Chapter 683: Chapter 674: Home Invasion
"Damn, isnât this shameless? Saying itâs unrelated to your family business, would you be so arrogant if it werenât?"
"Sheâs not trying to apologize, sheâs just scared."
"Exactly, seeing her family business affected, she comes out to apologize, but thereâs no sincerity at all."
"Not a word about the person who was bitten from start to finish, and still has the nerve to post it?"
"Isnât this just trying to gain sympathy, do they really think netizens are blind?"
"As expected, the boss fires the lady boss, and the lady boss apologizes, unrelated to the person who got bitten, and instead asks netizens to spare her familyâs business. Indeed, a perfect match!"
"Well done, citizens of Jiangcheng City, no one eats at their restaurant, let their restaurant go bankrupt, letâs see how arrogant they are!"
"Oh, why is she crying now? Look at her earlier threatening posture to harm a child. Hah, pathetic!"
Upon seeing this apology video, the netizens went wild again. The sensation it caused rivaled the over five billion box office of Wandering Earth, showing just how big this issue is.
Of course, it couldnât have reached this level without the Wen Family throwing money at it to amplify the situation.
Now, the reputation of Fengyang Restaurant is ruined, and even restaurants with the same name elsewhere are suffering unjustly, seeing a decline in business.
At noon, Shen Yi and Su Qing naturally heard the news and couldnât help but click their tongues.
"What do you think, brother?"
"Master Bao, Iâm observing!"
Shen Yi: ...
"Get out of here with the jokes, Iâm asking what do you think of this video. I havenât heard Sister Qing saying theyâve come to apologize these days, so they must have an agenda!"
Hearing this, Su Qing chuckled, took a sip of water, cleaned up the takeout boxes from the table, threw them into the trash, and said, "What else could it be but revenge. They donât have the guts for thatâIâm guessing they already know about Sister Wenâs family connections by now.
The reason they havenât come to apologize in person might be because they are afraid of facing a rebuff. Their antics online are just attempts to salvage some reputation, but it seems to be backfiring instead of calming the public opinion."
The depth of the situationâs narrative is very complex. Generally, older people with outdated thoughts trying to influence the younger generation miss the mark entirely.
Itâs not just the old-timersâeven the young ones in PR donât always succeed.
Back when Bro Ji was universally criticized online, his PR team issued a lawyerâs letter, intending to warn certain individuals and calm public opinion. Back in the day, one lawyerâs letter would silence everyone. But this time, not only did it fail, it escalated the situation. Itâs been years, and the jokes about Bro Ji still persist. Itâs indeed a miracle; few jokes stay relevant for so long. Yet, Bro Jiâs PR handling turned it into a lifetime achievementâa remarkable feat.
Recently, things have improved, and public opinion about him has shifted considerably. At least, since heâs started making fun of himself with the jokes, thereâs less room for others to do so.
"So, what do you think theyâll do next?" Shen Yi inquired.
Su Qing smirked, "Doesnât even need me to sayâdidnât Uncle Wen already anticipate this? Besides changing the name and renovating, thereâs no other way. The reputation of Fengyang Restaurant is already filthy."
Normal people might not care, but those dinner banquets hosting clients or leadership might be scarce. After all, who wants to dine somewhere with such a notorious past sullying their experience? So, changing the name and reopening is the only option."
Regarding this, Shen Yi chuckled while pinching her chin, "Seems like itâs not going to be easy for their family; Uncle Wen wonât make it easy for them."
"Why bother with them? Letâs just enjoy the show. Jiang Guimei is out now, letâs go crash a meal at Sister Wenâs place tonight and have a chat!"
"Alright, Iâll message her now."
Though he participated in this, truthfully, Su Qing only offered a suggestion, found a reason to get Jiang Guimei detained for three days.
Moreover, it was only successful because of the Wen family using their connections and the effect of public opinion online.
Beyond that, he didnât get involved, or rather, didnât need to get involved. The Wen family, with their vast enterprises and networks, are like the local bigwigs in Jiang City; such minor matters are trivial to them.
In todayâs world, taking unscrupulous actions is challenging, but if you navigate the rules, thereâs much that can be maneuvered.
At four in the afternoon, Su Qing drove, and the couple leisurely left work. Feeling bad for always freeloading, they brought some fruit as a gesture, causing Wenâs mother to feign annoyance.
"Why bring anything when you visit? Treating Auntie like an outsider!"
This time, Wenâs mother was genuinely displeased because usually, Su Qing and Shen Yi never brought anything when visiting Wen Nanqing but never showed up empty-handed when visiting her.
But this time, visiting her daughterâs place, they brought gifts, creating a sense of distance.
Both of them quickly pleaded for forgiveness, with Shen Yi cooing sweetly and offering kind words, finally soothing Wenâs mother.
The three then headed to the kitchen while the little girl snuggled up with Da Huang, ignoring them entirely.
"Young Su, take a seat, try the tea I made, how does it taste?"
Old Master Wen was growing more fond of Su Qing. The young man had talent, his daughter had told him about Su Qingâs movie being taken down, yet raked in over five billion in total box office, earning a handsome profit.
While last yearâs fortune from stock trading was luck, this was undeniably skill; no one could argue against it.
"Oh, while Iâm no tea connoisseur, I know thereâs no such thing as bad tea here; itâs all top-quality."
Old Master Wen chuckled and shook his head, "You slippery young man, how is it that youâre not yet old but already so slick? Doesnât seem like a young manâs trait."
"One has to be slick. Societyâs treacherous; traps lurk everywhere. When I had nothing, it didnât matter. Now that I have some money, Iâve encountered more problems. Iâm not as competent as you, so if Iâm not savvy, what can I do, right?"
"Hahaha," Old Master Wen laughed heartily, "I appreciate your craftinessâfar better than our eldest. Without me backing him up, heâd have gone downhill long ago.
By the way, I heard you started an investment company, and that guy contributed fifty million?"
"Just a small venture, investing to play. If it turns a profit, wouldnât I be deserving of a feast at your place?"
Unwittingly, Su Qing had become quite adept at navigating social nuances. Things he wouldâve never done before due to his nature, yet now, he adapts as necessary.
An entire meal dragged on until seven-thirty in the evening, and though Wen Jingqi wasnât present, everyone had avibrant conversation.
They naturally talked about the Fengyang Restaurant affair, and regarding this, Old Master Wen was confident, announcing that he was just getting started, prompting Su Qing and Shen Yi to look forward to whatâs next.
Just then, Su Qingâs phone rang. Seeing it was his father, he was momentarily surprised. It was rare for Old Su to call him.
Excusing himself, he stepped into the bathroom to answer, and as he picked up, Old Suâs voice came through.
"Son, where are you?"
The tone carried a hint of anger.
"Iâm around my neighborhood, Dad, whatâs up?"
"If youâre not busy, hurry back. Your aunt and cousin came to borrow money, related to that case you mentioned."
"Did Mom lend them any?"
"Not yet, but soon!"
Su Qing: "What? Wait for me, Iâm heading back now!"
Damn it, he was out there progressing, and now someoneâs trying to swipe his home front.
...