VFGRC Chapter 48

Meanwhile, at Sanjiaokou…

Apart from Yu Bai’s snack stall, the entrances of various small snack stalls and eateries, large and small, were graced by the presence of personnel from the Food Safety Supervision Department.

“Good day, we are staff members from the Food Safety Supervision Department in City J. We kindly request your cooperation for our temporary random inspection…”

“Until the inspection results are released, your snack stall/snack store is temporarily prohibited from selling food.”

On ordinary days, occasional visits from the Food Safety Supervision Department would involve random checks of the small snack stalls and stores at Sanjiaokou.

However, never before had there been an instance like today when all the snack stalls and stores on this street were simultaneously subjected to inspection by the Food Safety Supervision Department.

For the snack stall owners who encountered such a grand arrangement for the first time, a sense of unease began to creep in.

When they combined this with the recent buzz on the internet…

Could it be? Could it possibly be true that the teppanyaki snack stall at Sanjiaokou, which had been enjoying a booming business lately, actually had a problem?

At the same time, almost everyone’s attention turned toward Yu Bai’s snack stall.

The two personnel from the Food Safety Supervision Department were busy taking samples of seasonings and ingredients from Yu Bai’s stall.

However, in the face of the sampling investigation by the Food Safety Supervision Department, Yu Bai remained remarkably composed, showing no sign of tampering with the ingredients or seasonings.

Yu Bai’s calm demeanor in the presence of the Food Safety Supervision Department personnel made those who were closely watching him start to doubt the online rumors and whispers.

“The investigation results will be publicly announced online in the next two days, and you will receive them via SMS on your mobile phones,” one of the staff members said. “If there are no issues, you can continue operating your stall here after the results are released…”

Except for Yu Bai’s teppanyaki snack stall, the other snack stalls and stores at Sanjiaokou followed the same procedure.

The owners and customers of the other snack stalls and stores were relatively cooperative with the work of the staff members, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Except for “Qiaozi Snack Store.”

As the liveliest snack shop at Sanjiaokou, just like its other branches, a long line formed outside “Qiaozi Snack Store” every day.

Now, when customers went to buy snacks at “Qiaozi Snack Store,” the waiting time in line had been shortened compared to before, but it still took at least half an hour to wait.

Therefore, when the customers who had patiently waited in line for over half an hour at “Qiaozi Snack Store” heard that it was going to be closed immediately and would only reopen after the sampling investigation results from the Food Safety Supervision Department were released, an instant wave of dissatisfaction swept through them.

“I was next in line to pick up my order! Why are you closing now?”

“Why couldn’t you wait until we all finished our purchases before conducting the sampling investigation?”

“I waited for almost an hour just to get to the front… Is this hour of waiting all for nothing?”

“Beep, beep.”

At the entrance of “Qiaozi Snack Store,” the sound of two car horns echoed.

A portly middle-aged man pushed open the car door and hurriedly ran to the entrance of “Qiaozi Snack Store”.

Seeing the two Food Safety Supervision Department personnel standing at the entrance of “Qiaozi Snack Store,” Qiao Chao’s eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on his face.

“Comrades, greetings, I’m Qiao Chao, the owner of ‘Qiaozi Snack Store’.”

As Qiao Chao spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took out two, and intended to offer them to the two Food Safety Supervision Department personnel, but they immediately declined.

Qiao Chao didn’t show any sign of displeasure, and he continued with a smile, “May I ask why there is a sudden sampling investigation of our snack store?”

The personnel replied, “We received a report from citizens that there are food safety issues with the food from the snack stalls and stores at Sanjiaokou. Given the recent emphasis on food safety, our department decided to conduct random sampling investigations of all the snack stalls and stores at Sanjiaokou.”

Qiao Chao narrowed his eyes.

Who’s the busybody here, reporting every single snack stall and store at Sanjiaokou?

“Oh, I see. Please go ahead and inspect,” Qiao Chao’s smile returned, “However, comrades, as you can see, there are many customers waiting in line outside my snack store. They’ve been waiting for a while, and it’s almost their turn to make their purchases. But you’re not allowing my store to sell snacks… The customers might become a bit unhappy. I want to ask if there’s any room for flexibility?”

The personnel replied, “I’m sorry. Unless we receive instructions from our superiors, we can’t make exceptions. But rest assured, random sampling investigations like today are not conducted frequently by our department and won’t impact the future business of the snack stores…”

Seeing the two unyielding personnel before him, the smile on Qiao Chao’s face faded.

“I see…”

After a brief conversation with the workers, Qiao Chao turned and walked slowly toward his own car.

As he walked, Qiao Chao pulled out his phone and dialed a phone number.

When running a food business, who can guarantee that their establishment is completely free of any shadow of doubt?

However, “Qiaozi Snack Store” relied heavily on its popularity. If even a minor issue were blown out of proportion, tarnishing the reputation of the snack shop, it could significantly impact the business.

So, Qiao Chao wanted to find someone who could help smooth things over, discreetly pay fines, make necessary improvements, and gently brush aside this matter.

The call connected.

“Qin-ge, is this a good time to talk? I have something urgent to discuss… it’s related to the company. If we can’t resolve it, our initial investment might go to waste…”

Qiao Chao sat in his car.

Just as the car started moving, Qiao Chao, who was still on the phone, noticed a figure outside the car window.

In front of a snack stall at Sanjiaokou, there stood a tall, slim young man holding a black folder and wearing glasses. He was engaged in a conversation with the stall owner.

This figure… seemed somewhat familiar.

Before Qiao Chao could ponder further, the driver in the front seat stepped on the gas pedal.

Qiao Chao’s attention wavered for a moment. By the time he looked through the rear window towards the direction of Sanjiaokou, the bespectacled young man had disappeared without a trace.

The sight of the young man was like a mirage.

Yes, he must have seen an illusion.

That low-key assistant who accompanied the reputedly formidable gourmet investor to City J… Why would he have the leisure to come to Sanjiaokou and chat with a snack stall owner?

Could it be that the investor is considering investing in a snack stall?

Qiao Chao, the owner of the sizable “Qiaozi Snack Store,” had gone to great lengths and finally found a way to potentially meet the legendary gourmet investor. Yet, instead of meeting the investor in person, he encountered only the assistant.

The snack stalls at Sanjiaokou were nowhere near comparable to his own chain of snack stores.

The low-profile investor, renowned for having a discerning eye in gourmet investments, would certainly not be interested in just a snack stall!

—

The sampling was concluded.

Until the sampling results were released, Yu Bai couldn’t go against the Food Safety Supervision Department’s directive and continue business as usual. Thus, he decided to temporarily close his stall for a couple of days.

“Excuse me, could you step aside? You’re blocking the way,” Yu Bai said to the talent scout who was still in front of his stall.

The talent scout chuckled, “You’re planning to shut down right after the Food Safety Supervision Department’s inspection? Feeling guilty, are you?”

Faced with the assertive attitude of the talent scout, Yu Bai was not someone who could be easily pushed around.

“The comrade earlier mentioned that until the inspection results are released, my snack stall can’t operate. If I can’t set up my stall, why should I stand around here foolishly? To enjoy the northwest wind?”

“Does going home normally means running away? Ha, you have quite the mouth on you, but it seems you’re only good at chattering away…”

After giving the talent scout a piece of his mind, Yu Bai continued, “I’m most grateful to the conscientious citizen who reported all the snack stalls and stores on this street. I conduct myself uprightly and have never engaged in any improper activities related to making snacks. Once the inspection results are out in a couple of days and the Food Safety Supervision Department clears me, I’ll be beyond delighted…”

According to Yu Bai’s thoughts, if it weren’t for that person who reported all the snack stalls and stores on the street, he would have voluntarily reported himself to the Food Safety Supervision Department these past two days, seeking to clear his name.

“Furthermore, we live in a society governed by laws, and spreading false rumors is against the law. If you really think there’s a problem with the snacks I sell, you’re more than welcome not to eat them…”

As Yu Bai spoke, his gaze seemed to casually sweep over the empty paper box in the talent scout’s hand.

That box once contained the teppanyaki tofu and teppanyaki rice cakes that Yu Bai had prepared earlier.

When the personnel from the Food Safety Supervision Department had come earlier, the talent scout had been eating and watching. Now he had finished the entire box of teppanyaki tofu and rice cakes.

Hearing Yu Bai’s words, the passersby and other snack stall owners around couldn’t help but cast peculiar glances at the talent scout.

The teppanyaki stall owner had a point. If the talent scout truly suspected an issue with the teppanyaki, how could he have devoured an entire box of it?

What a character this talent scout was! The investigation results from the Food Safety Supervision Department hadn’t even been released, and he was eagerly trying to pin something on the teppanyaki stall owner… Is this how talent scouts from internet-famous companies operate nowadays? Is this their shameless approach to scouting new talents? What an unsightly display!

The talent scout was taken aback by Yu Bai’s words, and his face quickly turned as red as a liver.

When the talent scout had been holding the teppanyaki, inhaling the tantalizing aroma of the sauce carried by the wind, how could he possibly control himself from indulging in the teppanyaki tofu and rice cakes?

“You, you, you…” The talent scout was like a chicken with its neck squeezed, his mouth gaping to retort, but he couldn’t manage to utter a complete sentence.

After a while, the talent scout finally blurted out with determination, “You, you just wait! In a couple of days, your snack stall will be finished!”

Yu Bai’s snack stall was currently on thin ice. Any small issue could be used against him, and if caught, he might never be able to operate his snack stall again.

The talent scout didn’t believe for a moment that Yu Bai’s snack stall would come out completely clean without a hint of food safety concern!

Ignoring the talent scout’s words as though he hadn’t heard them, Yu Bai pushed his snack cart directly beside the talent scout.

Yu Bai had only taken a couple of steps when someone blocked the path of his snack cart once again.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Yu Bai?”

A tall, slender young man with fair skin and a pair of glasses perched on his nose stood before Yu Bai’s snack cart.

This person… looks a bit familiar, Yu Bai felt as if he had seen them somewhere.

Yu Bai furrowed his brows, “Who are you?”

“Hello, I’m Hang Yuanshu.” Hang Yuanshu pushed his glasses up his nose, and they reflected a glint of light.

Hang Yuanshu smiled, “My boss is a gourmet investor. We’re interested in investing in your snack stall, for a collaboration…”

Behind Yu Bai.

Ji Rongyu squinted his eyes, strolling leisurely to Yu Bai’s side. He naturally placed his right hand gently on Yu Bai’s waist, his chin resting on Yu Bai’s shoulder.

Ji Rongyu’s narrow eyes, like a hunting wolf in the jungle, turned towards Hang Yuanshu. His gaze was infused with a chilling depth, putting immense pressure on Hang Yuanshu.

Hang Yuanshu’s gaze shifted away from Yu Bai and the boss, landing on the snack cart.

In an instant, the pressure on Hang Yuanshu lifted slightly.

Hang Yuanshu recalled.

His boss had mentioned a couple of days ago about having a very good relationship with a friend of the same sex… Could it be, uh, Yu Bai?

And also.

Among same-sex friends now, is it common to have such intimate interactions like hugging and leaning on each other’s shoulders?

 

The author has something to say:

Xiao Hang: Help, it seems like my understanding of the world has gone awry…

PS: There will be another update around 12 o’clock.