Li Yundong spotted Liu Chuan immediately. The young man was still clad in dazzling designer labels, surrounded by a coterie of handsome men and beautiful women, all in strange yet expensive designer attire. Li Yundong frowned inwardly, muttering to himself: Had this fellow learned nothing from last time?
But in this world, some people, relying on their wealth and power, never seemed to learn any lessons.
The last time Liu Chuan encountered Li Yundong, he had been scared witless, wetting himself in front of everyone—a humiliation he had deeply resented, nursing a constant desire to reclaim his lost face.
Before he could make a move, however, a sensational campus shooting rocked the school. Li Yundong, who was at the epicenter, emerged not only unscathed but with his reputation and prestige soaring to a height few students could hope to match.
This only fueled the jealousy and hatred in Liu Chuan, who had always expected to be the star and the center of attention.
Jealousy and rage often cloud a person's judgment, making them forgetful of many things. Liu Chuan was one such case. He arrived at the French restaurant with his usual entourage of hangers-on, only to be surprised by the sight of Li Yundong already there. The memory of his previous humiliation instantly surfaced, and he couldn't resist initiating a confrontation.
Li Yundong glanced at Liu Chuan but offered no reply. He disdained engaging with such a brainless second-generation rich kid.
Yet, Liu Chuan misinterpreted Li Yundong’s indifference as retreat. He immediately became more ostentatious, pressing his advantage.
With a wide smile, Liu Chuan greeted his cronies: “Classmates from my school.”
There were two men and three women in the group, making three couples including Liu Chuan. Before the waiter could seat them, they crowded into the space right next to Li Yundong's table, clearly ready to enjoy the spectacle.
Liu Chuan settled himself without ceremony into a seat directly opposite Li Yundong and Su Chan. He glanced at the dishes already on the table, looked up at Li Yundong with feigned surprise, and sneered, “Not bad, you know how to eat. Using knives and forks instead of chopsticks—very Chinese! Tsk tsk, you even ordered well! Did you get all thirteen courses of authentic French cuisine? Wait, no, one course is missing!”
Liu Chuan turned and smiled, beckoning a heavily made-up beauty among his friends: “Sweetheart, come take a look. Which dish is missing? Guess right, and I’ll give you a big prize!”
Li Yundong had lost his appetite. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching Liu Chuan direct and perform his little drama with an amused smile.
The beauty beside Liu Chuan had decent features, but her makeup was excessive. The moment she saw Su Chan beside Li Yundong, she was instantly stunned by Su Chan’s natural beauty, consumed by envy. Fearing Liu Chuan might take a liking to Su Chan, she whined in a saccharine voice, “I can’t guess! It’s my first time eating French food! You have to teach me!”
Liu Chuan’s vanity was thoroughly satisfied. He gestured toward the array of dishes and declared, “What’s missing is the best and most luxurious French dish: Caviar!”
Beaming with pride, Liu Chuan pinched the chin of the beauty beside him and announced, “I brought you all here today precisely because I waited almost half a year in line to secure this restaurant’s finest caviar!”
Upon hearing this, Li Yundong and Su Chan exchanged a look. Su Chan whispered, “Yundong, so Zhou Qin canceled…”
Li Yundong quickly covered her hand, signaling her to stop. He stifled a laugh and whispered back to her, “Don’t say a word. Just let the monkey put on his show! We can treat it like watching an animal act!”
The beauty beside Liu Chuan seized the opportunity to flatter him: “Brother Liu is amazing! I heard the caviar here is impossible to book. So many people can’t get it! By the way, why is the caviar here separated by grades?”
Liu Chuan, being a spoiled heir obsessed with luxury and vanity, had no idea where the brands he wore originated, nor did he know anything about the nuances and prestige of caviar.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Liu Chuan’s face. The woman in his arms, noticing his discomfort, instantly realized she had asked a question Liu Chuan couldn’t answer. She quickly veered off-topic, clapping her hands with feigned innocence: “Brother Liu, shouldn’t we order this entire traditional French set menu too?”
Liu Chuan seized the lifeline, using it as a cover while overtly flaunting his wealth toward Li Yundong: “Do you know how much this set menu costs?”
The beauty pouted, “No idea! Brother Liu, don’t tell me you can’t afford it!”
Liu Chuan scoffed, “Some people can’t afford it, but there’s no way I can’t!”
He pointed at the foie gras pâté on the table. “This single dish costs several thousand! This entire set menu comes to twenty-four thousand! If we include the caviar, it’s even more!”
Li Yundong secretly gasped: Damn, they’re robbing people! Last time he spent tens of thousands on clothes, and now he’s blowing tens of thousands on a meal! How are other people supposed to live? Anything associated with capitalism is bound to be outrageously expensive!
Su Chan was even more shocked. She tugged at Li Yundong’s sleeve, looking at him with worry, and whispered, “It’s too expensive, we’re really going to dine and dash!”
Liu Chuan happened to overhear this, and he burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter.
“Oh my god, this is hilarious! If you can’t afford it, don’t come to a place like this!” Liu Chuan pointed at Li Yundong, roaring with laughter. “Dining and dashing—it kills me! You two are so creative!”
His outburst caused his friends at the nearby table to snicker along in forced agreement.
Li Yundong, however, remained unperturbed, watching Liu Chuan with a steady gaze, a slight, mocking smile playing on his lips.
Unfortunately, Liu Chuan was too caught up in his triumph to notice.
When Liu Chuan finally stopped laughing, wiping tears from his eyes, he struck a flamboyant pose and snapped his fingers to summon the waiter. Pointing toward Li Yundong’s table, he said with an air of charity, “I’ll cover the bill for this table!”
The waiter looked at him with surprise and asked, “The entire thing?”
Liu Chuan declared arrogantly, “The entire thing! What is this, a few coins?”
The waiter gave him a look and left with a polite smile.
Liu Chuan turned to Li Yundong, preening, “You’re lucky to have run into me! I’m magnanimous enough to let bygones be bygones regarding our last encounter! But next time, make sure you remember your place. And another thing: stop using chopsticks in places like this; it’s too embarrassing! Look at the way these foreigners are staring at you! Sigh, after so many years of reform and opening up, we shouldn't be disgracing ourselves, right?”
Li Yundong maintained his quiet smile, watching Liu Chuan jump and prance about, letting him have his moment.
A short while later, the waiter returned holding a bill and said with a smile, “Respected Sir, your total consumption is one hundred thirty-two thousand five hundred. Shall I charge it to the account?”
Liu Chuan was startled, nearly tumbling out of his seat. His eyes widened, and he stammered, “H-How much?”
Liu Chuan knew clearly that no matter how rich he was, this money belonged to his father, not himself. Even his father, generous as he was, wouldn't authorize a single meal costing over a hundred thousand. Furthermore, if he had to spend that much, Liu Chuan might grit his teeth and accept it.
But the problem was, he couldn't be made a fool of for nothing!
The waiter repeated with an unchanging smile, “The total consumption is one hundred thirty-two thousand five hundred.”
Liu Chuan snatched the bill, glanced at it quickly, and pointed furiously at the dishes on the table. “These dishes cost one hundred thirty-two thousand five hundred? Are you taking me for an idiot? I’ve eaten here before!”
The waiter’s smile didn't falter. “But there is still one dish that has not been served.”
Liu Chuan thundered, “What dish costs a hundred thousand?”
The waiter chuckled, “That is our top-tier dish, the Beluga Sturgeon caviar, known as the Pearl of the Caspian Sea!”
Liu Chuan stared at Li Yundong in shock. “You actually ordered that dish? I waited months of hard work to reserve it! How is that possible? Did you order it before I did?”
Li Yundong maintained a modest demeanor, yet his words nearly drove Liu Chuan to madness. “Not at all. I just ordered it casually when I arrived. I had no idea it was so expensive.”
Liu Chuan nearly spat blood. The anger churned within him—why was it so difficult to make a fool of himself today? Was this kid sent by Heaven just to torment him?
Liu Chuan’s face flushed crimson with rage. He stood frozen, unsure how to salvage the situation.
The waiter cautiously inquired, “Sir, will you be signing for the bill?”
Liu Chuan had been too boastful and now couldn't back down. He looked around. Not only were his friends watching him, but other patrons were too. The corner of the restaurant fell into a terrifying silence.
Liu Chuan, consumed by shame and fury, gritted his teeth. “Sign it! Did I take back what I said?”
The beauty in his arms finally breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Liu Chuan with admiring, sycophantic smiles. “Brother Liu is truly generous!”
Li Yundong also applauded with a smile. “Impressive. Spending a thousand gold pieces in one go—truly bold and generous!”
Liu Chuan felt a burning heat on his cheeks. He had intended to humiliate others but nearly ended up humiliating himself. Between both tables, this meal was likely to cost over three hundred thousand!
Just a casual meal costing over three hundred thousand… Even as a wealthy second-generation heir, he couldn't afford such recklessness, could he?
Liu Chuan sat back down at his friends’ table, his face ashen with hatred and anger. A few moments later, the top-tier caviar for Li Yundong and Su Chan’s table was served.
Everyone at the table stared wide-eyed at the small dish of black caviar. They thought: This tiny amount costs over a hundred thousand? What must that taste like?
Liu Chuan had brought his friends here specifically because he had managed to order this dish to show off. Now, seeing Li Yundong and Su Chan about to taste it before him, he sneered with burning jealousy. “What are you looking at? We’ll have ours soon too. Eating too much of this stuff isn't actually good for you!”
His tone was clearly sour grapes, but Liu Chuan’s friends wisely avoided provoking the young master.
However, a moment later, the Maitre d’ approached with an apologetic expression. “Excuse me, are you Mr. Liu Chuan?”
Liu Chuan replied impatiently, “Yes. When will my caviar be served?”
The Maitre d’ said apologetically, “I deeply regret to inform you, Sir, that your caviar has already been ordered by another party… Perhaps you would consider our top-tier French Escargot, or the Osetra sturgeon caviar? That is also an exquisitely delicious and luxurious option?”
Liu Chuan’s eyes glazed over, and he stammered, “W-What did you say? Why was my caviar ordered by someone else? I waited in line for months! Who, who, who ordered my caviar?”
The Maitre d’ glanced back awkwardly at Li Yundong and Su Chan, gesturing with his eyes: “They ordered it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Yundong and Su Chan couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into laughter together.
Li Yundong scooped a spoonful of the black caviar and held it to Su Chan’s lips, sighing with exaggerated sincerity, “Alas, Su Chan, there are still so many good people in this world. Look, we couldn’t afford it, and someone eagerly sent us money. Not only did they send money, but they worried we wouldn't eat well and saved their best dish for us! Ah, what kind of spirit is that?”
Su Chan carefully took a small bite of the caviar, smiling sweetly. “What spirit is that?”
Li Yundong replied with utmost seriousness, “It’s the spirit of pure altruism, completely selfless international adventurism!”
With that, the two of them laughed heartily together.