invitation

"Dirk might be disappointed," Jake said as he stepped out of the car. "This car was handmade, and there's only one like it in the world. The factory that made it has closed down, so it's a unique creation."

Indeed, Jake had crafted the car himself, not relying on any production line.

"That's a shame," Dirk replied, somewhat wistful. He had a passion for cars and owned several impressive ones in his garage. Seeing Jake's car made him want one too, but it seemed he wouldn't be able to acquire the same model.

With Dirk's assistance, Jake easily obtained the license for his car within an hour, thanks to some efficient connections.

"So, when is your restaurant opening?" Dirk inquired as they parted ways.

"In three days. I hope you can make it for the opening," Jake replied. The restaurant's interior was almost complete, staff had been hired, and Jake had chosen to open in three days.

"I'll be there," Dirk assured him.

After parting ways with Dirk, Jake headed to the mall. Xenia's birthday was today, and since she had reminded him repeatedly, he couldn't attend empty-handed. However, this was Jake's first time buying a gift for a girl, and he wasn't sure what to choose. After hesitating for a while, he settled on a necklace. It was not too extravagant, but it also didn't seem like a half-hearted gift.

Outside Kailome, Don stood, watching the restaurant across the street, which was nearing the end of its renovations. A mocking expression appeared on his face.

The restaurant in question was, of course, Jake's. Since the opening was just three days away, early promotional efforts were already underway. Don, as the direct competitor, couldn't possibly be unaware of this, considering the close proximity of their establishments.

However, Don wasn't worried; instead, he felt a strong sense of mockery.

The previous occupant of that location had also been a restaurant, and it had made quite a splash during its opening, even more so than the current one. But what had happened? In just a few months, it had lost to Kailome and its owner had decided to sell the restaurant, effectively quitting the food service industry.

Don had assumed that the new owner would engage in a different line of business. He never expected them to venture into the restaurant industry again, and worse, to compete directly with Kailome.

They were inviting disaster! Didn't the new owner know why the previous one had sold the restaurant? How dare they open a restaurant and challenge Kailome directly? It was as if they were asking for trouble!

"I'd like to see how long you can last," Don muttered to himself.

Don had little faith in the new restaurant's ability to survive, but the only question was how long it would endure. Perhaps it would have an even shorter lifespan than the previous restaurant.

However, if Don knew that the restaurant's owner was Jake and its head chef was Alan, he might not be as confident as he was now.

Around 6 PM, Jake drove to Xenia's house to attend her birthday party, with the birthday gift he had prepared sitting in the passenger seat.

"This should be the right place. I never knew Xenia lived in this area," Jake mused.

It was a villa district with a mix of Chinese and European-style houses, each with significant privacy due to the spacious gaps between them.

"Good evening, sir. Please show your invitation," Jake was stopped by a polite but firm security guard as he attempted to enter Xenia's house. The guard's tone and attitude were quite respectful, perhaps because he had seen Jake arrive in that eye-catching sports car.

Jake paused, realizing he had left his invitation in the car.

"My apologies, I left my invitation in the car. Let me retrieve it," Jake said.

"Jake?" At that moment, a familiar voice reached Jake's ears. Turning around, he saw Bill.

"It's really you," Bill said as he approached Jake. "I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I never expected to see you in a place like this."

"You're here too," Jake replied.

"Me? Of course, I'm allowed to be here," Bill retorted. "But you, a poor guy, what are you doing in a place like this? Trying to sneak in and make friends with some wealthy people? Jake, your intentions are so transparent; I can see right through you."

Then, Bill turned to the security guard and said, "You better be vigilant. Today is Miss Xenia's birthday. Don't let just anyone in. He claims his invitation is in the car, but that's just an excuse. He doesn't even have a car."

Bill had overheard Jake's earlier words, but he hadn't seen Jake getting out of the car.

Bill then took out his invitation and waved it in front of Jake. "See this? It's an invitation. Do you have one?"

"What if I did?" Jake replied.

"Then I'd eat this invitation!" Bill said disdainfully. "Bluffing in front of me? I'm not afraid of you losing your tongue to the wind!"

"That's your word. Don't forget it later," Jake replied with a smile.

"As if it's true. If you have an invitation, bring it out," Bill scoffed. He didn't believe Jake had an invitation. Tonight was Miss Xenia's birthday party, and even their Bill family was only barely qualified to attend. How could Jake possibly have an invitation? He wasn't eligible for one.

"Wait and see," Jake said before heading back to his car.

"You're not trying to escape, are you? Haha," Bill laughed from behind, convinced that Jake was trying to slip away. Jake didn't pay any attention and went straight to his car.

Bill watched in amusement as Jake walked toward the car he had been eyeing earlier. It had caught his attention, and he had considered making it his own.

"Jake, if you're going to act, at least make it believable. Do you really think you could own a car like that? If you had chosen a regular car, maybe I would have believed it. But, I'm sorry to inform you, there are no regular cars here tonight. Your act isn't going to work," Bill loudly taunted Jake.

However, what happened next left Bill's expression frozen in place.