As soon as He Yanzhi and Guan Wenru disappeared outside the door, the oppressive aura dissipated, and Zhao Youcai's body, which had been holding on, completely went limp, and he slumped onto the greasy stool.
But just a few seconds later, an overwhelming sense of shame and anger surged to his head.
He jumped up abruptly, rushed to the doorway, spat a thick wad of phlegm into the empty alley, and cursed with a contorted face:
"Damn it! You stinking soldier! You slut! You bully whoever you are! What makes you so great! I'll fuck you..."
Before the cursing had even finished, he turned around and saw Xiao Sun huddled by the stove, trying to make himself inconspicuous.
All the frustration and anger instantly found an outlet!
Zhao Youcai rushed forward and raised his thick hand to slap Xiao Sun on the head. "And you, you good-for-nothing! You can't even handle a small matter! You even sold me out! Where's the money I gave you! Spit it out!"
Startled, Xiao Sun shrank back as a slap grazed his scalp.
The series of shocks, feelings of betrayal, and the humiliation of the moment rebounded violently, like a spring that had been compressed to its limit!
He didn't know where the courage came from, but he suddenly raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, and roared at Zhao Youcai and Fatty Liu, "Blame me?! You have the nerve to blame me?!"
His voice was shrill, trembling with sobs and unprecedented anger, “Didn’t I say no! Didn’t I say I was scared! Didn’t I say Boss Guan was not someone to mess with! It was you! It was the two of you! You forced me to go! You said it was fine! You said there would be no mishaps!”
He pointed at Zhao Youcai's nose, "It was you! Zhao Youcai! You patted your chest and said that even if we caught you, it wouldn't be a big deal, at most we'd have to pay some money! You were the one who slipped me that ten yuan to tempt me!"
He then pointed at Fatty Liu, who was hiding in the corner, "And you! Master Liu! You were also chiming in! Saying that as long as we get the secret recipe, the shop will survive! Have you all forgotten?! Now that something's happened, it's all my fault?! Have you no shame?!"
This outburst stunned both Zhao Youcai and Fatty Liu.
They never expected that this usually timid apprentice would dare to point his finger at them and curse them like that.
After Xiao Sun finished shouting, his chest heaved violently. Looking at Zhao Youcai's fat face, which was twisted with shock and anger, he knew he couldn't stay here any longer.
He glared at them fiercely, shoved Zhao Youcai who was blocking his way, and stumbled towards the door.
He ran to the door, stopped, turned around and shouted again, "You made me lose my job, that ten yuan was compensation! I'm even with you! Don't ever look for me again!"
After saying that, he plunged into the night without looking back, running as fast as he could, afraid that if he slowed down even a step, he would be caught.
Zhao Youcai was pushed so hard by Xiao Sun that he stumbled. After regaining his senses, he trembled with rage, pointed at the empty doorway, and jumped up and down, cursing loudly:
"You've gone too far! You little brat, how dare you insult me?! Get back here right now! I'll break your legs!"
He then abruptly turned around and vented his anger on Fatty Liu, who had been feigning death:
"And you! You useless fat pig! All that fat is a waste! You're utterly useless when it matters! If it weren't for your poor cooking skills, making dishes that taste like pig swill, would I need to resort to these crooked methods?! Trash! All of you are trash!"
Fatty Liu's face flushed red and then turned pale as he was scolded, but he only dared to mutter softly, "This... how can this be entirely my fault... you also gave your approval when we stole the seasonings..."
"You fucking dare to talk back!" Zhao Youcai grabbed an empty wine bottle from the table, intending to smash it, but in the end he didn't dare. He could only smash it hard on the ground, making a piercing cracking sound.
Like a trapped beast, he paced back and forth in the cramped, greasy room, continuing to hurl foul curses:
"He Yanzhi! Guan Wenru! You just wait! Don't think this is over! And that traitor Xiao Sun too!"
"You treacherous bastard! And you, Fatty Liu… I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to run into a bunch of jinxes like you!"
His curses echoed in the empty restaurant, leaving only the desolation of impotent rage.
......
On the other side, He Yanzhi and Guan Wenru returned to the car, started the jeep, and drove away from the dimly lit alley of Kezailai.
The streetlights outside the car window flashed by like streaks of light, and the car fell silent for a moment.
Guan Wenru leaned back in the passenger seat, gazing at the intermittently bright and dark scenery outside the window, and suddenly let out a soft chuckle, tinged with helplessness and mockery.
"What are you laughing at?" He Yanzhi gripped the steering wheel steadily and glanced at her.
“I laugh…” Guan Wenru turned her head, her eyes showing a hint of weariness, but more so a clear understanding of the ways of the world. “Our business has only just started, and we’ve only opened two or three chain stores. The scale is still very small.”
Even so, some people are already so envious they're sending people to steal the secret recipe. Imagine if this business really grows big, with branches all over the city, even the whole country—how many jealous people will it attract? These days, there are just too many people who harbor hatred out of envy.”
Her tone was calm, yet it revealed the underlying anxieties commonly faced by private business owners in the current environment.
He Yanzhi frowned slightly, his considerations focused more on safety and order.
"We were aware of what was going on tonight, which prevented them from succeeding. It was a lesson learned."
But it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow! I'm afraid that those who can't compete will resort to even more despicable and unconventional methods in the future.
Restaurants, with their doors open and people coming and going, are indeed places where problems can easily arise.
He paused, then offered his suggestion in a calm voice: “Relying solely on waiters and kitchen staff is fine for daily operations, but in situations like today, or when customers deliberately cause trouble, it might not be enough. The restaurant needs someone who can keep things under control and handle these kinds of ‘trouble’ situations.”
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