A diner's car was involved in a window-breaking incident leading to disputes, with the suspect incited to cause trouble and subsequently criminally detained.
Over 100 people, each sitting at their own table, ordered only two or three dishes per table. They ate bean sprouts one by one and after finishing, turned up the heat to dry out the pot bottom.
Starting from October 27th, Chengdu's Yulin "Old Wharf" Hot Pot restaurant experienced three consecutive days of unusual diners.
After investigation and evidence collection by the Wuhou police in Chengdu, the suspects were intercepted, and yesterday, the hot pot restaurant presented a banner of appreciation to the Yulin police station.
Post-hot pot, BMW SUV window smashed
On the evening of September 6th, the Yulin police station received a report from a man claiming to be Yuan Mou. He stated that after dining at the Old Wharf Hot Pot restaurant with three friends, he discovered that the window of his BMW SUV parked outside the restaurant had been smashed. Inside the car, there was 10,000 yuan in cash and a rare female handbag worth over 100,000 yuan. Including other items, the loss amounted to around 150,000 yuan.
The officers quickly arrived at the scene for investigation and took Yuan Mou and others, along with the hot pot restaurant manager, to the police station for questioning.
Yuan Mou and others claimed that since the car was smashed and belongings stolen during their dining experience, and as the car was parked outside the restaurant, the hot pot restaurant should bear responsibility and compensate 150,000 yuan.
The restaurant manager argued that although Yuan Mou and others had indeed parked the car outside the store, it wasn't done by the restaurant’s designated parking staff. Moreover, when they got out of the car, the receptionist reminded them to take valuable items with them. Even if compensation was due, it would only cover the damaged part of the vehicle.
Yuan Mou and others rejected the restaurant's proposed plan. After several days of negotiation, each meeting ended in dissatisfaction.
Each person occupied a table with only two dishes for an entire night
"After more than a month, we didn’t hear from Yuan asking us to go to the repair shop, nor did he bring any receipts demanding compensation," said the restaurant manager. "But starting from October 27th, for three consecutive days, people came to 'cause trouble,' averaging dozens of people each day, with over a hundred on the busiest day."
At around 4:10 PM on October 27th, several men entered the Old Wharf Hot Pot restaurant, sat down at a large table without ordering food, but instead busied themselves making phone calls. Soon, more people arrived by taxi or car, greeted these men, and forcibly occupied individual tables.
Their behavior caused headaches for the hot pot restaurant: they ordered at most two or three dishes per table, or paired with a bottle of beer, "bean sprouts had to be eaten one by one, and after finishing, they turned up the heat to dry out the pot, sitting until after 10 PM, not allowing the waiters to clean the tables." The restaurant manager added that some even fell asleep on the table after eating out of boredom.
The hot pot restaurant reported the incident, losing about ten thousand yuan daily
According to the restaurant manager, every day from around 5 PM is the peak period for customers. Due to the presence of these "strange diners," other guests dining at the Old Wharf also felt uncomfortable.
"Some customers noticed something was off as soon as they entered the store and left immediately," said the restaurant manager. That night, there were over 50 people dining individually, with a total bill of over 3000 yuan paid by one man.
On October 28th, about seventy or eighty men continued the previous day's "consumption pattern."
On October 29th, "the third day saw the highest number, at least 100 people." The hot pot restaurant said that being disrupted by this group resulted in an average daily economic loss of ten thousand yuan, and the reputation of the hot pot restaurant was also affected.
The hot pot restaurant reported the incident again, and officers from the Wuhou Public Security Bureau swiftly arrived at the scene to handle it. After persuasion, some people voluntarily left, but 53 men who refused to leave were taken to the Yulin police station for questioning.
After warnings and further investigation, another twenty or so people left the police station, leaving the police to investigate the remaining twenty-odd "active members."
Eventually, the police identified four "core members" - Lu Mou, Zeng Mou, Ni Mou, and Feng Mou. Under Yuan Mou's instructions, they organized and incited social individuals to disrupt the hot pot restaurant.
Currently, the above four criminal suspects have been criminally detained on suspicion of provoking trouble. The police will next summon Yuan Mou and conduct further investigations into the case.
By reporter Liu Lu of Huaxi Metropolis Daily (photos provided by the police)
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