brave challengers of the day.

After seeing someone successfully complete the challenge today, Yu Liang had immediately edited a post and published it on his account.

Almost at the exact moment it was sent, he heard police sirens. He watched as a law enforcement vehicle pulled up nearby, and several officers got out, announcing that Xu’s Braised Shop might have a food safety issue!

Yu Liang’s eyes lit up. This was a huge twist! If he posted this news on his account, it would definitely generate a new wave of traffic!

‘Sure, I’ve been riding the coattails of Xu’s Braised Shop, but on the other hand, haven’t I brought them a lot of attention too? This is such a hot topic; if I don’t report it, someone else will!’

‘Every man for himself! Besides, I’m not starting a rumor, just reporting the facts! Worst case, when the results come out and it’s all a misunderstanding, I’ll just post a clarification. I can milk this for traffic twice!’

After a brief internal struggle, Yu Liang couldn’t control himself. He snapped a photo of the officers collecting samples on-site and published a new post with a short caption.

“Xu’s Braised Shop suspected of food safety issues, officers have shut down operations!”

The netizens who were waiting for Yu Liang to post pictures of the first-prize ceremony exploded. Likes were few, but the number of shares and comments shot up at lightning speed, soaring to over six hundred in just five minutes! And it was still climbing!

“No way, no way! I just won some of their braised food in a giveaway yesterday! It’s already on its way. Should I still eat it?!”

“‘Suspected’ means there’s still a chance it’s not true…”

“Hahaha! We watched him build his mansion, watched him feast his guests, and now we watch it all come crashing down. Less than a week… what a dramatic reversal!”

“…”

Just as Yu Liang was ecstatically watching his engagement numbers soar, the shutter of Xu’s Braised Shop opened. Three young people walked out. Not seeing Xu An, Yu Liang was about to turn away indifferently, but then more footsteps emerged from the shop. Xu An was walking out with the successful challenger, heading to the stage!

‘Could it be? At a critical moment like this, the owner of Xu’s Braised Shop is still thinking about awarding a prize?’

Just as Yu Liang suspected, Xu An and the challenger stood face-to-face on the stage. They shook hands, and Xu An’s clear, youthful voice rang out in front of the shop.

“Congratulations! You are the third customer to successfully complete the first-prize challenge during the grand opening of Xu’s Braised Shop! You have won the first-prize cash award of ten thousand yuan!”

Xu An’s voice grew louder and clearer as he spoke, drawing the attention of the few remaining onlookers. Just then, Zhang Dezhen also came out of the shop, carrying a tray covered with red velvet. On the tray sat a neat stack of one-hundred-yuan bills.

As Xu An handed the cash to the successful challenger, a single, tentative clap sounded from the crowd. It seemed to wake the others from their surprise, and they, too, began to applaud instinctively…

Yu Liang’s eyes lit up again. CLICK! CLICK! He snapped a few more photos, once again editing a post for his account.

“Despite the difficulties, the final brave challenger has successfully claimed his ten-thousand-yuan cash prize!”

Taken alone, this post was perfectly normal, something that would at most make people envious. But coming right after his last post had blown up, this new one sent the already excited netizens into a frenzy. The engagement numbers for this post shot up as well.

“???”

“Wait, am I seeing this right? The shop has been shut down, but the owner isn’t panicking at all and is still in the mood to give out prize money?”

“Based on the owner’s actions alone, I don’t think there’s a problem with his food. Someone was probably just jealous of his business and filed a malicious report. I’ve seen it happen before…”

“It’s a show! Definitely a publicity stunt!”

“Feels like the posts are in the wrong order. Shouldn’t the prize have been awarded *before* the officers showed up?”

“…”

In less than twenty minutes, Yu Liang’s follower count had jumped significantly…

Old Wu had stepped outside with his thermos when the sirens first sounded. Watching Xu An’s shop go from a bustling marketplace to a deserted doorway, he couldn’t help but sigh.

‘The curse on this storefront hasn’t been broken. It looks like it’s gotten even stronger. This time, it went out of business in less than a week.’