The Goose Leg Con
Wen Jiu, a procurement specialist in the logistics department of Shengda University, runs a stable, low-cost ingredient supply chain that keeps the entire campus cafeteria affordable and well-stocked. Her solid work earns her the jealousy of Lu Zhaozhao, an intern. Acting on the instructions of logistics director Jiang Lai, Lu Zhaozhao publicly fabricates rumors that Wen Jiu takes kickbacks from suppliers. She spreads forged screenshots widely to frame Wen Jiu for profiting from her position, and the two submit an anonymous tip together, leaving Wen Jiu suspended pending investigation. Jiang Lai and Lu Zhaozhao take over procurement duties in her absence. To pocket huge profit margins, they abandon reputable fresh goose suppliers and buy years-old frozen duck legs from an unlicensed underground workshop at a steep discount. Using industrial food coloring and seasonings to mask the meat, they pass off the duck legs as six-yuan goose legs for sale. Lu Zhaozhao also spreads gossip about Wen Jiu's "lavish, suspiciously funded lifestyle," and even secretly photographs Wen Jiu staying at a high-end hotel at her own expense to file another report, hoping to get her fired permanently. Faced with wave after wave of false accusations, Wen Jiu does not rush to prove her innocence. Instead, she quietly notifies all her partner suppliers to stop offering their exclusive discounted internal rates, cutting off the pair's access to high-quality, reasonably priced stock. When a mandatory campus food safety inspection draws near, Lu Zhaozhao is forced to buy ingredients at market price and cannot fill the budget gap. She humbly begs Wen Jiu for help, but is flatly refused.
