Ning Ge stood to one side, completely puzzled, and asked, "What are you all talking about? What’s this ’Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’ and all this nonsense?"
Song Xiaojang couldn’t keep a secret to save his life, and blurted out everything about the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall incident, finishing with indignation, "I just saw that guy, and I’m absolutely certain it was Liao Shifa’s filthy tactic!"
Ning Ge’s face darkened.
"Enough!" Cheng Su interrupted before he could continue, "Have you told your dad about this?"
Song Xiaojang shook his head.
"Then drop it!" Cheng Su said.
"Why?" Song Xiaojang looked completely puzzled.
Cheng Su glanced at Old Song busying himself in the kitchen and said, "That Liao Shifa, your dad must have watched him grow up since he was a child, and the same goes for Liao’s restaurant. If he hears that Liao’s business is doing badly now, that a kid he saw grow from infancy is using such despicable tactics against the restaurant he works for, how heartbroken would that make him?"
Song Xiaojang pursed his lips. He knew full well how sentimental his dad was. If he really told him, his dad might even lose sleep over it!
"But..." he started, feeling quite resentful. Was it just going to be left at that?
"You’ve said it yourself, Liao’s business isn’t doing well—that’s his karma; he brought it on himself, no one else to blame. Besides, it also proves that our restaurant is doing well. He must be envious and doesn’t dare to underestimate us. Otherwise, why would he resort to such tactics?" Cheng Su continued.
Her words gradually calmed Song Xiaojang down, and he said, "It just irritates me. It’s his own fault his business is bad, serves him right for playing dirty and harming my dad."
"Actually, I’m quite thankful to him. If it weren’t for his doing, how could I have persuaded your dad to come help out?" Cheng Su said with a sly smile, "Don’t tell me you don’t like working here?"
Song Xiaojang scratched his head and said, "You’ve got an answer for everything. I’m off to work!"
As soon as he walked away, Ning Ge said, "Just like that, you’re going to let it go? You’re really magnanimous. That Buddha Jumps Over the Wall must’ve been expensive, right?"
"What else can I do without proof? What could you possibly do to them?" Cheng Su raised her eyebrows and said, "Besides, such a petty person won’t get far. Just wait and see, doing poorly is only the beginning. In the future, Joy Soon Loy will surpass them and become the top spot in Qing City!"
Watching her confidence, Ning Ge didn’t say a word, yet he thought to himself, the future is the future’s business, but now, an eye for an eye is the way to go!
That evening, Ning Ge claimed to have something to do and dragged Ying Xiaoya to Liao’s restaurant for dinner, ordering only the most expensive dishes, including a serving of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
He pretended to pick up his chopsticks and swiftly dropped a black bug into it. Ying Xiaoya saw it clearly, her eyes widening, but Ning Ge winked and whispered, "Just go along with my act."
Ying Xiaoya didn’t understand, only to see Ning Ge banging on the table, yelling out, "Waiter, manager, boss, all of you roll over here for Brother Ning, and take a look at what sort of trash you’re serving at Liao’s! Is this edible? Who are you trying to hurt with this?"
Wielding his chopsticks wildly, Ning Ge bellowed, "Good heavens, such a huge cockroach in the dish, from a supposed top-tier restaurant, the nerve! What garbage!"
A waiter ran over, his expression changing at a glance, and immediately went to call the manager.
A slightly chubby, bald manager hurried over with a fawning smile and said, "Dear guest, please stay calm. What seems to be the problem with the dish?"
"Look at this! I heard Liao’s was a grand restaurant, so I brought my girlfriend here for a meal. Look at this! Is this fit for human consumption? Want me to feed it to you?" Ning Ge pointed at the cockroach in the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and roared, "Now, both my girlfriend and I are shocked. I demand an explanation!"