America's Greatest Villain: I Defeat Magic with Magic

In the end, at Vivian's request, Chen Yuan helped her finish most of her dinner.

After all, the portion size of three dishes is just right for two people.

Perhaps she had overcome the initial discomfort, or perhaps the chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns had numbed Vivian's taste buds.

She tried quite a few of each dish and gave her own evaluation.

"The most interesting thing about this Kung Pao Chicken is that the chicken, peanuts, and sauce should each have their own distinct flavors. But the spiciness you've given it is too direct. It's like it's brutally taking over your tongue before you've even had a chance to fully appreciate the other flavors."

"What makes Mapo Tofu truly memorable isn't the burning sensation, but the lingering aftertaste of a slight tingling on the tongue, accompanied by the aroma of hot oil and soybeans. If the 'spiciness' could be toned down, it would be far more dangerous than it is now."

Although people say that spiciness is the soul of Sichuan cuisine.

However, in America, most locals do not actually accept the spiciness of traditional Sichuan cuisine.

For this reason, customers who come to Rongding Pavilion to eat generally do not order the original Sichuan dishes, but rather the modified sweet and sour versions.

But Vivian's comments just now gave Chen Yuan a new idea.

"What you said makes a lot of sense. I will try to improve these two dishes, reducing the spiciness as much as possible while retaining their original characteristics."

Seeing that Chen Yuan was actually seriously considering her suggestion, Vivian raised her eyebrows, seemingly pleased.

"Alright, next time I come, I'll try your cooking again!"

Then, she took out a document from her bag, which was a printed copy of the "South District Homeless Hot Food Care Program".

"I have read your proposal. Providing freshly made hot meals for the homeless is indeed an excellent starting point, and it aligns perfectly with the current city hall's advocacy of equality."

At this point, Vivian pulled out another photo from the file, the classic image of Lisa handing fried chicken to a homeless person.

"Choosing a pure young girl as a spokesperson can certainly make your charity work seem more innocent. But if your other purpose is to hope that her police officer father will provide some insignificant security protection for the restaurant, then you are wasting this good hand."

Chen Yuan then understood what Vivian meant by "not enough" in her previous email reply.

"You mean, his father's rank is too low?" Chen Yuan immediately grasped the key point.

Vivian nodded approvingly:

"An ordinary LAPD patrol officer can indeed help you deal with petty theft or extortion. But once Rongding Pavilion becomes a large-scale operation, and even obtains public welfare funding from the city council, the troubles you encounter will be far more complex than just a few street thugs."

Chen Yuan nodded in agreement. He knew very well how bad the South District was; almost every shop on the nearby street had experienced the zero-yuan purchase program.

Although he currently has some connections with Ivanov of the Bloodhand Gang and has also intimidated Black Snake of the Sinaloa Gang.

But gangs are never monolithic. If Ivanov and Black Snake lose power in future gang wars, the newly appointed boss will inevitably covet this lucrative position and cause trouble.

Moreover, there are direct regulatory bodies like the Health and Food Safety Authority, which wields immense power. A mere, fabricated compliance inspection can force Rong Ding Ge to suspend operations for rectification.

At that level of competition, Lister, a low-ranking patrolman, didn't even have the right to speak.

Vivian's slender fingers gently tapped Lisa's face in the photograph as she continued her analysis:

"The video you released has already attracted attention from all sides. This is very helpful in turning the temporary pilot into a formal cooperative project, and it may even secure special public welfare grants from the school or the city hall."

"But where there are interests, there are greedy eyes. For example, certain politicians who specialize in controlling the allocation of community resources, or other established non-profit organizations eyeing this funding. After all, the pie is only so big, and if more people join, a portion of the resources will be taken away, so there will definitely be people who are envious and will try to sabotage it behind the scenes."

"Therefore, we need to not only promote this little girl, but also elevate her father to a sufficiently authoritative position!"

Upon hearing Vivian's words, Chen Yuan's eyes lit up:

"You mean, try to find a way to get his father promoted?"

"That's right. I've already checked Officer Lister's resume. Although he's always just been a regular patrolman, his file is clean, with no visible blemishes. As long as he follows the proper procedures, a promotion is just a matter of time."

"What we need to do is use the power of public opinion and capital to forcefully accelerate his promotion."

Chen Yuan thought Vivian's idea was right, but it was by no means easy to promote a patrol officer to a higher rank in the seniority-based Los Angeles Police Department.

However, Vivian was very confident:

"Your public service video has garnered widespread attention online, and many netizens are curious about who the little girl is. If everyone knew that her father is a Los Angeles police officer, it would be a huge boost to the public image of both of them, as well as the LAPD."

At this point, Vivian shook her head regretfully and said:

"If only he could have some outstanding performance recently. With a little media hype, it wouldn't be difficult for him to be promoted one or two levels with his years of experience serving at the grassroots level."

"Outstanding performance?" A thought flashed through Chen Yuan's mind. "Not long ago, a gang fight broke out at an old car dismantling plant in the suburbs. Officer Lister was one of the first LAPD officers to arrive and even exchanged fire with the gang members."

"You actually know about this?" Vivian was somewhat surprised. "I remember that because the firefight was so large and a police officer was killed, the media didn't report on it publicly."

Chen Yuan, of course, couldn't tell Vivian that he had witnessed the entire gunfight firsthand, so he casually explained:

"It was Lister who told me, and he was even granted a period of administrative leave as a result."

After pondering for a moment, Vivian said with some interest:

"If he was there at the time and had even exchanged fire with the gang, then there's room for maneuver. The father of the charity girl is a lone hero of the LAPD who bravely fought against gangs; I believe many media outlets and netizens would be interested in this..."

By the time the two had finalized every detail of this "god-making plan" in the private room, it was already very late at night.

Rongding Pavilion had already closed, and Lao Ma and other employees had all gone home after get off work.

However, the black Mercedes that Vivian brought remained quietly parked by the roadside.

By the light, you can see a smart woman in a black suit sitting in the driver's seat; she looks to be in her early 30s.

She glanced at Chen Yuan coldly through the car window.

Besides being a driver, he probably also played a bodyguard or similar role.

"Well then, that's all for today."

Vivian walked to the car, then suddenly seemed to remember something, turned around and said:

"The holiday is almost over, and as usual, the School of Life Sciences will have a pre-semester party. Don't forget to come!"

Chen Yuan then remembered that each college at USC does indeed hold a similar social event before the start of each semester.

Although it was ostensibly a gathering for students to discuss and prepare for their major courses in the new semester, it was actually no different from a regular student party.

Since the activity was not mandatory, Chen Yuan only participated once, and then never went again because he found it boring.

However, since Vivian had personally extended the invitation, Chen Yuan could not refuse and could only nod and say:

I will participate then.

"Very good!" Vivian smiled with satisfaction. "The location is that club in Long Beach, you know where it is."

After saying that, she waved, got into her Mercedes, and disappeared into the vast night.