Today, Shawn wasn't around, but the new guy Caleb was quick to get the hang of things. He settled in fast.
As for Lyon, he mentioned he needed to go home to pick up a few things.
Noah thought to himself that the tools here were fairly well-stocked.
Caleb went out to run some errands and wasn't back yet, so Noah was alone in the shop.
Fortunately, there were fewer coffee orders in the afternoon, and Noah was managing just fine on his own.
He had previously learned a few popular and simple coffee types from Shawn.
Noah was packing up some coffee when a middle-aged man stormed into the shop. "Who made this coffee?!" he yelled.
This was the first time Noah had encountered an angry customer since opening the shop.
"Sir, please calm down. I'm the manager here. How can I assist you?" Noah asked politely.
The man angrily slapped a report on Noah's chest, and the sharp edge of the paper left a clear cut across Noah's face.
Noah quickly picked up the scattered report and started reading through it. The results clearly indicated food poisoning.
From what he could see, this was one of the few large orders placed today.
Moreover, the receipt on the report was indeed from his shop.
The man slammed the glass window with a deafening noise and began yelling at Noah.
"Do you realize what you've done? Our group ordered coffee from your place this afternoon, and now we're all in the hospital! Do you have any idea how much work this has delayed?!"
Noah wiped the spit off his face and bowed deeply with sincere apologies. "I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience caused. I'm more than willing to compensate for the losses."
Seeing Noah's humble attitude, the man's expression softened slightly. "If a food business can't even guarantee food safety, maybe it's better to just close up shop for everyone's sake."
If this had been an isolated case, Noah might have thought it was just a personal intolerance or some food incompatibility.
But the report clearly listed over ten people who had been hospitalized due to food poisoning.
"If it weren't for the fact that I don't like to waste money on food like this, I'd probably be in the hospital bed next to them," the man added sarcastically.
Noah maintained his calm expression despite the man's mocking tone. He walked out from behind the counter and poured the man a cup of warm water.
"Let's sit down and discuss the compensation."
To Noah's surprise, the man, seeing how cooperative he was, suddenly made a huge demand—five million in compensation.
"If you don't agree, I'll take this to the internet and expose your coffee shop. A few thousand dollars, and you'll be trending. After that, you can kiss your business goodbye, because the righteous netizens will shut you down for good."
With the man's evidence in hand, he was confident.
Noah's usually calm expression finally cracked.
Five million was no small amount.
But there was no guarantee that if he agreed, the man would actually settle for that.
At that moment, Caleb walked in, carrying two large bags.
"I'm back, boss," he said, out of breath from the cold outside.
...
Seeing the mess his new hire had caused on his very first day, Noah couldn't help but feel frustration bubbling up inside.
"Go to the back and tidy up the shelves," he ordered.
Caleb saw the clear red mark on his boss's face and immediately understood the situation—it was trouble.
Noticing how Noah looked so easy to bully, Caleb dropped his bags in the back and plopped down beside them, adopting a stance that clearly said, You dare mess with my boss, and you'll regret it.
His job? To protect his boss.
"Caleb, didn't I tell you to go organize the shelves properly? It's a mess back there. How did you finish so quickly?" Noah, frustrated, gave Caleb a disappointed look, hoping he'd suddenly wake up and stop standing around.
But Caleb wasn't so naïve. The man wasn't blind. He could see exactly what Caleb was up to. In a flash, the man shot up from his seat. "So you want two of you to bully one, huh?"
"Fine, fine, fine!" the man barked, taking out his phone. "I'm calling the market supervision bureau right now! Let them come and sort this out!!"
Noah saw things were getting out of hand, and quickly pressed Caleb's head down with his hand. "We apologize, he's new and doesn't know better. Please, be the bigger person and don't waste your time with him."
But Caleb was as stubborn as they come. He immediately shook off Noah's hand and glared fiercely at the man. "Go ahead, make the call! I'm not afraid! You think I care? Try saying 'Caleb' backward!"
With that, he shot the man a dismissive smile and gave him the middle finger.
This was it… Game over.
It was like a video game scenario—imagine you're shouting at your teammate, urging them to take action, but they're not even using voice chat. Worse, they're still attacking the enemy despite being in a hopeless situation. Noah could only watch, heart sinking, as the man dialed the number, cursing himself for hiring such a "perfect" assistant.
After the call, the man strutted around, his head held high, like some proud peacock. The truth was, with his broad face and short neck, he didn't look dignified at all.
Noah was almost shocked he even had the time to think about this, but there was nothing he could do now.
"Don't worry, boss. We're operating legally," Caleb said, full of confidence.
Noah gave him a silent, inward sigh, offering him three seconds of sympathy. Any more would be a waste.
There were surveillance cameras in the shop, and it was Caleb who had made the coffee. Noah just hoped they wouldn't be able to pin it on him.
Soon enough, two uniformed officers—one male and one female—stepped out of a car. "We're from the Market Supervision Bureau. We've received a complaint and need to conduct a spot inspection."
"I-I-I was the one who reported it," the man said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
The inspectors quickly began a thorough check, from the business license to the cleanliness of the shop.
"This batch of coffee beans is a spoiled product. Under food safety laws, you're subject to a fine of between 50,000 and 100,000 yuan."
"Due to the food poisoning incident affecting multiple people, the situation is serious, so we'll fine you the full 100,000. You'll also need to cover the hospital bills for the poisoned customers."
Noah hadn't looked into the penalties before, but this fine didn't hurt as much as the 5 million the man had demanded.
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll make sure to check the store's food safety regularly from now on."
The man stood there listening, clearly expecting something in return. He'd paid money to the inspectors, and to his staff, but not a word about getting paid himself. Wasn't this supposed to be his reward?
"What about me? I reported it! What do I get?" The man's eyes sparkled as he eagerly watched the officials, as if he expected to see a pile of cash handed over.
"We at the Market Supervision Bureau appreciate citizens who exercise their right to supervise and protect their legal rights. Given your situation, we're awarding you a reward of 3,000 yuan."
Noah couldn't help it—he snorted, but it was barely audible, more of an exasperated breath than a laugh.
This was what they called biting off more than you can chew.
Jake was the man who asked for 5 million yuan. How could he accept 3,000 yuan? After the people from the Market Supervision Administration left, Jake was still arrogant, "I didn't expect the fine was only this small." After saying that, he seemed to think of something happy, and the smile on his lips became bigger and bigger, "What do you think about making this video popular?" Noah didn't expect that there were even some female employees who were tortured by abdominal pain and looked pale and embarrassed, with vomit on their mouths. And this appearance became a weapon for his team leader to claim compensation from others. Use the palest paper to fold into the sharpest knife. "You are really mean."
Jake laughed wildly as if he heard a funny joke, "Messy?! If you don't do anything wrong, you don't have to worry about ghosts knocking on your door. If there is no problem with your coffee beans, would I come to your door?"
"Since the country can't fine you much, then I will fine you on behalf of us ordinary people! Get justice for them, get justice for my employees!!"
This speech was passionate. Jake was already standing on the moral high ground, looking down on Noah, an ant that could be crushed to death with just a stretch of his hand.
"Really?" Noah sneered. He had previously wanted to reach a settlement with such a person, which was simply wishful thinking.
This kind of person is like an abyss with no bottom, always asking for endless demands.
"I won't give you this money. You can expose it if you want. If you want to sue me, I am willing to accompany you."
In fact, the effect of suing now is not great, because the Market Supervision Administration has taken relevant measures, and Noah has also actively cooperated in paying the fine.
Jake didn't expect that Noah would dare to confront him, so don't blame him for being cruel.
"Just wait and see! You'll be popular soon!!"
The man left angrily with his face showing.
"You should go back early today, too. I plan to close the store early."
Caleb refused to leave, "Boss, don't be afraid. Since we signed the contract, I will live and die with you."
Noah looked at him strangely and said nothing.
"How can I lock the door if you don't go back? Are you going to sleep on the floor of the store at night?"
"Then I'm leaving, boss, don't worry too much."
After the people left, Noah made a phone call with a cold face.
"Is there a specific way to preserve coffee beans?"
Because he had taken a class, Noah had some simple understanding of coffee beans.
For example, the storage environment of coffee beans. "Because the store has air conditioning, I exhaust the air every time I use it to prevent moisture and deterioration. Is there something wrong with the store?"
Noah called Shawn.
"I hired someone, and the coffee he made caused more than a dozen people to be hospitalized for food poisoning."
Noah sighed unconsciously. When he worked with Shawn, he basically didn't have to worry about coffee.
It's even more impossible for such a big mistake to happen.
"A qualified barista can't not know how to store coffee beans in the right way."
That's right. Noah also suspected that Caleb might be problematic, which was why he called Shawn to confirm his suspicions.
Logically speaking, on the first day of a new employee's job, if something like this happened, they would be eager to run away, not stay. But Caleb was different. He swore to stick with Noah through thick and thin—but it was clear now: he wasn't offering to share the load or face danger together. He was hoping Noah would face it alone.
Noah grabbed the tablet linked to the surveillance system and carefully reviewed all the footage from the store opening until now, not missing a single moment. Sure enough, he noticed something odd. When preparing the large order, the coffee bags were left open for an unusually long time. And despite the large volume, for some reason, the work was being done slower than usual, even though there was no particularly complex process involved.
The only explanation: he was doing it on purpose.
Noah chuckled, his body trembling with suppressed laughter. He'd really thought Caleb was just an oblivious rookie, but it turned out he was playing a role—everything was deliberate, all an act to mislead him.
It had been an excellent performance, and Noah couldn't help but think it should be included in textbooks for future study.
Noah walked into the kitchen, glancing at the two white plastic bags on the floor with disdain. He decided to throw them straight into the trash and cover them up. Let those filthy things stay hidden, where they belong.
Afterward, he opened his short video app and switched to the local feed. There was still no sign of that annoying face, so Caleb was probably still preparing his next move.
After lunch, Noah leaned back leisurely in his chair, legs crossed, and opened the app again. This time, it wasn't like last time—he didn't have to wait long before he was hit with a perfectly tailored recommendation. The first video was of Jake, looking like he had been crying.
His face was scrunched up, the muscles contorting like layers of dough, creating a pitiful, almost exaggerated expression.
Just as Noah had expected, Jake was now playing the victim. But it was clear this wasn't Jake's usual style. Someone else had written the script for him.
Jake's tone was incredibly humble, almost pitiful, showing deep sympathy for the common folk. Noah, an ordinary citizen himself, couldn't help but feel his eyes water.
And in the video, Noah wasn't just an ordinary person. No, as the owner of a coffee shop, he had become the villain—the evil capitalist exploiting others for profit, selling subpar products at the cost of people's health.
Meanwhile, Jake had cleverly positioned himself as the hero, the righteous crusader who was fighting to defend his team's interests and ensure justice was served.
Wealth had always been a hot topic, and with the boost from the money and attention it attracted, this video was now trending in the top three.
The video was powerful, with a heart-wrenching BGM that made it even more impactful.
[This kind of person has no right to run a business. His license should be revoked! He should never be allowed to work in the food industry again. These pests should be eradicated once and for all!]
[This guy is amazing (likes, roses, roses, roses)! Not many people have the courage to speak up like you. With such a food environment, who would dare buy food from places like this?]
[I once bought a yogurt cheese bun from this shop, it looked great (awkward smile). But when I took a bite, I found a worm in it, a wriggling white one... (awkward smile). You have no idea how crushed I was (awkward smile).]
[This shop is actually quite good. I thought my stomach issues were my fault when I got food poisoning last time… (sobbing). Turns out, I was wrong.]
...
Noah couldn't remember having so many loyal customers—or selling that kind of product. These were all lies. Just one mouth spreading rumors.