C14 He Failed to Steal the Chicken but Got Himself into Trouble

The next morning, Chu Yang was sleeping soundly when his notification alarm abruptly went off.

"You have a new refund request. Please address it promptly!"

Chu Yang rubbed his eyes and glanced at the message, instantly wide awake.

This was the first refund request he'd ever received since opening his shop.

Chu Yang figured that maybe his items were priced so low that the deities preferred to leave a bad review rather than bother with after-sales service.

But today, unexpectedly, he had a case to handle.

With a sense of trepidation, Chu Yang accessed the backend to see which deity had made the request.

To his astonishment, the issue wasn't with the shoes he'd sold the day before, which had all been confirmed as received. Instead, the after-sales service request was for a tub of instant noodles he'd casually listed!

After-sales service number: 200001556545158852

Refund application: God of Cookery

Reason for application: The shop owner is suspected of false advertising. The picture clearly shows a large chunk of beef, but in reality, there are only a few tiny beef granules. This is deceptive to consumers. I, as a deity, am extremely dissatisfied. The shop owner must issue a refund, apologize, and post an apology statement on the homepage of the shop for one year!

"Damn, so that's what this is about!"

Chu Yang read the details and couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration.

The discrepancy between the instant noodles' packaging and the actual product was indeed misleading, but by human legal standards, this wouldn't qualify as false advertising.

The packaging did state, "The image is for reference only, please refer to the actual product."

With this disclaimer, the seller had fulfilled the obligation to inform, thus bearing no legal liability.

After some thought, Chu Yang opened the chat box for the God of Cookery. "Pal, your after-sales request has been received by our shop. Please note the disclaimer next to the picture, which provides a detailed explanation.

Of course, it's possible that you overlooked it when making the purchase. However, our shop prioritizes customer satisfaction and is willing to fully refund your soul stones. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Should you have any further issues, please don't hesitate to reach out to customer service."

The instant noodles weren't costly, and although the God of Cookery had partaken, there was no sense in alienating a deity over such a trivial sum. Chu Yang promptly approved the refund request, and the soul stones spent on the noodles were returned to the God of Cookery's account.

Meanwhile, the God of Cookery was taking it easy in the imperial kitchen. Last night, after a collaborative effort by the chefs, the Heavenly Court's version of Braised Beef Noodles was finally unveiled. This dish, embodying the pinnacle of culinary excellence in the Heavenly Court, featured flour and beef sourced exclusively for the royal family, with each seasoning meticulously chosen to ensure perfection.

Once ready, the God of Cookery, carrying the meal in a food box, personally delivered it to the Jade Emperor's Palace. Upon learning it was Braised Beef Noodles, the Jade Emperor immediately rebuked him, "What nonsense is this beef noodles? I've had it tens of thousands of times. I'd rather starve than take another bite!"

"Your Majesty, please, hear me out. This batch is truly different. Give it a try, I swear on the honor of our ancestors!" pleaded the God of Cookery, sweating bullets as he made his vow.

Seeing the God of Cookery invoke the ancestors, the Jade Emperor skeptically took a taste. "Hic, delicious!" he exclaimed. Moments later, the Jade Emperor, content and burping, settled back into his dragon throne.

"Since Your Majesty enjoys it, I shall prepare it for you daily," the God of Cookery said, his eyes brimming with tears of joy.

Having dealt with the Jade Emperor's anorexia and enduring endless scolding, even facing bonus cuts, the God of Cookery felt a weight lift from his shoulders as the Jade Emperor relished the meal with such gusto.

However, his enthusiasm was met with a cold response. The Jade Emperor, less than pleased, admonished him, "God of Cookery, I'm not trying to criticize you, but in over a thousand years managing the imperial kitchen, you've introduced so few new dishes. You fall far short of your predecessors! Going forward, you must continue to be as bold and innovative as you were today. That's the only way you won't let me down. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes, I will heed your teachings," the God of Cookery said with apparent eagerness, though his heart was heavy with worry. For tens of thousands of years, the Grandmasters had completed their paths, and for a disciple with limited talent like him, carving a new path was no easy feat.

On his way back, the God of Cookery's thoughts turned to Chu Yang. If his restaurant offered braised beef noodles, surely he had other innovative ideas. If he could willingly share them, wouldn't that be delightful?

Once back in the imperial kitchen, the God of Cookery shared his thoughts with the other chefs, who all began brainstorming with gusto.

"I've got it!" Chen Yan suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the noodle barrel.

The God of Cookery, brimming with excitement, eagerly inquired about his idea. Chen Yan's plan was straightforward: leverage Chu Yang's false advertising as leverage to demand a return of goods and a published apology, then use this as leverage in negotiations.

Chen Yan's tactics were ruthless. If Chu Yang was caught in the act, he'd be at their mercy from then on. Being accused of consumer fraud on the Celestial Amazon Store was a major scandal.

If he had to publish an apology for a year, his shop's reputation would be ruined. How could he do business after that?

Having ironed out the details, the God of Cookery promptly requested a refund. However, Chu Yang was already asleep and missed the notification.

The God of Cookery waited anxiously; this was a matter of his annual bonus. Without it, he, a deity as poor as dirt, might lose access to resources necessary for his cultivation.

"Ding! The seller has agreed to your refund request. The soul stones have been returned to your account."

Just when the God of Cookery was on tenterhooks, the system message finally arrived, albeit belatedly.

"It's done!" he exclaimed joyfully, quickly opening the chat box.

The other chefs gathered around, their eyes glued to the screen, unblinking. But upon reading Chu Yang's reply, the God of Cookery and his colleagues were left speechless, and the imperial kitchen fell into a hushed silence.

"Move aside!"

Regaining his composure, the God of Cookery let out a bellow, shoving through the crowd to seize the instant noodle bowl.

His heart sank when he saw the disclaimer, "Images are for reference only, actual product may vary."

"It's over. Not only did I fail to catch the other party's mistake, but I've also managed to offend them. What am I going to do?"

Defeated, the God of Cookery slumped to the ground, too distraught to even cry.

The surrounding chefs exchanged bewildered glances.

No one had noticed the small print in the corner of the image; it was incredibly sly!

"Chen Yan, you scoundrel, what kind of lousy scheme did you come up with? I swear I'll thrash you today!"

The God of Cookery's fury ignited at the thought of his entire year-end bonus being withheld.

Yet, after scouring the kitchen, he found that Chen Yan had already made a swift exit.

"Manager, please, take a moment to cool off. We'll deal with that kid later. Right now, we need to focus on how to handle this situation."

The chefs hastily intervened, urging the God of Cookery to restrain his impulse.

The priority wasn't to unleash his rage but to swiftly find a solution to the predicament. It was crucial not to deeply offend Chu Yang over this incident, or all would be lost.