Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
But I realized that as the days went by, the investigation by the Market Supervision Administration might or might not be ongoing, yet the risks and impacts of this situation were expanding daily.
Since I had previously filmed a clarification video, people recognized my face. When I went to the market to buy groceries in the morning, I could hear people discussing me. Some even held up their phones to take selfies with me from a distance; as long as I was in the frame, they would excitedly tell the person on the other side of the camera, "Look, this is the noodle shop owner. He should have gone home by now and closed his shop. If I get enough likes, I'll go ask him if that incident is true!"
These attention-seeking clowns left me speechless. The impact of this situation was greater than I had imagined; I even felt at one point that everyone in town knew me. Not to mention, my phone was constantly buzzing with numerous malicious comments from bystanders who took pleasure in my misfortune.
For a time, I understood what it meant to be "the target of public criticism." During that period, I lived in a daze, managing only an hour of sleep each night; I couldn't even hear my mom calling me for meals. At this rate, I thought I would soon be on the brink of depression.
Finally, my dad couldn't stand it any longer. He sat by my bed and shook me awake. "Alright, we’re not going to run this shop anymore."
I was taken aback. "What?"
He cleared his throat. "I said, we’re not going to run this shop anymore."
"Back when there was no internet, we simply served patients, and everyone was content; there was no issue of fairness or exposure. But now it's different; if we treat people differently, some will definitely be unhappy."
"Since that's the case, let’s all pursue fairness. We won't do this good deed anymore."
"I’ve done good deeds my whole life; I've accumulated enough virtue. Let’s just live well and farm our land."
"Your mom and I thought about it; you’re our only child. You can decide what you want to do—whether you want to open a shop or work for someone else, it’s up to you."
I felt a lump in my throat. "But are we just going to let them smear your name and ours like this?"
My father's weathered face revealed a hint of bitter laughter.
"What else can we do? People say there are indeed practices of yin-yang pricing. Regardless of the process, the outcome is always the same, right? We can only say we brought this upon ourselves."
"That's just how society is."
Suddenly, I felt his once upright figure slump slightly, and a mix of emotions surged within me.
With my father's words, I decided not to stubbornly pursue the truth anymore.
During the days of waiting for answers, I applied for jobs at various stores in town.
As soon as people saw my name or my face, they would think of my Red Star Noodle House. Most were just onlookers; hardly anyone wanted to hire me.
The few who did would only say, "Go home and wait for news; if you're accepted, we'll notify you."
I knew that when someone said that, it was almost certain I wouldn't be hired.
If one company didn't work out, I turned my attention to small eateries.
At the very least, I could help with making noodles or cooking, right?
But smaller restaurants didn’t need that many people, and larger ones were already fully staffed; even the noodles were made by machines.
Moreover, with my "notorious reputation," very few places were willing to hire me.
I walked and walked until I reached my family's restaurant next to the Mining Bureau hospital. Just one glance left me stunned.
The once clean and tidy storefront had been spray-painted with phrases like "Unethical Business," "Heartless Money," and "Yin-Yang Noodles." The entrance was littered with garbage.
I was so furious I nearly had a heart attack and immediately called the police.
When the officers arrived, I explained what had happened.
They checked the nearby surveillance cameras, but unfortunately, the trash was thrown at night when visibility was poor; the cameras were outdated and not high-definition, so nothing was clear.
Day turned to night, and by the next day, my restaurant's entrance was in disarray again. No one knew who had done it or even what time it had happened.
The police sighed.
"If you insist on filing a report, we can take it back for evaluation, but this case is quite minor—there's no financial loss and it hasn't affected anyone else. To be honest, your chances of winning are slim unless you file a lawsuit yourself."
I understood his point. It wasn't worth suing over such a small matter, especially since I didn't even know who to sue.
After hastily signing my name, I was ready to leave the scene.
Just a couple of steps away, a voice called out to me from behind.
"Uncle Boss?"
I instinctively turned around.
It was the little girl from the last time I bought noodles. If it weren't for her, those three people probably would have left without causing any trouble. But I couldn't blame her; if not her, it would have been someone else. The only one to blame was myself for handling the situation poorly. My dad and I had thought too kindly of everyone involved.
The girl, still young, was holding a lunchbox and looking at me.
"Uncle, why aren't you opening the door? I'm waiting to buy noodles. My dad loves to eat..."
She was too young and didn't pay much attention to her phone, so she probably didn't know that my reputation online had completely soured.
I had no choice but to briefly explain the situation to her.
The girl was stunned.
"So you're saying it's because of me that the shop is closed? I heard from the nurse that you've been running it for several years, and they often go to your place for meals. Several of my friends on the same floor have relied on your shop for their meal expenses all this time. How could they treat you like this!"
I shook my head.
"It's not because of you; it has nothing to do with you. It's my problem."
The girl spoke up passionately on my behalf, and I was momentarily taken aback as a warm feeling surged within me.
Perhaps this is the reward for doing good deeds. It's nice to be remembered like this.
I ruffled her hair gently.
"Once this is all over, Uncle won't be running the shop anymore; it will eventually be sold off. I hope your family members recover soon and take care of yourselves."
"Goodbye."
Comment 0 Comment Count