I'll Rule in Your Favor

The head chef's words were practically an admission of guilt, and the scene immediately erupted in an uproar. The diners stared at him in disbelief. So First-Rank Pavilion really had been passing off fake shark fin to its customers. Not only had the lobby manager refused to admit it, he had even tried to turn the tables earlier and accuse them of framing the restaurant.

That shameless twisting of right and wrong went far beyond simply bullying customers because the restaurant was powerful.

"Were you really using fake shark fin to fool people?" The diner who had defended First-Rank Pavilion earlier could no longer save face. "How could you do something like this?"

The lobby manager said furiously, "Master Yan, do you know what you're saying? Do you know how much damage those words will do to First-Rank Pavilion's reputation? Have you forgotten the old master's trust and responsibility?"

The head chef's expression darkened as he shot the lobby manager a vicious glare. "Shut up. If anyone has ruined First-Rank Pavilion's reputation, it's people like you. Since there is misfortune within the family, I will naturally go to the old master myself and apologize for my sins."

He was indeed at fault. But not because, as the lobby manager accused, he had failed to protect First-Rank Pavilion's reputation. His mistake was letting the old master's favor sway him, repeatedly tolerating these people as they used inferior goods to deceive customers. If this continued, First-Rank Pavilion's signboard would sooner or later be trampled into worthlessness by this lot.

"So First-Rank Pavilion really is bullying us new customers and using fake shark fin to fool us!" The elderly men and women from Lakeside Park immediately exploded, rolling up their sleeves and shouting.

They truly did not have much money. They could not afford to eat at a restaurant like First-Rank Pavilion every day, nor could they tell whether ingredients were genuine or of good quality. But that did not mean First-Rank Pavilion could treat them like fools.

They were all paying for a meal, so why should there be different ranks and classes? "I paid money, and I got cheated for it!"

The elderly men and women from Lakeside Park grew angrier the more they thought about it, and their voices rose louder and louder. Their booming shouts could be heard not only throughout the first-floor dining hall, but even in the private rooms upstairs and by pedestrians passing outside.

The lobby manager was so furious his eyes rolled back. His finger nearly jabbed Master Yan in the face. "This is all your doing! What the hell are you thinking? Why are you siding with outsiders? If First-Rank Pavilion's signboard is ruined, what good will that do you? Are you trying to leave First-Rank Pavilion and start your own business?"

Lowering his voice, the lobby manager cursed, "Don't forget, you personally made that Fish Maw and Shark Fin Soup. You made it, so what are you acting so high and mighty for now?"

The head chef remained silent. He did not want to argue with someone like that.

Huo Jiu watched coldly, without much other emotion. As the lobby manager had said, the fake shark fin had been purchased, but the Fish Maw and Shark Fin Soup had been personally made by the head chef. If Huo Jiu had not had such a sensitive tongue, he would never have known the shark fin was fake and would have become a sucker who paid a fortune for counterfeit goods. If Huo Jiu had not been one step ahead, he would never have outargued the silver-tongued lobby manager, and would now have been branded a malicious customer trying to frame First-Rank Pavilion.

If anything had gone wrong at any point, Huo Jiu would never have seen the head chef's conscience awaken.

"Enough! I don't care whether First-Rank Pavilion has rotten apples within the family or whether all of you are in cahoots from top to bottom. Deal with your own affairs behind closed doors. There's no need to put on a show in public. Shouldn't we now discuss how you plan to compensate us for violating our consumer rights?" Huo Jiu interrupted the argument between the lobby manager and the head chef.

"Exactly! Pay up! Not only should you refund our shark fin money, you also need to compensate us for emotional distress and damage to our reputations! Otherwise, we'll report you to the Consumer Association!" The elderly men and women shouted without backing down.

"I'm going to expose you to the TV station!"

"How shameless can you be? You make fake shark fin to fool people, then falsely accuse others of framing you. First-Rank Pavilion sure is arrogant!"

"..."

No one noticed that the door to the private room closest to the stairs at the corner of the second floor had quietly opened. The guests inside listened silently to the commotion downstairs. One of them, a stern-faced man in a suit, suddenly lowered his gaze to the bowl of shark fin soup before him and asked thoughtfully, "Do you think the Fish Maw and Shark Fin Soup we ordered is real or fake?"

The others exchanged looks, but no one dared respond.

Author's note:

No update tomorrow. See you all the day after tomorrow. (:з"∠)

I'll Rule in Your Favor

In the first-floor dining hall, the head chef looked at the outraged diners. After a moment of silence, he turned to Huo Jiu. "How do you want to settle this?"

Huo Jiu gave a derisive laugh. "You probably won't like my way of settling it. So let's first hear what sincerity First-Rank Pavilion has to offer."

Seeing Huo Jiu press forward relentlessly, the lobby manager grew even more resentful. "What exactly do you want?"

By this point, the situation had already slipped beyond First-Rank Pavilion's control. Amid his resentment, the lobby manager could not help feeling afraid. On one hand, he worried that First-Rank Pavilion's reputation would truly suffer. On the other, he feared how he would explain himself to the old master if word reached his ears.

If the old master learned that he had actually dared use fake goods to tarnish First-Rank Pavilion's name, he would definitely break his legs.

Huo Jiu ignored the lobby manager. So did the head chef.

After pondering for a while longer, the head chef said, "It seems this young gentleman is one of us. Then let us settle this matter according to the rules of our trade."

They would determine the outcome through culinary skill. If First-Rank Pavilion lost, they would naturally let Huo Jiu deal with them as he saw fit. If First-Rank Pavilion won, the head chef hoped Huo Jiu would let the matter go.

Before Huo Jiu could respond, the elderly men and women from Lakeside Park objected first. "You're going too far!"

One was First-Rank Pavilion's renowned head chef, who had studied the craft for over twenty years. The other was a mere sixteen-year-old student who had probably eaten less rice than others had eaten salt. For First-Rank Pavilion's head chef to make such a demand was clearly taking advantage of Huo Jiu's youth, inexperience, and thin skin.

Facing everyone's accusations, the head chef calmly said, "Competing in culinary skill was this young gentleman's own choice."