Chapter 221

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Protagonist:

Lu Feng

Wang Peng is Zhang Chao's die-hard fan; he started following Zhang Chao's live stream room in his senior year of university.

He usually loves playing games, and accidentally came across Zhang Chao's game live stream.

After watching a few sessions in a row, he was drawn in by Zhang Chao's flashy positioning and skills so incredible they made his scalp tingle.

Since then, he has hardly missed a single one of Zhang Chao's live streams.

Now it's been almost a year since he graduated; every day he's crushed by work until he can barely breathe.

Only during those two hours before bed watching Zhang Chao's live stream can he temporarily feel a sense of ease.

Wang Peng has been working for less than a year; every month he earns a meager salary, and aside from covering living expenses, basically all the rest goes into games, and the occasional gift/donation to Zhang Chao's live stream.

Tonight he worked overtime so late he didn't even get to eat dinner; just now he heard Zhang Chao recommend a restaurant in the live stream room, and right now he's hesitating over whether to go try it.

After watching Zhang Chao's evening live stream, he instantly got the urge to go have a taste.

Looking at the address popping up on the bullet screen, Wang Peng searched it on his mobile phone.

From where he lives to there, taking a taxi would take about twenty minutes.

It's just past eleven at night now, still an hour away from the closing time Zhang Chao mentioned; going now should still make it in time.

Wang Peng originally planned to cook a pack of instant noodles later to just make do.

But a shop recommended by his idol Zhang Chao — as a die-hard fan, no matter what, he should go try it.

Once he made up his mind, he quickly sprang up from the bed, put on his clothes, and walked straight out the door.

Soon, a taxi brought Wang Peng to the intersection of the Food Street in the middle of the night.

Wang Peng followed the address and walked into the Food Street for a while; from far away he saw a shop entrance with a lot of people queued up.

At the same time, he also smelled that enticing aroma in the air, hooking his stomach into letting out a growl involuntarily.

"Should be this shop."

Wang Peng looked at the signboard above Lu Feng's Shop, and immediately walked quickly toward the shop entrance.

By now there wasn't much business hours left, but the diners queuing at the entrance were still quite a few.

Wang Peng stood at the shop entrance, craning his neck to look inside.

Every table in the shop's hall was seated with diners eating; it was very lively.

It's this late already; how come there are still so many diners eating in the shop?

Looking at the lively scene inside, Wang Peng's curiosity shot up, and he decided to go in first to take a look.

He just lifted his foot preparing to step into the shop, when a rough voice immediately rang out from the queue: "Hey you, young man, if you're eating, go queue at the back!"

Wang Peng turned his head to look; the speaker was a diner standing in the queue, right now frowning and eyeing him like a tiger watching its prey.

"I'll go in first to check the environment, then decide whether to eat here."

Wang Peng scratched his head a bit embarrassedly, and said to that diner.

"That won't do either; last week someone used this excuse to try to cut in line, and got chased out by several people."

That diner still refused to let up, saying: "If you're eating then queue; if you're not eating then don't go in."

Several other diners in the queue also looked over at Wang Peng; their posture seemed like if he took another step into the shop, they'd rush up and grab him.

Wang Peng could only step back two steps, stand at the shop entrance and say: "Then can I stand at the door and look? I won't go in."

"Fine, but you better not play any smart tricks; all of us are watching."

Only then did that diner let up, waving his hand and saying.

Wang Peng let out a breath of relief, fished out his mobile phone from his pocket, and took a few photos facing the shop interior.

Later he'd send the photos to the group; that would count as pics or it didn't happen, proving he really came.

Wang Peng changed his phone lens direction, aiming at the price list on the wall.

After seeing the picture displayed on his phone screen, he couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

Wang Peng put his phone down, looked carefully at the price list on the wall, and was shocked by the prices on the wall.

He'd been to this side of Food Street quite a few times before; in his impression, the food here cost at most twenty or thirty yuan.

But this shop, the cheapest xiaolongbao cost 50 yuan a basket, and Lion's Head and Red Braised Pork directly soared to 168 a portion.

These prices were more than double the other shops on Food Street.

"These prices are a bit too expensive..." Wang Peng couldn't help muttering softly.

Right now he only has 130 yuan left in his phone, and it's three days until he gets his salary.

This hundred-plus is his entire living expenses for the next few days.

He originally calculated to spend fifty yuan at Lu Feng's to eat a good meal, and save the rest to last until payday.

But now, his budget only covers one basket of xiaolongbao.

All his assets still aren't enough to buy one portion of Lion's Head or Red Braised Pork.

Wang Peng's heart couldn't help rising a feeling of indescribable grievance, and a sense of being cheated.

He stood at the entrance hesitating for a while, walked over to that diner who had stopped him earlier, and asked a bit awkwardly: "Big bro, let me ask... are the prices on this wall the actual prices? No promotions or anything?"

"Yeah, Lu Boss has always been this price, fair to young and old alike."

That diner said it as a matter of course, then added: "It is pricey, but worth every penny."

But Wang Peng didn't take in the second half at all.

He forced out a smile, said: "Okay, thanks."

After speaking, he immediately turned around and fled Lu Feng's shop at top speed.

"Fortunately I didn't go in to eat."

Only after leaving more than ten meters from the shop did Wang Peng breathe a sigh of relief.

If he hadn't figured it out just now and really went in to order a portion of Lion's Head but didn't have enough money on him, that would have been too embarrassing.

He turned back to glance at Lu Feng's shop, and a hint of dissatisfaction appeared on his face.

The prices at this shop are a bit too expensive, aren't they?

Is this a rip-off shop?

How could Brother Chao recommend a shop like this?

On the way home, Wang Peng's mind was full of the price list on the wall of Lu Family Restaurant.

"It's over, Brother Chao must have fallen."

Wang Peng thought to himself, somewhat fixated.

He subconsciously believed that Zhang Chao must have taken advertising money from the boss, which was why he recommended it in the live stream room.

Back in the rental house, he didn't even have time to change his shoes before sitting on the bed and picking up his mobile phone.

"No, I have to post this situation in the group chat; maybe Brother Chao was also scammed, and I need to let everyone know."

Wang Peng decided to post the price list he had just photographed into Zhang Chao's fan group.

He had joined Zhang Chao's fan group long ago, and most of the time he just lurked and watched everyone chat about games.

Today, for the first time, he felt he should step forward and remind the others.

"Brothers, let me warn everyone!"

Wang Peng typed furiously on his mobile phone, his tone carrying a hint of righteous indignation.

"The restaurant Brother Chao recommended in today's livestream, I already went there just now—the prices are outrageous! I've taken a photo of the price list, you can look and decide for yourselves whether to go!"

He paused, recalling Zhang Chao's confident appearance during the livestream, then continued typing with his head down.

"Brother Chao very likely took advertising money, or he might have been fooled by the boss! Anyway, everyone, don't foolishly run over there to be leeks—I've already stepped in the pit for you all!"