Following the incident, titled Man leaves behind VND16 million seafood bill after treating girlfriend and friends to king crab and Alaska lobster, H., the owner of a seafood restaurant in Viet Tri Ward, Phu Tho Province, said on the evening of June 26 that the matter had been resolved.

According to the restaurant owner, a woman representing the group visited the restaurant earlier that afternoon and paid VND8 million (about US$315).

"A relative of the young woman called the restaurant and explained that she is still a university student, while the other women in the group are raising young children and could not afford to pay the full bill. After discussing the situation, we agreed to accept VND8 million and close the matter," H. said.

The restaurant owner also apologized to customers for the unexpected incident, which drew widespread public attention, and urged online users to stop attacking those involved.

According to the restaurant, the young man behaved normally throughout the meal, from ordering food and chatting to livestreaming on social media and interacting with the group.

"It was only when the bill arrived that he began showing unusual behavior. After the police became involved, we learned that he appeared to have signs of psychological instability," the owner said.

Immediately after the incident, the restaurant reported the case to Viet Tri Ward Police.

According to the owner, officers contacted the man's parents and were informed that they no longer lived with him, had no ongoing relationship with him and would not assume responsibility for paying the bill.

The restaurant also denied allegations circulating on social media claiming that it had colluded with the diners to stage the incident for publicity or financial gain.

"No restaurant operating normally would fabricate such a story and then invite the police to investigate it. From beginning to end, we never published or shared the personal information of any of the women in the group," the owner said.

Earlier, at around 9 p.m. on June 24, T., a resident of Tam Duong Commune in Phu Tho Province, arrived at the seafood restaurant on Vu The Lang Street with five women and about seven children for dinner.

The group ordered a variety of premium seafood, including king crab, Alaska lobster, giant isopod, Ca Mau crab and other dishes, resulting in a bill of more than VND16 million (about US$630).

After eating for around 30 to 40 minutes, T. suddenly lay down on the floor, shouted and displayed unusual behavior. The women and children gradually left the restaurant, leaving T. behind.

The restaurant owner subsequently reported the incident to Viet Tri Ward Police.

Duc Hoang