Chapter 516: Saying My Seafood Isn’t Fresh?

A man in a short-sleeved shirt, face full of flesh and a bulging belly, stood with a ferocious glare as he jabbed a finger at the oysters on his plate and shouted furiously.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As he yelled, he hammered his ceramic plate with a fork, the shrill, grating sound making everyone in the restaurant frown and turn to look.

“You call this a seafood restaurant? This seafood isn’t even fresh! Where’s the boss? I want compensation! My stomach’s acting up!” the man shouted louder, one hand dramatically clutching his chest as if he were in genuine discomfort.

Oddly enough, the nearby servers didn’t seem alarmed at all. In fact, they looked outright annoyed.

“What’s going on here?” a crisp, clear voice called from the back.

It was a woman—a little plump, with kind features and a warm smile. She wore the same uniform as the servers.

As she stepped out, the four servers immediately gathered around her, their expressions now tinged with concern but not for the customer. Their worry was clearly for her.

“You’re the owner?”

The man pointed his fork at her.

She looked to be around thirty-five. Seeing the fork aimed at her, she raised her hands in front of her chest, smile undisturbed.

“Please, sir, calm down. Let’s talk this through. Put the fork down, and tell me what happened.”

Her voice was soft and gentle, her eyes sincere.

But a server beside her couldn’t hold back anymore. He stepped forward with a scowl.

“This is the fourth time you’ve said our seafood isn’t fresh. What do you really want? Our boss is kind-hearted. She knows you’re recently divorced, out of work, and have a child to raise. But that’s no reason for you to keep trying to extort us.”

The server’s words only made the man more agitated.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of the fork striking the plate grew louder and more violent.

Several diners nearby stood up in indignation after hearing that, though none stepped in yet. Most just frowned at the spectacle. Some, however, remained indifferent, continuing to eat while watching the commotion unfold with amused expressions.

“Oh, great! Everyone heard that, didn’t you? This is the fourth time! Proves just how bad their seafood really is! And you dare spy on me behind my back? I have the right to file a complaint against you for invading my privacy. Looks like this is a shady restaurant! Maybe I should call the police and have them come inspect this place properly!”

The man finished and whipped out his phone, acting like he was about to call the authorities.

That made the owner visibly anxious. She stepped forward and tried to stop him.

“No, no, please, where exactly are you feeling unwell? I can take you to the hospital. Or… or just tell me how you’d like to resolve this.”

She hadn’t even finished speaking before two servers hurried to grab her arms.

“Sis, this is exactly what he wants. He’s waiting for you to panic. If you keep giving in, he’ll just keep pushing! Let him call the cops! Justice is on our side.”

The server’s face had gone pale with fury. His eyes looked like they wanted to stab the man on the spot.

The man, completely unbothered, exaggerated his movements as he slowly pressed digits on his beat-up old phone.

“I can’t. My mother-in-law’s in the hospital, my kid’s got exams coming up, and if the shop gets shut down for inspection, we’re finished. I need cash fast. You all know I even mortgaged my house.”

The woman’s face was clouded with worry as she spoke softly to the servers beside her. Her voice was so low that even the man across from her could barely hear.

But from the entrance, Wang Yun heard every word loud and clear. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the man carefully.

In the next second, he walked straight toward the man.

Not because he liked meddling. But because he recognized the oysters on that table, and the other seafood on nearby diners’ plates.

They were from the batch he’d sold this morning. Every single piece had been caught fresh from the ocean. If someone said the flavor wasn’t good, he could live with that. But to say it wasn’t fresh?

That was a direct slap to his face.

“Well? Have you made up your mind yet? We’re all neighbors here, I won’t make it hard for you. Just give me two thousand yuan, and we’ll call it even. If I report this, you’ll be facing at least a month-long shutdown. Doesn’t matter how it turns out, are you ready for that?”

The man’s voice grew even more aggressive. He acted fearless, smug, and clearly not in the least bit sick.

The diners couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Hey, buddy, you only ordered one serving of oysters. That plate costs thirty-nine yuan.”

“You’ve eaten all but the last one, and now you’re saying you’re unwell? Where were your symptoms five minutes ago?”

“Don’t push your luck. We eat here all the time. We know the seafood’s fresh!”

“Two thousand? Are you nuts? After labor and rent, this place probably doesn’t make two thousand in a day!”

Once one person spoke up, the rest joined in one after another.

The atmosphere shifted in an instant. Morale was instantly boosted.