Eat Premium Steaks

Chapter 18

The elegant and luxurious room momentarily froze under the unintended display of Russell's formidable presence. The burly man in the black uniform was caught off guard, never expecting such overwhelming strength from the man dressed like a peasant before him. He had only intended to inquire, as he felt Alex's appearance didn't match the upscale setting. But little did he know, Alex's invisible pressure far surpassed his own.

"Cough, sir…" the burly man in the black uniform stammered helplessly.

Alex, sensing the unease among the people surrounding him, was also surprised. Though he had read about metaphysical phenomena like pressure and killing intent in novels on Earth, he never imagined experiencing them firsthand.

In his previous life on Earth, Alex had never encountered these abilities, as they only manifested after inheriting Russell's blood-soaked body. As a result, he didn't yet know how to control these strange powers. They tended to surface when he was in a bad mood, inadvertently causing fear and discomfort in those around him.

Realizing the disturbance he had caused, Alex decided not to trouble others any further and quickly withdrew the pressure and intent back into his body.

The burly man in front of Alex let out a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Despite his strong and imposing appearance, he, too, had been intimidated by the intense killing intent. The air had been permeated with a fishy odor of blood and a bone-chilling chill that had sent shivers down everyone's spine.

Finally freed from the unsettling aura, the people in the room began to breathe more comfortably.

Just as the burly man was about to say a few words, Alex spotted the person he was looking for.

"Hey, Mr. Russell! Have you been here long?" Ethan greeted him enthusiastically.

"No, I just arrived," Alex replied.

"Great! Let's not waste time, come with me to the private room. I want to introduce you to some people!" Ethan said excitedly.

"Sure, lead the way," Alex replied, following the young man.

The people around, including the burly man in the black uniform, didn't know how to react. They silently watched Alex leave calmly.

"I can't believe he just left like that. Wasn't he deliberately looking for trouble? And what's with that truck? Why would he bring it to a place like this?" the burly man muttered, full of questions.

After a while, he couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh.

"It seems what they say about the eccentric hobbies of rich people is true. I never thought I'd see a wealthy person act so peculiar!"

If Alex had known he was being seen as eccentric and rich, he might have protested that he considered himself quite modest. Although he did have significant wealth, with property worth two million dollars and liquid funds of over 200,000 dollars, there were still debts he needed to deal with.

After a while, Ethan led Alex into a private room that was more secluded and luxurious than any decoration he had seen before. Inside the room, three people of the same age as Ethan were sitting and engaged in conversation. They looked slightly surprised when they saw Alex. Although they had been informed beforehand that the person coming would be unusual, they never expected him to be this unique.

Imagine, a tattooed gangster dressed in old clothes like a farmer from the village, and with a hand that made people uneasy just by looking at it. The three of them exchanged awkward smiles.

Ethan took the initiative to introduce Alex, "Hey everyone, I'd like you to meet Mr. Russell, the one who supplied the vegetables you just tasted."

The three individuals nodded, still looking a bit taken aback.

Ethan continued with the introductions, "Well, Mr. Russell, this is my friend Richard, who is a businessman running the hotel business. Then we have Benjamin Turner, a businessman in the café industry. Lastly, we have Michael Anderson, a businessman who runs a bar."

Alex nodded in response and praised them sincerely, "It's impressive to see young businessmen like you managing such diverse and eye-opening businesses."

Michael responded with a smile, "Thank you, Mr. Russell. You're also quite remarkable, growing such exceptional vegetables."

Richard added, "Indeed, we were pleasantly surprised by the taste when we tried them. Who would have thought that vegetables could be so flavorful?"

Alex casually replied, "Haha, you gentlemen are kind. If you'd like, I can get some more from my pickup truck outside."

The conversation flowed smoothly, and Alex seemed to blend in quite well with the group, despite his unique appearance and background. They all enjoyed their time together and discussed various business-related topics. As the meeting progressed, they found themselves genuinely impressed by Alex's shrewd business insights and his passion for agriculture. The encounter turned out to be much more fruitful than any of them had anticipated.

The three people were a little surprised. "Pickup trucks? Mr. Russell still owns a pickup truck?" one of them asked.

Alex chuckled, "Haha, yes, I'm planning to bring some things for my relatives, and there are some vegetables available for all of you."

"Thank you, Mr. Russell, for your generosity. We'd love to try some of your vegetables," they replied gratefully.

Ethan then suggested, "Alright, let's sit down and enjoy the dishes prepared by my restaurant's chef. And don't worry, you can eat without thinking about payment!"

Everyone smiled and took their seats. Shortly after, the waiters began serving the meat dishes, adding some entertaining performances to enhance the dining experience. The steaks were served with great care, and Alex, who had never tasted such luxurious food, was eagerly looking forward to it.

While he didn't know the exact price of these dishes, he could tell they were extremely expensive. This made him curious about what makes people willingly spend so much money just to eat meat.

With a calm and composed demeanor, Alex cut the meat with his left hand, which caught the attention of everyone at the table.

"Mr. Russell, would you like me to call the waiter to cut the meat for you?" one of them offered.

Alex quickly replied, "No, no, don't bother. I'm used to doing things on my own."

Despite his physical condition, Alex was determined to handle things himself and show that he was capable and didn't need help. It was his way of displaying independence, even though he was truly "flawed." The people around hesitated at first, worried that Alex might have trouble, but they soon realized their concerns were unnecessary. Alex handled the task gracefully, showing that he was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Alex effortlessly sliced through each piece of meat, making it look like cutting butter with a hot knife. With a casual yet precise manner, he used the fork to pick up the pieces and brought them to his mouth. The anticipation and curiosity made saliva gather in his mouth.

Without any delay, Alex savored the meat, and as he took a bite, he felt like he was floating. The tenderness of the meat was unparalleled; it seemed to melt in his mouth. The juiciness, combined with the perfectly broken-down meat fibers, made the flavor irresistible. He couldn't help but indulge in the delightful taste.

As Alex relished his meal, everyone around him watched in disbelief. Despite his appearance as a gangster in simple attire, he possessed natural aristocratic etiquette while eating. His eyes closed, savoring each bite, and he chewed with an air of satisfaction that left onlookers envious.

After finishing the food, Alex opened his eyes and sincerely complimented the chef's skill. "Mr. Ethan's chef is truly exceptional! I almost forgot I was eating meat; it was so tender and delicious!"

Ethan chuckled in response, "Haha, feel free to have more if you like it, Mr. Russell."

Alex grinned, "Haha, thank you, Ethan, I won't hold back then."

With that, the five of them enjoyed their steaks, engaging in small talk and savoring the exquisite flavors.

As the meal session was drawing to a close, Michael eagerly asked Alex, "Mr. Russell, do you still have the same quality vegetables you sold to Ethan?"

Richard quickly added, "Yes, if you have any, we'd love to buy them too..."

Alex smiled in response, "Ah, actually, I came here to tell Mr. Ethan that tomorrow will be the last batch of vegetables I can supply..."

Ethan seemed puzzled, "What do you mean, Mr. Russell?"

Alex patiently explained, "You see, cultivating these vegetables is quite challenging, and the yield is small. As a result, the price becomes expensive. I've tried to increase production, but it led to more problems and losses. So, I regret to inform you that the vegetables in my possession are completely used up."

The atmosphere turned slightly somber as everyone felt the loss. Ethan, in particular, had just experienced a surge in his restaurant's popularity after the previous event, and now he was losing a valuable resource.

Seeing the disappointment on their faces, Alex continued, "However, next month, I will have fruits of the same quality available. But just like the vegetables, the fruit yield will be limited..."

Everyone nodded, their minds already calculating the possibilities. While they didn't immediately believe Alex's promise about the fruits, they saw a glimmer of hope in obtaining another highly sought-after commodity for their establishments.

After some casual chatting, the group eventually dispersed. As Alex exited the VIP room, he felt the lingering gazes from the other patrons, like a magnet pulling their attention towards him. The burly figure in the uniform, who had been on guard, offered a timid smile as a greeting.

Alex didn't cause any trouble and left the restaurant effortlessly.