First, Grill Ten Platters of Kidneys

Across from the south gate of Dongruan Institute of Information Technology.

This street is lined with all kinds of food stalls, restaurants, and a dizzying array of entertainment venues, including internet cafes, hotels, bathhouses, foot massage parlors, KTVs, bars, and more—basically, whatever you want, it's got it.

The nearby businesses have racked their brains to serve the students, terrified that their academic lives might be dull and boring.

Today is Saturday, so it's even livelier than usual. The internet cafes are packed, hotels are probably booked solid for the night, and the tables set up outside restaurants are nearly full.

Good thing it's not mealtime yet, or even grabbing a bite would be a hassle.

A black Sprinter President slowly pulled over to the curb near a BBQ joint, and two guys got out, both tipping the scales at around 200 pounds.

These two were none other than Li Xian and Wang Meng.

Their builds were pretty average for the Northeast, but the hulking Sprinter President drew quite a few stares.

A few tables of diners by the street watched the massive Sprinter President slowly drive off, and someone spoke up.

"Damn, that van's huge. Gotta get myself one someday."

"You blind or what? That's a van!... If you can get one, I'll take your last name!"

"Who you looking down on..."

"Ha... You got two million lying around?"

"What? Two million? That big van's got gold trim..."

"Van, van, van... See that badge? That's a Mercedes. Let me school you today—that's a Sprinter President, a top-tier business RV. Looks plain on the outside, but the inside'll blow your mind.

Know who rides in these? Big company bosses, A-list celebrities. Without some serious cash, you can't afford this thing... And you want one? Too much booze, huh? Eat some food..."

"Shit... That's insane."

"If you don't know, don't embarrass yourself out here. Too damn cringey... Drink up, drink up..."

"Bro's right, cheers... Hey, did you see those two who got out? Didn't look like big shots. Riding a two-million car, and they come here for skewers?"

"Keep it down, don't stir up trouble. Can we understand what big shots think? I've seen a Ferrari guy cruising down alleyways."

"Ferrari, looking for 150, 200 stuff... That..."

"Heh... Probably got some hidden deal."

"Damn... Which alley? Take me to check it out after we drink..."

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listeners took it to heart.

A two-million car was still a huge deal in the minds of ordinary folks around here, especially since a three-bedroom apartment nearby cost about the same.

Several tables of diners secretly sized up Li Xian and Wang Meng, wondering who these people riding a two-million luxury car to eat skewers could be.

But Li Xian and Wang Meng's clothes and looks left them a bit disappointed—these two didn't seem like big shots at all.

A little chubby, nothing special.

Just as they lost interest and went back to clinking glasses and munching skewers, they heard Li Xian shout toward the shop: "Third Sister, grill ten plates of kidneys first, the usual way—burn 'em a bit."

Shhh~~ Shhh~~~

Countless eyes turned his way, and the surrounding noise dropped a notch.

Damn... Ten plates of kidneys, not afraid you'll bleed out from the boost?

Hell, we order them one skewer at a time, and you're going by the plate.

Holy crap, ten plates—how much is that? One plate's five skewers, one skewer's twenty bucks... A thousand yuan just on kidneys.

Can he even finish that? His build might handle it...

Is this how big shots roll now?

"Bro... That much, can we eat it all?" Wang Meng tugged at Li Xian's clothes and whispered, then glanced around at the weird looks. "Everyone's staring at us, bro. Keep a low profile."

Eating skewers counts as showing off?

"Who cares about them? Today we eat till we're stuffed, and take the rest home." Li Xian had been craving kidneys for a while, and today he was here to taste them. He had the system's unlicensed Strong Digestive Pills, and he wanted to see how well they worked.

"We can't even take it all home." Wang Meng was a bit exasperated. Usually, three to five skewers were fine, but ten plates was way too much.

Li Xian was about to say something else when a plump older woman came jogging out of the shop. She was the Third Sister Li Xian had called out to, the owner of Laosan BBQ.

Li Xian and Wang Meng were old acquaintances with Third Sister—they'd eaten here plenty back in school.

"I thought it was some big spender, but it's you, Xianzi." Third Sister had expected some wealthy customer, but seeing Li Xian, she was a little disappointed, though she kept her smile. "You don't come often, don't mess with your sister."

"Third Sister, I'm not messing around."

"Ten plates of kidneys, that's a thousand... You really want that many?" Third Sister was about to hint at the price, but when she saw Li Xian toss a wad of pink bills onto the table, she swallowed her words and changed her tune.

"Absolutely. Grill ten plates of kidneys first, and I'll order more."

"Alright, but... I don't think we have that many." Third Sister did a quick mental tally of the shop's stock and said.

Looked like making up for all those kidneys he'd missed wasn't going to be so easy.

Li Xian didn't press the issue. "Just bring as much as you can."

"No problem there. Little brother, anything else you want?" Third Sister asked immediately.

"Start with a case of draft beer to rinse my mouth, ten skewers each of beef, lamb, and pork belly, two plates of scallops, two plates of oysters, five skewers each of chicken wings, chicken gizzards, and chicken skin, two fish, cartilage, fatty edge, stone eggs, chives..." He rattled off a long list, making even himself drool.

Third Sister, jotting it all down beside him, was dumbfounded, her eyes wide as light bulbs. Wang Meng, sitting nearby, was in a daze, thinking to himself: Is this guy here for skewers or to rob a barbecue stand?

The other diners weren't much better off. Every word they heard made their hearts pulse to the rhythm of Li Xian's speech.

Their drinks didn't taste as good, their skewers weren't as fragrant—same barbecue, yet somehow theirs didn't hit the same.

What was going on?

Li Xian looked oddly at the stunned Third Sister and asked, "Did I go too fast for you to remember?"

Snapped back by Li Xian's voice, Third Sister glanced at her notepad and quickly said, "Got it all down."

She was dazed, sure, but she'd written it all on instinct.

"Alright, that's it for now."

Third Sister went to place the order. Wang Meng finally came to his senses and said, "Brother Xian, just how big of a prize did you win to be splurging like this?"

Li Xian poured himself a glass of water, took a sip, and said, "I told you in the car, I never buy lottery tickets. There's no prize to speak of."

"Then where did the money come from?"

"This is a long story. My dad—"

"Didn't your dad pass away?"

"Uh... he came back to life. It's complicated."

P.S.: So few investments, huh? No one's throwing one in? Give me one, I beg you.