I paused, slowly sweeping my gaze across every expectant face, then said, "From today onward, the Sunset Joy Community Kitchen is officially closed."

"What?"

"C-Closed?"

"Did I hear that right?"

The entire hall erupted as if a bomb had gone off, and the crowd was in an uproar instantly.

Everyone was stunned. The smiles on their faces froze, replaced by bewilderment and disbelief.

"Ms. Lawson! What do you mean by that?" Mr. Fletcher was the first to react.

His face turned beet-red as he pointed at me and roared, "What gives you the right to close the kitchen? We haven't agreed to this!

"This is revenge! You must be feeling guilty!"

Maisy also panicked and shouted into her phone, "Guys! She's closing down and running away! We exposed this greedy owner, and now she's trying to escape!"

I observed them coldly, as if I were watching a ridiculous farce.

"Mr. Fletcher, I paid for everything for this kitchen myself—from the lease and renovations to the supplies, payroll, and utilities.

"It doesn't belong to the neighborhood, nor does it belong to the government. It belongs to me, and me alone.

"Now, I've decided I don't want to run this place anymore, and I'm closing it down. Tell me, whose permission do I need for that?"

My words were like a bucket of ice water thrown over everyone's heads.

Mr. Fletcher was momentarily speechless. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

That was right. The kitchen was privately owned. If I didn't want to run it anymore, no one could do a thing about it.

"As for this space…" I held up a document. "I've already signed a contract with a new partner.

"It will soon be renovated and converted into a community card room. Once the new place is open, you're all more than welcome to pay the entry fee and use it."

A card room? And they'd have to pay? This was even more unacceptable to the elderly folks than closing the kitchen!

An elderly woman rushed to the front and shouted emotionally, "You… You can't do this! If the kitchen closes, what are we supposed to eat?"

"Yeah! We're all used to eating here! You can't just close it like that!"

"Ms. Lawson, we're sorry! We don't need the seafood, okay? Please don't shut down!"

Panic began to spread. The crowd, which had been so smug just moments ago, was now in chaos.

Cries for mercy, complaints, and accusations began to rise from all sides.

In Maisy's livestream, the comments also shifted direction.

"Damn! This owner is a total savage! She really just shut it down like that!"

"Wait, are these old folks crazy? They're complaining about a one-dollar meal?"

"I'm starting to understand why the owner is shutting it down. This is a textbook case of biting the hand that feeds you."

"Miss, I think you just messed up big time…"

Seeing the comments turn against her, Maisy's face went from flushed to ashen. She scrambled to shut down the livestream.

She turned to me and shouted with hollow bravado, "Don't think that shutting this place down will make this go away! We aren't done with you and that subsidy fraud! I'm going to report you right now!"

"Report me?" I laughed like I had just heard a huge joke.

Just then, a commotion arose at the entrance. Two men in uniform, looking very serious, walked in behind Mr. Hewitt.

One of them held a folder and swept his gaze across the room. "Excuse me. Which one of you is Wendy Lawson, the owner of Sunset Joy Community Kitchen?"

Mr. Fletcher's and Maisy's eyes lit up. Thinking the authorities they had called had finally arrived, they rushed over to meet them.

"Officers, you're finally here! That's her! That's the greedy owner!" Mr. Fletcher pointed a finger at me and launched into a tirade of accusations. "She's been cutting corners and serving us slop while pocketing government subsidies! You need to arrest her right now!"