Sure enough, right after Zhang Dali’s mother posted the video, other parents immediately started responding.
[Fangfang’s Mother: What’s going on? Don’t tell me there’s actually a problem with the lunch? My daughter’s teacher didn’t call me!]
[Qin Zibo’s Father: Damn it! I thought a chef praised by a National Banquet Master would have some integrity. I can’t believe something like this happened on the very first day!]
[Zhang Tianyu’s Father: Everyone, let’s calm down. It’s best not to make biased statements before this has been investigated. Let’s wait and see what Boss Su has to say.]
[Wang Yanran’s Mother: A kid is in the hospital with a stomachache, what else is there to talk about? I want a refund! A refund, right now!]
Su Chen’s fists tightened. He shot a fierce glare at Zhang Qing and Zhang Kai, who were standing to the side, and said in a tone edged with anger but remarkably steady, "If this incident damages my company’s reputation and interests, I expect you to take full responsibility."
He then turned to Ling Shuyu.
’She was the only one he could trust with this.’
"Shuyu, find out which hospital her brother is at, right now. He Shuting, you go with President Ling. Take your phone, and get clear pictures of the doctor’s official diagnosis, the prescribed medication, all of it! I want photos of everything!!!"
You could tell Su Chen was genuinely angry this time.
"Got it." Ling Shuyu gave a quick signal and led He Shuting hastily out the door, already on the phone trying to find out which hospital it was.
But Su Chen wasn’t finished giving orders. "Zhang Li, pull the surveillance footage from the kitchen today, both of the cooking process and of the retained samples. We may need to send the samples for official testing."
This was a necessary precaution.
If it really came to that, only an official lab report would be considered definitive.
"Right!" Zhang Li immediately got to work finding the footage.
Su Chen turned around. "Bai Xiaobo, call the police."
"How dare you!" Zhang Qing suddenly shrieked at Bai Xiaobo. "Say something! This is your company, isn’t it? Speak up! Bai Xiaobo, if you dare call the police today, I swear I’ll never speak to you again!"
’Oh?’
Su Chen watched the two of them. ’So they know each other?’
After all, Su Chen wasn’t the type to gossip. He’d only heard bits and pieces about the situation and had no impression of Zhang Qing at all.
"I..." Xiaobai clutched his phone, suddenly at a loss for what to do.
On one hand was his boss, a boss who had treated him extremely well.
On the other, the girl he once worshipped from afar...
Seeing how things were escalating, Zhang Kai suddenly spoke up. "Oh, right, Qingqing! I just remembered I have something urgent to take care of this afternoon. It doesn’t look like your brother’s in any real danger. I’m going to head out to handle my business. Call me anytime!"
He couldn’t risk it.
If the police were really called, he’d have to give a statement at the very least. If this incident ended up in court, it would be a huge problem for him.
He already had his Volkswagen Passat ready, just waiting for the day he passed the civil service exam to fill its trunk with the staple goods—rice, flour, and oil—issued by his government work unit. On his path to a public service career, Zhang Kai could not afford any slip-ups.
Before Zhang Qing could even say a word, Zhang Kai bolted.
"Isn’t that her brother?" Su Chen suddenly asked.
Zhang Qing’s face burned with humiliation, so red it looked like it might start bleeding.
’If it hadn’t been for her senior, she never would’ve had the courage to come here and cause trouble for the company. And now he’d just up and left?’
’Leaving her all alone to face a situation where the police were about to be called?’
Helpless, Zhang Qing’s gaze fell on Bai Xiaobo. He was the only person she knew here.
"Boss, maybe we could..."
"Boss Su..." Zhang Qing’s tone was now utterly humbled. "Could you... please not call the police? I... I apologize! Boss Su, I’m begging you!"
She was panicking.
"I’m studying for the civil service exam. If the police are called, I’m afraid of what might happen... Please, I’m begging you..."
Regret. Right now, Zhang Qing was filled with nothing but overwhelming regret.
’If I’d known it would come to this, I never should have listened to her senior. I should have at least gotten the facts straight before doing anything.’
Su Chen sighed. "You’re afraid that a police report will affect your future prospects?"
"Then have you ever considered the impact on my company? You came here to cause a scene without getting the facts straight, and you stirred up trouble in the group chat."
"If your actions cause my company to suffer irreparable losses, look at these people." Su Chen gestured to the employees around him. "They will all lose their jobs. Who will be responsible for them? You?"
At Su Chen’s words, Zhang Qing’s head sank even lower. She felt so small she could have crumbled into dust.
Bai Xiaobo couldn’t bear to watch and turned his head away.
In the past, he would have risked losing his job to protect Zhang Qing, but now... Bai Xiaobo no longer had that kind of courage.
His boss was right. The after-school meal service was the company’s main source of revenue. If it went under, the company genuinely wouldn’t be able to make payroll.
That was a responsibility no one could bear.
"But... but if you call the police..." Zhang Qing burst into tears.
She had never held a job since graduating from college, so her real-world experience was practically nonexistent. Faced with a situation like this, she was utterly lost and had no idea what to do.
Su Chen’s stance remained firm, but his tone softened slightly. "I can agree to delay calling the police."
"Let’s wait a little longer. Everything hinges on the results, doesn’t it?"
Calling the police was merely to create an official record, to prevent any irresolvable disputes later on.
Su Chen’s goal wasn’t to ruin anyone. Besides, he knew that a minor incident like this wouldn’t actually have any effect on her chances of becoming a civil servant.
He had only one objective: this company, which he and his employees had brought back from the dead through blood, sweat, and tears, could not be tarnished by such rumors, nor could it be allowed to suffer even the slightest harm.