Chapter 17: Easy Money

After drawing everyone's attention, Grapefruit continued, "Let me speak fairly. Whether this A5 wagyu beef is authentic or not, let's set that aside for now. Genuine A5 wagyu costs as much as 2,500 yuan per 100 grams, and these beef sushi pieces—each with such a sizable slice—add up to about twenty grams for two pieces. But what's the price? Three hundred eighty-eight."

She paused briefly, then went on, "Under normal circumstances, even just two slices of A5 wagyu would cost five or six hundred. It's like buying fried chicken from a street vendor for two yuan and then complaining there's not enough meat. Is that reasonable? Of course not. You get what you pay for—if someone sells you a huge piece of chicken for two yuan, how would the owner ever make a profit?"

At this point, another person—likely an influencer as well—stood up to echo her words: "Exactly! If no one pointed it out, you wouldn't even notice the difference, would you? People aren't here for some gourmet tasting; it's all about the prestige, right? As the saying goes, ruining someone's livelihood is akin to killing their parents. It's their first day open; there's no need to make a scene."

Suddenly, several influencers and streamers started speaking up in support: "That's right, let's be kind. Causing trouble on opening day is inappropriate." "Yeah, just let it go."

Because there were quite a few influencers and streamers present, the crowd was momentarily swayed.

But Bai Renzong was instantly infuriated. Perhaps as a fellow content creator, what angered him wasn't the owner's evasions, but rather these streamers blatantly lying.

Bai Renzong retorted irritably, "What nonsense are you saying? Your logic is fundamentally flawed! If it's not A5 wagyu, then how can you advertise it as such? Isn't that outright fraud? Besides, A3 wagyu costs what—eighty yuan per hundred grams! I'll be generous and say the two sushi pieces use fifty grams, add labor costs, and the total for two sushi pieces is seventy or eighty yuan at most. You make three hundred yuan off me and still talk about getting what you pay for? Is this really a fair deal?"

"If you can't afford it, don't come here. Go find a skewer stall on the street; their beef is dirt cheap. Where did this broke guy come from, acting so arrogant when he can't pay..." Grapefruit shot Bai Renzong a disdainful glance.

This remark incensed Bai Renzong—not because she called him broke, but because she dodged the issue and tried to cover up the real problem with insults.

Yet Bai Renzong knew why she said it: frankly, these influencers weren't here to genuinely review the restaurant. They were hired under the guise of "exploring" the place, serving as paid advertisers for the owner.

If the usual so-called "exploring" influencers merely faked their opinions about taste, then this was outright fraud: they were tricking fans into paying A5 prices for A2 or A3 wagyu, setting a trap for their followers.

How could such people call themselves streamers?

But before Bai Renzong could respond, other patrons began voicing their dissatisfaction: "What the hell are you on about? You're rich, huh? If you're so rich, why are you a streamer on 'YouDing'?" "Yeah! Aren't you just here to make money off ads? If you're rich, why bother? Shameless!" "Streamers like this deserve to be boycotted! I'm posting about this online right now!"

Then the anger began to spread to other influencers: "You too! Just because others can't tell the difference doesn't mean you should deceive them!" "Ruining someone's livelihood is akin to killing their parents? Isn't he the one ruining his own business?" "If we didn't have someone knowledgeable here, you'd make three hundred off each order and still act like a victim!"

As the scene grew more chaotic and unruly, Bai Renzong became somewhat bewildered.

About ten minutes later, members of the consumer association arrived, finally bringing the situation under control. After negotiation, the customers agreed to receive refunds, and Ge'an Sushi had to submit to an official investigation.

"Sigh... Sorry for ruining your meal," Bai Renzong said, troubled, after they stepped out.

"It's fine," Han Jiayi replied, arms folded. "But I hardly ate anything. Let's find another place?"

"That's all we can do," Bai Renzong sighed, shaking his head. "Any good suggestions?"

"Do you want to try A5 wagyu?" Han Jiayi asked curiously. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere."

With that, Han Jiayi hailed a taxi.

As they rode, Bai Renzong was still replaying the earlier argument in his mind. The owner's "Are you an authority?" and Grapefruit's "broke guy" were both tantrums thrown when logic failed—just like arguing in a game and resorting to rank when at a loss: whether one plus one equals two doesn't matter; what's important is, how dare a Platinum criticize a Diamond?

This made Bai Renzong realize something: if you want your words to carry weight, you have to reach 'King' rank; otherwise, all arguments are wasted breath.

"Do you know any ways to prove someone has a sensitive palate?" Bai Renzong turned to Han Jiayi. "I mean, is there a certificate that instantly shows your credentials?"

"Taste?" Han Jiayi thought for a moment. "If anything, the sommelier qualification comes to mind—there are certificates for levels one, two, and three. Also, sometimes there are wine tasting competitions where you have to blindly identify vintages. If you win, you usually become famous in the industry."

Then she asked curiously, "Why do you ask?"

"In the future, when making food videos, I want to shut up people like that owner," Bai Renzong replied.

This man... was surprisingly resolute; he hadn't been discouraged at all. Han Jiayi raised her brows, intrigued, then teased, "After seeing influencers like Grapefruit, you still want to stay in this business?"

"Precisely because of people like that, I need to keep going," Bai Renzong said in annoyance. "I want to expose those who take money from owners and shamelessly deceive their fans, and provide real information about places."

"Oh?" Han Jiayi's lips curled slightly: he really was ambitious.

"This path won't be easy. The industry is full of people like them," she said with a smile. "If you insist on honest reviews, sponsorships will be rare."

"There must be a way," Bai Renzong replied. "Anyway, my current income is acceptable."

"Then keep at it," Han Jiayi shrugged. "Being a breath of fresh air isn't easy."

"We'll see," Bai Renzong said quietly, gazing out the window.

Soon, the taxi stopped in front of a familiar-looking restaurant, and Han Jiayi led him out.

"Here..." Bai Renzong raised his brows at Yi Jia Xuan: wasn't this her own restaurant?

"Come on," Han Jiayi beckoned, "I should still have some A5 beef in my place."