Amidst the chaos, it seemed that Yang Yang was impatient with the slow arrival of the ambulance. He shouted:
"Everyone, help carry her to my car. I'll take her to the hospital!"
Yang Yang shouted loudly, as if to ensure that even the customers on the second floor could hear.
The staff came over to help, but Yang Yang shoved them aside and yelled:
"Get out of the way, unscrupulous restaurant! What kind of so-called healthy food is this? It could kill someone!"
Cheng Baola gave the staff a signal to ignore him and followed Xu Zhengyang's instructions without arguing or refuting.
Two concerned customers helped carry YOYO to the car, and Yang Yang pointed his camera at the restaurant's sign, cursing as he did so.
The implication was clear: they were collecting evidence and would hold the restaurant accountable. Yang Yang then hurriedly got into the car and drove away.
Cheng Baola quickly reassured the remaining diners.
"I'm truly sorry. Those two internet celebrities had a grudge against us and deliberately framed us. Our ingredients are absolutely fine, so please eat with confidence."
However, her words sounded half-hearted to the diners.
Some who had already finished eating were fine, but others, who hadn't eaten yet, were hesitant to continue.
Cheng Baola had no choice but to offer a free meal to everyone and apologize individually.
The situation escalated rapidly.
Local channels on Fast Bean quickly featured the trending topic:
"Food Blogger YOYO Suffers Food Poisoning: Which Restaurant is Behind This?"
The most-watched video was YOYO's own footage. The second most-viewed was Yang Yang's livestream perspective.
Especially the part from YOYO's angle where the camera shook violently during her struggle, which immediately resonated with her followers.
This incident significantly boosted their follower counts.
Moreover, YOYO's statement, "I'll refund all the advertising fees to the owner. I'd rather not make this money than lie," received widespread support and praise from netizens.
Suddenly, the "Slim Eats" restaurant found itself at the center of controversy.
Cheng Baola felt immense pressure and didn't dare open the restaurant the next day.
The chefs and staff, who had just started working, were given the day off.
By the next day, the controversy had only intensified, spilling over beyond local platforms.
Local news media eagerly reported the incident, even newspapers got involved.
The hype reached such a level that the regional head of Fast Bean was alerted.
The local operations department of Fast Bean issued a statement online:
"We will thoroughly investigate this matter, protect the rights of platform creators and fans, and address the violations of Slim Eats Restaurant."
Slim Eats Restaurant had gained notoriety. People from both the south and north of the city came from far and wide to see this restaurant. Media and tabloids staked out the place, keeping a close watch.
For a time, the food poisoning incident became the biggest local news.
Yang Yang and YOYO were delighted.
Finally, they had avenged themselves.
"Xu Zhengyang, aren't you so full of yourself?"
They felt like laughing in Xu Zhengyang's face.
In an office.
Yang Yang and YOYO sat across from a well-dressed man.
He looked very pleased with them.
"Alright, let's leave it at this for now. Wait for my news, and I'll arrange for a lawyer to contact you. Provide the evidence to the lawyer and we'll aim to win this case. You might even gain a million followers."
"Thank you, Director Wei!"
They expressed their gratitude profusely.
They hadn't expected the outcome to be so favorable. Even the regional head of the platform had contacted them, offering to fund a lawyer to sue the restaurant.
The amount of compensation was secondary.
The key was the publicity—taking the controversy to a new level and demonstrating the platform's protection and support for creators, and its firm stance in such matters.
YOYO and Yang Yang would also gain followers.
It was a perfect deal.
By the third day, Slim Eats Restaurant still had not responded to the media.
This silence only seemed to confirm their guilt and fueled further speculation.
Just as the situation seemed to be reaching a stalemate, more shocking news emerged.
YOYO filed a lawsuit against Slim Eats Restaurant.
The evidence included videos and a hospital report.
Of course, the report was fabricated by a doctor.
Strangely, on the morning of the third day, one of the restaurant's owners, Xu Zhengyang, appeared at the restaurant's entrance, openly facing the media's scrutiny.
Upon hearing this, YOYO and Yang Yang personally delivered the court summons with their lawyer.
Xu Zhengyang stood calmly on the steps, watching as YOYO and Yang Yang approached through the crowd.
"Mr. Xu! Ha, what do you have to say now? Aren't you so full of yourself? Not so impressive now, are you?"
Yang Yang mocked as he moved closer to Xu Zhengyang.
Xu Zhengyang remained unflappable.
"I said I would make you regret this for life, and I haven't even started yet."
"Don't bother starting, it's already over!"
YOYO coldly handed a summons to Xu Zhengyang.
"I told you I'd ruin you!"
She whispered with vengeful satisfaction in her eyes.
Xu Zhengyang carefully accepted the summons.
"Ah, finally arrived. Don't worry, I will definitely have my lawyer present on time."
"Heh, you probably don't need a lawyer. You have no chance. Just wait to be crushed by us!"
Yang Yang scoffed at Xu Zhengyang's mention of hiring a lawyer, though he felt a nagging unease.
After all, YOYO's hospital report was fabricated. What if they found something out?
He was a bit anxious.
"How could I let you down after you've worked so hard? I'm not short on money, so I'll definitely hire the best lawyer and sue you to the fullest."
Xu Zhengyang carefully folded the summons and pointed at the two of them.
Strangely, when Xu Zhengyang said this, both of them felt a pang of unease.
"Sue us!? What right do you have? We're suing you! You don't even know how you'll die. You're so clueless and still dare to sue us! I suggest you don't hire a lawyer, or you'll end up worse!"
Just hearing Xu Zhengyang's threat made Yang Yang nervous and he threatened Xu Zhengyang in a panicked tone.