"He kidnapped our Chef Wu from Yuelai Restaurant and took him to their Dongfeng Restaurant."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiangxiang’s brow furrowed. The deed was certainly in keeping with Li Fuyou’s modus operandi. Couldn’t he engage in fair competition for once instead of resorting to such underhanded tactics like threats?
Just as Chu Lian was about to continue, he was interrupted by Wang Xiangxiang, who said with great excitement, "Husband, let me guess, that Chef Wu is your man, isn’t he? After he went to Dongfeng Restaurant, he colluded with someone to release cockroaches and rats, am I right?"
Chu Lian’s lips curved into a smile, his voice filled with doting affection, "Right, my wife has such a sharp mind."
"But, there’s something I don’t understand."
"Husband, you could have just sent someone to cause trouble in the restaurant by claiming there were cockroaches, without kidnapping Chef Wu. Why wait until Chef Wu was taken there?" Wang Xiangxiang was puzzled. Wasn’t that unnecessary?
Chu Lian replied with a laugh, "For the plan to be more successful, of course."
"Huh?" Wang Xiangxiang didn’t understand.
"At the time, Dongfeng Restaurant’s business was dismal. There weren’t many people dining there to begin with. If we caused a scene then, with so few witnesses, the impact would be minimal. No matter how many people I sent, it couldn’t compare to the word of mouth from actual customers."
Chu Lian paused before continuing, "It just so happened that he took Chef Wu away. Chef Wu could use his dishes to boost Dongfeng Restaurant’s business again. At that point, I would send people to collude with Chef Wu. Eventually, everyone would be led to the back kitchen, achieving a much better effect."
After listening, Wang Xiangxiang’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t expected Chu Lian to have considered every aspect so thoroughly, "Husband, you’re really amazing."
"But, if Li Fuyou finds out that Chef Wu tricked him, wouldn’t he face a terrible fate?" Wang Xiangxiang asked with concern.
Chu Lian chuckled, "Chef Wu and his family have already been sent by me to our Yuelai Restaurant in another county. Even if he wanted revenge, he wouldn’t be able to find them."
Wang Xiangxiang couldn’t help but give Chu Lian a figurative thumbs-up, impressed by how well thought out his plan was.
Could it be, "So that means, you also had a hand in bringing the government office into this?" Wang Xiangxiang thought to herself that even with cockroaches and rats, the restaurant wouldn’t necessarily be shut down.
Chu Lian shook his head. The involvement of the government office was outside his calculations; he only intended to use public opinion to force Dongfeng Restaurant to close. He hadn’t anticipated the government getting involved.
That corrupt official must have seized the opportunity to extort some Silver, he thought. Either way, the closure by the authorities certainly expedited Dongfeng Restaurant’s demise, especially with the news that Li Fuyou was now selling off his property.
It was an unexpected outcome, indeed. He had assumed Li Fuyou would be able to handle the government with Silver, yet the result turned out to be...
Could it be that he had given up on dealing with the government?
No matter what, this outcome played right into their hands. Dongfeng Restaurant’s reputation was now in tatters, and coupled with the pressure from Yuelai Restaurant, no one dared to buy it to continue running it as a restaurant, unless they changed it to a different type of business. If he played his cards right during this time, he could purchase Dongfeng Restaurant at a much lower price. Get full chapters from NoveIＦire.net
"Wife, Dongfeng Restaurant is thoroughly done for now. Li Fuyou is selling off the town’s properties."
"Really?" Wang Xiangxiang could hardly believe it. Was he finished just like that?
Chu Lian nodded, "Yes, absolutely true. Perhaps he also feels that the situation is beyond redemption. After all, it’s not easy to recover from such a tainted reputation."
"Husband, let’s hurry and buy the restaurant then."
"Do you even need to say it? I’ve already sent someone."