Chapter 52: I'm Just Afraid He Won't Come!

That afternoon.

The news of Dong Dakang losing the lawsuit spread like wildfire.

"Hahaha!"

"Fantastic!"

Gu Changqing strode into All-Taste Pavilion with a loud laugh.

Cheng An was currently keeping the ledger. Seeing him arrive, he stood up and gave a respectful bow.

"This junior greets Uncle Gu."

"Good!"

Gu Changqing was beaming with delight, his face flushed with triumph. He affectionately patted Cheng An on the shoulder and said, "Good lad, this old man certainly didn't misjudge you! That grandson Dong Dakang, did he ever think he'd see a day like this?"

"Hahahahaha!"

His laughter was unrestrained.

Yet, the patrons dining in the restaurant completely understood.

There was already a deep-seated grievance between the Dong and Gu families; rumor had it there was even some lingering bitter feud from years ago. Now that Dong Dakang had suffered such a humiliating blow, how could Gu Changqing not be overjoyed?

"Well, listen here everyone."

Gu Changqing was clearly overflowing with happiness. He cupped his fists toward the diners and smiled, "Gu is in high spirits today! Every friend dining here today will receive a fifty percent discount, and all drinks are completely on the house! Drink to your heart's content."

"Patron Gu is most generous!"

"Then we thank Patron Gu."

The crowd all smiled and returned the courtesy.

However, after the restaurant closed its doors for the day.

The smile vanished from Gu Changqing's face.

He pulled Cheng An aside.

Frowning, he said, "While pulling off a stunt like this feels undeniably gratifying, Dong Dakang will inevitably retaliate! You must be careful. If worst comes to worst, come stay at the Gu residence for a couple of days to lie low."

Go to the Gu residence?

Cheng An rolled his eyes inwardly.

Was that supposed to be seeking refuge, or walking right into the tiger's den?

"Uncle Gu need not worry; this junior already has a countermeasure in place."

"Oh?"

Gu Changqing was slightly taken aback.

"Could it be you still have a hidden card up your sleeve?"

"Haven't you noticed that the kitchen staff changed today?"

Cheng An pointed toward the back.

Only then did Gu Changqing notice the anomaly, and his brow furrowed again. "Where is the fat cook? He had finally grasped the essence of stir-frying. What if he runs off..."

The essence?

Cheng An smiled without a word.

Could thousands of years of culinary culture be mastered overnight?

"Don't worry, Uncle Gu..."

He smiled faintly. "The fat cook was simply too exhausted, so I took the liberty of granting him two days off to go home and rest."

Despite those words, the smile in Cheng An's eyes carried a hint of profound depth.

"You rascal, are you still trying to keep secrets from this old man?"

Gu Changqing feigned displeasure.

He understood Cheng An's personality far too well. On the surface, the boy looked harmless and no different from any ordinary child, but his mind was exceptionally shrewd!

They always said geniuses tended to mature early.

Cheng An was the prime example!

Realizing he couldn't fool him, Cheng An had no choice but to outline his plan in broad strokes.

"This..."

"Isn't that a bit ruthless?"

Gu Changqing said, looking somewhat reluctant. "I have no objection to dealing with Dong Dakang, but if innocent people get dragged into this, I cannot condone it!"

"Uncle Gu is indeed benevolent and kind-hearted."

Cheng An smoothly buttered him up without leaving a trace.

Then he smiled and said, "Rest assured, it's merely a combination of incompatible ingredients. At worst, they'll spend a few extra days suffering from diarrhea; it will never pose a threat to anyone's life..."

Three days later.

The fat cook returned from his leave.

Gu Changqing asked impatiently, "Did it work?"

"Reporting to the master, it worked!"

The fat cook grinned widely.

Then, looking at Cheng An, he said with an expression of pure admiration, "Young Master Cheng's foresight is truly divine! The moment this humble servant arrived home, the manager of Gathering Fragrance came looking for me!"

Gathering Fragrance was backed by the Dong family.

Having lost so much face, Dong Dakang was bound to retaliate.

Yet he also knew that Liu Qi and Cheng An were now thick as thieves!

If he tried any more underhanded tricks...

The moment he left a paper trail, Liu Qi would undoubtedly step in.

Therefore, if he wanted to strike a blow against All-Taste Pavilion, he had to do it in the open, and the fat cook was the absolute best breakthrough point!

As long as the price was right, who feared failing to buy a secret recipe?

Cheng An looked at the fat cook with a smile.

He teased, "You must have made a fortune, right?"

"I wouldn't dare."

The fat cook hurriedly flashed a flattering smile.

"It is entirely due to the young master's brilliant calculations; this money rightfully belongs to the young master."

"Forget it."

Cheng An waved a hand.

"You put in the effort, so you deserve the reward. Consider it a bonus from the shop. Keep up the good work in the future, and the Gu family will never treat anyone unfairly!"

"Indeed."

Gu Changqing also smiled with satisfaction.

Especially Cheng An's use of the phrase 'the Gu family,' which filled him with an even greater sense of pride.

Hmph!

Once their businesses were intertwined, could the person possibly run away?

If he wasn't willing now, it didn't matter. As their business grew larger and larger in the future, the ties between the Cheng and Gu families would only grow deeper.

Water gets the first reflection of the moon when near the tower!

Who could guarantee what the future might hold?

...

Sure enough!

Within three days.

Every single diner who had patronized Gathering Fragrance came down with severe vomiting and diarrhea. Some even suffered sudden attacks right in the middle of their meals, leaving the entire restaurant in absolute chaos.

"You didn't see it..."

"The stench was unbearable!"

Wu Ji and Guo Jing gestured wildly as they recounted the events.

The two of them were completely won over this time.

Their admiration for Cheng An had reached an incomparable height!

With methods like these, they were just glad they had pledged their allegiance early on; otherwise, their fates would have been hanging by a thread!

Cheng An said with a calm smile, "If you don't understand the properties of ingredients and just stir-fry them together randomly, of course it's going to cause vomiting and diarrhea. No one died, did they?"

"No."

Wu Ji replied respectfully.

"This humble servant kept watch in the vicinity for the past two days; even those who suffered the worst of the poisoning were merely drained of strength and will recover in a couple of days."

Yet, after this single incident.

Gathering Fragrance's reputation was thoroughly ruined, and its closure was merely a matter of time.

"Young master..."

Guo Jing pondered and asked, "What should our next move be? Dong Dakang is no benevolent soul; having suffered such heavy losses this time, he will definitely seek revenge."

"Heh!"

"I'd only worry if he didn't come."

Cheng An's smile remained relaxed.

...

The Dong family had deep pockets.

Losing a single restaurant was not a fatal blow.

The real problem was this:

Dong Dakang had built his fortune on the livestock industry.

In the past, with Gathering Fragrance operating, the Dong family never had to worry about selling off their livestock. But now that Gathering Fragrance had shut down, how were they supposed to handle the massive surplus of animals?

No one held a grudge against money.

Especially merchants—turning a profit was their absolute top priority!

Furthermore, with the end of the year fast approaching, all the traveling merchants and buyers had already departed. If they had to rely solely on retail for the remaining stock, when on earth would they finish selling it all?

Labor, provisions, upkeep...

All of these cost money!

And right now, the only entity with the capacity to purchase ingredients and livestock in massive quantities was All-Taste Pavilion!

In other words.

All-Taste Pavilion was now the Dong family's biggest client.

Therefore...

Dong Dakang had come!

Regardless of how unwilling he was, for the sake of his business, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and bow his head.

There was no sweeter moment in life than this.

Looking at the dejected and crestfallen Dong Dakang, Gu Changqing felt an incomparable surge of relief in his chest.

Suppressing his anger, Dong Dakang forced himself to say, "All-Taste Pavilion's business is booming these days, and it must consume a substantial amount every day. If Brother Gu has need of them, we can discuss the prices."

Before Gu Changqing could speak,

Cheng An waved a hand and said, "Not needed!"

"You..."

Dong Dakang's expression turned chilling.

Clenching his teeth, he added, "Buying merely from those small peddlers is not enough to sustain All-Taste Pavilion's operations!"

"Doesn't matter."

"We'll just make a little less; the Gu family can easily afford it."

Cheng An sat off to the side, absently tapping his fingers.

"Old Gu..."

Dong Dakang could no longer contain himself.

He said coldly, "Are you really going to let this little brat run amok? And besides, stir-frying is such a lucrative business, especially with the year-end approaching—are you truly willing to let this pass?"

In the world of business.

Who would ever refuse to make ready money?

Unfortunately, Dong Dakang had no idea that stir-frying had been invented by Cheng An.

Otherwise, he would never have come here just to court humiliation!

Gu Changqing sneered. "This boy and I share a deep affinity, so his will is my will! Furthermore, regarding that batch of goods from the autumn harvest..."

At this point,

Gu Changqing's expression turned frost-cold.

"Old Dong, did you really think I wouldn't find out who was behind that?"

Dong Dakang's eyes flickered a few times.

Just as he was about to speak...

Gu Changqing couldn't be bothered to argue any further with such a person, and said indifferently, "I have matters to attend to at home, so I won't keep you... Someone, show the guest out!"