Chapter 293: Chapter 293: Diamonds Are Forever_1
"What suggestion? Spit it out!" Wei Hongzhen waved his hand with an air of extravagance.
He felt he was now fully in character, firmly crushing Su Xuan under his heel. Su Zimo must be somewhat smitten with him already. This was why he enjoyed treating women to meals. A man’s wealth was best judged by how he acted when footing the bill! As long as he showcased his financial power and elegant manners during a meal, there wasn’t a girl he couldn’t charm. It was even better if he could get her to drink a little. After all, it was easier to get things done when she was tipsy!
"It’s like this," Jiang Hai said, looking at Wei Hongzhen. "I see you’re a great supporter of our Dragon’s Call Pavilion. We actually have another menu prepared exclusively for our top VIP clients. It’s because of that menu that we’ve been able to maintain our Michelin three-star rating year after year. Would you like to take a look?"
"Of course! Let’s see it!" Wei Hongzhen replied, his voice brimming with arrogance.
The more expensive, the better! How else can I make this country bumpkin, Su Xuan, bow before my wealth? Plus, he just said the menu is for top VIP clients—that sounds incredibly high-class and perfectly suits my status! Besides, how much can three people possibly eat? Twenty or thirty thousand, tops!
Seeing Jiang Hai pouring tea for Su Xuan, Wei Hongzhen urged, "Hurry up and get your top-tier menu! Low-end stuff like red wine-poached pears and vegetable salads for a few hundred won’t satisfy me."
His voice was so loud that the customers in the booths outside heard him. They were currently eating those very pears and salads and were instantly annoyed. Damn it, that guy is clearly taking a shot at us!
"Actually, there’s no need to bring the physical menu," Jiang Hai said, setting down the teapot. "Since there are only three of you, I can just recommend some of our signature dishes. A few will be more than enough."
"Alright, alright, recommend away!"
"You could all try our British-style fish and chips, French foie gras, seafood treasure curry, and the diamond strawberry platter..."
"Good, good, bring them all!"
Wei Hongzhen didn’t think any of it sounded particularly special. Fish and chips, foie gras, curry... these are all common dishes. Even if they’re expensive, how pricey can they be? A couple thousand per dish should cover it, right?
"I’ll have them prepared for you right away!" Jiang Hai glanced at Su Xuan before retreating.
Wei Hongzhen, meanwhile, stretched his arms out over the armrests of his chair, exuding the imposing demeanor of a mountain lord.
"Mr. Wei, you’re really splashing out for us today," Su Xuan said, putting on a sincere expression. He was really starting to like this guy.
"It’s nothing!" This remark caused Wei Hongzhen’s pretentious aura to swell. He waved his hand through the air theatrically. "Money is just an object. You can’t take it with you when you die. To make life meaningful, you have to try all the wonderful things this world has to offer. Otherwise, what’s the point of living?"
Soon, the dishes began to arrive one by one.
Jiang Hai explained with a broad smile, "This is our British-style fish and chips. The fish is a rare golden line cod from the Atlantic. It has a fresh, exquisite flavor and is also known to enrich the blood, beautify the skin, and nourish the hair. The dipping sauce isn’t ordinary either; it’s caviar from the deep Arctic sea, a delicacy connoisseurs call ’dancing pearls on the tongue.’"
"This is the French foie gras. This dish was invented by the ancient Egyptians around 2500 B.C. but was perfected by the French. It’s an ideal food for nourishing the blood. Europeans consider foie gras, caviar, and truffles to be the world’s three greatest delicacies. Our foie gras is sourced from an exceptionally rare Goose King—an entire farm might go years without raising one!"
"And this dish is the seafood treasure curry. We call it a ’treasure’ because of the sheer number of top-tier ingredients it contains: Devon crab, white truffles, beluga caviar, gold leaf... But the price is still quite reasonable, only twenty-two thousand."
"What the hell!" Wei Hongzhen had been listening with great interest, feeling that these dishes perfectly met his need to show off. But when Jiang Hai announced the price of the curry, the smile on his face froze.
Twenty-two thousand? This mishmash of a curry costs twenty-two thousand? I was thinking the whole meal would cost twenty or thirty thousand at most! This one dish already blew past my budget!
"Oh, right!" Jiang Hai added. "I was quoting in US dollars. Twenty-two thousand US dollars."
"What?!" Wei Hongzhen shuddered violently.
Twenty-two thousand US dollars is over a hundred thousand! Selling one dish for that much... that’s practically robbery, isn’t it?
"Then how much are the fish and chips and the foie gras?" Wei Hongzhen asked hurriedly.
"Thirty thousand US dollars and forty-five thousand US dollars, respectively."
"How is that possible?"
"For the fish and chips, the cost isn’t in the chips, but the caviar. As for the foie gras, the cost is indeed the liver. After all, it’s from a Goose King."
Wei Hongzhen broke out in a cold sweat. These three dishes alone add up to almost half a million! What kind of top-tier VIPs is this menu for? I’m just the boss of a robot vacuum company... I’m way out of my depth here! And the only reason I asked Su Zimo for an interview was because my company’s profits are tanking and I need the publicity! Oh, the pain! It feels like my own liver has been carved out...
Jiang Hai smiled at Wei Hongzhen. "I assume you don’t mind the price of the dishes?"
"That... Of course I don’t mind!" Wei Hongzhen quickly composed himself, managing to recover a fraction of his earlier swagger, but his voice had lost all its confidence.
Su Xuan and Su Zimo glanced at each other, and both saw the laughter in the other’s eyes.
"This dish is the Diamond Strawberry Platter," Jiang Hai continued. "But the star of this dish isn’t the strawberries, but the diamond hidden inside. Yes, one of these strawberries contains a gemstone, using its deliciousness to accentuate the diamond’s brilliance."
He then looked meaningfully toward Su Zimo and continued with a smile, "Considering you are the only lady present tonight, we’ve placed only one diamond in the dish. If a gentleman should find it and offer it to you, it would be a most chivalrous gesture. Moreover, as the saying goes, ’A diamond is forever,’ so its significance is quite profound..."
"Let me try!" Wei Hongzhen immediately picked up his chopsticks and popped a strawberry into his mouth as if afraid someone else would snatch it. "This Diamond Strawberry Platter is truly exquisite. By the way, how much does this dish cost?"
"Not expensive," Jiang Hai said with a placid smile. "Only ninety thousand US dollars."
GULP. Wei Hongzhen was so terrified that he swallowed the strawberry whole.
Holy crap! That’s a luxury sedan!
"Let’s eat too, Su Xuan."
"Okay."
Su Zimo and Su Xuan picked up their chopsticks and began to eat as well.
Jiang Hai quietly gave Su Xuan an "OK" sign.
However, who would be the one to find the diamond?