(P.S. Here's some good news: bonus chapters will also be added for tips. Others add chapters for every tens of thousands in tips; I'll add one for every 5,000 coins.)
The waiter helped Fan Yu and Su Xi find a table.
Once they were seated, the waiter brought over the menu for them to order.
"Xixi, you order," Fan Yu said with a smile.
Su Xi casually ran her finger over the menu, ordering Mako's BBQ Restaurant's most expensive meats and signature dishes before the waiter turned and left.
Looking at Su Xi, Fan Yu asked curiously, "I've seen you eat quite a lot every day. Why does your figure never change? Aren't you afraid of gaining weight from this high-calorie barbecue?"
Su Xi took a sip of mineral water. "I have a personal nutritionist."
Fan Yu understood. Someone of Su Xi's status had specialists handling every aspect of her life. He had forgotten that.
Before long, the waiter brought out the dishes, and Fan Yu and Su Xi started eating.
The barbecue restaurant really did taste great. Its flavors were distinctive enough that after eating there once, people would want to come back again.
As the two ate, a conversation from the neighboring table caught Fan Yu's attention, and he looked over curiously.
At the next table, a man and a woman sat facing each other. The man was broad and burly, with thick brows, large eyes, and an honest-looking face.
Across from him sat a fashionable young woman with long hair draped over her shoulders and a slender figure.
"You're a nice person, but you're not my type. You've seen my standards. I drive a BMW 5 Series worth five hundred thousand, and my annual income is five to six hundred thousand. Do you think you can afford to support me?"
The woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke to the honest-looking man.
The man hesitated and stammered, "B-but this was our parents' idea."
The woman sighed and asked, "Do you own a house?"
The man shook his head. "My mom said housing prices in Magic City are too expensive. She wants to buy me one back home."
"So that means you don't have one?"
"Do you have a car?" The woman took a sip of juice and continued asking.
"N-no, but I can make money. I'll definitely buy one in the future." Beneath the table, the man nervously clutched the hem of his clothes.
"You don't have a house or a car. How am I supposed to be with you?"
"Don't call me materialistic, but there has to be some security in life, right?"
"Besides, I don't want to leave Magic City. Magic City is where people have the greatest opportunities. You have no house, no car, no money, and you don't even have a job right now. Sorry, I really can't accept that." The woman shook her head.
The man was sweating anxiously. He had taken a strong liking to the woman on this blind date. Though he was honest by nature, poor at expressing himself, and deeply insecure, he did not know why, but he had fallen for her at first sight.
"I can find work. I have skills. I inherited all of my grandfather's cooking techniques. Grandfather always told me that when he was young, he had prepared meals for the Premier many times. I learned his cooking, and if I apply to a restaurant, I'll definitely become a head chef."
"Jiao Jiao, believe me. I also asked around. If I can become a hotel head chef, I might even make a million a year," Guo Lu said hopefully.
Zhao Jiao could not help sneering. "Wake up. Stop dreaming. You actually believe what your grandfather said? And do you think becoming a restaurant head chef is that easy?"
"A million a year? Even one hundred thousand would be too much for you."
"Enough. I have a livestream this afternoon, so I won't keep you company. And don't bother me again in the future."
After saying that, Zhao Jiao picked up her LV Bag and stood to leave, but a voice stopped her.
"Excuse me, may I interrupt? I heard this gentleman say that his grandfather cooked for the Premier?"
Fan Yu walked over with a smile.
Guo Lu answered honestly, "Y-yes. What about it?"
"Pfft!" Zhao Jiao sneered. "You believe that? His grandfather was indeed a cook, but I've never seen his grandfather cook a single meal. He spent his entire life boasting about what happened when he was young. Unfortunately, no one in the whole village believed him."
Zhao Jiao and Guo Lu came from the same village, and their families knew each other. A few days ago, their families had chatted in the village and learned that both children were in Magic City, so they had deliberately arranged for them to meet.
Zhao Jiao was rather pretty. After coming to Magic City, she joined a media company as a streamer. Her bold and uninhibited personality won her many fans, and she gradually began making money.
Guo Lu, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Because he was honest and straightforward, even though he possessed cooking skills, he repeatedly ran into walls. Either the bosses looked down on him, or his coworkers squeezed him out. After a long time, despite having been in Magic City for a year, he still had not found stable work.
Even now, Guo Lu only had a little over five hundred yuan in his pocket, and he was using it to treat Zhao Jiao to this blind-date meal. Once the bill was paid, he probably would not have much left.
Fan Yu frowned slightly. "I wasn't asking you. Shut up."
"You..."
"Hmph. You don't know what's good for you."
With that, Zhao Jiao swung her hips as she left with her bag. When she reached the parking lot outside and saw Fan Yu's vintage car, she found it novel and took out her phone to record a video, which she uploaded to the platform.
Seeing Zhao Jiao leave, Guo Lu became extremely anxious. "Jiao Jiao, don't go..."
Fan Yu bent down and sat in the chair, smiling. "You can't keep a woman who lives such a refined lifestyle. Answer my question first. Maybe one day you'll strike it rich and meet a better woman."
Looking at Fan Yu across from him, Guo Lu said, "What I said is true. My grandfather really did cook for the Premier when he was young. Do you believe me?"
Fan Yu nodded. "To be honest, I'm a little skeptical."
Guo Lu's eyes dimmed. He felt terribly stifled. Why did no one believe him? Was there really nowhere for his cooking skills to be put to use?
Guo Lu was competitive, grounded, and hardworking, but the world was like that. Even if you worked hard, success was not guaranteed. Countless hardworking people had been battered beyond recognition by reality.
"Don't rush. If you want others to believe you, you need to show them your ability. I can give you an opportunity. Do you want to give it a try?" Fan Yu offered some comfort. "If you earn my approval, I can give you a chance to make a million a year."
"Really?" Guo Lu raised his head and asked excitedly.
Fan Yu nodded. "Of course. If you want this opportunity, come with me and show me what you can do."
"Okay, I'm willing." After Zhao Jiao's blow, Guo Lu desperately wanted to become rich so that no one would look down on him because of his status again.
"Fine, let's go."
From beginning to end, Su Xi had remained silent. After Fan Yu stood up, she asked, "Do you think he can do it?"
Su Xi knew that Fan Yu wanted Guo Lu to become the chef at The Bund, Number 22 restaurant.
Fan Yu smiled faintly. "Let's try him. It won't cost us much either way. If he's capable, we keep him. If not, he leaves."
Just as Fan Yu walked toward the cashier to pay the bill,
Someone entered through the door.
The cashier and several waiters nearby immediately greeted the newcomer respectfully, "Manager Li."
"It's fine, carry on. I'm just here to take a look."
The man looked ordinary, but he carried himself with great bearing.
However, when Manager Li inadvertently spotted Fan Yu, his expression changed. From a considerable distance away, he greeted him, "Mr. Fan?"
Fan Yu, who had been speaking with Su Xi, looked up at the sound. Seeing a stranger, he asked doubtfully, "You know me?"
Manager Li extended his hand. "I do, I do. I'm friends with Manager Chen from Tianfu Restaurant. I often hear Manager Chen mention you. He said you're a young man of great promise and that you partnered with him to open a restaurant on the Bund, investing five hundred million. I've always wanted to meet you, Mr. Fan."
"Oh, hello, Manager Li."
Since Manager Li was being so polite, Fan Yu naturally did not put on airs and shook his hand.
Seeing this from behind Fan Yu, Guo Lu felt somewhat envious. He wondered when he would ever reach Fan Yu's level.
No matter where Fan Yu went, someone came forward to greet him.
Guo Lu was merely honest by nature, not foolish. He had dreams of his own as well.
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