Chapter 71 (Second Update)
At three o'clock in the afternoon, when the restaurant business was the slowest, the Yong'an Hotel was surrounded by three layers of garrison.
The outer three floors housed shop assistants and passersby who happened to be passing by and stayed to watch. The inner three floors were filled with rows of security guards, all in blue uniforms and long leather boots. Judging by their numbers, it looked like half the town's security forces had been mobilized.
Be prepared for battle.
There were also some security guards scattered around the hotel, closing the windows inside and putting up seals outside to block people from watching the fun.
But it did not dampen their interest in watching the fun.
The decline of Fuxiang Restaurant in recent years has undoubtedly been a boon for surrounding restaurants. Firstly, there's no competition for business, and secondly, passing customers are deterred by Fuxiang Restaurant's prices and often head elsewhere.
You have to compare and buy before you buy. Thanks to the comparison with other restaurants, the business of nearby restaurants has improved a lot.
But ever since Fuxiang changed its name to Yongan Restaurant, its business has been booming in just two days. How can one not be jealous?
Even though Yong'an sells pickled fish for three to five hundred gold coins per serving and attracts the business of those with destiny, there is not much overlap in customer flow with those of these restaurants.
However, making money is inherently something that draws envy, not to mention these money-hungry NPCs.
Although no one knew what Yong'an had done wrong, almost everyone hoped that the mayor would forcibly close Yong'an.
They are happy to see it, gloating over it, and almost clapping their hands in joy.
Inside the restaurant, the mess left by the guests at lunch had been cleaned up neatly. Heng Batong, with his large belly, sat upright on a chair, looking down at the two people kneeling before him.
The store manager is Mr. Jin, and the one in charge of purchasing is Mr. Huang.
The latter is even Heng Batong's cousin.
"Manager Jin, have you thought it through? Can you tell the truth?" Heng Batong said in a dignified manner.
He had just asked Shopkeeper Jin a question: How much money had the Wing On Hotel made in the first two days since its opening? For some reason, Shopkeeper Jin hesitated and couldn't answer for a long time.
Shopkeeper Jin was stuck on the "Employee Code of Conduct" set by An Rou.
Rule number one: You must not harm the interests of Boss Anrou. The content resurfaced in his mind word for word. Would answering the mayor's question harm the boss's interests?
Shopkeeper Jin couldn't tell and could only pretend he didn't know.
But there is also a second rule: if you encounter anything related to the boss, notify the boss immediately. This issue is obviously related to the boss, and the restaurant is about to be closed, which is of course a big deal.
The problem is - with so many security guards surrounding the store, not even a fly can fly out!
Shopkeeper Jin was so anxious that he was almost sweating. The thought of "I must find a way to notify the boss quickly" was lingering in his mind, and he had no time to answer Heng Baitong's questions at all.
Heng Batong could no longer suppress the anger that had been accumulating all day, and he smashed a teacup with a bang.
"You! You say!" He pointed at his cousin.
Old Huang shrank back in fear, his face bitter. "Mr. Mayor, Shopkeeper Jin is in charge of the accounts and the money. I... I don't know..."
Heng Batong picked up another cup, took a deep breath and held it in.
"Okay, then let me ask you a question you know," Heng Batong said, "Which vegetable and meat shops supply Yong'an?"
Like Shopkeeper Jin, Old Huang subconsciously reviewed the employee code of conduct, but was unable to make a judgment. Heng Batong's question seemed to be just an ordinary one; he couldn't fathom the deeper meaning behind it.
Old Huang swallowed his saliva and replied, "The vegetables are from the Liang family, and the poultry is from the Li family..."
Heng Batong nodded to the soldiers behind him and said, "Remember this, call all these bosses over."
Just as he finished speaking, Lao Huang changed his tone.
——"But, sir, these things are now supplied by the boss's own farm."
Heng Batong was stunned: "Own farm?"
"Yes, yes, Yong'an Farm in the eastern suburbs."
"That broken farm was just built a few days ago. Even if it can grow vegetables, how can they grow so quickly?" Heng Batong couldn't believe it.
"Ah? Well, I don't know either," Old Huang said. "The other day the boss asked us to buy a large batch, from seeds to vegetables, from chickens and ducks to fat fish, and they were all sent to the farm!"
"The day before yesterday? Wouldn't unearthed vegetables go bad after just two days?! Nonsense!"
Old Huang kowtowed repeatedly: "Master, what I said is true. If you don't believe me, go to the kitchen and take a look. The greens and cabbages are so juicy, there's even mud on the roots!"
Heng Batong asked someone to bring the vegetables over, and just as Lao Huang said, they were as fresh as if they had just been unearthed, and they even looked better than those he bought himself.
He was shocked for a while and couldn't figure it out.
Over a decade ago, a major ghoul outbreak occurred in the eastern suburbs, killing scores of nearby farmers. Since then, no crops have been able to grow on that patch of land. Rumor has it that the soil was soaked in ghoul blood and poisoned. Now, the vast expanse, including some of the land he owned, lies barren.
How did An Rou grow this? And how well did she grow it?!
However, now is not the time to explore this matter.
Heng Batong threw the cabbage to the ground and shouted angrily, "Where's the rice and flour? We can't produce our own rice and flour, right?!"
Old Huang muttered, "The rice and flour are from the Lin family grain store..."
Before he finished speaking, Heng Batong said to the soldiers, "Call Boss Lin!"
Heng Batong was pacing around the store. When he walked away, the shopkeeper Jin pushed Old Huang and said, "You, you!"
Old Huang was puzzled: "Does what I said get in the way?"
"How can this not be a nuisance?! The mayor is trying to cut off the restaurant's supply!" Shopkeeper Jin is so disappointed, "You've got a pig's brain!"
Old Huang suddenly panicked. He was inexplicably more afraid of his boss than the mayor.
A short while later, two cars arrived at the Wing On Hotel almost simultaneously. One was clean and shiny, the other gray and dusty, as if it had been driven over dirt.
But the people getting in and out of the two cars were exactly the opposite of the cars.
Boss Lin was hunched over, looking like a gray old man. An Rou was wearing a cheongsam and high heels, with bright makeup, looking bright and charming.
Boss Lin's car was in front and he didn't notice what was behind him, but he heard a clear and moving greeting in his ears.
"Boss Lin, what a coincidence."
The moment he turned around, he stumbled back, his legs were not steady and he almost fell. Fortunately, the soldier helped him up in time.
"Boss Lin, the mayor is waiting for you inside." said the soldier.
“…Oh, okay.”
Boss Lin turned and left, following the soldier into the store. The sound of high heels following him made him afraid to look back.
Heng Batong saw him first and said, "Boss Lin, from now on, all the grain stores under your control will stop supplying goods to Yong'an Hotel. Understand?"
Hengbatong is the king of Zhongsu Town. If you want to do business in the town, you must listen to him.
Boss Lin was about to agree when he heard An Rou laughing from behind him, "Mr. Mayor, why are you trying to ruin my business for no reason?"
Boss Lin's heart tightened and he couldn't help but look back.
The surrounding scenes flew back, as if returning to the day when her beloved daughter died tragically. An Rou smoked a blood-stained cigarette and said, "Chi Qian Yiming insisted on helping me vent my anger."
His feet went weak and he almost fell again.
This time, it was An Rou who supported him.
"Boss Lin, are you feeling unwell? Be careful." An Rou smiled and waved to the side, "Shopkeeper Jin, bring me a life potion."
Shopkeeper Jin was kneeling inside. He looked at Heng Ba Tong upon hearing this, but did not dare to move.
"What a rat's guts." An Rou sighed, "Ah Hu, you go!"
Ah Hu was a burly fellow with a relatively slow mind. He had been a thug at the restaurant, but now, as a good man, he was the one who listened to An Rou the most. He ignored the soldiers' threatening glances and quickly grabbed a life potion from behind the counter.
An Rou: "I told you to take one, so you really only take one? You should have at least three or five. Boss Lin is in such a weak state. If he doesn't take good care of himself, how can he live a long life and take good care of his family?"
She stuffed the life potion into Boss Lin's hand and smiled again: "Right, Boss Lin?"
Boss Lin was shaking all over, but he had no strength left and didn't dare to break free from An Rou's hand.
"Enough!" Heng Batong's face was gloomy. "An Rou, I came to Yong'an Hotel today to do serious business! - Boss Lin, from now on, you are not allowed to supply goods to Yong'an. I came to you for this matter, so leave now that you have heard it!"
However, Boss Lin did not leave.
He murmured, "Mr. Mayor, we are all doing business, why should we hurt the harmony..."
"...What did you say?!" Heng Batong never expected that he would dare to go against his wishes, and his eyes widened into copper bells.
Boss Lin fell silent.
On the one hand, he was frightened by An Rou, and on the other hand, he was facing the wrath of the town chief. With his cowardly personality, it was not easy for him to say a word of disobedience.
However, since he came to her, An Rou would certainly not let him go easily.
An Rou was a vengeful person, but one thing is one thing, the story of the two sisters was over because of Mei Qian's death, and it was not her character to keep brooding over it. She did not want to embarrass Boss Lin, on the contrary, she wanted to make him rich.
An Rou glanced at Heng Ba Tong with a smile and said, "We are all businessmen who work hard to make a living. It's hard for Boss Lin to understand. Boss Lin is here. Give us Yong'an's supply order. Why not discuss it here?"
"An Rou... Boss..." Boss Lin was in a dilemma and glanced at Heng Ba Tong. "Can't we just supply according to the previous orders?"
"That's not enough," An Rou said with a headache. "Over a hundred people came to Yong'an this afternoon alone. That huge rice jar was gone in the blink of an eye! How about this? From now on, the supply will double. Whenever Boss Lin gets new rice, Yong'an will be given priority. I won't take advantage of Boss Lin either. I'll raise the supply price by 20% on top of the market price. How about that?"
When it comes to business, the NPC's money-grubbing nature becomes apparent.
"Two, twenty percent?" Boss Lin's dark eyes brightened up.
"That's right, 20%. Let's share the wealth." An Rou said with a smile, "On the other hand, if the chosen ones of the gang like Ouli Yinlai can't eat the food in my restaurant, I'm afraid it will be a big trouble."
Boss Lin swallowed his saliva: "Gang, gang?"
During this period, he had been completely distracted from everything except seeking justice for his daughter. He didn't even know that the steamed bun shop near his home had reopened or the hair salon had changed hands, let alone the fact that the gang had been patronizing the Wing On Restaurant in large numbers for two consecutive days.
But this restaurant, originally the Fuxiang Restaurant, was once one of the mayor's businesses. Boss Lin was well aware of this.
His glint in his eyes swept over Heng Batong and An Rou. They were both experienced people who had been in the industry for a long time and they quickly understood the reason for such a big scene.
No wonder An Rou had the courage to go against the mayor, it turns out she has the support of the gang!
Boss Lin wasn't surprised. After all, Chiqian Yiming, one of the top 100 experts on the Destiny Ranking, could become An Rou's backer. And Chiqian Yiming was a figure from another branch of the Ouli Gang.
Heng Batong was almost fainted from anger.
These two people really don't take him, the mayor, seriously!
"Lin Xiao!" He couldn't help but shout, calling out Boss Lin's name.
An Rou was slightly surprised. It turned out that Boss Lin had a full name! In the NPC identity information she could see, Boss Lin was simply "Boss Lin." It seemed that this game's NPC design was even more detailed and complex than it appeared on the surface.
In other words, Sister Hong and Sister Qiao also have unknown real names?
An Rou's thoughts wandered a little, but she extended her hand to Boss Lin: "Boss Lin, deal?"
Boss Lin gritted his teeth, stopped looking at Heng Batong's expression, and shook An Rou's hand: "Deal!"
The mayor has power, but the gangs have force. If they were to truly clash, it's hard to say who's superior! But in this age of ghouls, losing a mayor wouldn't be a big deal. But without the Chosen One, everyone would be dead!
"Rebellion, rebellion, you are going to rebel!"
Heng Batong was completely furious, his face flushed and his neck thick with anger: "Riflemen, call my Riflemen!"
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