At the words "wasting food," Chrysanthemum Douluo's face instantly turned several shades paler.
He turned mechanically to look at the exquisite dishes still covering more than half the table.
He'd eaten only half a bowl of Cloud Marsh Thousand-Silk Silver Thread Noodles, barely touched the Glazed Heart Fruit Salad, and still had most of the Grilled Thunder Rhino Ribs left...
"I... I... this..."
Chrysanthemum Douluo's lips began to tremble. He wanted to explain, but found he couldn't get out a single complete sentence.
"I... I... this..."
Lin Feng slowly rose from the rocking chair and glanced over the leftovers on the table.
"I believe I already said this, didn't I?"
His voice was still languid, but the chill in it made the entire dining room feel several degrees colder.
"Wasting food isn't allowed here."
"And you can't afford the price of wasting food."
Though Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't feel any pressure this time, the coldness in Lin Feng's words alone was enough to scare the wits out of him.
Hu Liena and the other two watched in terror, wondering if Elder Ju was really going to meet his end this time.
Feeling that invisible pressure, Chrysanthemum Douluo made a decision almost instantly.
He dashed back to his seat at unprecedented speed, using both hands to shovel food into his mouth in huge mouthfuls.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
He'd just said he was full, yet now he was frantically stuffing food into his mouth.
He devoured it like a beggar who hadn't eaten in three days.
He sucked up a huge clump of Cloud Marsh Thousand-Silk Silver Thread Noodles in one go, puffing out his cheeks like a pufferfish.
He even grabbed the Glazed Heart Fruit Salad with his bare hands and shoved it into his mouth, not caring in the least about looking elegant.
The three youngsters watched his antics with twitching eyes.
Chrysanthemum Douluo paid no attention to their stares. There was only one thought in his mind:
Shut up and eat!
Or I'm really going to die!
Ten minutes later, Chrysanthemum Douluo's face had turned green.
He slumped in his chair, clutching his stomach with both hands and groaning in pain.
"Ugh..."
He looked utterly miserable.
Worse still, a quarter of the food remained on the table!
"I can't... I really can't..."
Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes were unfocused. He felt like his stomach was about to burst.
He'd never imagined that one day he might eat himself to death in a restaurant.
If word got out, how would he ever show his face as Chrysanthemum Douluo?
Just then, he happened to catch sight of Hu Liena and the others.
The three youngsters were staring longingly at the leftovers, practically drooling.
Yan was the most dramatic of all. He had leaned over the edge of the table, his nose almost touching the food as he greedily sniffed its tempting aroma.
"It smells so good... so good..."
Hu Liena wasn't much better. She kept licking her lips, her eyes filled with longing.
Xie Yue was a little more restrained, but the way he kept swallowing gave him away.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes lit up at the sight!
That was right!
How had he forgotten those three youngsters?
There had to be room in their stomachs. Besides, they looked so ravenous that they'd surely be eager to help finish the leftovers!
"You..."
Chrysanthemum Douluo had just started to speak when Lin Feng's lazy voice cut him off.
"Don't even think about it."
"They're not high enough in level. They aren't qualified to enjoy ninth-level cuisine."
"You have to finish it yourself."
Those words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Chrysanthemum Douluo, extinguishing all his hopes.
"What?!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes widened. He could hardly believe his ears.
"Senior, please make an exception!"
"I really can't eat any more! If I keep going, I'll die!"
Only then did Lin Feng slowly open his eyes and give him a cool glance.
"Those are the rules here. No exceptions."
"Enjoying food above your level? Don't even dream about it."
Hu Liena and the other two were disappointed as well.
They'd thought they might get to mooch a meal, but now they didn't even have that chance.
"But... but I really can't eat any more!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo was on the verge of tears.
With no other choice, Chrysanthemum Douluo risked bursting his stomach and kept forcing food down.
"Ugh..."
His face had gone from white to blue, then blue to green, and green to purple.
With trembling hands, he picked up the last Thunder Rhino Rib. To him, it was no longer food but a death warrant.
Lin Feng propped his chin on one hand, watching Chrysanthemum Douluo's wretched state and secretly enjoying himself.
But on the surface, he maintained his calm, unruffled demeanor.
"Finished?"
Lin Feng's voice was light, but to Chrysanthemum Douluo, it sounded like heavenly music.
"F-finished..."
Chrysanthemum Douluo was bloated like a frog, slumped in his chair with both hands cradling his stomach, his face a dark purple.
His usually alluring face was twisted beyond recognition. His eyes were unfocused, and a scrap of food still clung to the corner of his mouth.
"I... I'm dead... I'm really going to die..."
Clutching the edge of the table, Chrysanthemum Douluo staggered to his feet. Every movement seemed like a struggle against his own stomach.
"Yan, Xie Yue, help me."
His voice was so weak it was painful to hear. He had none of the imposing, titled Douluo presence he'd carried when he first walked in.
Yan and Xie Yue hurried forward and supported Chrysanthemum Douluo from either side.
But just as the three of them reached the door, Lin Feng's lazy voice came from behind them.
"Don't leave."
Those two words made Chrysanthemum Douluo's body stiffen like stone.
He slowly turned around, his expression utterly miserable.
"Sen... Senior, what else do you need?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was practically a whimper.
What was this living devil planning now?
Wasn't the torment he'd endured enough?
Lin Feng slowly rose from the rocking chair. "I'll give you a draw."
"A draw?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo froze, then his eyes lit up at once.
That was right! He'd forgotten about that!
Hadn't Hu Liena and the others said there was a lucky draw for diners here?
He'd been swindled out of more than sixty thousand Gold Soul Coins and nearly eaten himself to death, but if he could win something good, it would still be worth it, right?
Lin Feng looked at the system panel.
[Consumption: 61,000 Gold Soul Coins.] [System evaluation: He can be considered a very high-quality leek. A relatively good reward may be given.] [Random reward: immortal-grade herb, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.] [Host reward: 6,100 Gourmet Points.] [Ding! Congratulations, host. You triggered a low-probability reward multiplier. The multiplier for this draw is 10. 10 random immortal-grade herbs have been stored in the System Space.]
Lin Feng's eyes lit up. What luck. This low-probability event triggered on only my second day in business.
But just as his lips began to curl into a smile, another line appeared on the system panel.
[However, the customer is suspected of dining and dashing and was forced to eat the food, completely failing to enjoy the meal.] [This system hates nothing more than an ungrateful little nobody! And now he wants a reward? Dream on!] [The host's reward is temporarily revised to one-tenth of the original points. The customer's lucky-draw reward will not be issued!] [Host points revised: 610]
Watching his points shrink to a tenth, Lin Feng's expression instantly darkened.