Chapter 377

Shen Ci didn't answer Li Jianguo's question, but instead looked at the woman with a deep gaze.

Her sudden appearance to greet them had already disrupted the other party's scam rhythm, making the woman feel somewhat dissatisfied. Feeling Shen Ci's gaze, the woman feigned calmness and smiled, naturally saying: "Is this your student?"

Li Jianguo nodded and was about to speak when he saw Shen Ci suddenly walk to Li Jianguo's side, then lightly pick up the bill on the table and read it as if no one else was around.

Good heavens.

Nearly a thousand yuan—after conversion, it was nearly ten thousand!

She had eaten at many good restaurants, but this per-capita cost was really ridiculously high. The key was that the two of them only ordered four dishes and one bottle of liquor.

Was this treating Li Jianguo like a Japanese tourist?

While looking at the bill, Shen Ci glanced at the woman opposite from time to time. Although she didn't speak, the pressure from her presence was extremely strong.

The woman was an old hand, and being watched by Shen Ci made her feel a bit uneasy. She guiltily checked the time on her watch.

Li Jianguo was also confused by Shen Ci: "Shen Ci?"

"Li Dao, are you out on a blind date?"

Shen Ci finally spoke, asking a question she already knew the answer to.

Being caught on a blind date by her own student, and with the two tables so close that some words might have been overheard, Li Jianguo couldn't hide his embarrassment and smiled sheepishly.

Because he had a very good impression of the other party, he didn't deny it.

Seeing this, the woman took the opportunity to interject: "Li Laoshi, then you go ahead and chat with your student. I have a yoga class in the afternoon and I'm about to be late, so I'll be leaving first."

After finishing, she lifted her feet and prepared to slip away.

"Wait a moment."

Unexpectedly, Shen Ci spoke directly to stop her, shook the bill in her hand, and said: "Ordering such expensive liquor and dishes on the first blind date with a man—isn't that inappropriate?"

Hearing this, the woman's face changed slightly, and she looked at Li Jianguo with shock and shame: "Li Laoshi, what does this mean? If you think it's expensive, you can just say so. I'll pay!"

Li Jianguo was also startled by Shen Ci's words. Although he also felt it was too expensive, he couldn't say it in front of others.

"Alright, then you pay!"

Shen Ci didn't give Li Jianguo a chance to speak at all, and as she spoke, she turned her head to look at the waiter: "Did you hear that? This lady wants to pay the bill!"

The waiter stood there blankly, clearly not knowing how to react for a moment.

Because the waiter knew the woman's identity in his heart—today's sucker was Li Jianguo, and only Li Jianguo!

"Shen Ci, what are you doing?"

Li Jianguo was anxious and took out his phone to pay: "Come on, scan me!"

Shen Ci reached out with lightning speed, snatched his phone, locked the screen, and confiscated it, leaving Li Jianguo dumbfounded.

"No..."

Li Jianguo looked at Shen Ci eagerly. He knew Shen Ci's personality quite well; she was definitely not someone who would make trouble without reason. But why did she keep stopping him from paying today?

"Li Dao, you are a highly educated person, a section-level counselor. Can't you see through this low-level scam?"

"Scam... scam?"

Li Jianguo looked at Shen Ci, then at the woman, and finally at the bill.

His brain, muddled by beauty, seemed to wake up a bit at this moment. He was a smart person after all; with Shen Ci reminding him to this extent, he couldn't possibly remain completely immersed and obsessed.

"Is—is that so?" Li Jianguo looked at the woman, his eyes full of disappointment: "Are you scamming me?"

Seeing that the scam was exposed, the woman knew she couldn't admit it, so her face sank: "I don't know what you're talking about."

As she spoke, she turned to leave, but was blocked by Tang Song a step earlier.

"Madam, you can't leave!"

Just then, someone suddenly walked out of the restaurant. The person in the lead seemed to be the boss. He looked at Shen Ci and the others with unkind eyes and said: "Don't make trouble here, it's delaying my business!"

"Boss, is that how business is done?"

There wasn't a trace of fear on Shen Ci's face. She turned back, took the bottle of white liquor from the table, opened an app to search for the same model, but found that this liquor didn't exist online at all.

"This liquor of yours doesn't even exist on the market, and you dare to sell it for so much?"

"This liquor is exclusively supplied to our restaurant. Is there a problem?" The boss's face hardened, not afraid at all.

Daring to engage in this kind of racket, he must have some trump cards.

Hearing this, Shen Ci sneered: "Exclusively supplied? I think it's self-produced and self-sold, right? Is it registered with the relevant departments? Are the liquor supply procedures complete? Selling 'three-no' products at sky-high prices is illegal!"

Shen Ci appeared calm and composed, every word dancing on the other party's landmines.

But she was fearless, because...

The police had arrived!

Tang Song had sent a message to his colleagues as soon as the other party prepared to pay.

Several plainclothes police officers walked into the shop with big strides. The boss's arrogant expression hadn't faded yet when the team leader's ID was already shoved into his face: "Police. We received a report that your restaurant is using 'meal touts' and yin-yang menus to fleece customers. Please cooperate with our investigation."

The boss widened his eyes in shock. He had people in the bureau; if someone came to investigate, they would tip him off.

How did this surprise attack happen?

"Comrade Police, is this a misunderstanding?" The boss reacted and hurriedly explained, his hand subconsciously reaching into his pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes to offer the police officers: "We're all our own people, have a smoke."

"Watch your attitude. We are the police; who is 'your own people'?"

The team leader scolded with a serious expression, then turned his gaze toward Shen Ci's side.

"Tang Song!"

"Captain Guo!"

Tang Song greeted him and said: "The parties involved are all here. This woman is a meal tout, the restaurant provides yin-yang menus to defraud customers, and sells 'three-no' products at sky-high prices. Has the Market Supervision Bureau been notified?"

Captain Guo nodded: "They are already on their way."

The woman in red was so scared that her legs went weak upon hearing this. Gone was her gentle and intellectual demeanor; she hurriedly ran to Li Jianguo's side and begged: "Li Laoshi, you really misunderstood. Hurry and explain to the police; I'm here on a blind date with you, I'm not a meal tout!"

Li Jianguo was completely sober now. He silently pulled back his hand. Although he felt unwilling, he felt more anger.

Because he really thought he had met a target with whom he could continue to develop, but the other party had failed the expectations he held for this relationship.

"Explain whatever you have to say to the police yourself."

Looking at Li Jianguo's appearance, Shen Ci couldn't help but sigh with heartache. It was hard for him to have a spring in his heart at his age, only to run into such a thing.

He would probably find it hard to trust others in the future, even if they were sincere.

"Tang Song, I'll leave this to you for now. Li Dao and I will head back to school first."

Shen Ci walked to Tang Song and said in a low voice. She wanted to take Li Dao away first; the police would handle the rest.

Tang Song nodded helplessly. It was a rare day off and he wanted to go on a date with Shen Ci, but with a case appearing, he had to stay and handle it; this was his duty.

And he also knew the course of events.

Meeting a meal tout on a blind date is a personal experience of one of my relatives. The real event was even more absurd and difficult to deal with. I was greatly shocked after hearing it.

(End of chapter)