I've been possessed by a culinary genius, and I've turned Shaxian snacks into a rip-off!

The two market regulators looked at the top-quality ingredients in the kitchen and exchanged bewildered glances.

It seems like they've moved the entire ingredient warehouse of a Michelin three-star restaurant over here.

"Gentlemen, is there anything else that needs to be checked? Please feel free to ask, and I will cooperate fully," Li Zhibai said.

One of the older supervisors, Brother Chen, spoke first: "Where did the ingredients come from? Show us the purchase receipts."

"They're all here."

Li Zhibai took out a stack of receipts from the cabinet next to him. Each ingredient had a corresponding purchase order, quarantine certificate, customs declaration, and even the batch number of the seasonings was clearly marked.

Brother Chen took it and flipped through it.

All the goods were indeed sourced through legitimate channels. Every single transaction was meticulously recorded, and even everyday ingredients like scallions, ginger, and garlic had traceability records.

After checking, they returned the receipts to Li Zhibai.

"Boss Li, your shop is indeed quite different from what we imagined Shaxian to be."

"When we received the report, we thought it was another rip-off restaurant that overcharged customers, but now that we see your prices are high, the ingredients and hygiene are definitely worth it."

"That egg that costs 3999... that's still a bit outrageous."

Li Zhibai: "That's a specialty dish. It uses special ingredients and cooking methods. The price is clearly marked, and customers order voluntarily. It's never forced."

Brother Chen nodded.

Prices are clearly marked, consumption is voluntary, ingredients are legitimate, and hygiene standards are met.

From a regulatory perspective, they have done nothing wrong.

Especially in terms of hygiene, they are simply at the top of the industry. Just now, the white gloves touched the area under the stove and it was spotless. If this were to be evaluated in the city, it would be worthy of an award for a model unit.

"Alright, we've finished checking the kitchen. Now let's go ask the diners for their feedback. If there are no problems, we can finish."

"Okay!"

The three of them left the kitchen and returned to the front hall.

Supervisor Chen Ge flashed his badge and asked a table of diners, "Hello, we're from the Market Supervision Bureau, conducting a routine investigation. What do you think of this restaurant?"

However, the first thing the chubby diner said stumped them.

"Comrades, let me give you a piece of advice: if you haven't eaten at this Shaxian restaurant before, don't bother coming here."

Another, thinner young man nodded repeatedly: "Yes! You absolutely must not eat at this restaurant."

The two supervisors were taken aback: "Huh? Why? Is it because it tastes terrible?"

The chubby young man shook his head: "Because you'll regret it if you eat it."

Regulator Chen: "We'll regret it? Regret what?"

The chubby young man said, "I regret it so much! I've only been here for less than two months, and my wallet has already shrunk considerably. I now spend almost half of my monthly income on this store, and I can't quit even if I want to."

Another skinny young man even played the victim: "That's right! I feel like ever since I ate at this Shaxian snack shop, I'll never become a billionaire in my life."

The two regulators looked at each other in bewilderment.

Is it really that exaggerated? Can eating a meal really affect your chances of becoming a billionaire? Not eating won't have any impact either, right?

Seeing that the two supervisors didn't believe him, the thin young man whispered to them again, "Comrades, take my advice. Run before you get trapped! The owner of this shop is nicknamed Li Heizi. He's ruthless. He'll use delicious food to lure you in step by step. By the time you realize it, your monthly salary card will probably be empty."

Two regulators: "..."

These two guys are really going to talk a lot more and more outrageous things, but the more they say these things, the more curious they become.

What kind of flavor can make diners so captivated that they can't resist eating it even if they want to?

They then asked other diners.

The feedback was highly consistent, but the style was a bit peculiar.

good to eat.

Very tasty.

It's so delicious that I'm willing to spend the money.

But everyone was advising them not to come and eat there, saying they would regret it because their wallets would cry.

Moreover, when people address the boss, some call him Boss Li, but most call him Blackie Li.

Brother Chen couldn't help but ask, "Why do you call him Li Heizi?"

One of the diners pointed to Li Zhibai behind them: "Look back at the boss's expression. Doesn't it look like a shrewd businessman plotting to steal your money?"

Chen Ge subconsciously turned around and glanced at Li Zhibai.

Li Zhibai was smiling at them, revealing a set of big white teeth; his smile did indeed resemble that of someone eyeing a fat sheep.

Looking at it this way, it does seem to make a lot of sense.

When Li Zhibai saw them looking over, he waved enthusiastically: "Have you two finished your investigation? Would you like to have a bowl too? We're having a free meal today!"

Two regulators: "..."

For some reason, just from that simple sentence, they instinctively clutched their wallets as if afraid the money inside would grow wings and fly away.

"Mr. Li, the inspection is over. All indicators of your store are up to standard. We will verify the report. If it is a malicious report, we will deal with it according to the law."

"Thank you both very much."

Brother Chen carefully put away his documents and turned to leave quickly.

But they stopped when they reached the door.

Perhaps it was what they had seen and heard today that broadened their horizons, perhaps it was the diners with happy faces as they ate, or perhaps it was the aroma wafting in the air that was enticing them, but they were actually a little unable to move.

"Brother Chen, this noodle... it smells really good, it should be delicious." Little Liu whispered, "Since we're already here, why don't we give it a try?"

Mainly, his curiosity was piqued, and since they had personally inspected it, they really wanted to taste what this special Shaxian cuisine was like, which made so many of them linger and forget about being billionaires.

Finally, Chen couldn't resist and turned around to ask, "Um... Boss Li, how much is a serving of your regular noodles?"

........

P.S.: The comic book is out! I should have updated the chapters a long time ago, but I was delayed because I watched the short drama for a few hours. I think it's good; at least I'm satisfied with the original work. You can try searching on Xiandan (a Chinese online forum) by searching for the book title or the protagonist Li Zhibai's name. The list of winners has been posted on the author's page. I will notify everyone about the next giveaway. I also hope that everyone will support the author by giving some good reviews.