C12 He Came Prepared!

Yellow Hair's expression was smug, and upon his cue, the others sprang into action. Chen Fann and Lin Yuer found themselves helpless in the face of this. They were outnumbered, and the onlookers were already riled up. Any attempt to intervene would likely backfire, only fueling their suspicions that there was something amiss with the food.

"Don't worry, hubby. If we've done nothing wrong, we have nothing to fear," Lin Yuer reassured Chen Fann with a smile. Hearing her words, Chen Fann let out a wry laugh. He thought Yuer was being too naive about these people's intentions. They had come prepared to cause trouble. Their restaurant had just been renovated; cockroaches were out of the question. Clearly, these pests had been planted.

"We'll just have to face it head-on. I'm curious to see what they'll come up with next," Chen Fann muttered to himself. He felt like the proverbial cockroach in the soup, but he was determined to be resilient. If they were set on framing him, he was ready for the fight.

"Look over there! Their kitchen is filthy, crawling with rats!" someone shouted.

At that, the crowd surged towards the kitchen. True to the claim, they spotted several cockroaches scurrying across the floor, with a couple of dead rats nearby. Some onlookers screamed, others felt nauseated, and many were simply playing along with Yellow Hair's scheme to blame Chen Fann. The reactions varied wildly.

Chen Fann had anticipated this chaos and remained unfazed, merely shaking his head. He confronted Yellow Hair, "What's your endgame here? Are you willing to abandon even the slightest shred of conscience for a quick gain?"

"What are you babbling about, kid? I don't get it. We need an explanation from you, and we've already alerted the police," Yellow Hair retorted, avoiding the question and betraying his nervousness.

"Do any of you have a sense of decency? Aren't you afraid of karma after all these heartless acts?" Chen Fann challenged the crowd.

Yellow Hair let out a derisive snort.

"I'm not sure about karma, but it seems to me your little shop won't last past tomorrow!"

He burst into laughter, clearly pleased with himself. This was the task Xu Yuan had given him, and he had expected a challenge. Instead, it had been a breeze. He was looking forward to the hefty reward Xu Yuan would surely give him.

"You jerk! I'll take you on right here, right now!"

Chen Fann, unable to contain his fury at Yellow Hair's taunting expression, charged at him and seized his collar.

But this played right into Yellow Hair's hands. His aim was to provoke Chen Fann into doing something rash, giving them the perfect pretext to escalate the situation.

"Look at this, everyone! This guy's not just filthy on the outside—his heart's filthy too. I call him out, and now he wants to silence me in front of all these witnesses!"

Yellow Hair's voice boomed as he feigned innocence. Meanwhile, several of his cohorts lurked behind him, eyeing Chen Fann like predators, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation.

As the tension mounted, Lin Yuer stepped forward, positioning herself between Chen Fann and the brewing storm. Though seething inside, she recognized that this was no time for rash actions. They were already at a disadvantage, and any physical altercation would play right into their adversaries' hands, rendering any innocence on their part moot.

With a measured calm, Lin Yuer addressed Xu Yuan and his group, "I apologize to our esteemed guests. Our establishment is still finding its footing, and it seems we've made a misstep that has upset you. I ask for your understanding and forgiveness..."

"Tsk tsk, what a sweet talker you are, young lady. But you know, if you're looking for my forgiveness, perhaps you should... do something to earn it?"

Yellow Hair leered at Lin Yuer throughout his taunt, his gaze lingering indecently before settling on her chest.

Repulsed by his gaze, Lin Yuer instinctively stepped back and addressed him firmly, "Sir, I must insist that you show some respect. If the meal wasn't to your liking, we'd be happy to prepare another dish for you."

"Heh, you think a meal is enough to brush me off? What, do I look like a beggar to you? Listen up, if I end up with a stomachache tomorrow, you'll be shutting down your shop and footing my medical bills. Of course, if you're willing to keep me company, just you and me, I might reconsider..."

"Jerk, go to hell!"

Just then, a curse rang out, followed by a dark figure lunging at him. Yellow Hair felt a searing pain in his head. Whirling around, he saw Chen Fann glaring at him with eyes ablaze in crimson fury, a look that screamed murder.

Terrified, Yellow Hair hastily backed away, but the young men with him charged forward.

"What good are you if you can't even protect me? Let this happen again, and you're all fired!"

Humiliated, Yellow Hair puffed himself up in front of his crew. His lackeys, taking their cue, turned their wrath on Chen Fann. With their superior numbers, they subdued him with ease. Despite Chen Fann's seething anger, he was no match for their combined strength, especially outnumbered five to one.

With Chen Fann immobilized, Yellow Hair's smugness soared. Nursing his head, he swaggered over and, without a word, delivered a vicious kick to Chen Fann's stomach.

"Kid, you had quite the attitude earlier. What happened to all that bravado?"

The kick sent Chen Fann reeling as if struck by artillery, his face contorting in agony. But Yellow Hair wasn't done; he smacked Chen Fann across the face, blood streaming down instantly.

Lin Yuer, witnessing the brutality, panicked. She threw herself in front of Chen Fann and shouted at Yellow Hair, "Stop hitting him! Please, I'm begging you, no more!"

"Yuer, don't beg them. I refuse to believe they'd dare kill me in broad daylight!"

"Oh, look at you, still talking tough even now, huh?"