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

"What kind of shop is this? A bowl of noodles at Shaxian Snacks costs 588 yuan, while a bowl of noodles downstairs from where I live only costs 8 yuan."

"Yeah, I almost thought I'd seen an extra zero on that price."

"3999 yuan for one egg! My monthly rent is only 1800 yuan. This one egg is enough to pay for more than two months' rent. That's outrageous!"

"Is this boss out of his mind for money?"

"Shh~~ Keep your voice down! This is a shop owned by Mr. Yang's friend, after all. Don't let them hear us."

"What kind of friend would betray Mr. Yang like this? I thought it was one of Mr. Yang's creditors."

"My god, does this boss think we're making money off knives?"

"......."

Dozens of people were talking at once, and the more they talked, the more they felt that the price was outrageous.

At the same time, they were also indignant for their boss. Mr. Yang treated this Shaxian boss as a friend, but the boss treated Mr. Yang like a pig to be slaughtered.

Can this be tolerated?

No!

We absolutely cannot let General Manager Yang be ripped off by this heartless boss!

A programmer wearing black-rimmed glasses was the first to stand up and declared to everyone in a righteous tone, "Everyone! I propose that today we only order the standard version. No one is allowed to order the deluxe version, and definitely no one is allowed to order that... whatever's wrong with it!"

"I second that!"

"agree!"

"Absolutely! We can't let President Yang get scammed!"

"Yes, just the regular version of the noodles, one bowl per person at most!"

"No side dishes, no soup, just plain noodles!"

"......"

Yang Chongwu was deeply moved to see his employees standing united in their hatred of the enemy and protecting him.

They truly are wonderful colleagues whom he personally interviewed and recruited one by one!

In critical moments, you can only rely on your own people.

Then, looking helpless, he said to Li Zhibai, "Boss Li, you see, it's really not that I don't want to order more! It's just that the employees are too considerate of me and insist on only ordering the regular version. I can't help it; I can't let everyone down, can I?"

Li Zhibai: "..."

Row!

The standard version is fine.

He wanted to see just how much backbone these people had.

"Okay, one bowl of regular noodles per person. Anything else you'd like to add?"

"don't want!"

"I don't want anything!"

"Just mix it with noodles!"

Not a single extra scallion!

"........."

Li Zhibai nodded and turned to go back to the kitchen.

Su Su helped out, picking vegetables as she whispered, "Master, did they really only order the regular version?"

"Um."

"These guys are pretty loyal, which means Yang's employees are really good. They all know how to save money for the boss. Master, you won't be able to rip them off today."

Li Zhibai, however, was confident: "Sister Su Su, remember this: the essence of humanity is that things smell really good."

Su Su blinked, not quite understanding her master's meaning.

But she soon understood.

..........

outside.

Seeing that his employees were so understanding, Yang Chongwu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He even pretended to be generous and said, "Well, everyone, you really don't need to be so polite with me. Boss Li's prices are a bit high, but since I brought you here to eat, I'll make sure you eat and drink well. Don't try to save me any money!"

Upon hearing this, the employees all began to express their loyalty once again.

"Mr. Yang, don't worry! We absolutely will not order more than what's needed!"

"Yes! The company needs money right now, and we won't add to your burden."

"We stand firmly on Mr. Yang's side! We'll protect his wallet!"

"........."

Yang Chongwu was even more moved upon hearing this!

What a great employee!

With this level of cohesion, awareness, and loyalty, why worry about the company not going public in the future?

Now he was no longer worried about being ripped off by Boss Li. With these people around, even if Boss Li wanted to make a move, he wouldn't have a chance!

.........

Twenty minutes later.

The first batch of dishes was served one after another.

Regular versions of wontons, mixed noodles, steamed dumplings, and chicken leg rice were all laid out on the table.

Although it was just the regular version, its appearance and aroma still caught the eye of these overworked office workers.

"Huh? This noodle dish looks pretty good."

"It smells good too, there's something special about this aroma."

"Try it!"

Everyone started eating.

Then--!

Holy crap!!!

"This noodle soup is so delicious!"

"These wontons are unbelievably delicious! The wrappers are so thin, the meat is so tender, and the soup is incredibly flavorful!"

"The chicken leg rice is amazing! The chicken leg meat is so tender, and the rice crust is so crispy, it smells so good!"

"These steamed dumplings! This broth! My God, I've never eaten such delicious steamed dumplings before."

"........."

"Selling it for 128 yuan a bowl... doesn't seem like an unacceptable price."

"128 is absolutely amazing value for money! I never expected Shaxian snacks to be so incredible!"

"It's so delicious!"

"......."

Thirty or forty people were completely captivated after taking the first bite.

Their appetites were completely whetted, and they even wanted to take back their earlier declarations of loyalty.

As Yang Chongwu ate his noodles, he saw that his employees, who had just a few minutes earlier vowed to save him money, were now practically licking the bottom of their bowls clean. He immediately sensed that something was terribly wrong!

really.

The first employee to finish eating couldn't resist raising his hand, indicating:

"Mr. Yang, you just said we could eat as much as we wanted, right? Um... I'd like another serving."

"Me too, Mr. Yang, I'm not full."

"Me too! Just one regular one, I won't order the deluxe version, just add a chicken leg rice!"

"Then I'll add an order of steamed dumplings, just one, really."

"Mr. Yang, my dear Mr. Yang, you promised to treat us to good food and drinks!"

"Mr. Yang! Today is a celebration banquet, you won't be stingy, will you?"

"........."

Yang Chongwu: "..."

No, what happened to your loyalty? What happened to your consideration for the boss?

The password was only used a few minutes ago, and they've all betrayed us?

Hearing the commotion, Li Zhibai came out of the kitchen and looked at Yang Chongwu with a smile: "See? What did I tell you? How can we eat so little!"

He was about to add insult to injury, advising them to just go for the luxury package, since their boss had just raised over 20 million and wasn't short of money.

Before he could even speak, Yang Chongwu rushed over, grabbed his arm, and dragged him to a corner.

"Boss Li, wait a minute!"

"Brother Yang, your employees want extra food, you can't just stop them, can you?"

"I'm not criticizing you! You're the CEO now, after all. If a CEO treats his employees to dinner and doesn't even let them eat their fill, how can that be acceptable if word gets out? Mr. Yang, you also started out as a working-class person, you can't forget your roots!" Li Zhibai said.

Yang Chongwu: "..."

It's a password, a form of moral blackmail, isn't it!

He wasn't being stingy; he genuinely knew that Li Zhibai had a glorious track record of ripping people off, almost bankrupting a small company.

If we don't stop him today, he'll have to lead all his employees to eat nothing but steamed buns for a month tomorrow.

"Boss Li, I have my reasons."

"Although our company has secured more than 20 million yuan in funding, this money cannot be spent casually. It mainly needs to be used for company development, such as expanding server capacity, hiring R&D personnel, marketing, etc. We are burning money everywhere."

"Besides, every large expenditure has to be reported to investors. I really can't afford to have lavish team-building events like those big companies do right now, so could you please go easy on me a little?"

He wasn't lying; the company had just survived, so they still had to be careful with their money.

Unless the company's profits stabilize, he naturally won't be so "stingy".

After listening, Li Zhibai also felt that Yang Chongwu did not seem to be lying.

Twenty million may seem like a lot, but for a startup, it's really not enough to cover the costs, so careful budgeting is essential.

And then there's Yang Chongwu. Although he's a bit cunning, he's genuinely good to his employees, and he can still tell that.

How about we charge less today?

Once this guy really makes money, we'll fleece him again.

Just as Li Zhibai was about to say that he would only give them the regular version today, Yang Chongwu suddenly changed the subject and said, "Boss Li, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Our investor, Mr. Sun, will be here soon. He's much richer than me."

Li Zhibai was stunned and shocked.

You big-eyed bastard, you actually want me to rip off your investors, huh?

我喜欢！

But his face was stern and indignant: "Mr. Yang, that's not fair of me! I, Li, have always been a fair and just business owner who pays taxes according to the law, treating everyone fairly and honestly. How can you expect me to deliberately rip off your investors? Do you think I'm that kind of person? Would I do such a thing?!"

Yang Chongwu: "..."

do not you?

Li Zhibai turned around and took out his notebook, then began to write down accounts.

"Ink-colored Morning Glow Eggs, 28 in total, recorded in General Sun's account."

"Luxury version of mixed noodles...record it in General Manager Sun's account."

"Luxury steamed dumplings... Put it on Mr. Sun's tab."

"Luxury stew pot...record it in Mr. Sun's account."

"..."

After writing it down, he added a line to the bill: "[Confirmed by General Manager Yang]".

Yang Chongwu: "..."

He suddenly felt a little regretful. This guy had kept so many grudges against President Sun. If President Sun found out, would he bring his bodyguards to his company and beat him up on the keyboard?!