This person is clearly a male protagonist in a female-oriented novel, yet he is excessively lucid.

The "Fu Man Tang" private room wasn't small; it had a large round table that could seat fifteen or sixteen people, a cheap "Welcoming Pine" calligraphy painting hanging on the wall, and the air conditioner humming and blowing warm air.

He sat down by the window and played games for another half hour, finishing his daily tasks for the day on his alternate account. Then, the staff in the department gradually arrived.

First, two nurses pushed the door open and came in. When they saw Yu Chenzhou engrossed in playing on his phone, they simply greeted him politely as "Dr. Yu."

Next came a few young doctors, who simply nodded in acknowledgment before finding seats and sitting down to scroll through their phones.

Since Yu Chenzhou had a falling out with Dean Zhang He over a "medical malpractice" incident and submitted his resignation.

People's attitude towards him has changed from "Brother Yu" to "Dr. Yu"; the enthusiasm is long gone.

Yu Chenzhou didn't care about the coldness and warmth of human relationships.

To him, these colleagues were just passersby on his life's journey, and this was probably the last time he'd have such a rip-off dinner.

His purpose in coming here was very clear:

They wanted to watch Zhou Mingyuan and the boss's wife's drama unfold, and also take this opportunity to fleece them. As for the attitudes of others, they were completely irrelevant.

The group chatted and laughed as they ate for almost an hour. The braised pork knuckle and braised fish on the table were all gone, and even the least popular cold black fungus salad was completely devoured.

Zhou Mingyuan put down his chopsticks, picked up his phone from the corner of the table, cleared his throat, glanced at everyone present, and said:

"Is everyone finished eating? Same as always, I'll go downstairs to pay the bill, then I'll take a picture of it and send it to the group chat. We'll split the bill, so nobody can try to take it from me."

He then got up and headed towards the door.

"Old Zhou, I feel bad for always troubling you."

Yu Chenzhou suddenly spoke, put down his phone, and wore a half-smile on his face, his tone full of teasing.

"This kind of errand-running and check-out work should be given to young people to hone their skills."

How can they improve if we don't give them a chance to prove themselves? Xiao Chu, don't you think so?

As he spoke, he gave Chu Hang a wink.

"Hey, it's no big deal, no need to bother others."

Zhou Mingyuan quickly waved his hand, paused for a moment, and then a familiar smile appeared on his face.

"I know the proprietress very well, and she always rounds down the bill for me. The money I save can be used to buy everyone a few drinks. It's such a good deal."

"Old Zhou, that's a bit unfair of you."

Yu Chenzhou suddenly stopped smiling, leaned forward slightly, and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, making a "tap-tap" sound.

He looked sharply at Zhou Mingyuan, his tone carrying a hint of questioning.

Zhou Mingyuan's heart sank suddenly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and his expression changed instantly.

He glanced instinctively at his colleagues, and seeing that they were all looking at him, he forced himself to remain calm and asked:

"Old Yu, what do you mean by that? What did I do wrong? We've been colleagues for years, would I betray anyone?"

Whether it's a rip-off or not is another matter.

Yu Chenzhou looked at him with a half-smile, speaking slowly.

"Didn't you say in the department last time that the boss's wife was in financial difficulty, that her husband and son had passed away, and that she was all alone and helpless?"

It's not easy to keep this shop afloat, so please let us patronize it and support it more.

How come when it comes to you, you can still get someone to round down the price for you?

Logically speaking, we should all pay more; it's already a favor that we didn't make you pay more.

Zhou Mingyuan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled. The stiffness on his face immediately turned into a wry smile as he wiped away imaginary cold sweat from his forehead.

"You little brat, are you deliberately trying to provoke me?"

I was just trying to save as much as I could, you know, everyone's money doesn't come from thin air.

Yu Chenzhou almost burst out laughing when he saw his Sichuan opera-like face-changing expression, which shifted from tense to relaxed in the next second.

With such mental fortitude, they still dare to lead this kind of thing.

Just then, Chu Hang suddenly stood up abruptly, his eyes resolute, and said:

"Dr. Zhou, don't try to take it from me, let me do it!"

I've been in the department for so long, and I'm always grateful for the care and support of my seniors. I haven't had a proper meal with everyone yet.

No need to split the bill for this meal; consider it my way of showing respect to all the seniors. Please don't be shy with me!

"Hey, Xiao Chu, this won't do!"

Zhou Mingyuan panicked and reached out to pull Chu Hang.

"You've only been working for a short time, and your salary isn't high. We can't let you spend money like that. Sit down, I'll go!"

But the moment his wrist touched Chu Hang's arm, Yu Chenzhou grabbed it.

"Old Zhou, that's not right of you."

Yu Chenzhou firmly grasped Zhou Mingyuan's wrist, gave the crowd a wink, and raised his voice.

"Young people want to learn more from their seniors and show their respect, why are you stopping them? Besides, it's just a meal."

"How much will it cost? Since Xiao Chu is so kind, we, as his seniors, should accept it; otherwise, it would be discouraging."

The people at the table immediately chimed in.

"Yes! Old Zhou, let Xiao Chu go. Young people should have more opportunities to shine."

"You're too kind, Xiao Chu. Then we won't stand on ceremony."

In fact, most of the senior employees in the department had already guessed Zhou Mingyuan's shady dealings.

The bills were always blurry, and the prices were much higher than outside, but since we were all colleagues and saw each other all the time, I didn't point it out out of politeness.

They're all seasoned veterans in the workplace; who doesn't understand the principle of seeing through things but not saying them?

Now that someone has taken the initiative, everyone is naturally happy to go along with it.

As everyone tried to persuade him, Zhou Mingyuan's face turned red and then white. He could only reluctantly sit back down in his chair, his fingers nervously gripping the tablecloth.

He silently prayed that the landlady would be clever enough to make the bill look good so that Chu Hang wouldn't have any leverage over her.

If this gets out, he won't be able to face anyone in the department anymore.

Unfortunately it backfired.

The proprietress was probably used to ripping off regular customers and didn't take this young doctor seriously at all.

Less than two minutes later, Chu Hang's angry questioning voice came from downstairs, its penetrating power clearly reaching the second-floor private room:

"Boss lady, what's going on with this menu? A plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes costs twenty-five yuan, which is more expensive than a hotel!"

Moreover, we didn't order shredded pork with green peppers today, so how come this dish is on your bill?

And what is this "special service fee"? Do we have to pay a service fee when we eat out?

Immediately following was the proprietress's sharp and self-righteous rebuttal, mixed with the clattering sound of abacus beads:

"What do you mean you didn't order? I saw the girl at your table order with my own eyes!"

The shredded potatoes are made from organic potatoes. Can they be compared to those from the farmers market?

The special service fee is for the private room. You've occupied my largest private room, don't you need to pay for it?

I haven't even asked you for the air conditioning fee yet!

"What happened? Why is Chu Hang arguing with the landlady?"

Several young nurses who had just started working looked at each other, peeking curiously downstairs.

"Didn't you say the boss was an acquaintance of Dr. Zhou? Why are they arguing?"

"Want to know? Just go down and see for yourself."

A middle-aged doctor smoking a cigarette slowly said that he was Qian Liqun, the deputy director of the department, and that he was a heavy smoker. As he spoke, he stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray, and the sparks flew up and were quickly extinguished.

He raised his eyelids, glancing at Zhou Mingyuan with a seemingly casual look, his tone filled with undisguised sarcasm.

He had long disliked Zhou Mingyuan, who always used the guise of "helping out" to make everyone else suffer, while he himself gained a reputation as a good person.

He hands over most of his monthly salary to his wife, leaving only a thousand or so yuan as pocket money to buy cigarettes.

As a result, every time we split the bill for a meal, we end up spending an extra hundred or two dollars. The money we saved on cigarettes ends up being given to the restaurant as a "gift," which makes me furious.

He couldn't lash out before because no one had taken the lead, but now that someone has pointed it out, he naturally doesn't mind adding fuel to the fire and completely tearing down this facade.

"Old Qian! Say less!"

Another doctor wearing gold-rimmed glasses quickly spoke up to stop them. He was the Party branch secretary of the department and believed in making money through harmony, so he didn't want to escalate the situation.

"It's all a misunderstanding. Maybe the bill was calculated incorrectly. We can go down and explain it to them."

"What? Only Zhou Mingyuan is allowed to do it, but we're not allowed to say anything?"

Qian Liqun slammed his hand on the table, his anger flaring up, and his voice rose several decibels.

"I racked my brains every month trying to get some money for cigarettes from my wife, hiding my secret stash of money like a thief, and what was the result?"

The money I saved all went to that bastard as favors! Why can't I say anything?

No sooner had Old Qian finished speaking than the landlady's even more arrogant shout came from downstairs, almost a hoarse scream:

"You doctors all have such high salaries, you can earn tens of thousands from just one surgery."

Young people spend over ten yuan on a cup of milk tea, so what's wrong with spending a little more on food?

Is it really necessary to be so petty? I think you're just deliberately picking a fight!

These words were like a lit match, instantly igniting the atmosphere in the private room.

The doctors and nurses' faces all darkened.

They work themselves to the bone every day, facing life and death and doctor-patient conflicts. Their salaries may seem high, but only they know the hardships they endure behind the scenes.

Now, however, he is seen as a fool who is "rich but stupid".

Everyone turned to look at Zhou Mingyuan, their eyes filled with hostility and accusation.

Is this the "poor person" you mentioned?

This attitude clearly makes them look like fools!

The argument downstairs grew louder and louder, and even a few people stood at the door watching.

No one could sit still any longer, and they all got up and went downstairs.

Yu Chenzhou walked at the very back, watching Zhou Mingyuan's pale face as he almost stumbled along behind.

Upon arriving at the lobby on the first floor, they saw Chu Hang arguing with the proprietress while holding the bill. Several diners were gathered around watching the commotion, while the other tables in the restaurant were empty.

Several young people who were previously unaware of the truth suddenly realized:

No wonder this restaurant is doing so poorly; it turns out they rely on ripping off regular customers to survive, scaring away legitimate patrons long ago.

"Dr. Yu! You've finally come out on top!"

The proprietress had sharp eyes and spotted Yu Chenzhou walking ahead at a glance.

Among these people, Yu Chenzhou held the highest position and his words carried the most weight.

She immediately let go of the bill, rushed over, grabbed Yu Chenzhou's arm as if she had found a savior, and called out to him loudly.

"Is this young man a newcomer to your department?"

"He's so insensible! Tell him off! It's just a little money, why is he making such a scene and affecting my business?"

Yu Chenzhou withdrew his arm without showing any emotion, knowing exactly what was going on.

The original owner had actually discovered the restaurant's trickery long ago, but as a "saintly" male protagonist in a female-oriented novel, he was soft-hearted and concerned about saving face.

I only mentioned to the proprietress that "the bill should be settled clearly," but she took it as tacit approval and started overcharging me even more. She really didn't appreciate my kindness.

"Dr. Yu, look at this..."

Everyone turned their attention to him, and even Chu Hang stopped arguing, waiting for him to make a decision.

Even though he is about to leave his job, he is still the highest-ranking person present, and he was the one who brought up this matter first, so everyone is naturally waiting for him to speak.

Yu Chenzhou gave the proprietress a cold glance, the chill in his eyes making her shiver involuntarily and lower her voice.

He took the bill from Chu Hang, didn't even glance at it, and tossed it onto the counter, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight:

"Heaven's sins may be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins are unforgivable."

We will pay exactly what we ordered, not a penny less, but we will not pay a cent for the dishes we didn't order or any other miscellaneous charges.

Also, starting today, our department will no longer be eating here.

He turned to look at Zhou Mingyuan, whose face was deathly pale, his tone softening slightly, but the weight of his words remained undiminished:

"Old Zhou, helping people is a good thing, but you have to be sensible and consider the person you're helping."

Kindness is not foolish kindness. Don't let your good intentions become a tool for others to take advantage of you. Think carefully before you act.

Yu Chenzhou knew very well that this proprietress had no children or relatives, and her life was indeed not easy.

Even if you report it to 12315, at most they will be notified to suspend business for rectification, but in reality they will not really take action and cannot solve the fundamental problem.

So he didn't push things too far; he paid the money he was owed and cut off all future contact, which already left room for maneuver.

As soon as he finished speaking, a system notification sounded in his mind: "Congratulations, host, you have been granted one chance to draw a prize."

Instantly, Yu Chenzhou curled the corners of his lips, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

This team building trip was worthwhile.