Brother Pao and his crew were completely dumbfounded, never expecting the supermarket to pull such a ruthless move on them.
"Brother Pao, what do we do now? The supermarket is clearly playing dirty and refusing to honor their word!"
"Even those bystanders aren’t backing us up anymore."
"Damn it, this is too much! Should we just call the guys and smash this lousy supermarket to pieces?!" a few of his underlings fumed.
Just then, Yao Qianshan finally addressed how to resolve the earlier dispute over the fake lottery tickets.
"Dear valued customers, before we begin the exciting redraw, there’s one very important matter I must clarify for everyone! This concerns the reputation and principles of Wanlong Supermarket!"
The crowd quieted again, their attention refocusing on Yao Qianshan.
"The incident that just unfolded was chaotic, as you all witnessed. Earlier, these gentlemen insisted they had won the grand prize. Although our preliminary on-site verification raised doubts about their tickets, we must admit that, as of now, our supermarket does not have irrefutable evidence proving their tickets were forged."
"Wanlong Supermarket is a responsible and trustworthy business. Without concrete proof, we will never recklessly label any customer as a fraudster. This is the most basic trust and respect we owe to our customers!"
"Therefore, upholding our customer-first principle, I, Yao Qianshan, on behalf of Wanlong Supermarket’s management, hereby announce that we will generously compensate these gentlemen with a special gift as a gesture of goodwill!"
The crowd erupted in murmurs of surprise.
"No way? They’re compensating those scammers? This supermarket really knows how to take the high road!"
"Wanlong’s attitude is impeccable. They could’ve just called the cops on those frauds, but instead, they’re offering compensation."
"Wanlong handles things with class. Whether the tickets were real or fake, they stepped up first—way better than those supermarkets that shirk responsibility when trouble hits!"
"Exactly! If those guys still cause trouble after this, they’re just proving they’re guilty!"
"……"
Once again, Wanlong successfully won over the crowd.
Without further delay, Yao Qianshan took the five newly prepared grand prize tickets and publicly placed them into the lottery box, shuffling them thoroughly.
After mixing them, she had the tickets sealed in separate containers and rushed by staff to other Wanlong branches to be added to their respective lottery boxes.
She had no choice—if all the cars were drawn at the University Town branch, how would the other stores stay competitive?
This was where the goodwill they’d built paid off.
The customers didn’t complain. Instead, they fully supported the decision, recognizing the supermarket’s sincerity and effort. There was no reason for dissatisfaction.
As the announcement to resume the lottery went out, the customers sprang into action again.
"Hurry, hurry! I heard the global situation’s getting worse, and salt might be contaminated and run out soon. I’m stocking up on a hundred bags first!"
"Oh, my nephew’s coming to visit for New Year’s soon. I’ll grab him ten copies of 'Three Years of College Entrance Exams, Five Years of Mock Tests'—what a great surprise!"
"……"
Like a tidal wave, the crowd surged back into the supermarket.
Everything at the entrance was witnessed by Gao Min, Lan Die, and the others.
Lan Die, in particular, had a gleam in her eyes, barely containing her excitement.
She was genuinely impressed by Liu Yutong’s brilliance—just a few words had completely turned the tables for the supermarket, flipping a losing situation into a win.
She could easily guess that the two "lucky winners" were plants arranged by the supermarket.
But no matter what, Liu Yutong’s crisis management was textbook-perfect. She skillfully redirected the conflict by playing on human psychology, leaving the troublemakers empty-handed.
Even more impressive, the whole operation would massively boost the supermarket’s sales that day.
Just look at the customers stampeding inside to splurge.
The only cost was giving away three extra cars, adding a few hundred thousand to expenses.
What she didn’t know was that someone would inevitably foot the bill for Wanlong’s giveaways.
Gao Min couldn’t help but glance at her unexpected sister, wondering how her brain worked.
Nothing ever seemed to stump her.
Seeing the situation mostly resolved, Liu Yutong said to Gao Min and the others, "Let’s go."
Earlier, Yun Cheng had quietly relayed an important message: someone within the Yishe Alliance was organizing a leadership meeting.
This meant someone was already eager to seize power.
Though Liu Yutong had no interest in leading the Yishe Alliance, during such a sensitive transition, there were things she still needed to secure.
Liu Yutong's sudden departure left Gao Min momentarily stunned.
She pointed at Brother Pao and his gang of troublemakers. "Those guys don’t look like the friendly type. Aren’t you going to check on them?"
"No need. Xiaohui and the others can handle it," Liu Yutong replied, glancing at Li Xiaohui and Yu Xin as they strode toward Brother Pao’s group.
Dealing with a few random thugs wouldn’t be an issue for the two of them.
As the supermarket resumed its prize draw, the crowd outside gradually dispersed.
Brother Pao kicked Song Hui, who was still sprawled on the ground, snoring like a dead pig.
"Wake up! Wake the hell up! The car’s gone, and you’re still sleeping?!"
Song Hui groggily pushed himself up, clutching his head. "Wh-what’s going on, Brother Pao?"
His head was still ringing, his vision blurry.
Brother Pao wasn’t about to coddle him. Furious, he smacked Song Hui’s head a few more times. "What’s going on? The car’s gone! And your woman flew the coop too!"
The moment Song Hui heard that the car he’d been dreaming of was lost forever, he forgot about the pain in his head. Rage surged through him, his eyes turning bloodshot.
"Yao Qianshan!!! You damn bitch!!! Give me back my car!!!"
"Brother Pao, I’m going to settle this with that scheming woman! She must’ve scammed me out of the car—this was the only big prize I’ve ever won in my life!!"
After decades of rotten luck, he’d finally hit the jackpot, only to have it snatched away. How could he just accept that?!
"Yeah, Brother Pao! We can’t let this slide! This is humiliating!"
"We can’t just take this lying down!" The other lackeys echoed the sentiment, their anger boiling over.
"Everyone, calm the hell down!"
Brother Pao, at least, had some sense left. "It’s broad daylight, and there are too many eyes around. Causing a scene now will just bring the cops down on us. Let’s pull back, regroup, and plan this properly!"
The group glanced at the dense crowd inside the supermarket and reluctantly backed off.
They knew better—starting trouble in the middle of the day with so many witnesses wouldn’t end well for them.
They’d strike back hard tonight!
Just as they were about to leave, Li Xiaohui and Yu Xin walked straight toward them.
Li Xiaohui, in particular, shot forward like a tiny rocket, planting herself squarely in front of Brother Pao’s group. Hands on her hips, she barked with surprising authority for her petite frame.
"Hey! You lot! Stop right there!"
Brother Pao and Song Hui were already seething with pent-up frustration.
Seeing a round-faced, big-eyed girl who couldn’t be older than nineteen blocking their way only pissed them off more.
Before they could even curse, Yu Xin strolled up beside Li Xiaohui, unhurried.
"What’s the deal, ladies? You see us in a bad mood and thought you’d cheer us up?" Brother Pao sneered.
Yu Xin responded with a sweet smile, her voice deliberately softening, laced with a hint of a coquettish tone.
"You’ve got it all wrong, gentlemen."
"We’re here on behalf of the supermarket to deliver a special gift for you."
...............
