Only then did everyone realize that this woman was He Xiaozhu's older cousin. But why would an older cousin speak so coldly to her younger cousin? They simply could not understand it.
"Listen, cousin, that Mr. Lin I introduced you to last time was a fine-looking man. His family has assets worth several million and owns several storefronts, too, yet you just had to turn your nose up at him. Look at you now, about to get married, and you can only hold your banquet at a little hotel. If you married Mr. Lin, the wedding would definitely be held at the Splendid Grand Hotel."
Hearing this woman talk right in front of him about introducing men to his girlfriend, Shen Yong immediately moved to get up and give her a couple of hard slaps. But just as he rose, Li Rui reached out and caught his arm, giving him a look. Although Shen Yong did not understand exactly what that look meant, he could roughly guess. Third Brother probably wanted him to stay calm.
"Cousin, don't go too far. However rich Mr. Lin is, however well-off his family is, it has nothing to do with me. I won't marry anyone but Yong," He Xiaozhu said firmly.
"Oh my, you two really are in love. Can love put food on the table? Can love get you a two-million-yuan wedding car? I'm telling you, cousin, you're still too young. Love won't put food on the table." With that, she burst into loud laughter.
By now, Li Rui could not bear listening any longer either. This woman was far too brazen. He had stopped Shen Yong earlier because he did not want to let her off lightly. Even a hard slap would be letting her off too lightly.
To deal with a woman like this, he had to batter her mentally until not a patch of skin remained intact.
Li Rui then stood, walked slowly over to the woman, and spoke with a beaming smile.
"One look at this beauty and I could tell she was someone special. Look at that exquisite face, that figure, all that gold and silver jewelry. How many men did you have to sleep with to earn it?" Though Li Rui was all smiles, his words were vicious beyond measure.
"Y-you... who are you? How can you be so uncivilized?" The woman's face filled with fury.
"Civility is reserved for civilized people. Do you think you qualify?" Li Rui asked with a faint smile.
"Y-you... hmph! You're just a pauper. I won't stoop to your level."
"A pauper? Hahaha!" Li Rui laughed loudly. This was the first time anyone had called him a pauper since he acquired the system.
With a clatter, a set of car keys landed on the table. They were the keys to the McLaren P1.
"Recognize these?" Li Rui motioned with his eyes for the woman to look at the keys he had tossed onto the table.
"Those are... McLaren P1 keys?" The woman looked puzzled at first, then cried out in surprise.
As a veteran gold digger who spent every day mingling with wealthy men, she naturally knew about the McLaren P1, one of the three legendary supercars. But she did not believe that someone who could only afford the cheapest meal at a five-star hotel could own a sports car worth over ten million.
"They're fake. They're definitely fake! How could someone who can't even afford Boston lobster and king crab own a McLaren P1? You bought fake car keys online! Ha, ha! You can't fool me!" The woman first denied it with a frenzied expression, then laughed again, looking as though she could not be fooled.
"How pitiful. So in your eyes, anyone who can afford Boston lobster and king crab is rich?" Li Rui said, wearing a look that said she was truly pitiful.
"Hmph! You're just a broke loser. You'll never get to eat lobster or king crab in your entire life."
Li Rui shook his head with a smile and beckoned to a waiter in the distance. Seeing him, the waiter hurried over. "Sir, what can I do for you?"
"I want to book a wedding banquet. Book... right, how many tables was it, Big Brother?" Li Rui turned to ask Shen Yong.
Shen Yong, however, looked utterly bewildered.
"Big Brother, how many tables were you planning for the banquet?" Seeing his bewilderment, Li Rui asked again.
Only then did Shen Yong come to his senses and answer instinctively, "We're expecting thirty-five tables."
"Book me thirty-five tables-no, make that forty tables for a wedding banquet. Every table must have Boston lobster and king crab. The extra tables are my treat for all your hotel's waitstaff," Li Rui said lavishly.
The waiter standing beside him was dumbstruck. Boston lobster and king crab alone would cost six or seven thousand yuan. With the other dishes, each table would come to nearly ten thousand, so forty tables would cost four hundred thousand, not even including drinks. The waiter could not authorize such a large order and immediately called the manager over the radio.
A moment later, a middle-aged man came jogging over. Without even stopping to wipe the sweat from his forehead, he asked, "Which gentleman would like to book forty tables?"
"Me," Li Rui answered, then confirmed with the manager the requirements he had just given the waiter.
Hearing this, the manager's face lit up with delight. "You can rest assured. Ours is a five-star hotel. Any lobster and king crab you order here is guaranteed to be top quality."
"Sir, based on your requirements, forty tables at ten thousand yuan each comes to four hundred thousand in total. If you would..." As he spoke, the manager took out a card terminal.
Only then did everyone nearby realize that Li Rui was booking the wedding banquet for Shen Yong and He Xiaozhu.
"Third Brother, you can't do this. It's too expensive. I can't pay back four hundred thousand," Shen Yong said anxiously.
"Big Brother, why would you need to pay back this little bit of money? Didn't you and your parents treat me to a meal today? Consider this my treat in return. If you see me as a brother, don't refuse. You know this amount is nothing to me."
Before Shen Yong could speak again, Li Rui told the manager, "Charge six hundred thousand. Use the extra two hundred thousand for drinks." The manager immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at grain and changed the amount on the terminal. Li Rui took out his bank card, stepped forward, and entered his PIN. With a ding, the six-hundred-thousand-yuan payment went through.
Only at that moment did the woman, who had been wearing a mocking smile all along, truly realize that this was not some broke loser putting on an act. The mocking smile vanished from her face without a trace.
She was not the only one shocked. Shen Yong's father, his mother, and He Xiaozhu were also too stunned to speak.
This classmate of Shen Yong's was far too generous. He had spent six hundred thousand in a single move. Just who was he? A huge question mark formed in everyone's mind.
After paying, Li Rui turned to the woman and asked calmly, "Can I afford lobster? Can I afford king crab?"
"You... I..." Her face burning with shame and anger, the woman stamped her foot, turned, and fled with her face covered.
"Thank you." He Xiaozhu came forward and bowed to Li Rui in thanks. Without this university classmate of Shen Yong's here today, there was no telling how her cousin would have humiliated her.
Although this older cousin was a relative, she had always looked down on her. That Mr. Lin she had introduced did have some money, but he was divorced with a child, and he was a middle-aged man in his forties. Calling him a fine-looking man was pure nonsense.
"Sister-in-law, you're being too polite. Denying my big brother face means denying me face. I'm not going to indulge her."
Shen Yong also walked over and patted Li Rui on the shoulder without saying anything. Between true brothers, some things did not need many words.
After the disturbance the woman had caused, no one had much appetite left. They exchanged a few pleasantries, said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways.
Li Rui found a hotel to stay in for the time being while he waited for Shen Yong's wedding.
He had just settled into the hotel, taken a shower, and was getting ready for a good sleep when he received a call from Zhao Yi.
"Boss, we've identified the person behind Gu Tianlong."