The commotion on the other side had made Qin Tian and his companions lose their appetite.
Xia Nuannuan and Xu Jiao looked at the distressed waitress, who was on the verge of tears after failing to de-escalate the situation, with a sense of sympathy.
The waitress was merely doing her job, maintaining a polite and responsible demeanor.
However, if the situation continued to escalate, she would likely be held responsible.
After all, the chefs' arrogance and lack of restraint were undoubtedly due to the owner's indulgence.
"I can't stand to see this. Is there any way we can help her?"
Xu Jiao asked her boyfriend.
Zhou Xian scratched his head and replied helplessly, "I can't do anything about it. It has nothing to do with us. We can't just go and beat up those chefs!"
"Who said I wanted you to fight? Is that what you think I mean? You only know how to solve problems with violence."
Xu Jiao complained in annoyance.
Zhou Xian looked embarrassed and meekly accepted the criticism.
Seeing them like this, Xia Nuannuan's eyes suddenly lit up, and she said to Qin Tian beside her, "Brother, why don't you cook a dish for them to try? That way, those chefs will know their dishes are indeed not good enough, and maybe they'll stop arguing."
Qin Tian was taken aback by her suggestion, a hint of hesitation appearing on his face.
Zhou Xian and Xu Jiao exchanged a surprised glance, having not expected Xia Nuannuan to propose such an idea.
How much confidence did she have in Qin Tian's cooking skills!
Those chefs were professionals, after all. Could Qin Tian really silence them with his culinary talent?
"Let's forget about it. I was just overthinking."
Xia Nuannuan suddenly shook her head, retracting her suggestion.
It was just a fleeting thought that popped into her mind, and she had spoken without considering it further.
Upon further reflection, she felt it was unnecessary.
They were just travelers passing through and had no involvement in this matter.
If those chefs became enraged and redirected their anger towards them, it would be asking for trouble.
"Then I'll go ask. If it's possible, it'll be a good chance for them to taste my skills as well."
Qin Tian nodded with a smile, gesturing towards Xu Jiao and Zhou Xian with his chin.
"Brother..."
Xia Nuannuan looked as if she had something to say but hesitated.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Qin Tian gently patted her thigh, put down his chopsticks, stood up, and walked towards the scene of the argument.
He of course understood Xia Nuannuan's concerns, but even if they became angry, it wouldn't affect him.
Moreover, like many other customers, he found the chefs' attitude somewhat unbearable.
They were spending money to dine here, and even if their dishes were mediocre, their unreasonable behavior and the attitude of "the world is mine, and I'm doing you a favor by selling you food" was truly off-putting.
"Are you leaving or not? If you can't afford it, don't come to our restaurant. Stop causing trouble!"
"Damn it, how much is this dish worth? You think I can't afford it?"
"Then stop spewing nonsense. Pay the bill and leave quickly, don't come back."
"I'm not leaving. What are you going to do about it? I must wait for your boss to come today. If your boss doesn't give me an explanation, I'll call the police and report you."
"Heh, then call the police. It's a matter of clearly marked prices and mutual agreement. What grounds do you have to complain about us? Huh?"
"Even if the police won't do anything, believe it or not, I'll stand in front of your restaurant tomorrow with a sign saying you're bullying customers and are all show and no substance. I'll see how many people come to your restaurant then."
"Do whatever you want. Who are you trying to scare?"
...
The chefs arrogantly pointed at the middle-aged man, mocking him relentlessly.
The middle-aged man was clearly not to be trifled with, engaging with them in a one-on-one verbal spar and not giving them any quarter.
The waitress, with teary eyes, pleaded for them to stop arguing, but her pleas were ignored by those who were still fuming.
"Excuse me... sorry to interrupt, may I say something?"
A voice suddenly rang out.
The people involved turned their surprised gazes towards the source of the sound and saw a handsome young man standing there as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
The waitress wiped away her tears and looked at Qin Tian as if he were a lifesaver.
"Who are you? What business do you have with this?"
The head chef frowned, questioning him with an displeased tone.
"I'm just a tourist."
Qin Tian smiled calmly and continued, "This is my first time in Xingcheng. I heard from a friend that your restaurant is very good, so I came with high expectations. Now, I'm actually a bit disappointed. If what this uncle says is true, then I think your restaurant's hospitality does have issues."
His reasoned argument resonated with the surrounding tourists, who began to voice their agreement loudly.
"That's right, I'm also a tourist. Is this how you treat your customers?"
"This dish is indeed not tasty. It's not even as good as what my mom makes!"
"Exactly, and the prices are so high. Are you exploiting us tourists like sheep?"
"You're not allowing us to say the food is bad? And you're kicking us out? What gives you the right? Call your manager!"
...
Listening to the indignant shouts from all around, the chefs' expressions turned grim.
If it were just the middle-aged man's words, they could have easily dismissed them. However, they hadn't expected a young man to suddenly appear and rally others to protest.
This made the situation a bit more complicated.
If the manager were to arrive and witness this scene, they would certainly no longer indulge them.
Actually, the middle-aged man was right. The head chef had indeed been replaced, and the current one had some familial ties with the owner. Therefore, the manager had been turning a blind eye to minor issues.
Now, if this matter truly escalated and negatively impacted the restaurant's business, then things would be different.
"What do you want?"
The head chef stared at Qin Tian with a darkened expression and said, "You also said it's your first time here. Our restaurant's dishes have always been like this, and no one has said anything before. I suspect you two colluded to find fault with us. Tell me, who hired you? That restaurant across the street?"
Good heavens, this guy was quite shrewd. Seeing that the situation was not in his favor, he immediately tried to shift the blame.
"You're talking nonsense!"
The middle-aged man swore, indignantly saying, "He's here for the first time, but I'm not! I even have your restaurant's membership card, and there's still money in it. Do you want me to take it out and show you?"
The head chef was speechless upon hearing this, but he still refused to admit fault, glaring at Qin Tian with ill intent.
"Everyone here isn't stupid. Uncle, please don't say these things anymore. How about this, lend me your kitchen, and I'll cook a dish myself for my girlfriend to eat with her rice. You can all try it too, how about that?"
Qin Tian said with a smile.
"Heh heh... you want to teach me how to cook?"
The head chef was so amused that he burst out laughing.
Qin Tian chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Not exactly. It's just that my girlfriend is somewhat disappointed with your restaurant's dishes and wants to eat my cooking. It's hard for me to refuse her requests."