The elevator quickly reached the first floor, and Lin Jiang quickened his pace to leave.
’What a pain in the ass.’
He had only taken a few steps when he received a message from Xu Lin.
Xu Lin: "It’s the weekend. My mom misses the kid, so he’s taking us over."
A message like that could be interpreted in different ways.
It seemed like meaningless fluff, but it carried a deeper meaning.
Lin Jiang: "Nice acting."
Xu Lin: "[I’ll-kill-you.jpg]"
After arriving at the shop, Lin Jiang did the same as yesterday: he filled a large bucket with water, added the "Delicious Seasoning," and his task was complete.
But he couldn’t leave just yet today. There were many things waiting for him to do.
BZZZT—
His phone buzzed. It was a message from Li Zhiyi.
Li Zhiyi: "Mr. Lin, the license plates are ready. You can come pick them up anytime."
Lin Jiang: "I’m a bit busy today. Can I pick them up tomorrow?"
Li Zhiyi: "How about I pick them up for you? You can just grab them from me when you have time, or I can deliver them to you tonight."
Lin Jiang: "Oh, that’s too much trouble. Let’s do tonight. I’ll head over when I have time."
Li Zhiyi: "Okay."
Soon, Li Yuanyuan and the other two employees arrived. Lin Jiang instructed them,
"While you’re working today, pay close attention to hygiene. It’s better to turn away customers than to not have a spotless back kitchen."
"Got it."
"Go to the tobacco and liquor store next door and get four cartons of Hehua cigarettes and four bottles of Maotai. Tell them to put it on my tab and I’ll settle up later. And have the owner pack them in a sealed box," Lin Jiang said to Li Yuanyuan.
"Oh, okay, got it."
Li Yuanyuan was very diligent. Without asking any questions, she wiped her hands and went out. She quickly returned with the items Lin Jiang wanted and placed them behind the counter.
In the afternoon, when the shop was less crowded, Lin Jiang had them clean the place one more time.
Lin Jiang didn’t make them work for nothing. He bought watermelon and ice cream, and everyone enjoyed the treats immensely.
"Who’s the owner here?"
Just then, the beaded curtain at the entrance was pushed aside, and two men in uniform walked in from outside.
Li Yuanyuan and the other two employees froze for a moment, then looked at Lin Jiang.
"Hello, my name is Ma Pengfei, and this is my colleague, Ding Xiao. We’re from the Market Supervision Administration. We received a report that there’s a problem with your ingredients and that your hygiene conditions are very poor. We’re here to conduct an inspection."
"Who made that call? That’s pure slander! We’ve always run an honest business and have never done anything to be ashamed of. Ever since I was little, my mom taught me that a child from a poor family..."
"Alright, alright, calm down." Ma Pengfei saw right through Lin Jiang’s act and said,
"Whether it’s slander or not, we’ll decide after our inspection. As the owner, we hope you’ll cooperate with our work."
"Of course. If you’ve done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. Please, inspect whatever you like."
"Take us to the back kitchen."
Lin Jiang got up and led the two men to the back kitchen.
Ding Xiao took out his phone, preparing to record the condition of the kitchen.
After they entered, they found the back kitchen was much cleaner than they had expected. The floor was also spotless.
Various ingredients were stored in the refrigerator, all looking very fresh.
"What’s in this bucket?"
"It’s chicken broth we’re simmering."
Lin Jiang went over and opened the lid of the metal bucket. The chicken had been cooked until the meat was falling off the bone, but its shape was still visible.
"When did you get the beef in the cooler?"
"It came in yesterday. We braised it overnight and are selling it today. It’s all fresh. I even have the delivery receipt right here."
Ma Pengfei nodded and went to look at the beef in the cooler again.
This was their job, so they could tell the quality at a glance.
"I’ve been to many places, and your back kitchen is one of the cleaner ones. Keep it up, and your business will last a long time."
"Yes, yes, you’re right. That’s always been our business philosophy."
"The rice, flour, grains, and oils under the table are a bit messy. Put something underneath them to prevent moisture damage. Tidy up these details and strive for the best."
"You got it. We’ll fix it right away."
"Carry on with your work. We won’t keep you from your business."
"Okay, okay. I’ll see you out."
"There’s no need to see us out. Just focus on running a good, honest business."
"I insist. Anyone who comes is a guest. If you won’t stay for a meal, you at least have to let me see you out."
"You really know how to do business."
Ma Pengfei said with a smile and led Ding Xiao out.
Lin Jiang looked back and gave Li Yuanyuan a meaningful glance. After whispering something in her ear, he hurried after Ma Pengfei.
The neighboring shopkeepers and passersby all saw this scene. They didn’t know what had happened to warrant a visit from the Market Supervision Administration.
Lin Jiang paid them no mind and escorted the two men to their car.
"Alright, that’s far enough. Go back to your shop."
"Okay, okay. Drive safe, and be careful on the road."
"Mm."
Just then, Li Yuanyuan’s voice called out as she approached, holding a large box.
"Big Brother, you haven’t taken the things you confiscated yet."
Lin Jiang slapped his forehead. ’She could have just called them ’Director’! What’s with this ’Big Brother’ nonsense?’
Ma Pengfei and Ding Xiao exchanged a glance.
They hadn’t confiscated anything. What was she bringing over?
Without giving the two a chance to ask, Lin Jiang opened the rear car door, and Li Yuanyuan placed the cardboard box on the back seat.
Lin Jiang then shut the door in one smooth motion. Ma Pengfei suspected he must have practiced it.
"Thank you for your hard work. Drive safely. I won’t take up any more of your time," Lin Jiang said with a serious expression.
"Please rest assured, Directors. In the future, we will definitely correct our mistakes and learn from the Spring Harmony Noodle Shop, using old hens for our broth and imported Wagyu beef for our braised beef."
The two men drove away, completely bewildered by what they had just heard.
’What the hell?’
’Using an old hen for broth is understandable, but who uses imported Wagyu for braised beef?!’
"Brother Fei, what did she put in the car? We didn’t confiscate anything."
Ma Pengfei, driving the car, said with a smile, "Take a look and you’ll see."
Ding Xiao turned around, grabbed the cardboard box, and casually opened it.
"I can’t believe it’s this stuff!"
"That’s why I say he’s smart. He knew we couldn’t accept it if he gave it to us directly, so he came up with this excuse." Ma Pengfei chuckled. "You can’t very well refuse to take something that’s been ’confiscated,’ can you?"
"That kid is way too shrewd."
"He just said that the Spring Harmony Noodle Shop next door uses imported Wagyu beef for their braised beef, right?" Ma Pengfei asked.
"That’s what he said. It’s probably just some nonsense they tell food bloggers to create hype."
"Let’s check on that shop when we get back. See if they’ve made any advertisements like that," Ma Pengfei said.
"Importing Wagyu is currently banned in the country. If they’re using it, it’s smuggling. If they’re not, it’s false advertising."

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