Hong Kong —
A customer’s complaint about a disappointing cake kicked off a massive investigation that uncovered thousands of “ghost” food vendors in China, resulting in staggering fines for some the country’s largest firms and highlighting the pitfalls of the cutthroat price competition.
The inquiry –– marked by scuffles between investigators and delivery service employees, a feigned medical emergency and hastily scribbled notes to “stay silent” –– began last summer when a man in Beijing, identified as Liu, received a birthday cake decorated with an inedible flower, according to multiple state media accounts.
Liu ordered the