Fake Shark Fin

Lu Manzhen's eyes lit up, and she immediately said, "Why haven't you thanked Chairman Su yet? Anyone the chairman introduces must be one of the best investment experts in the industry, completely different from those stockbrokers outside who scam people with flashy tricks."

Huo Jiu dismissed it. "You said my luck is good, so if I want to trade stocks, I can just buy whichever stock catches my eye. Why would I need someone else to pick for me?"

Lu Manzhen was left speechless. In the end, she merely shot Huo Jiu a glare. "How could that be the same?"

Chairman Su gave a silent laugh and did not continue making a nuisance of himself.

At noon three days later, Huo Jiu laid out several banquet tables at First-Rank Pavilion.

He had won the lottery, but he had not forgotten to keep his promise and treat the elderly men and women from Lakeside Park to a grand meal!

Fake Shark Fin

First-Rank Pavilion had a rule: guests who wanted to reserve tables had to give notice three days in advance. Many of its dishes were elaborate specialties that took considerable time, effort, and precise heat control. Without advance reservations, some dishes simply could not be prepared on short notice. The kitchen would not even have the ingredients on hand.

Huo Jiu had spent some time working in a kitchen himself, so he naturally understood the rules. After calculating the number of guests, he reserved six tables three days in advance. On the day of the banquet, he hired a coach bus and brought the elderly men and women from Lakeside Park straight to First-Rank Pavilion.

Even after entering the restaurant and taking their seats, the elderly guests were still dazed. None of them had expected Huo Jiu to spend so lavishly on a group of old-timers he barely knew.

"You're far too bold, kid. You reserved six tables at First-Rank Pavilion. Do the adults in your family know?" If they knew this brat was wasting money like this, his parents would probably want to give him a double beating!

"We're all happy for you for winning the lottery. If you wanted to treat us to a meal, you could have just picked any clean little restaurant by the roadside and ordered a few dishes. Why go to such extravagant lengths?"

The square-dancing auntie at the next table sounded increasingly uneasy. "How about we split the bill?"

The banquet at First-Rank Pavilion was simply too expensive. Huo Jiu had ordered as though money were no object, and as the dishes were brought out one after another, the elderly guests almost gasped sharply.

They were strangers who had only met a few times in the park. At most, they had known one another for just over a week. They truly felt embarrassed letting a child like Huo Jiu spend so much money treating them to a meal.

Huo Jiu smiled. "I said that if I won, I'd treat you all to a grand meal."

"But this is too expensive!" The old man seated beside Huo Jiu shook his head. "This is First-Rank Pavilion. One table like this must cost at least twenty thousand yuan, right?"

Just look at the dishes Huo Jiu had ordered: bird's nest, shark fin, abalone, lobster, Wensi Tofu, Accordion Cucumber, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Three-Layer Duck, Pagoda Pork, Clear-Braised Lion's Head... They were all expensive, time-consuming specialties. This banquet would probably cost far more than twenty thousand yuan.

Huo Jiu did not care. Once he Reloaded, this money would cease to exist anyway. Naturally, he had to do his utmost to spend it all in the shortest possible time.

Huo Jiu smiled. "I only arrived in this city not long ago, so I didn't know which restaurant was the best. I casually searched online and found that First-Rank Pavilion was quite famous. The diners' reviews were all good too."

"That's true. First-Rank Pavilion is especially famous around here. It's also a time-honored establishment. They say it has been open for over three hundred years. The owner's ancestor was an imperial chef. By now, it's been passed down to the eighth generation. The food is especially authentic. Even tourists from other places come here."

As the old man at the same table spoke, he picked up a piece of Clear-Braised Lion's Head and put it into his mouth. In an instant, a clean, mellow aroma of meat spread through his mouth. The meatball was soft and tender, rich without being greasy, and pleasantly springy. The clear broth made from stewed pork skin was full of gelatin, while the soup itself was sweet and refreshing. It left an endless aftertaste.

The old man's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands in praise. "...As expected of First-Rank Pavilion's cooking. Even the same dishes taste better when they make them than anywhere else. Little Huo, hurry and eat too!"

As he spoke, he enthusiastically placed a piece on Huo Jiu's plate, doing his best to urge him to eat.

Huo Jiu disliked Lion's Head the most. He had only ordered it because it was soft, easy to digest, and suitable for elderly people.

"I saw online reviews saying their specialty dishes were very good." Huo Jiu smiled and agreed with the old man, then casually picked up a bowl of Fish Maw and Shark Fin Soup from the table and took a spoonful.

The moment the shark fin entered his mouth, Huo Jiu's expression darkened.

"Of course it takes work! Just this Fish Maw and Shark Fin Soup alone has to be stewed for over two hours, so the price..." As the old man spoke, he suddenly noticed that something was wrong with Huo Jiu's expression. He immediately changed the subject and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Huo Jiu summoned the floor manager and pointed at the bowl of Fish Maw and Shark Fin Soup. "The shark fin in your restaurant is fake."

The moment Huo Jiu said that, the entire hall fell silent. Not only did the elderly guests from Lakeside Park freeze, but even the guests at several neighboring tables slowed their movements and craned their necks to look over.

The floor manager's expression changed. "Sir, you cannot say such things carelessly. First-Rank Pavilion has operated locally for over three hundred years and has always served its customers with integrity. We have never engaged in fraud. You cannot slander our restaurant like this."

Hearing the floor manager's words, guests at several nearby tables nodded in agreement. "Exactly! First-Rank Pavilion is the most famous old establishment in our city. They have always used genuine ingredients and paid close attention to heat control. The flavor has always been impeccable. It could not be more authentic."

"How could First-Rank Pavilion possibly use fake shark fin? I've been eating here for more than ten years."

"Exactly. Could there be some misunderstanding?"

A few regulars looked over the clothing, mannerisms, and conversation of the guests at these tables. They did not seem like people accustomed to dining at First-Rank Pavilion.

Seeing people speak up for him, the floor manager grew even more confident. With a mocking smile, he said, "Could it be that you ate fake shark fin elsewhere and couldn't tell the difference, then turned around and claimed that our shark fin is fake?"

The elderly men and women from Lakeside Park flushed crimson from the manager's mockery, feeling both embarrassed and angry. It was indeed their first time eating at First-Rank Pavilion, and they were not particularly familiar with ingredients like shark fin and abalone. They could not tell what was real and what was fake.