C13 The Opening Ceremony Was Not Auspicious!

As Yellow Hair uttered those words, he was gearing up to throw another punch at Chen Fann's head. But before his fist could fly, the sound of rapid footsteps at the door interrupted him, followed by a loud shout: "The cops are here!"

At that warning, Yellow Hair reined in his aggression. He stopped attacking Chen Fann and instead plopped down on the ground, clutching his stomach and adopting the guise of an injured party.

"Ouch, the pain is killing me."

Yellow Hair's cronies, seeing his act, quickly followed suit. They released Chen Fann and took their places on the ground, striking dramatic poses. Some even began to roll around for added effect.

The bystanders found their antics odd, yet no one spoke up. The police, however, were skeptical upon witnessing the scene.

"What's the situation here? Why are you all suddenly writhing in pain? You're not pulling our leg, are you?"

"Oh, Officer, we were just enjoying our meal when we discovered cockroaches in the soup and mice in the kitchen. My stomach's in agony. You've got to stand up for us."

Yellow Hair clutched his belly and howled in feigned agony. His performance was convincing, but the officers weren't easily deceived, particularly those who recognized Yellow Hair as a local thug.

"Listen, Yellow Hair, you'll be held accountable for your claims. If our investigation reveals you're lying, you're aware of the consequences, right?"

The speaker was a policeman in his thirties, with short hair and tanned skin. His demeanor and experience suggested he was a man of integrity. Yellow Hair had been reprimanded by him in the past, but back then, Yellow Hair lacked support. Now, with Xu Yuan backing him, he felt emboldened to misbehave.

"Uncle Officer, what are you implying? I would never lie. Look at me, I'm the picture of honesty. And I have no beef with the owner of this restaurant—there's no reason for me to frame him!"

"Exactly, Officer. The other patrons can vouch for us. It was definitely this kid's fault. His soup had cockroach and rat droppings in it."

While Yellow Hair's lackey spoke, he presented the soup to the short-haired officer.

The officer eyed the murky broth, pinched his nose in disgust, and frowned. Then he turned to Chen Fann and inquired, "Where's the boss?"

"I'm the owner."

The short-haired officer appeared somewhat taken aback upon hearing this. Chen Fann's youthful appearance belied his capability to run such an establishment, suggesting he was quite accomplished.

"Running a restaurant takes diligence, young man. If the ingredients and cleanliness don't meet standards, your business won't survive, even without our intervention. Understand?" the officer advised.

Chen Fann nodded slightly in response and said, "My food is clean. They're trying to set me up."

"Exactly, officer. It's our grand opening today. We invited her over to sample our dishes for free. Why would we showcase cockroaches and rats on day one? That would ruin our reputation," Lin Yuer quickly chimed in.

Hearing this, the short-haired officer remained silent, then glanced over at Yellow Hair, who shrugged and said, "You've heard them. They make a good point. Would you be foolish enough to do that if you were in his shoes?"

"I..."

Yellow Hair was at a loss for words. The officer then pointed at Chen Fann's nose and asked Yellow Hair, "What's with his nose?"

"He bumped it himself..."

Before Chen Fann could respond, Yellow Hair blurted out the answer.

"Ha, Yellow Hair, I suggest you find somewhere to check your conscience. We'll leave it at that for now. I don't want to see anyone else get hurt over this. Otherwise, I'll take you all in and we'll get to the bottom of it. Then we'll see who's in the wrong," the officer declared before departing with his colleagues.

Yellow Hair was frustrated that his antics had been ineffective, especially since the short-haired officer already knew him and didn't think highly of him.

"What are you still doing here? Scram! Didn't you hear what the officer said? If you keep harassing us, we'll go to the mat to clear this up, even if it costs us everything!"

Lin Yuer stood with her hands on her hips, loudly berating Yellow Hair and his cronies.

At that moment, the other patrons ceased to take Yellow Hair's side, having fully witnessed his pathetic antics. They also began to realize that Yellow Hair had brought along a few cohorts, indicating he had come with ill intentions. It seemed increasingly likely that the young couple might be unjustly blamed.

"Young man, we may have misjudged you earlier. I'm truly sorry. Please don't hold it against us. I'll make sure to come back and dine here again if I get the chance."

The speaker was a woman in her fifties, and as she spoke, the other bystanders also offered their apologies to Chen Fann and Lin Yuer.

Some bolder individuals began to rebuke and shoo Yellow Hair away, feeling that he and his friends had crossed the line and were clearly up to no good.

"If you lot don't leave now, we're going to step in!"

"Exactly. This couple works hard to make a living with their restaurant. How can you bully them like this?"

"Hey, old timer, watch your words..."

"Smack!"

Before Yellow Hair could retort, he was met with a resounding slap. The dish he had contaminated with cockroaches and rat droppings was thrown right in front of him, shattering into several pieces.

"Are you leaving or not?"

"We're going!"

With no other choice, Yellow Hair and his henchmen beat a hasty retreat.

As they departed, the crowd burst into laughter, and the mood in the restaurant lightened considerably.

A few minutes later, the spectators dispersed. Though some had resolved their misconceptions about Chen Fann, those who had left earlier remained unaware of the true situation. Even among those who stayed, some still harbored doubts about Chen Fann and Lin Yuer.

"Honey, how are you feeling? Any better?"

Once the crowd had cleared out, Lin Yuer quickly took Chen Fann's hand, her voice laced with concern.

Chen Fann gestured for Lin Yuer not to fuss over him. Surveying the disarray, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dejection. He hadn't anticipated such an ordeal on the very first day of business. Despite his prior preparations, the reality of the situation still left him deeply disheartened.

"Xu Yuan, the more you keep this up, the more determined I am to keep this restaurant running. Let's see who can outlast the other!"