Across the Huatian Teahouse, there was a well-known restaurant that had been standing there since the founding of the Zou Kingdom. The name of the restaurant is Rising Phoenix Restaurant. Though the name is domineering, the inside of the restaurant is only so-so and the taste of the food is not that appetizing, but what could the others do? Look for the small stalls to create better food. They must be dreaming.
The owner of the restaurant is called Mandao, He is an obese person with an obsession with money. He likes to trick people and even get away from the nobles. How so? Because he adulterated some of the goods and set the price higher than it should be. They are just villains extorting money from anyone!
However, when the Tea House was established, fewer and fewer people went inside his restaurant. He was fuming and very angry at the good result of the small newbies! He wanted to know what's their secret and what they could possibly have that his restaurant doesn't have.
At first, he used his people to integrate themselves inside the Teahouse and rat them out, who would've thought they would cling to the other's thighs and abandon him? Mandao was very furious!
He tried inquiring to some nobles that was his customers but what could he gain from them? Even if their nobles, their lower than the big shots that came and went the Teahouse! Mandao felt his blood pressure rising!
His trusted right-hand man, Po, wanted to help his Master and volunteered to see what was inside the Tea House, Mandao huffed before telling him to go,
"If you try to stay with those little bees, let's see where you will see your family! Leave!"- Po nodded and hastily went to the Tea House.
Bai Zhishi, seeing the influx of new recruits and customers felt a bit taken aback but it was only for a moment. He bought those people who tried to spy on their tea house with one gold coin each. Since those people are willing and also good-natured, Bai Zhishi let them get a job as waiters on the first floor.
He was watching from the third floor how one man hastily sped towards his tea house with an anxious look on his face.
Ke Xin was waiting for him at the side, also seeing the fat restaurant owner going deeper inside his so-called restaurant.
"Say, Ke Xin,"- Bai Zhishi spoke and turned to face Ke Xin.
"If I take over that puny restaurant, will Owner Lan agree to let me Own it as mine or will he take it?"- Bai Zhishi asked him.
"Master, if you choke Owner Lan with gold, you already know the answer,"- Ke Xin smiled at him. Bai Zhishi nodded and chuckled.
"That's true, well then, shall we see this rat in the house?"- Bai Zhishi asked as they walked downstairs. There was a small commotion at the entrance and since it's the commoner's place, they are naturally willing to see and hear the commotion.
"What did this owner give to you small lots? Why did you turn tails and bite on Master Mandao's grace? You're all just small slaves! Without Master Mandao! You are all just dirt!"- The old man berated the group that was previously waiters of the restaurants. Bai Zhishi took notice of the blackening of the waiters' facial expressions and their knuckles all white from clamping their fists hard.
"Master, they are gathering unwanted attention,"- Ke Xin reminded his Master who looked like he wanted to see the show rather than resolve it.
"Do not worry Ke Xin, if they try to ruin my first floor, they'll go out of this place with nothing but their clothes."- Bai Zhishi told him and stayed on the second floor and sat the an inconspicuous place to see the show. Taoqi arrived and sat across him placing a small plate of nuts for them to munch on.
"You say, what does that fat Mandao give to us, his waiters? At the end of the day, he will give fifteen copper coins as wages and a whole bunch of insulting words! Pei! Who needs to see his horrible face!"-A middle-aged man shouted indignantly,
"That's right! Only fifteen copper coins! Even the masons and carpenters of our Capital earn more coppers than us ah!"- A younger male shouted in anger.
"Your unfair treatment of your crew for the sake of getting gold from the customers! Are you and that Fat Mandao not scared for us to disclose your horrible secrets!"- The old man in the group shouted at Po with his grievances.
This pique everyone's attention and they hurry the old man to tell them. The Old man happened to see Bai Zhishi on the second floor and saw him give his consent.
"MANDAO OF RISING PHOENIX RESTAURANT IS A BIG SCAM!"- Seeing the old man start to talk, Po was left in a difficult position!
"HE TREATED HIS WAITERS LIKE BUGS! GIVE ONLY 15 COPPER COINS FOR THE WAGES AND EXTORTING MONEY FROM THE NOBLES!"
"HIS FOOD IS SO BAD! HOW COULD THEY GIVE GOLD? MANDAO STRUNG UP DIFFERENT STORIES ABOUT GETTING HEALTHY OR AGING SLOWLY! TRASH! THOSE ARE ALL LIES AND TRASH! HE ADULTERATED THE FOOD INGREDIENTS! THOSE FOOD WERE JUST FARCE!"
*Gasp!*
Everyone heard their shouts and were all terrified! That restaurant's food- adulterated?! MANDAO IS SO THICK-FACED AH! LYING TO ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE CAPITAL!
"We should raise this to the magistrate! Having a scum doing such horrendous things to exploit money! Don't know when but he might poison on his food for loving so much gold!"- A nobleman on the second floor acted up and the rest nodded in agreement. Existing with such a person in this City- Their stomach churned and they felt so disgusted.
"Now what will you do Po? Stick with that monster? Don't forget he's not the only one who oppressed us!"- the waiters threatened him as Po shivered and paled.
He scrambled up and ran back to the restaurant, he needed to tell this bad news to him immediately! He doesn't want to go to jail!
Seeing that the show already ended, Bai Zhishi lifted his eyesight and met a pair of eyes staring back at him. Taoqi followed his master's gaze and saw a man in a yellow robe, looking regal even in his middle age.
"Eh! Isn't that Magistrate Yun?"- Taoqi asked with his voice naturally loud and he didn't have the intention to whisper either, the Noblemen turned and saw the magistrate and pestered him to block and jail Mandao.
At first, Magistrate Yun doesn't want to do it, after all, he is an accomplice and he had a share of Mandao's riches, but when a man's clear voice stood out of everyone's voices he perked up and solemnly gaze at the man in green robe.
"If Mandao keeps operating at such matter, wouldn't he have guts to poison anyone because nobody knows? If the royalties ever try to dine there and die, wouldn't they accuse the magistrate of letting such a monster run a business? Tricking the Zou Kingdom's people? Not only that, the low wages and bullying he did to those commoners, its already an offense from the rules that the Royal Family implemented."- Bai Zhishi gave a lengthy speech and the nobles all agreed and pushed the Magistrate to punish the man. He had no choice, some of the nobles here have a connection from the Royalties if words got out- He wouldn't be able to keep his head!