Chapter 54: The 200,000 Cash Voucher Frenzy

Li Xiao didn’t let the other person leave right away. Instead, he picked up his phone and spoke to his livestream:

"Did all you haters in the stream hear that?"

"The restaurant’s own executive chef came out to clear things up. Do you still think I’m trying to stir up trouble?"

In the livestream chat.

"How is this not stirring up trouble? Didn’t they comp your meal and give you 50,000 yuan in cash vouchers? Scoring 50,000 from one meal... that’s way too easy, isn’t it?"

"Exactly! Scamming 50,000 from a single meal, no wonder he can afford a GLC!"

"They’re a high-end restaurant, they just can’t be bothered to argue with a lowlife like you!"

...

Seeing Li Xiao pick up his phone, An Chongwen finally noticed the man was still livestreaming. He glanced at the screen and saw the viewer count—over 7,000 people.

The number of viewers gave him a start, and a wave of fear washed over him.

He shot a reproachful glare at Taotao. ’Thank god I didn’t try to be a fool and muddle my way through this,’ he thought. ’Instead, I admitted the mistake directly and offered a satisfactory apology.’

Otherwise, this relatively minor incident with the ingredients could have easily blown up into a massive online scandal.

He quietly breathed a sigh of relief. However, when he heard Li Xiao’s next words, his heart immediately tensed up again.

"Help me kick out everyone who was just barking. Next up, I’m giving out some perks to my viewers."

"I said before I started eating that I would never accept any form of promotional fee from a restaurant."

"And that, of course, includes high-value cash vouchers like these!"

An Chongwen grew anxious. ’From the sound of it, he’s not planning to accept the cash vouchers?’

’Does that mean he’s refusing to accept my apology?’

He quickly spoke up:

"Mr. Li, the cash vouchers are a small token of our sincerity. Please, you must accept them."

Li Xiao could see An Chongwen’s anxiety. He waved his hand dismissively.

"Executive Chef An, I completely understand your sincerity."

"You’ve handled this meticulously. There’s nothing wrong with how you’ve dealt with it."

"Being able to admit your own mistakes so openly and honestly already puts you ahead of 99% of other restaurants."

"I’ve dealt with businesses before that try to pass off low-quality ingredients as high-quality ones. After I pointed out the issue, not only did they refuse to correct it, they hired an online mob to slander me in my stream."

"Your attitude has genuinely impressed me. That alone is worthy of my respect."

"So, how about this: I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t need the meal to be comped."

"However, I will accept the cash vouchers. But I don’t plan on using them myself. I’m going to give them away for free to my livestream viewers."

"Furthermore, to show my support for your generosity, Executive Chef An, I’ll buy another 150,000 yuan worth of vouchers, bringing the total to 200,000. I’ll give them all away to my viewers as well."

"What do you think of that solution, Executive Chef An?"

An Chongwen was somewhat stunned after hearing Li Xiao’s proposal.

The 60,000 yuan discount he had offered was already the limit of his authority. Any more would have required approval from his superiors.

Yet, he never would have imagined that this young man, who looked to be barely in his twenties, would not only refuse the 60,000 yuan offer but also shell out another 150,000 from his own pocket to buy more vouchers.

And all just because his apology had been sincere and decisive enough.

He sighed helplessly to himself. ’As expected, I’ll never understand the world of the rich.’

He hesitated, unsure if he should agree.

"Well..."

Li Xiao raised a hand.

"Executive Chef An, just think of it as making a new friend."

"It was just a small mishap, these things are unavoidable. Since you were so generous, I can’t be stingy either."

"Or could it be that you don’t want to be friends with me, Executive Chef An?"

An Chongwen shook his head with a helpless smile.

"Alright, alright. In that case, on behalf of Jiuhe Garden, I thank you for your magnanimity. I never expected a guest to be willing to promote us even after we made a mistake. Thank you, truly."

Li Xiao said,

"Alright, let’s leave it at that. It’s the middle of the dinner rush, so I won’t keep you from your work, Executive Chef An. You should get back."

An Chongwen quickly took out a business card.

"Mr. Li, this is my card. If you come again, call me in advance. I’ll be sure to personally prepare some of my specialties to welcome you."

Li Xiao didn’t refuse. ’Another friend means another path in life,’ he thought. He accepted the card with both hands and exchanged a few more pleasantries with the chef. Since An Chongwen had to get back to the kitchen, he quickly departed.

Standing off to the side, Taotao was overjoyed, not having expected such a dramatic and positive turn of events.

She hurried over to Li Xiao’s side, her smile growing even brighter.

"Mr. Li, may I bring out the next course?"

Li Xiao nodded.

"Of course."

"Oh, right. Could you help me purchase 150,000 yuan in cash vouchers now? The 1,000-yuan denomination ones. I’d like to give out the perks to my viewers right away."

Taotao replied,

"Of course. Please wait just a moment, I’ll have a colleague bring the cash vouchers right over."

Li Xiao returned to his seat. By now, the livestream chat was in an uproar:

"Now *that’s* what you call magnanimous! Our Brother Li is the definition of it!"

"Is this the life of a rich second-generation kid? I’m so jealous!"

"Refusing 60,000 in compensation is one thing, but then adding another 150,000 of his own money!!! I’ve got two words for that: Fucking awesome!"

"I’m standing my ground today. Let’s see who dares to slander our Brother Li now!"

"The streamer must have been talking about that Yun Ji Bamboo-Rising Wonton Noodles place, right? It’s already getting slammed with bad reviews online, but they’re still acting stubborn as a mule!"

"What are the requirements for the giveaway, streamer? I’m an old fan, I’ve gotta win this time!!"

"A 200,000 yuan giveaway! This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like it!"

"1,000 yuan per voucher, so 200,000 yuan means 200 vouchers. There are over 7,000 people in the stream right now, so that’s a 1 in 35 chance! The odds are pretty good!"

...

Watching the haters get instantly flamed by his fans until they fled in disarray, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

"For me, dropping 200,000 on a giveaway is as easy as eating a meal. I just wonder if the owner of a certain wonton noodle shop can afford to keep up with me."

"Alright, let’s not talk about that unpleasant business anymore."

"The rules for this giveaway are also very simple."

"You only need to meet a few conditions to participate."

"First, you obviously have to be one of my followers."

"Second, your account must have at least three posts. The reason for this rule is mainly to prevent bots and zombie accounts from participating."

"Third, if you meet those conditions, you can participate in the lucky draw. The 200 people with the best luck will be this round’s lucky viewers, and each person will receive a 1,000-yuan cash voucher!"

After explaining all that, he immediately started setting up the lucky draw.

A giveaway this big would definitely be shared by the viewers with their friends.

He was giving these perks to the fans who followed his stream, and he didn’t want too many random passersby to take them.

Only by finishing the giveaway quickly could he ensure the perks went to the real fans in his stream.