Chapter Sixty-Three: Ruthless Measures

"I heard there's a psychopathic murderer at Inferno Kitchen!"
"I heard that psycho has killed at least ten people, not even sparing stray cats and dogs!"
"I heard the police still haven't found the victims' bodies!"
"I heard customers who ate meat at Inferno Kitchen have nightmares at night!"
"I heard…"

Past eight o'clock in the evening,
Inferno Kitchen, which should have been bustling during peak hours, was utterly deserted, not a single customer in sight.
All the staff sat dejectedly at the restaurant entrance, unable to retort or defend themselves against the rumors drifting by.
They had tried before, but it only made things worse; nothing could change the fact that Zhao Gang had indeed been taken away by the police.

Behind the cash register at the back of the restaurant, Old Shen, wearing his reading glasses, was ceaselessly tapping at the calculator, matching invoices and receipts, his expression growing more grim with every calculation.
Since Zhao Gang's departure, business had declined day by day; now, revenue had hit absolute zero.

"This Zhao Gang, I never should have entrusted the entire restaurant to him. Now, the whole place is sunk because of him. What am I supposed to do?"
Old Shen took off his glasses, anxious and troubled.
Daily expenses, wages for eight employees, and the mass of ingredients in the fridge—they all required money!

"Anyone know a talented chef? If you do, I'll contact him immediately! The pay is negotiable."
"Boss Shen, it's not about finding a chef anymore. Haven't you heard what everyone’s saying? Our reputation is ruined, beyond saving—even a deity couldn't help us," an older waiter shook his head. "Boss Shen, just settle my wages."
"I'm quitting too. If I stay, who knows, someone might accuse me of being an accomplice."
"Boss Shen, I’ll be leaving as well. You’d better hire someone else."

The eight employees spoke politely enough, but their resolve was clear; their minds were made up.

"Don't leave, please, just give it a bit more time. Don’t believe those rumors. I know Zhao Gang, he’s not a murderer, he just happened to know one," Old Shen hastened to persuade them.
"Boss Shen, it’s no use telling us. You need to convince everyone else."
"It’s not just about the murderer now—people are questioning the ingredients used in the restaurant… Even I almost believe the rumors, let alone outsiders."
"There’s no explaining it now, unless Brother Zhao comes out to testify himself."
"By the time Brother Zhao gets out, we’ll all have starved. Forget it."

"Boss Shen, stop trying to persuade us. While you still have the means to pay us, let’s part on good terms. I’ll still send you holiday greetings."
"You…" Old Shen hadn’t managed a business in years; now faced with a crisis, he was completely at a loss.

"Boss Shen, I advise you to sell the restaurant quickly. The longer you drag this out, the more you’ll lose—if you’re not careful, you’ll lose everything."
The older waiter sighed and shook his head, then took off his apron and stood by the cash register—his meaning clear.
With his lead, the others packed up tables and stored the awning, making one last effort for the restaurant.

The scene may have seemed cold, but it was reality; nobody would gamble their future.

"All right, Old Du, Little Wang, make a few good dishes for everyone. Let’s have a farewell meal together," Old Shen, realizing he couldn’t keep them, decided to leave a good impression before parting.
"Sure." Old Du nodded and, with a kitchen helper, went to the back; soon, the sound of cooking filled the air.

The meal lasted until after ten o’clock.
During it, everyone toasted each other, marking a perfect end to their years of camaraderie.
Old Shen wasn’t much of a drinker, but he had a few sips.
Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, when settling wages, Old Shen gave each person a small red envelope—just a few hundred each, but the gesture mattered more than the amount; he was, after all, a decent boss.

Sitting alone in the empty restaurant, Old Shen pondered Old Du’s words.
He knew better than anyone: once a restaurant’s reputation is truly ruined, it’s essentially a death sentence.

He sighed, picked up the phone, and dialed a number from his contacts.
Ring—

…

Meanwhile, at Neighbor’s Kitchen, which had just closed for the night, the five restaurant owners—Zhu, Ma, Liu, Yang, and Ji—were gathered together.
Li Can and Su Rui sat at the table closest to the kitchen.

No one spoke.

Buzz—
Boss Zhu’s phone rang, and everyone perked up.

"Hello, who is it…"
"Oh, Old Shen? So late, what’s the matter?"
"What? You want to sell your restaurant?"

"This… You know my connections, I’ll ask around and see if anyone’s interested."
Boss Zhu hung up, and then Boss Ma’s phone rang, followed by Boss Liu, Boss Yang, and Boss Ji…

There was no doubt—all the calls were from Old Shen, essentially offering to sell Inferno Kitchen and asking if anyone would take over.

Buzz, buzz…

Ten minutes later, Su Rui’s phone finally rang.

"Answer it—he has no other options now. It’s the perfect time to press for a lower price," Li Can said with a smile, handing her the phone.

At that moment, Su Rui realized she understood Li Can less and less. Despite being barely twenty, his methods were ruthless—he could even get Boss Ma and the others to mobilize all their connections to achieve his aims.

"Don’t feel guilty; you didn’t participate," Li Can reassured her, sensing her discomfort with the situation.

"No, since you’re my employee, I have a duty to stand by you in everything," Su Rui replied firmly, then took the phone and spoke with Old Shen.

In just two or three minutes, they reached a preliminary agreement; the details would be discussed face-to-face the next day.

"Congratulations, Boss Su! Neighbor’s Kitchen will surely flourish from now on."
"Indeed, don’t forget to look after us!"
"Look after us? With Brother Li Can here, we’ll never run out of business—better start thinking about how to spend all that money."
"Haha, yes, yes!"

Boss Ma and the others scrambled to offer their congratulations, as if fearing Li Can would resent them if they were slow.
They were genuinely afraid now—if Li Can ever turned his tactics on them, the outcome would be far worse than what happened to Old Shen!

After this, Boss Ma and the others no longer dared to treat Li Can as a mere youth.
Who would dare underestimate him? They might not even know how they’d meet their end.

Terrifying.

"Let’s hope so," Li Can chuckled. "Since everyone’s free tonight, it’s a good chance to share some culinary experience."

Upon hearing this, Boss Ma and the others were thrilled.

(To be continued…)