Those who could afford to dine at the Shangri-La Hotel were not just rich, but at the very least, they were quite well-off.
During lunchtime, the hotel lobby was fully occupied; all the diners were elegantly dressed, savoring their food with refinement.
Hurrying into the scene with an anxious expression, Ye Xingchen stood out among these people.
As he took his seat, a delicate female waiter in a gray-black petite suit and holding a thick menu approached.
"Hello, sir, here's the menu..."
Before the waiter could finish her sentence, Ye Xingchen interrupted, "No need to look, bring me a portion of every dish on the menu!"
The waiter hesitated, "Sir, are you hosting guests? How many people in total?"
"Just me."
The waiter hesitated again, slightly furrowing her brows as she cautioned, "Sir, there are over a hundred dishes on the menu. You probably won't be able to finish them all on your own. I suggest..."
"I don't need your advice. Serve me all the dishes on the menu, as I said, quickly!" Ye Xingchen interrupted the waiter again.
Hearing this, the waiter couldn't help but size up Ye Xingchen, silently speculating if he was up to some mischief.
After all, who would go to such an extent as to order everything from the menu?
How could anyone eat that much!
After a moment of hesitation, the waiter cautiously reminded, "Sir, ordering all the dishes on this menu would probably cost over five hundred thousand..."
At this point, the waiter stopped speaking, but her message was quite clear.
A meal costing hundreds of thousands, can you afford it?
Being the most high-end hotel in Jinghai City, they did offer extremely expensive ingredients like bluefin tuna, caviar, and matsutake mushrooms. Spending a few hundred thousand on a meal was normal.
But this kind of extravagant spending was far from normal.
She even began to suspect that Ye Xingchen might have something wrong with his head.
By now, their conversation had caught the attention of diners at nearby tables, who were now looking curiously at Ye Xingchen.
Ye Xingchen knew what they were thinking and said impatiently, "What? Afraid I won't pay? Bring the bill quickly, I can pay in advance!"
The waiter was momentarily taken aback and dismissed the thought that Ye Xingchen couldn't pay. However, she still found it difficult to accept this situation. Her tone grew slightly sharper as she cautioned, "Sir, it's not that I doubt your ability to pay, but..."
Ye Xingchen furrowed his brow and impatiently said, "Enough with the nonsense. Bring the food!"
The waiter was left speechless.
So much food for one person? How incredibly wealthy must he be?
He must be one of those eccentric rich kids!
The people at surrounding tables began whispering among themselves, expressing shock, confusion, and mostly disdain.
"The first time I've seen someone order based on the entire menu. It's way too extravagant. He must have struck gold!"
"He seems to have some issues. Even with money, you shouldn't spend it like this!"
"Ever heard of 'sudden wealth syndrome'? Some people, when they go from poor to rich, indulge in this kind of revengeful spending due to psychological problems."
"..."
The diners spoke in low voices, so Ye Xingchen couldn't hear them clearly. But he knew they weren't kind words.
However, he didn't care.
These people wouldn't understand the emotions of someone who hadn't had a satisfying meal for over a year, someone for whom even a packet of instant noodles was a luxury. How it felt when the aroma of food wafted from the hall, was a sentiment they couldn't comprehend.
A month from now, they would experience the agonies of hunger and cold, a state worse than death.
Moreover, at least half of the people here would die within the first week after doomsday arrived, and only a handful might survive after a month.
Soon, dishes and food were placed on the table one after another.
Ye Xingchen started to eat heartily, his manner resembling that of a starving ghost reborn, which drew constant disdainful glances from those around him.
"Haha, look at him eat. He's like a refugee from Africa!"
"He looks like he's never seen the world. He must have been really poor before. I even doubt if he really has the money to pay the bill."
"The free meal at Shangri-La Hotel isn't that great. If he can't afford the bill, he might end up washing dishes for a lifetime."
Amidst the discussions, a slightly surprised and mostly angry voice suddenly rang out.
"Ye Xingchen, you ignore my calls and dare to gorge yourself here alone?!"
All eyes turned towards the source, where they saw a woman striding over with a furious expression on her face.
This woman was tall and seductive, particularly her long, shapely legs. As she hadn't worn stockings, her fair, almost translucent skin was visible. Her black high heels revealed her smooth feet.
Her chest was ample, and her pert buttocks had a tantalizing curve. She was undoubtedly a dreamy enchantress any man would yearn for, igniting suggestive thoughts.
Most importantly, her young and beautiful face adorned with rimless glasses had an aura of destruction.
Everyone was captivated by her presence, their eyes filled with suppressed desires. Some couldn't help but swallow a few times.
Ye Xingchen simply glanced at her disdainfully, his disgust not hidden at all. Without a word, he continued eating, ignoring her completely.
This scene puzzled the surrounding diners.
So aloof?
That's unexpected!
A goddess of such quality was a rare find indeed!
Even Chen Rou'er was taken aback. Was this the same lapdog I knew?
Suddenly, Chen Rou'er's anger escalated.
Today was her birthday.
Just three days ago, Ye Xingchen had promised to host a birthday celebration for her at
Shangri-La Hotel, saying he had a surprise for her.
So, she had come to Shangri-La to check the menu and book a private room. She called the cash machine (referring to Ye Xingchen) to come over.
However, she hadn't expected that Ye Xingchen, the obedient lapdog who usually answered her calls with excitement, would actually ignore more than a dozen calls from her.
Since when did this lapdog become so stubborn?
"Ye Xingchen, I'm talking to you. Can't you hear me?" Chen Rou'er gritted her teeth and said.
Ye Xingchen couldn't be bothered with her nonsense. He coldly replied, "Get lost! Don't disturb my meal!"
With the apocalypse looming, women like Chen Rou'er would fall to their knees for half a packet of instant noodles.
Moreover, in Ye Xingchen's eyes, she was already a dead person. He felt only disgust and hatred towards her now; the thought of having him grovel like before was out of the question.
Hearing his words, Chen Rou'er froze on the spot.
She never could have expected that the lapdog who used to follow her every command would utter such words, especially in front of so many people.
Her fury reached a boiling point, causing her to lose all sense of reason. She screamed like a shrew, "Ye Xingchen, you jerk! How dare you treat me like this? Don't even dream of having me as your girlfriend in this lifetime!"
At her words, Ye Xingchen's expression turned dark, and he slowly stood up.