Xiong Wei was quite strong, but ultimately, he was just a Second Level Superpower User. Coupled with the overwhelming number of guards, he was quickly subdued and pressed to the ground in a sorry state.
Three days later, the trial continued. The evidence of Xiong Wei’s crimes was conclusive. With multiple offenses combined, he was sentenced to compensate Tang Yiyi and Sun Jian for their losses, have his property confiscated, and be exiled to Evil Island. Evil Island is surrounded by the sea on all sides and has a very harsh environment. All who are exiled there are hardened criminals. They not only have to fight against the Sea Beasts in the ocean but also against the Mutant Birds in the sky, and even against other fellow human beings!
The mortality rate in that place is extremely high. The criminals exiled there who are weaker quickly become food for the Mutant Beasts or Mutant Birds. Those who survive are all cunning individuals who are not only skilled but also ruthless!
Back then, Tang Yiyi was almost exiled to Evil Island for "murdering a pregnant woman." If it weren’t for her coincidentally being found pregnant, there might not even be a trace of her left by now!
Thus, when she heard the judge’s sentence for Xiong Wei, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of lament and a sentiment akin to "when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves." Besides Xiong Wei, others were also rightfully punished. Li Yuan had his journalist certification permanently revoked, was ordered to compensate Tang Yiyi and Sun Jian, as well as those he deceived into donating money. In the end, he too was sentenced to exile, though to a significantly safer place than Evil Island.
Others suffered similarly, either having their professional qualifications permanently revoked, having to compensate Tang Yiyi and Sun Jian, or having their assets confiscated. Sun Yao’s family wasn’t spared either. Not only did they have to return all previously received donations, but they also had to compensate Tang Yiyi and Sun Jian for reputational damages, as well as the donors’ mental distress, thereby acquiring massive debts.
Sun Yao’s family didn’t dare offend the judge, so they pleaded with Sun Jian for mercy. Unfortunately, Sun Jian had by then seemed like a changed man, no longer swayed easily. Not only did he ignore his family’s pleas, but he also publicly denounced them for their shamelessness, forcing the family of four to cover their faces quickly, fearing being captured on camera!
Furthermore, the elderly man who deliberately rushed out, along with his son and daughter-in-law, were each sentenced. The elderly man had intentionally caused a car accident and teamed up with his son and daughter-in-law to deceive others—behaviors that were egregious. They not only had to compensate Sun Jian and Tang Yiyi for their losses but also had a permanent credit issue recorded in their personal information. His son and daughter-in-law faced additional charges of long-term elder abuse, which made their crimes even more severe!
Once the case concluded, the "car accident incident" finally ended, and Tang Yiyi’s personal account and the Tang Family’s store were unfrozen. Not only that, but she also received nearly five million Credit Points in compensation! Though Sun Jian’s compensation was less than hers, it still amounted to over a million, which could afford him a comfortable life.
However, the compensation wasn’t the most important outcome. Due to the "car accident incident" and especially the extensive coverage by Qinghe News, Tang Yiyi and the Tang Family gained significant fame in Qinghe City. As soon as her store’s freeze was lifted, she received a flood of orders and private messages!
As the cause of the "car accident incident" was made public, many people began to grow curious about Tang Yiyi’s culinary skills, and those who had previously patronized her business were full of praise! Because of this, all the previous posts about the Tang Family on the Food Empire forum were dug up, making everyone crave more as they kept reading, eagerly wanting to make an order and taste the flavors right away!
Coincidentally, when the store was frozen, it was impossible to place orders, so these people could only satisfy their cravings by looking at online posts and photos. The result was that their craving intensified, making them even more fixated on the Tang Family’s food!
So, the moment the store was unlocked, these people rushed online to place orders, eager to fulfill their desire!
Pang Zhi, whether naturally gifted in business or suddenly struck by inspiration, actually suggested to Tang Yiyi to take advantage of this opportunity to announce on the online store that a physical store would soon open! Simultaneously, he urged Tang Yiyi to upload photos of newly created dishes to the online store to tease everyone’s appetite!
Her thoughts coincidentally aligned with Pang Zhi’s suggestion. Tang Yiyi specifically selected some new dish photos to upload to the online store. Her store now had a substantial following. Once the photos were uploaded, they immediately caused a small stir, with many people rushing to place orders, fearing that if they ordered too late, there would be none left!
Seeing their enthusiasm, Tang Yiyi issued an announcement that the physical store would soon open, and more new dishes would be introduced then. Predictably, once the announcement was made, the internet buzzed with discussions about where the physical store would open and what new dishes would be launched.
At this time, Pang Zhi clandestinely created a forum thread specifically for discussing this matter. Before long, people began to gather there, enthusiastically chatting in a lively atmosphere.
Tang Yiyi only observed for a brief moment before getting busy. There were too many orders for her to handle alone, so with no other option, Tang Yiyi had to hire six people. Four were assigned to handle ingredients, while the remaining two were responsible for delivery. Fortunately, she had anticipated this when Pang Zhi was handling the renovations. He had refurbished a smaller studio adjacent to her main studio for ingredient processing.
The two studios were only separated by a wall with a small square window close to the dignified side for easy trolley access for ingredient transportation. Additionally, a specialized alarm system was set around the window. If anyone attempted to peek, the alarm would sound.
Not only them, but most other restaurants had similar designs. Since the people hired were not apprentices, to prevent their skills from being stolen, restaurants were extremely cautious concerning theft prevention and technical secrecy!
Safe City had no shortage of ordinary people struggling to find jobs. After Tang Yiyi posted a job notice online, she quickly hired six suitable people. She didn’t spend much effort carefully selecting them, just had Pudding verify their identity information to ensure there were no issues, and once confirmed their ingredient processing skills were adequate, she simply retained them.
With these people helping, Tang Yiyi quickly completed the orders and arranged for the hired delivery agents to send out the packaged food.
The newly released dishes were warmly received by everyone, even those who ordered out of pure curiosity were effusive in their praise after tasting, further amplifying the Tang Family’s fame!
Although the physical store hadn’t opened yet, considering the public’s attitude on the internet, most people showed support, with only a minority being somewhat resistant.
Tang Yiyi didn’t closely follow the online comments, just had Pudding keep an eye on them. Recently, however, Pudding suddenly brought her a piece of news—Sun Jian had left Qinghe City! (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast a recommendation or monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)