Chapter 103: Furious! New Map Opens!

Chu Lin had finally understood. The young lady's father had truly been kept in the dark. Otherwise, he would never have remained unaware that his cooperation with Zhizhen had already been terminated.

So he spoke the truth. “Chairman Cai, I truly apologize. I believe there will be no further cooperation.”

“What?” Cai Da grew anxious upon hearing this. “President Chu, it was all a misunderstanding earlier. There’s no need to affect our partnership.”

He was genuinely worried. He knew how vital the oysters and prawns from Zhizhen were to Atlantis. Without them, even the Ma family’s investment would not guarantee victory over their old rival, Jinguan.

Cai Yao turned to her father with utter exasperation. “Dad, didn’t Cai Sen notify you that he already sent a termination of cooperation to President Chu and stopped procuring his oysters and prawns?”

Chu Lin added with a faint smile, “Yes. I’ve just signed a supply agreement with Jinguan. The shipment left for their restaurant today.”

“What?” Cai Da looked as though struck by lightning and fell utterly silent. “Impossible. How could he keep such a major decision from me?”

Cai Yao sneered, “How often has Cai Sen deceived his superiors and lied to his subordinates? That’s why you called me back from abroad before. Now he’s merely hidden this news from you, afraid that his impulse might lead him to sell ordinary oysters as premium ones to maintain performance. That would be far more serious than you imagine.”

“Impossible,” Cai Da insisted, shaking his head. “Your brother may lack business acumen, but after all this time he should have improved somewhat. He can’t be that foolish.”

“Maybe he really would do something this stupid,” Cai Yao replied coldly.

The remark broke Cai Da’s heart. He rose abruptly and stormed out of the office with the flirty secretary. He had to reach Zhizhen at once.

They left Hua Jin Community. Cai Da parked in front of the flagship store and gazed across the street at the Jinguan restaurant. As old rivals, Jinguan always opened nearby whenever Zhizhen did. That was precisely why the premium oysters and prawns had once produced such dramatic results.

But the advertising screen in front of Jinguan now displayed the same premium products. The description matched President Chu’s goods exactly.

“Damn it!” Cai Da cursed, nearly choking on his own blood.

The sharp weapon they had once found for Zhizhen had been delivered straight into the enemy’s hands by his own son.

What a rotten trick.

Fuming, he strode into the flagship store and headed for the general manager’s office. The moment he kicked the door open, he saw a shameful scene. Stockings and scattered lingerie lay everywhere, along with his son and the secretary in an obviously intimate, disheveled embrace.

“Fuck, who the hell is looking for death?” Cai Sen exploded when the door burst open, then froze the instant he recognized his father. Both he and the secretary shrank back in terror.

Cai Da’s fury boiled over. He snatched a folder from the desk and hurled it at his son. “How did I ever give birth to something so useless? You’ve mastered every filthy trick, yet you learned nothing about business. Do you have any idea how crucial those oysters and prawns are to us? You shipped them straight to Jinguan?”

The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew. He picked up a cup and smashed it against Cai Sen’s chest.

Cai Sen refused to back down and even tried to sound proud. “Dad, you came to hit me for this? It was Cai Yao who reported me, wasn’t it?”

“Hah. She really believed Zhizhen would collapse without President Chu’s oysters and prawns? She’s eager to deliver herself to my face-slapping.”

“I already found substitutes—twenty thousand premium oysters, six million units acquired in full. They’re already distributed to every store, and pre-orders are surging. What’s three hundred oysters a day from President Chu compared to that?”

Cai Da recalled Cai Yao’s earlier warning and frowned. “Twenty thousand premium oysters? Did it never occur to you that they were too easy to find? Why couldn’t Jinguan locate any? Six million—what were you thinking, paying that amount outright?”

Cai Sen straightened proudly. “Dad, the people at Jinguan are useless and stingy. They refused to raise their price. The moment I named my figure, they came crawling back.”

“And don’t worry. I personally tasted every one and tried them myself. They’re absolutely no worse than President Chu’s. Just wait and see me crush Jinguan.”

No sooner had his words faded than Li He burst into the office, panicked. “Young Master Sen, something terrible has happened!”

“Speak quickly!” Cai Da snapped.

Li He glanced at the furious chairman and paled. “Chairman… the entire batch of oysters… something went wrong. The customers are all in an uproar.”

Cai Sen stared, stunned. “How could that be?”

Cai Da cursed under his breath and rushed outside. Cai Sen followed without hesitation.

At the entrance they heard shrill, angry voices rising from the street.

“What’s this? You promised premium oysters but sent ordinary ones to cheat us.”

“Zhizhen is a famous brand and they’re still deceiving consumers?”

“I ordered twenty. They were all fake.”

“I booked two girls for tonight. You call this trash dinner?”

The men had come for the oysters. In the internet age, no one could hide what had happened. The complaints grew louder, and the sound of plates shattering joined the clamor.

“How could this be?” Cai Sen looked utterly dazed. It bore no resemblance to the triumphant victory he had imagined.

At that moment Li He’s phone rang frantically. After answering, his face drained of color. “Chairman, Young Master Sen—every store is in chaos. The oysters are fake. We’ve all been deceived.”

“Impossible!” Cai Sen refused to believe it. Seeing a waiter approach with a plate of oysters, he snatched one, took a bite, and froze. He tried another. His face lost all color.

Cai Da could already picture the damage to Zhizhen’s reputation. In the age of the internet, nothing could be concealed.

It was finished. Finished. There would be no Ma family investment, and probably no future business at all.

He had never imagined his daughter was right. This useless son had truly done something so stupid. The disappointment was too much. Cai Da raised his hand and slapped Cai Sen hard across the face, his voice vicious. “Useless!”

Cai Sen was stunned. “Dad, it’s not my fault. It was Li He. He found the suppliers, so I was tricked.”

“What?” Li He was stunned. “It’s none of my business. It was Zheng San who inspected them. All his fault…”

Cai Da clutched his forehead, too exhausted to speak. Everyone at Zhizhen was proving to be this kind of worthless scum.

He slapped Cai Sen again.

For the first time he wondered whether he had been wrong to push this useless son upward while his daughter deserved better support.

Just then a group of men in special badges entered the store. They approached a server, who pointed at Cai Sen. The men walked straight toward them.

One man spoke directly. “Mr. Cai, we are investigators from the Consumer Association. We received a report that your products are falsely deceiving consumers. Please cooperate.”

The words left Cai Sen speechless.

Cai Da felt a chill run down his spine. Disaster was imminent.

The customers, hearing the news, grew indignant one after another.

“I reported it. I was deceived by Zhizhen.”

“I ordered ten oysters. I paid four thousand first. What I got was ten-yuan garbage.”

“I ordered five. I gave two thousand. Can they do tenfold compensation for one fake?”

These voices struck Cai Da like lightning. He had spent his entire business life and never imagined facing such humiliation. His nerves shattered. His vision darkened, and he fainted.

When he woke, he was in a hospital room. Only the flirty secretary remained at his bedside.

“Chairman, you’re awake.” She leaned in with feigned concern. “Young Master Sen and Li He have been taken for investigation. The matter is serious—customers are complaining at every store.”

“Ruined. This man is completely spoiled.” Cai Da’s face twisted with helpless rage.

“Chairman, don’t be so upset. Young Master Sen is finished, but you can always cultivate another.” The secretary spoke softly, then unconsciously touched her own abdomen.

On the other side of the city, Chu Lin was completely won over by Cai Yao, the young lady.

She had announced she would cook a proper meal for him and even changed into a full apron, looking every bit the devoted housewife.

But the serious kitchen scene turned out to be nothing more than mixing two bowls of vegetable salad—chopped vegetables tossed with dressing, one bowl for her, one for him.

Looking at the simple salad before him, Chu Lin realized this young lady’s idea of a grand dinner was either instant noodles or vegetables. Was this not misleading his feelings?

Fortunately, the sight of her in the apron was thoroughly pleasing. The outfit, her figure, the clean line of her arms, and the snow-white contrast all combined to create an almost tangible kitchen seduction.

So he decided to overlook the meager meal in exchange for the eye-candy view.

“President Chu, why aren’t you eating? I have some experience with vegetable salad.” Cai Yao sounded genuinely embarrassed, her voice growing quieter.

Cooking was not her strength.

Fortunately, her phone rang. She answered quickly, then froze the moment she heard the message.

At the same moment, Chu Lin froze as well. He stared at the game prompt that appeared before him.

[Current Atlantis map is level 3. Three routine animals can be refreshed. Animals have been refreshed.]

[Congratulations. New map module detected. Meso Budamiya map has opened successfully.]

[Congratulations. You have opened the Meso Budamiya gourmet career. You have received a new chef recipe.]

(Chapter end)