Chapter 56: Unveiling the Truth

Soon, the two arrived downstairs, only to see Lin Gui blocking the entrance of the restaurant. Shen Xuan’s tone was somewhat harsh.

“Lin Gui! Who told you to block the door?”

“But, young master, they…”

Lin Gui’s face lit up at the sight of Shen Xuan, but upon hearing his words, he couldn’t help but respond.

“No ‘but.’ Our restaurant is open for business; how can we turn customers away? Step aside at once.”

Shen Xuan cut him off bluntly, his expression stern.

“Yes, I understand,” Lin Gui lowered his head, aware of his mistake, and quickly moved aside.

As Lin Gui stepped back, the crowd that had been waiting outside surged inside all at once.

Even Shen Xuan, who had prepared for this, felt a flicker of surprise deep within at the sheer number of people.

“I wonder, everyone, what brings you here so early to see me, Jun You?”

Taking a deep breath, Shen Xuan stepped forward and cupped his hands respectfully toward the crowd.

“Boss Shen, we’ve all come today for your medicinal cuisine!”

At that moment, a well-fed middle-aged man emerged from the crowd, smiling warmly and speaking with a friendly tone.

“Yes, Manager Shen! Everyone’s heard that your medicinal dishes not only cure all ailments, but can even revive the dead and flesh off the bones!”

A burly man stepped forward, his face brimming with excitement.

“However, we heard that these medicinal dishes are limited in supply each day, first come, first served. That’s why we gathered here so early. We hope you, Manager Shen, can understand.”

A refined middle-aged gentleman scratched his head awkwardly and spoke apologetically.

“Cure all ailments? Revive the dead and flesh off the bones?”

Hearing the crowd’s words, Lin Gui’s expression changed uniformly as he exclaimed in astonishment.

“Exactly! Little brother, isn’t this your own family’s product? Don’t you know?”

A man, noticing Lin Gui’s bewildered look, asked curiously.

“Yes! This matter has spread like wildfire throughout the capital. That’s why we braved the journey here.”

Another well-dressed man laughed as he stepped forward.

Shen Xuan’s brow furrowed, sensing something amiss, but no matter how he pondered, he could not grasp the essence of it.

Helplessly, Shen Xuan cupped his fists toward the crowd and revealed the truth.

“I believe there’s been a misunderstanding. The medicinal dishes in my restaurant do have some health benefits, but they are far from miraculous.”

Upon hearing Shen Xuan’s words, everyone exchanged glances, and the atmosphere instantly grew quiet.

“Manager Shen, don’t deceive us! We’re not short of money!”

Someone in the crowd shouted, reigniting the commotion.

“Yes, Manager Shen, the rumors outside have gone wild. Could it be false?”

“Exactly, exactly! Manager Shen, bring out this miracle medicine quickly! No matter the price, I want it!”

Seeing the frenzied expressions, Shen Xuan felt a headache coming on, unsure how to respond.

Noticing Shen Xuan’s silence, some grew impatient and spoke up.

“Manager Shen, I was the first to arrive, so that medicinal dish must have my share!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! I’m the first! Even if you say you’re the tenth, that’s better than claiming to be first.”

Upon hearing this, others grew disgruntled and turned to argue.

“I was the seventh in line!”

“Nonsense! I was seventh!”

As the bickering escalated, the scene inside Jun You quickly devolved into a chaotic market, with some even attempting to come to blows.

Seeing this, Shen Xuan realized that if he remained silent, the situation would only worsen.

“Everyone! Please calm down! Hear me out!”

He gathered his courage and spoke with a voice like a rumbling thunderclap, echoing in their ears.

With this command, the crowd immediately fell silent, though the crazed gleam in their eyes remained, fixated on Shen Xuan.

“Everyone! The medicinal dishes are not as miraculous as rumored. There is no such thing as medicine that can revive the dead and flesh off bones, let alone a bowl of soup.”

Shen Xuan took a deep breath and spoke solemnly.

“Shen Xuan! What do you mean by that? We want to buy your medicinal dishes to bring honor to Jun You! Don’t you dare disgrace us!”

A fierce-looking man glared with anger, his tone domineering.

“We only want to taste your medicinal dishes, not your recipe! Why are you hiding it so tightly?”

A young man’s eyes reddened with fury as he spoke.

Several others quickly joined in, their words growing increasingly vehement.

Listening to the uproar, Shen Xuan felt a fire quietly ignite within him, impatience swelling.

“No, this isn’t right! Why am I feeling this way?”

Realizing his emotions were off, Shen Xuan suddenly snapped back to clarity.

Looking into the crowd, he noticed a faint, nearly imperceptible scent, subtly detected by his keen senses.

“What is this?”

His gaze swept the crowd and landed on a somewhat short man standing at the back, clutching a thin, still-burning incense stick.

“So that’s it!”

At the sight of the short man, Shen Xuan immediately understood the underhanded scheme, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.

If he remembered correctly, this fellow had been the most boisterous just moments ago.

After some thought, Shen Xuan chose not to expose the culprit immediately. Instead, he cupped his hands and addressed the crowd.

“Since everyone is so enthusiastic, please wait a moment. I will prepare a batch of medicinal dishes for you all right away.”

Shen Xuan knew that no matter what he said now, it wouldn’t help; the most urgent thing was to calm the crowd.

“Ha ha ha! That’s more like it! I knew Manager Shen wasn’t stingy!”

Hearing Shen Xuan finally relent, the crowd all showed proud smiles.

The short man even grinned broadly.

“Everyone, please wait a moment. I’ll be right back.”

With that, Shen Xuan entrusted Gu An to watch over the guests and, accompanied by Lin Gui, headed toward the kitchen.

“Heh heh heh! This mad incense is really something. Who would have thought a single stick could make so many lose their minds!”

Watching Shen Xuan and Lin Gui’s retreating figures, the short man sneered inwardly.

“As long as that Shen fellow can’t produce the miracle medicinal dish, this crazed mob will surely wreck this inn!”

“When that happens, after this kid’s reputation is ruined, I’ll capture him and force him to reveal the recipe. Then I’ll strike it rich! Ha ha ha ha!”

The short man fantasized about the bright future ahead, nearly bursting into laughter.