Rebirth: She is Ready for a Counterattack!-Chapter 247 - 246: Something Happened (Second Update)
Over here at Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot, it’s still deserted, while over at Gu Family Spicy Old Hot Pot, it’s crowded.
Here, no one dares to come, while there, people demand an explanation every day.
It seems like a case of losing a thousand to harm the enemy by eight hundred.
Both Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei think so.
Sure enough, after less than two days, Gu Rushan and Jiang Xiulan at Gu Family Spicy Old Hot Pot couldn’t sit still, with people causing trouble every day and business plummeting; all are here to demand payment.
They can’t handle it, and those who don’t get an explanation are already surrounding the entrance of Gu Family Spicy Old Hot Pot every day, refusing to leave.
Gu Rushan and Jiang Xiulan have been overwhelmed long ago.
Things are getting worse and worse.
The Health Inspection Station, the Commerce Bureau, and the police station all came to visit.
No matter the reason, before any conclusion is reached, the doors of Gu Family Spicy Old Hot Pot were sealed, and Gu Rushan and Jiang Xiulan, as legal representatives, were taken away for questioning.
So, a day later, Gu Rushan, the police station, the Health Inspection Station, and a large number of journalists came to Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot.
Now all the newspaper and television headlines are about the food poisoning incident at Gu Family Spicy Old Hot Pot.
So any hint of news causes the journalists to swarm in.
At this point, Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei happen to be not at home, because these days Gu Xiaoqing knows something is going on and arranged for them to go busy at the new store.
With the rapid work of the many renovation workers, the renovation over there has already been successfully completed, and everything inside is arranged according to Gu Xiaoqing’s requirements.
The equipment and devices have also arrived, shipped from Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
These are the most advanced equipment.
The new location is nearing the final preparations for opening, with only employee training left, which is why Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei are busy there.
At Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot, as soon as the doors opened, a large crowd of people surged in.
The waiter, just seeing the police, started shaking in fear, quickly calling out Gu Xiaoqing from the back, realizing this situation was serious.
The photographers kept clicking away with their flashlights, and Gu Rushan pointed at Gu Xiaoqing and said to the police, "It’s their formula. We use their formula which caused this diarrhea incident, and the real source is Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot. If you’re going to arrest someone, arrest them."
The police looked at Gu Xiaoqing, who was clearly a young girl, at most seventeen or eighteen, not looking like the owner, and asked, "Are you the owner?"
Gu Xiaoqing shook her head, "I’m not. The owner here is my father, but he’s busy and not here now. If you have any questions, you can talk to me. I can make decisions."
She expected this would happen.
The police frowned and said, "The owner of Gu Family Spicy Old Hot Pot across the street accuses you of causing their customers’ diarrhea with your formula. After inspection by the Health Inspection Station, we have indeed found that some Chinese medicinal ingredients in the formula have issues of mutual restraint, leading to many customers experiencing diarrhea. We hope you cooperate with our investigation."
The staff from the Health Inspection Station immediately presented the quarantine report.
The reporters swarming over kept questioning, "Miss Gu, can you explain why your formula has hazardous ingredients that affect customers? This formula was reportedly innovative from Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot. Didn’t you know the dangers of doing this?"
"Please explain, Miss Gu."
Gu Xiaoqing raised her hand to quiet everyone, calmly said to the police, "Officer, regarding the accusation from the owner of Gu Family Spicy Old Hot Pot, we believe this is absolute slander. May I ask the owner of Gu Family Spicy Old Hot Pot, since you claim the formula you use is from Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot, but we are two separate brands, we would never give our formula to outsiders to ruin our business, wouldn’t someone doing this have something wrong with their head? So why do you claim your formula is ours? Just because someone says his shop’s formula comes from us, Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot has to bear such responsibility?"
As soon as she said this, not just the police, but even the reporters nodded, realizing this isn’t something that should be pursued without solid evidence.
Reporters nodded and turned toward Gu Rushan, waiting for his response.
Gu Rushan was frantic; the past two days have been unbearable, with people demanding explanations all the time. Gu Rushan couldn’t reveal the matter about Haidilao’s formula, but if he didn’t, then Gu Family Spicy Old Hot Pot would have to bear the responsibility all by themselves, which was too much for Gu Rushan.
Because the police station said the Health Inspection Station had already completed a hygiene check and poison identification, confirming that the herbal ingredients in the formula have antagonistic effects. Although it’s not lethal, for those with weaker stomachs, it can cause diarrhea, and it’s a persistent diarrhea.
This is enough to charge Gu Rushan with a crime.
After hearing it wasn’t just about closing and compensating, it involved criminal responsibility for Gu Rushan as the legal representative, possibly even imprisonment, Gu Rushan couldn’t care about anything else.
What could be more important than one’s freedom?
So Gu Rushan was as candid as possible, but when Gu Xiaoqing denied it, he got anxious, realizing that if he couldn’t clarify today, he’d have to go to jail.
He didn’t have such intentions.
So he said to the police, "Officer, honestly, our formula came from Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot, and we bought it from Shang Wenming here for a large sum. Twenty thousand, this could be the witness."
To nail Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot in this matter ensures Gu Rushan doesn’t go to jail.
Gu Rushan had long stopped caring about confidentiality.
Shang Wenming, upon hearing Gu Rushan’s words, wanted to slip away quietly; however, with so many people and journalists crowding the entrance, the back door was locked tight — no way to get out.
Now he was completely speechless, wondering if Gu Rushan was brainless.
Saying this would make everyone feel it’s theft of trade secrets.
How could anyone trust his words after this?
"Who is Shang Wenming? Come forward." No matter what the thoughts were, the police didn’t care about these, directly beginning to inquire.
All the employees of Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot turned their eyes to Shang Wenming, making it impossible for him to hide.
He could only step forward. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
