Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 812 - 768 Collusion with Each Other

Chapter 812 -768 Collusion with Each Other

Seeing this scene, Nie Zhenbang let out a cold snort and said, “What? Are you planning to force a sale on us?”

The newcomers, confronted with Nie Zhenbang’s words, seemed indifferent and did not respond. The waiter had also approached and was well-practiced in handling such situations.

He said to the man in the middle who seemed to be the leader, “Brother Ming, these guys ordered dishes, finished eating, and are now wiping their mouths and accusing our restaurant of overcharging. They’re claiming we’re committing fraud.”

As soon as the waiter finished speaking, Yang Zhi stood up and retorted, “If this isn’t fraud, then what is? Do you think you’re serving seafood and abalone shark fin? Aren’t these just some peasant dishes? I’ve paid three thousand six hundred, even over ten thousand for a meal, and I’ve done it more than once. But this meal, I really can’t pay for it. If I did, then I’d truly be an idiot.”

Yang Zhi, speaking in the distinct Jingcheng accent and exuding a carefree demeanor, perfectly embodied the image of a rebellious Jingcheng native. He resembled Yang Anbang from years ago.

Brother Ming, entirely unimpressed, replied casually, “Kid, have you weaned yet? This is not something you can handle.”

Brother Ming was well-acquainted with such disputes, so he remained unfazed and said to Nie Zhenbang, “Boss, you can say what you want, but please, don’t talk nonsense. Our pricing is clear and fair to all. These dishes are all wild and native, not just delicacies but also game. Take the wild mushrooms you ate, for example. I won’t say much about it, but they’re handpicked from steep cliffs deep in the forests. Charging you eight hundred and eighty for it is not expensive, right?”

“The price is not steep. You all look like big bosses. Do you really care about this little amount of money? Just pay up happily, and everyone’s pleased,” said Brother Ming with a faint smile, coupled with a look of contempt.

Feeling the same disdain, Nie Zhenbang understood why the girls from those few Jingcheng houses would get so angry. Anyone would feel aggrieved in this situation. Yes, it was a feeling of profound indignation.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

It was clear that one had been scammed, entrapped by a shady establishment, only to have it turned around and be accused of stinginess. Such a situation was infuriating.

Tourist traps are a common occurrence at attractions nationwide. It’s understandable that dining and lodging costs can be higher in scenic areas than elsewhere. But the exorbitant charges of this establishment were far from normal and qualified as blatant price gouging. Restaurants in tourist spots didn’t usually focus on repeat business. The mantra was to fleece every customer that came through the door.

After a moment of silence, Nie Zhenbang suggested, “It seems you’re the one in charge here. Let me put it this way: my nephew’s words might have been a bit rough, but his point wasn’t wrong. Three thousand six hundred is clearly extortion. Honestly, I cannot pay that. If you agree, I’m willing to give you one thousand eight hundred yuan for this meal.”

Nie Zhenbang didn’t conjure up this offer out of thin air. There were twelve dishes on the table, and while they were indeed authentic local cuisine, even by current market prices, they wouldn’t exceed four hundred yuan. This offer was quite reasonable.

Nie Zhenbang wasn’t proposing this to save a bit of money. His intention was to test whether this dishonest shop was beyond redemption.

This type of behavior was essentially price fraud—a crime that could run afoul of the criminal law. If these people were sensible, Nie Zhenbang would not mind letting them off the hook.

But as Nie Zhenbang finished speaking, one of Brother Ming’s men immediately shot back, “Who the hell do you think you are? Let me tell you this: today, you’ll pay for this meal whether you like it or not. Let’s put it this way: today’s meal costs three thousand six hundred yuan, and not a penny less. If you won’t pay, fine, come with us to the scenic spot police station. I refuse to believe that in broad daylight, someone dares to dine and dash.”

At this point, Nie Zhenbang exchanged a glance with Ning Bojun. They were brazen enough to even suggest following official procedures. It seemed there were plenty of shady dealings going on. Clearly, the local police station had some collusion with these businesses.

Tourist traps, especially of this egregiously exploitative nature, were virtually no different from robbery. Meals that cost only about two hundred yuan in production, even accounting for additional costs due to the location, should be adequately covered by six hundred yuan. A fifty percent markup would only amount to twelve hundred yuan. Charging three thousand six hundred was not just price gouging—it was highway robbery.

Moreover, such actions would inevitably cast a dire shadow over the scenic spot’s image and could significantly impact the entire tourism industry and market of Bashu Province.

Just imagine, if the Chinese people all knew that the tourist spots in Bashu Province were such rip-offs, not to mention whether anyone would dare to eat, shop, or sleep here, even just coming here would be in question.

These merchants seem to think that it’s fine to fleece every customer that comes along. It sounds simple. To them, it’s just their own behavior. But over time, such practices could spell disaster for the entire tourism image of Bashu Province. All the efforts made by Bashu for its tourism will have been in vain. All that talk of expanding promotion and developing tourism resources will be empty words. No matter how good the talk is, if the reputation is tarnished and no one comes here, what else is there to say? This is a classic case of ‘one rotten apple spoils the barrel.’

As Nie Zhenbang looked at Brother Ming, he replied with a smile, “Is that your opinion too?”

Surprised, Brother Ming realized that these people were not ordinary. But as for this, Brother Ming didn’t care. He had greased all the necessary palms and taken care of every step in the process. As far as he was concerned, there was absolutely nothing to worry about. No matter who you were or how big a boss, here, dragons curled up and tigers lay down for him. He had dealt with plenty of these situations before. If things escalated, it wouldn’t be a problem for him. All his procedures were legal. He had already put away the price-free menu. What was there to fear?

Having this in mind, Brother Ming nodded and said, “That’s right. His word is my word, and all you bosses with deep pockets shouldn’t bother arguing with us small-time businessmen. When you eat, you pay, even if you argue till the cows come home, that’s the rule.”

As Brother Ming finished speaking, Nie Zhenbang simply sat down, the corners of his mouth lifted into a slight smile, “Alright, very good. I’m someone who always responds better to soft tactics than to hard ones. Since you’ve put it this way, I’ll tell you that today, I won’t pay you more than eight hundred. Not a cent more.”

Seeing Brother Ming and his crew looking ready to surge forward, Nie Zhenbang wasn’t worried. He was completely confident in his own abilities; these few people didn’t even register as a threat, and besides, Little Wu wasn’t a pushover either. As his personal secretary, Little Wu also took on the responsibilities of a driver and bodyguard. These people wouldn’t even require him to lift a finger.

The look on Nie Zhenbang’s face at that moment made Li Jupeng’s heart clench. Having followed Nie Zhenbang for so many years, Li Ju Peng knew his leader’s temperament very well. That smile signified that his leader was truly angered.

Brother Ming, however, was deep in thought, eyeing the two men in front of him. He waved his hand, and an attendant immediately slipped away. Despite the situation, Brother Ming maintained a smile and said, “Ha, you must be joking. We wouldn’t engage in anything like violence; we’re legitimate businessmen. Since we can’t reach an agreement, let’s wait for the authorities from the scenic area’s police station and office to arrive before we discuss further.”

The two groups stared each other down, and about ten minutes passed when the sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance.

Looking out through the restaurant’s window, several vehicles, including a police car with flashing lights, and a sedan had pulled up at the restaurant entrance. The doors opened, and four uniformed officers along with two men in shirts entered.

The group quickly made their way into the room, scanning the interior with a sweep of their eyes. There was no exchange of looks with the restaurant staff and everything seemed perfectly normal. But the more normal it seemed, the less normal it actually was. Nie Zhenbang was well aware of how things were handled at the grassroots level. In such situations, local officers were usually familiar with community members. And when a complaint arose, the parties involved would typically exhibit a familiar attitude to curry favor. The very absence of such familiarity here was unusual at the grassroots level.

One of the officers spoke immediately upon entering, “What exactly happened? Who called the police?”

As soon as he finished, Brother Ming stepped forward and recounted the entire incident. After summarizing, he appealed, “Officer, you understand that as businessmen in this scenic area, we deal with high rents and tough sales. Aren’t they just trying to duck the bill?”

Once Brother Ming stopped talking, the officer looked at Nie Zhenbang and his party, scanning them all before speaking in a firm tone, “You tourists as well, you should have checked the menu before ordering. Complaining about the price after eating makes no sense. Just pay the bill. Dragging this to the police station will only sour your mood even more.”

Next to him, a man from the scenic area office, wearing glasses, also spoke up firmly, “Really, some people. All they do is complain about the service here without considering their own fault in the matter. It seems like a clear case of creating trouble out of nothing.”

The man’s words had barely faded when his colleague tugged at the officer’s sleeve, prompting a surprised reaction from the officer, who turned to look at his partner.

Right as he was about to speak, the partner whispered, “Old Zhang, take a closer look for yourself. Don’t let this blow up into something bigger.”

PS: I am Cai Jin’s wife. Cai Jin is at a classmate’s child’s one-month celebration today. He got drunk. He said he’ll write more after he sobers up, so the next update will probably be after midnight. (