The Rich Man's Life Begins with a Comeback

Chapter 282 Poking at someone's lungs until they're dead (4k)

"Aunt Pan, you're right."

"The dishes you and Uncle Shen ordered are really not very plentiful."

Luo Xiwen smiled at Pan Xiaomei, then slowly flipped through the menu: "Nine people are eating, and you only ordered one lobster, and it weighs two pounds. I'm afraid this dish won't even be enough for everyone to have a bite of."

"Boston lobster is not interesting, let's replace it with Australian lobster."

"How much do you weigh Australian lobsters here?"

Luo Xiwen didn't look at the waiter, but instead looked directly at the deputy general manager, Zhou Shunan. After listening in the preparation room for a while, Zhou Shunan immediately understood what Luo Xiwen meant when he saw the look in Luo Xiwen's eyes.

"During the New Year period, our Zhenhai Feast restaurant has a particularly rich supply of various seafood. Currently, our restaurant has Australian lobsters ranging from two pounds to eight pounds."

Zhou Shunan dismissed the waiter, stepped forward, and responded loudly.

"That……"

"How about we get three pounds of Australian lobster?"

"Shouldn't everyone be able to take a bite?"

At this point, Luo Xiwen looked at Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei and hesitated again: "Uncle Shen, Aunt Pan, how about we don't order lobster? If we order small lobsters, there won't be enough for everyone to share, and if we order large lobsters, I'm afraid it will be too expensive for you."

"After all, it's quite expensive here. In my opinion, we should just cancel all the seafood. We've already eaten a lot of meat and fish during the Lunar New Year, so why not just replace it all with vegetarian dishes?"

Luo Xiwen's expression showed hesitation and a hint of embarrassment.

Anyone with eyes could see from his expression that Luo Xiwen didn't really not want to eat seafood, but was afraid that Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei couldn't afford it.

At the same time, Zhou Shunan, the deputy general manager standing next to Luo Xiwen, did not say anything, but he showed a hint of contempt mixed with subtlety and obviousness towards Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei.

Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei saw the expressions on Luo Xiwen and Zhou Shunan's faces and immediately felt embarrassed.

"Xiao Luo, Zhenhai Feast is a place to eat seafood. If you cancel all the seafood and replace it with all vegetables, what will that look like? Order whatever you like. If you think Australian lobster is delicious, order Australian lobster. If two pounds isn't enough, order a bigger one."

Shen Zhengsheng waved his hand and said in a pretentious and generous manner.

"Hey……"

"Xiao Luo, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but you really need to change your petty ways."

Pan Xiaomei, still speaking in that condescending, elder-lecturing tone, said to Luo Xiwen, "Auntie did say that we should be thrifty and manage our household well, but being thrifty doesn't mean being stingy. Your Uncle Shen is a prominent figure in Beichun. If word gets out that he's treating others to a vegetarian meal at Zhenhai Grand Banquet, people will laugh at him to death."

"real……"

"You really just order whatever you want?"

"I asked hesitantly."

"Whatever."

In Shen Zhengsheng's view, Luo Xiwen was just a young girl. Even if he let her order whatever she wanted, how much money could she possibly spend? It was even uncertain whether she could understand the menu of Zhenhai Banquet.

"it is good."

As soon as Shen Zhengsheng finished speaking, Luo Xiwen suddenly calmed down.

"Australian lobster, give me an eight-pound one."

“Choose the biggest wild conch and prepare it as a double dish.”

"Choose the biggest wild yellow croaker and steam it."

"Abalone sauce stewed fish maw, one serving per person."

"Crispy sea cucumber and wild mushroom soup, one serving per person."

"Open two more bottles of Domaine Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru."

"Um……"

"That's all."

Luo Xiwen spoke extremely fast and didn't even look at the menu.

Not far away, Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei only had a vague idea of ​​the eight pounds of Australian lobster that Luo Xiwen mentioned. As for the dishes that Luo Xiwen mentioned later, especially the English he babbled at the end, they had absolutely no idea.

"Four pounds of Australian lobster is enough; anything too big would be a waste."

In Pan Xiaomei's mind, Australian lobster was already the most expensive seafood. As for the fish, snails, fish maw, sea cucumbers and the like that Luo Xiwen mentioned later, she felt that they couldn't be that expensive. So her attention was drawn to the Australian lobster from the very beginning, and she didn't pay much attention to the other dishes.

"Listen to Aunt Pan."

"Then let's change it to four catties."

Luo Xiwen's smile widened even more.

"Ok."

"I'll serve you your food right away."

Zhou Shunan immediately bowed in response.

At this moment, Luo Xiwen's parents, his third aunt and uncle, who were sitting next to him, were all a little confused as they looked at the smiling Luo Xiwen. But since Luo Xiwen didn't say anything, they naturally couldn't make a scene.

"Little Luo."

"Look, we've finished ordering all the food."

Pan Xiaomei, maintaining a haughty demeanor, directly asked Luo Xiwen, "What do you think of my son?"

"It looks pretty good."

"I'm just asking out of curiosity..."

Luo Xiwen tentatively inquired, "Does your son have any language impairment? I don't think I've heard him say a word since we entered the private room."

Upon hearing this, Ye Ziming, who was sitting next to Ye Hongtai, immediately pursed his lips, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but turn up wildly.

My cousin's words were practically a direct question to the other person: Is your son mute?

"How could Haochen have any defects? Haochen has no defects at all. He is just naturally quiet and has been immersed in academic research all these years, so he seems a little taciturn."

When Pan Xiaomei heard Luo Xiwen question her beloved son's disability, she immediately looked displeased. Then she turned to Shen Haochen, gently patted him, and said softly, "Haochen, didn't you like Luo Xiwen when you saw his photos at home? Now that you've met him, why don't you say hello?"

The voice was so gentle, like a mother soothing a child. If it were a young mother in her twenties or thirties soothing a child who was only a few years old, no one would feel that there was anything wrong with it.

But Pan Xiaomei is over fifty years old, and Shen Haochen is almost thirty. Yet Pan Xiaomei still speaks to Shen Haochen in a tone that sounds like she's coaxing a child. That gentle tone makes everyone feel uncomfortable.

Now, even Luo's parents, who were full of anticipation for this blind date, had indescribable expressions. They suddenly felt that if their daughter were to marry such a man, it would be better for her to live a lonely life.

Faced with Pan Xiaomei's request, Shen Xiaochen, who had remained silent throughout, suddenly stood up from her chair. Her face quickly turned red, and she began to avoid looking at Luo Xiwen.

"Hello."

“I…I am…I am Shen Haochen.”

"I really... really... like... you very much."

"My mom said... said it's okay... to let you be my wife."

"If you are willing... willing to marry me, I will... I will definitely listen to you and Mom from now on."

In just a few words, Shen Haochen could stutter more than ten times.

By the end, his face was so red it looked like it was about to bleed, and his fists were clenched tightly.

Given this performance, not only Luo Xiwen and the others, but even Zhou Shunan, who was silently standing behind Luo Xiwen, couldn't help but twitch his lips.

Ok……

He's a professional, unless he can't help himself.

"Xiao Luo, Hao Chen has been like this since he was little."

Pan Xiaomei felt no embarrassment whatsoever. On the contrary, she thought her precious son was particularly simple and honest. She said with pride rather than shame, "He gets shy and stutters when he meets a pretty girl. He only shows this expression because he likes you so much and is so fond of you." Luo Xiwen smiled without saying a word, and his gaze toward Shen Haochen was inexplicably filled with a hint of pity.

Shen Haochen secretly glanced at Luo Xiwen and saw that after he had mustered up a lot of courage to confess, Luo Xiwen had no reaction at all. His fragile little heart was immediately hit hard. After sitting down, he looked at Pan Xiaomei with a hint of anxiety in his expression.

Upon seeing this, Pan Xiaomei's expression darkened slightly.

At this moment, one after another, waiters carried out beautifully plated dishes from the preparation room, each plate being exceptionally large.

There were also two waitresses who carried two bottles of red wine. They first walked around the room to display them, and then, without any delay, opened the bottles and poured the wine into decanters on the spot.

Upon seeing this, a smile couldn't help but flash across Luo Xiwen's eyes.

So you're willing to pretend, huh?
I'll make you fly in a minute!
Luo Xiwen snorted inwardly. Having been by Gu Heng's side for so long, accompanying him to various occasions and listening to the big shots chatting and laughing, she had gradually grasped some of the ways of cunning.

Now, the timing, location, and people are all on our side.

How could she allow Pan Xiaomei's family to look down on and bully her?

It's time to wrap this up.

Luo Xiwen gently wiped Yingying's hands with the now warm, damp towel, while casually glancing up at Zhou Shunan.

Upon receiving the signal, the other side immediately took action.

"Distinguished guests..."

"Thank you so much for your strong support of the Zhenhai Grand Feast!"

"Now, let me introduce to you the grand finale dish of tonight!"

As Zhou Shunan walked toward the empty table where the dishes were served, he spoke loudly to everyone.

At the same time, the door to the food preparation room opened again.

A chef in a white chef's robe pushed a food cart in, on which was placed a charcoal stove, and on the stove was a huge conch, with a rich and fragrant sauce boiling inside.

"This is the largest wild conch we currently have, weighing a total of 9.4 jin (4.2 catties)!"

"Based on the normal growth cycle of giant conch, this wild giant conch should have grown for more than ten years, making it an absolute rare and precious seafood delicacy!"

As Zhou Shunan gave his enthusiastic introduction, the chef behind the food cart picked up a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and poured it onto the charcoal-grilled conch, instantly causing flames to rise.

"This is a 30-year-old Shaoxing wine!"

Zhou Shunan continued in a loud voice, "It can make the conch more tender and crisp."

At this moment, both Pan Xiaomei and Shen Zhengsheng vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

This is a combination of seafood delicacies, freshly cooked ingredients, and 30-year-old Shaoxing wine. It doesn't look cheap at all!
To put it in perspective, the four-pound Australian lobster we just saw was simply presented with some dry ice on a plate and a smoke effect created by pouring water on it. Compared to this spectacle, it's utterly incomparable.

Shen Zhengsheng pretended to be calm and waited for Zhou Shun'an to finish explaining before casually asking, "I was too lazy to look at the menu just now, what's the price of this wild conch? It looks really good."

"Mr. Shen, our prices are absolutely fair."

Zhou Shunan responded with a smile: "At only 1688, let alone whether you can find the same quality goods in the entire Jilin Province, even if you could, you definitely couldn't get them for 1688."

Pan Xiaomei, who had been holding her breath, breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Zhou Shunan say that the wild conch was only 1688. She then regained her elegant and composed demeanor, like that of a wealthy lady: "Such a heavy wild conch is only 1688. This price is indeed very reasonable."

As Pan Xiaomei said this, Luo Xiwen couldn't help but laugh, but he tried his best to act nonchalant and continued to watch the chef cook the wild conch.

In fact, having been by Gu Heng's side for so long, she was already used to seeing scenes like this where chefs prepared food on the spot.

"Forehead……"

"This lady."

You may have misunderstood.

Zhou Shunan then revealed a slightly embarrassed expression and lowered his voice to explain to Pan Xiaomei, "The 1688 I just mentioned refers to the price of this wild giant conch at 1688 per jin, not the price of the whole wild giant conch at 1688."

Although Zhou Shunan lowered his voice, it was just the right amount of time for everyone at the round table to hear.

1688 per jin, totaling 9.4 jin.

Doesn't that mean...

This one wild conch shell alone cost over 15,000 yuan?!
Pan Xiaomei's elegant composure, which she had just displayed, froze instantly on her face after Zhou Shunan finished speaking.

At this moment, the private room was somewhat quiet.

"Ms. Pan, what's wrong?"

Do you think we're overpriced?

Zhou Shunan had overheard the entire conversation in the preparation room. He had heard all of Pan Xiaomei and Shen Zhengsheng's arrogant and rude words.

The way is:
A subject is disgraced when his lord is in distress; a subject dies when his lord is disgraced!
This ancient saying may seem exaggerated in modern terms, but its core spirit remains the same.

Since Gu Heng took over Zhencui Group, he has not only comprehensively improved the salaries and benefits of employees from top to bottom, but also opened up the group's upward mobility channels at the end of last year, allowing many grassroots employees and middle and lower-level leaders to see broad career prospects.

It is no exaggeration to say that more than 90% of the employees of Zhencui Group genuinely support and respect Gu Heng.

As the woman of their group's chairman, Luo Xiwen was being looked down upon and humiliated by these two people. As a mid-level manager of Zhencui Group, he felt he would be letting down Gu Heng for the salary he received if he didn't help Luo Xiwen get revenge.

"expensive?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"It's just a little over ten thousand yuan."

“My husband, Lao Shen, can earn that in no time.”

Zhou Shunan's words struck Pan Xiaomei's weak spot precisely. She immediately glared at Zhou Shunan with disdain in her words.

"I have to say, Xiao Luo really knows his stuff."

"After this wild conch is served, you should take it to Xiao Luo and the others to try. We can eat it anytime we want, but if they want to eat it again after today, we don't know when."

If Pan Xiaomei still didn't realize that she had been tricked by Luo Xiwen, then she would have lived in vain all these years. Now, she was burning with anger, which made her words become increasingly sharp and sarcastic.

Shen Zhengsheng, with a sullen face, picked up his wine glass and took a sip without saying a word.

Ok?
Does it taste good?
What kind of dry red wine is this?
Luo Xiwen just rambled on and on, and he didn't understand a single word. If this wine isn't too expensive, he could buy some to stock up at home as his daily drinking wine.

Thinking this to himself, Shen Zhengsheng picked up the wine glass he was about to put down again and took another big gulp.

"Thank you, Aunt Pan."

Luo Xiwen seemed oblivious to the veiled barbs in Pan Xiaomei's words, and said with a smile, "Uncle truly lives up to his reputation as a big businessman. Uncle and Aunt are both very generous."

At this moment, Luo Xiwen's parents, his third aunt and uncle, who were sitting next to him, all had a thoughtful look in their eyes when they saw Luo Xiwen's behavior.

just now……

They seemed to understand what was going on.

It turns out that Luo Xiwen wasn't without temper; he had simply seized the opportunity to dig a pit for Pan Xiaomei and the others.

Even if Pan Xiaomei and her family were quite wealthy, the fact that a single wild conch cost them 15,000 yuan would still make them feel the pinch, not to mention that Luo Xiwen had just ordered more than one dish.

"Hmm~"

"This wild conch, worth 15,000 yuan, tastes absolutely amazing!"

Luo Xiwen picked up a piece of snail meat and savored it while praising it.

Hou Meixia, Luo Xiwen's third aunt, who was sitting next to him, almost burst out laughing when she heard Luo Xiwen's words.

'My dear niece…'

'You're really going to stab someone in the back!'

(End of this chapter)