Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Counterattack Begins
Under normal circumstances, whether it was the audience in the livestream, the guests at the scene, or even those with ulterior motives like Zhao Gang, everyone would have been eager to hear an honest critique of the two dishes. Yet at this very moment, seeing Tanya devour her food as if she’d chew right through the plate, each person found their own answer. This was far more persuasive than any words!
“Tanya, slow down, mind your image (covering face).”
“Watching her eat so heartily, I’m starving myself! Can’t take it, I’m off to get something to eat.”
“I’ve decided—tomorrow, no, tonight, I’ll go to this restaurant and try it!”
“I’ll go too, maybe we’ll bump into each other.”
“Who wants to meet you? I... (startled) said something wrong.”
“Who would have thought there’d be such hidden delicacies in a place like this, but I’m afraid of spicy food... (torn).”
“Tanya’s afraid of spice too, look at how much she’s enjoying it now—mmm, it smells so good, could the aroma be drifting across the internet?”
...
The barrage of comments reached a record high in the livestream, and the number of followers soared.
Tanya didn’t notice—she had no time to notice. If she didn’t finish every bit of this atypical secret sauce, it would be a waste of its extraordinary flavor! What surprised her even more was that in the past, eating spicy food always triggered her sinus issues, but now, despite enduring a level of heat several times greater than before, her nose was clearer than ever.
It was as if she never had sinusitis at all!
“Could eating chili be more effective than medicine?” She couldn’t be sure...
...
“Susu, get me a serving of what the young lady ordered,” the middle-aged owner of the car wash, Zou Ming, finally couldn’t contain himself.
“Uncle Zou, are you sure you won’t overeat?” Su Rui reminded him kindly.
“I find it strange myself—I’ve had two bowls of rice and a plate of scallion beef, and it still isn’t enough.” Zou Ming sniffed the air around him, “It seems that peculiar aroma from the soup is especially appetizing.”
“Alright then.” Su Rui picked up a sticky note and began jotting down orders.
“Boss Su, I want one too.”
...
“I’ll have one as well, but I just want that atypical secret sauce—I love spicy food!”
“I’ll take the flavorful bone and meat soup.”
...
Following Zou Ming’s lead, the other guests in the restaurant could no longer hold back, launching into a second round, and even a few bystanders outside showed eager expressions.
Su Rui was exhilarated as she wrote, each sticky note with an order worth hundreds, and she already had nearly ten in hand!
Money, money... She laughed inwardly, already imagining herself showered in bills after closing up tonight.
“Right, I need to ask Li Can how much he spent on those ingredients, deduct it, and make sure he doesn’t lose out—not even a cent!”
She glanced at Li Can, who was chatting with Zou Ming, and no matter how she looked, he seemed dazzling—like pure gold! Even his dirty apron carried a hint of elegance...
In a word: handsome!
...
Li Can naturally had no idea he’d become a hundred-pound moving bar of gold in Su Rui’s mind.
After finishing his conversation with Zou Ming, he turned his gaze toward Zhao Gang and the others outside.
“What a troublesome fellow,” Li Can sighed helplessly.
As expected, verbal warnings always remain just words; without real consequences, no one learns. Li Can wished Zhao Gang and Liu Huadong were of the same breed—it would save him much trouble and might even help the restaurant’s growth in its own way.
But after all, Zhao Gang was a living person...
Sensing Li Can’s gaze, Zhao Gang met his eyes without flinching, neither speaking nor showing anger, remarkably calm.
“Is he changing tactics?” Li Can shifted his gaze to the crowd; several clearly wanted to step inside, yet none moved.
“So he’s playing the emotional card—looks like I underestimated him.”
Li Can took off his apron; Su Rui would handle serving the dishes. Then, before everyone’s eyes, he strode up to Zhao Gang, confronting him head-on.
Having witnessed Li Can’s fiery methods, Zhao Gang unconsciously stepped back, afraid Li Can might suddenly act. This move exposed his cowardice unmistakably.
Conversely, everyone’s opinion of Li Can rose. It seemed the rumors were true—last night, Zhao Gang really suffered at his hands!
“So, you’ve decided to go head-to-head with me?” Li Can opened with a calm, unfazed tone.
...
“What head-to-head? I’m just here to see the excitement,” Zhao Gang immediately lost his advantage, suddenly angry. A grown man in his thirties, feeling intimidated by a young guy!
He wanted to slap himself.
Thirty years wasted...
“Bringing most of your staff along to watch the excitement—I’m flattered,” Li Can gestured at several who dared not meet his eyes, the sneer at the corner of his mouth unmistakable.
“They have legs of their own, they can go wherever they want,” Zhao Gang forced a retort.
“Whatever.” Li Can replied lazily, “I warned you yesterday—if you want trouble with me, fine, but don’t mess with the restaurant, or you’ll regret it. Looks like you didn’t take it to heart.”
Having his wounds publicly exposed, Zhao Gang felt his face burning, and laughed angrily, “I’ve lived over thirty years and never been threatened. Today, I’ll see what you can do to me!”
He’d already planned: if Li Can dared to lay a hand on him, he’d drop straight to the ground.
What’s the worst that could happen?
He might not win in a fight, but he could win in a scam.
Once the police arrived, Li Can would have no mood for business.
As the saying goes, nothing’s scarier than a cultured rogue, and Zhao Gang was determined to be that rogue. Even if people gossiped afterward, as long as Li Can left, everything would be fine.
“Heh.”
Li Can, of course, wouldn’t use force—that was the worst option. He’d already prepared the best strategy.
He looked at the few plump bosses he’d seen yesterday, “Are you all thinking the same as him?”
Frankly, the question was unnecessary; anyone could see why Zhao Gang and his group had come.
“We...we...” One of them stammered, unable to complete a sentence.
They knew better than Zhao Gang how terrifying Li Can was—after all, Zhao Gang had been pinned under the door and hadn’t seen how Li Can handled the hawk.
It was no different than handling a toy.
So, face-to-face now, they truly felt intimidated.
“I understand your position, but let me remind you—if you push me too far, I can keep adjusting prices. Not up, but down, so low no one can refuse! For now...” Li Can spoke with deep meaning, “I’m targeting only him.”
“What do you mean?” Zhao Gang was confused.
Li Can suddenly smiled, “I mean, I’m preparing to drive you out of the old street!”
(To be continued...)