"Braised Chicken Rice, Restaurant Mai Mi, 29th place!"
"Rou Jia Mo, Restaurant Mai Mi, 35th place!"
"Savory Tofu Pudding, Restaurant Mai Mi, 67th place!"
"Sweet Tofu Pudding, Restaurant Mai Mi, 68th place!"
"Yang Zhou Fried Rice, Restaurant Mai Mi, 88th place!"
Voices rose from the crowd, seemingly stirring up the atmosphere. Many customers of Restaurant Mai Mi had come specifically to see the final list today, having given up all hope. Unexpectedly, Restaurant Mai Mi made it back onto the list!
"Bo...Boss, what happened to our barbecue restaurant?" the waiter said in a panic. He looked around the ranking lists several times, even the last few lists, but still couldn't find the words "Richie BBQ Restaurant".
"This...this...this is absolutely impossible! We gave so much money, the Merchants' Union said they would put us on the 29th place, that they would put us on the list, how could this happen, how could this be!" Richie was completely panicked, his eyes searching the lists again and again, but he couldn't find any trace of Richie BBQ Restaurant at all.
On the twenty ninth spot, which originally belonged to Richie's BBQ, there was three glaring words that almost made him unable to open his eyes: "Restaurant Mai Mi".
"How did this restaurant reappear? Impossible! Impossible! It was clearly removed from the list! It was clearly never going to be on the list again! Impossible, this is fake, this must be fake... You, your Catering Association, explain to me why this is happening! Where did my Richie BBQ Restaurant go!" Richie rushed up to the Catering Association staff in a frenzy, grabbing one of them by the collar and yelling.
The dream he had been looking forward to and working hard for was suddenly shattered. This shock was too much for him to accept. He needed an explanation: why had that restaurant reappeared and even taken his 29th place? Why had his barbecue restaurant disappeared? Even 30th place would have been better than it disappearing altogether!
"Sir, the data in the rankings was provided by the association and has nothing to do with me. You can just ask your questions properly. Please let me go first, okay?" the staff member who had been grabbed said in a flustered manner.
"Yes, why is our restaurant gone too? Do you know how much effort we put into getting on the list? Why were we removed without any explanation?"
"The Catering Association is doing something like this, aren't they worried about the potential problems? We're members of the Aden Square Merchants' Union, they definitely won't stand idly by!"
Besides Richie, several restaurant owners who had been suddenly removed from the list also crowded forward, aggressively questioning him.
"Sir, I am Robert, the new president of the Catering Association. Please release our staff, or you may be arrested for threatening the staff from city lord's mansion." Just then, Robert walked over with a solemn expression and looked at Richie seriously.
"A new president? Wasn't the president of the Catering Association the chubby guy? How come it's suddenly him?"
"Yes, it's really strange. The list has changed too, many restaurants that were previously ranked quite high are gone."
Everyone looked at Robert, their eyes filled with surprise.
"Ha, a staff member of the City Lord's Mansion? What kind of staff member of the City Lord's Mansion is your Catering Association?" Richie said, looking at Robert's serious expression with a hint of bravado. He released his grip on the staff member and clenched his fist, saying, "Since you are the new president of the Catering Association, then tell me, why was our Richie BBQ Restaurant ranked twenty ninth on the list yesterday, but it's nowhere to be seen on the list today? What shady dealings has your Catering Association done?"
"Yes, our restaurant is gone too. All our hard work over the past few days has gone to waste. We will not give up until the Catering Association gives us a reasonable explanation."
Other restaurant owners echoed this sentiment, but despite their excitement, few were as reckless as Richie. They maintained basic respect for the Catering Association and Robert, since the future rankings would still be controlled by the Catering Association, and provoking them was not a good idea.
"Richie BBQ Restaurant has been removed from the rankings due to violations of ranking rules. The restaurant's service, hygiene, and food taste are seriously inconsistent with the ratings. After investigation and evidence collection by the association, it has been removed from the rankings and will be banned from participating in food ranking competitions for three months." Robert said to Richie, his voice solemn, his gaze as if he was looking at a termite.
A hush fell over the spot. The guests stared at Richie with disgust and disdain. They now understood why the food rankings were getting worse and worse, these restaurants hadn't earned their spots through merit. No wonder the food on such lists was terrible.
The restaurant owners all paled. It was one thing for the president of the Catering Association to suddenly change, but to take such swift and decisive action in just one day, removing all their restaurants from the list and imposing the three months ban, was a disaster for restaurants that had climbed to the top through the list.
Richie instinctively took two steps back, feeling the disgusted gazes directed at him. His face flushed red, his blood boiling, and he angrily rushed forward, shouting, "Bullshit! You're slandering me! I'm going to the city lord's mansion to report you! You must have taken money from that Restaurant Mai Mi to treat me like this! That's why you gave him my twenty ninth place!"
Two staff members from the Catering Association quickly stepped forward, blocking Richie on either side to prevent him from reaching Robert.
"You can question any of the rankings. We will release some detailed data later, including some of the Aden Square Merchants' Union's accounts. You can go to the City Lord's Mansion and sue me. I have a clear conscience, as long as you have a clear conscience too." Robert looked at Richie with an iron face.
Richie's expression changed drastically, as if he had suddenly fallen into an ice cave. If what Robert said was true, and they had even gotten hold of the Aden Square Merchants' Union's ledgers, then everything was set in stone. Even the Aden Square Merchants' Union probably wouldn't stand up for them. The tens of thousands of copper coins they spent on this ranking competition would all go down the drain, and Richie BBQ Restaurant's reputation would probably be completely ruined.
"That's not how it is! You're lying! I, Richie, will not give in so easily!" With that thought, Richie roared and punched the staff member blocking his way in the face, knocking him to the ground. He then charged at Robert, but was quickly tackled to the ground by staff members who rushed forward.
"The Catering Association is under the City Lord's Mansion, so the staff of the Catering Association are also staff of the City Lord's Mansion. Attacking the staff of the City Lord's Mansion without cause and deliberately causing a disturbance will be dealt with according to Articles 29 and 38 of the Chaos City Law. You will be sentenced to at least one year in Basti Prison." Robert said calmly as he looked at Richie struggling on the ground. His gaze swept over the bosses who had been somewhat restless after being provoked by Richie, without the slightest panic.
"How could this be…" Richie looked up at Robert, his face filled with despair. The other merchants all took two steps back, and a deathly silence fell over the area.
"Having money doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, because this is Chaos City." Robert shouted.
Sparse applause broke out in the quiet square, then grew louder and louder, startling the white doves nearby into flight...