Chapter 358: Price Discrepancy
Translator: Xiong_Guoqi Editor: DesTheSloth
Liu Hui was instantly surprised and asked in disbelief, "Boss, you said the wrong price, didn't you?"
"The exchange rate of RMB to US dollars is around 6.5." Fearing that Yuan Zhou didn't know that, Liu Hui specially added.
"I know, thank you. This is just the price for you." Yuan Zhou revealed a serious expression and didn't seem to be joking.
"Boss, your price is not correct. You check it by yourself." Liu Hui took out the menu and handed it to Yuan Zhou.
"Yes. I receive RMB for our fellow countrymen and US dollars for foreigners. It's marked behind." Yuan Zhou pointed at the mark of US dollars behind that of RMB on the menu and said lightly.
"Hey, man. What do you mean? So I have to pay more than others just because I'm an American?" In the intermittent translation of Liu Hui, Jack basically understood what was happening. Thus, he said discontentedly.
"Because I'm a Chinese." Yuan Zhou shook his head and then said, "Naturally, I will offer convenience to my fellow countrymen."
Once he said that, the restaurant fell in silence instantly. His word seemed to make sense but at the same time, not make sense, making people unaware of what reactions they should make.
"This is deceitful pricing if you do that." Liu Hui said quite indignantly.
"My restaurant marks the prices of the dishes clearly." Yuan Zhou signaled him to look at the menu on the wall behind and in front of them.
[The restaurant accepts only RMB and US dollars. Foreign friends please use US dollars. The exchange rate between US dollars and RMB is 1:1. Should you have any queries concerning the price, please keep the queries to yourself under the boss's explanation. Thank you for your cooperation. Wishing you the best.]
All these words could be summarized in one word, "This is my price. If you accept, you eat; if you don't, please leave."
After they checked, they found it really couldn't be called cheating. The Bureau of Commodity Price regulated that as long as you stated the price clearly and didn't sell by force, there was nothing to report.
But what the hell was the meaning of "Please keep the queries to yourself under the boss's explanation."? It was simply funny to say "wish them the best". They were now very unhappy.
Having been stupefied for a little while, Liu Hui said, "Then this is the price discrimination. Boss, you are discriminating against Americans." He could find nothing more to say and only said a word after quite a while.
"Not really." Yuan Zhou shook his head seriously, "I'm treating all foreign friends equally, but I just care about the feelings of my fellow countrymen more."
He treated all foreign friends equally, so the exchange rate was set 1:1. Liu Hui felt that the blue veins were standing out on his forehead.
"Jack, do you still want to eat here? I feel this boss is overcharging us." Liu Hui didn't talk to Yuan Zhou anymore. Instead, he turned his head and asked Jack.
"Yes, of course I will eat here. I don't know much about your laws, but I know we can't sue him because of that. However, if the dishes don't deserve the price, I will definitely make his restaurant bankrupt." Jack said mercilessly.
"The restaurant doesn't seem to be connected to the internet." Liu Hui looked around the restaurant and complained.
"I will make complaints level by level. He must get prepared if he wants to cheat my money." There was full of dissatisfaction in Jack's tone.
"Actually, we can go to the neighboring restaurant. It looks really nice." Liu Hui remembered the western-style restaurant that was exquisitely decorated beside this one.
"No. I will stay here to eat today." Jack fished out the wallet and took out the right amount of money.
"Hey, here's the money." Jack uttered the several words in Chinese.
Although he stumbled over them, Yuan Zhou understood him.
"One moment, please. The dishes are to be served very soon." Yuan Zhou received the US dollars with a special tray and checked solemnly before he poured them into the cash box.
Yuan Zhou was actually unable to distinguish if they were fake or not, but he had to pretend that he knew that.
"Jack, we don't need to. We can go to the other restaurant to eat." Liu Hui said helplessly.
"No, no, no. I must taste the dishes here. They are said to be very delicious on the internet." Jack's tone was full of sarcasm.
"Do we have to?" Liu Hui asked again.
"Yes." Jack nodded his head affirmatively.
Then, Liu Hui really got helpless. In his helplessness, there was also a feeling of shame.
In his opinion, Jack was an American and came to his own country for the first time, but he was surprisingly cheated on the very first meal.
It was like losing face in foreign countries and that all his fellow countrymen were cheating others.
That made Liu Hui feel very bad with Yuan Zhou.
"You'd better pray your craftsmanship could deserve the price. Otherwise, you can never settle this problem just by compensating the money." Liu Hui said to Yuan Zhou with a tough tone.
"Thank you for your care." Yuan Zhou nodded his head naturally and then went back to the kitchen to cook.
Liu Hui then got choked.
"This person is so wildly arrogant. What does he want to do to Boss Yuan?" A customer said with contempt.
"Yeah. The foreigner didn't even say anything, but this man jumped up." Another customer also said discontentedly.
"He really takes himself to be somebody. No matter how Boss Yuan receives the money, he doesn't cheat others and states the prices clearly on the menu." Other customers stood up for Yuan Zhou one after another.
It was bustling in the restaurant while outside, it was also quite boisterous.
Almost all customers knew that Boss Yuan received money like that. Most of them agreed to that while a small proportion of people felt it would result in the Beau of Commodity Price's investigation.
They didn't really mind the authority doing that. But if Yuan Zhou's restaurant suspended business, where they should go to have meals?
"Why does Boss Yuan receive money like that?" A customer asked another person beside him curiously.
"I think you are thinking too much. He's an American and of course he has to pay US dollars. If he pays RMB, it's much too cheap for him." The customer being asked directly agreed to Boss Yuan's practice recklessly.
"That makes sense. We pay a lot of money to change US dollars." The customer nodded approvingly.
"Yes. The actual purchasing power of one dollar in USA is almost same to one RMB in China." A customer sighed with emotion.
"Right. If Boss Yuan sets the USD price according to the actual exchange rate, this guy can spend only dozens of cents to eat same to us." The customer said discontentedly.
"You are right. Boss Yuan is right by doing that." Other customers echoed and nodded their head continuously.
"That reminds me of a joke. An American came to China for tour." When the customer said that, he paused a while. Seeing all were looking at him, he continued.
"It was in 2010 when this American traveled to our country. At that time, the exchange rate was 6.8. He changed 680,000 RMB with 100,000 USD."
Having slightly paused, he continued to say.
"He spent 180,000 RMB for one year and had a good time. When he went back to USA in 2011, he went to the bank to change USD. As the exchange rate rose to 5 at that time, this American changed 100,000 USD again with the remaining 500,000 RMB. When he came, he brought 1000,000 USD with him; when he went back, he still had 100,000 USD. Therefore, he went back to USA happily."
"It can't be true." Other customers felt it unbelievable.
"How can't it be true? You can calculate for yourself if it's true." The customer who was telling the story let out a humph.
"It feel that it is so unscientific." After calculating, they found it really to be true.
"There's one more story. Listen to me carefully." That customer continued to say.
"Another American heard about that and then wanted to imitate him. He also exchanged 680,000 RMB with 100,000 USD. He used 500,000 RMB to buy an apartment and enjoyed himself with the remaining 180,000 USD."
"When he prepared to go back in the end, he directly sold the apartment as it can't be taken away. From the apartment, he got 200,000 USD only. At last, the American told me complacently that he wasn't having fun, but earning money by having fun."
"I want to swear." A customer laughed scornfully.
The customer who told the story continued saying, "Do you think it's over? Not yet. The key point is that some people are even very happy, because GDP increases."
"Although it's just a joke, I feel that Boss Yuan is right." A customer nodded his head with a smile.
"We never knew that Boss Yuan was a young cynic. I suddenly feel Boss Yuan is so awesome and have decided to order one more dish later," the customer said with a determined expression.
"How will you explain that to your girlfriend," someone asked faintly beside him.
"Our friendship ends now." He turned his head indignantly, indicating that he didn't want to talk to anybody.
Unconsciously, Yuan Zhou received a pile of Nice Guy Cards again. Besides, the method of receiving money created much of a stir on the internet...