Chapter 154 You Can’t Go Back Yet

"Boss!" a girl said with wide eyes, "Are you going too far?"

The coffee shop owner who was wiping the coffee cup looked up and asked, "Beautiful lady, what's going on?"

The girl pointed to the window and asked, "Why don't you have such a sumptuous meal when I come here?"

In the direction of her finger, a man was sitting there, reading a book and enjoying his meal.

Even though this was a cafe, the man was eating a sumptuous dinner: a large seafood platter, a feta cheese salad, and toast. Just looking at it made one salivate.

The boss helplessly explained: "This is the food he brought with him."

"Bring your own food?" The girl was stunned. "You can bring your own food to this cafe?"

The boss sighed and said, "Others can't, but he can."

"Why?" the girl asked in surprise.

The boss pointed to the poster on the wall and said, "Who makes him a hero of Marseille?"

"He's the Hua Xia Xiao from 'Dances with Sharks'? The one from 'Dances with Sharks'?" The girl was stunned.

The boss nodded. "That's him. That's his seat now. He's been reading here almost every day for the past few months. You saw he doesn't even stop to read while eating, so he might as well eat here."

"Where does he get his food from?" the girl asked. "Which restaurant is it from? Should I try some too?"

The boss said, "That's made by his own chef. There are no Greek restaurants in Aix!"

Although Marseille’s seafood platter is also very famous, there is still a big gap between it and the Greek seafood platter. Foodies can tell the difference at a glance.

Seafood brands in Marseille are typically boiled and served with a lemon and garlic sauce, emphasizing the importance of authentic seafood flavor. Greek seafood platters, on the other hand, are all deep-fried, whether it's octopus, shrimp, mussels, scallops, or sardines... Everything is fried thoroughly before being cooked, and served with French fries. Fete cheese, a sheep's cheese with a salty and greasy flavor, is another Greek specialty. A slice of fete cheese atop a fruit salad drizzled with olive oil is incredibly greasy.

As for the toast, it is baked over an open charcoal flame. It tastes just like the steamed buns we ate when we were young, with a black, hard layer on top. This way of eating can actually counteract the greasiness of Italian food.

The girl blinked. "He has his own chef?"

The boss spread his hands and said nothing.

Is it strange that he has his own chef? Don't you young people watch the news these days? Xiao Peng is Marseille's new billionaire! The auction of Mata Hari's jewelry was such a big deal, do you really think it belonged to Fabien Cousteau? That was just someone who pushed it forward! This is the true owner of the jewels!

Xiao Peng had been replenishing his knowledge base during his time in Marseille. Apart from necessary social engagements, he spent his time reading in Aix. Someone who didn't know him might have thought he was preparing for the university entrance exam.

Even teachers from Aix-Marseille University brought their students to the cafe to see him: Look how much Chinese people love to study!

"Michelle!" Xiao Peng stopped what he was doing and called to his boss, "Come with me to the gym tonight? Look how fat you are now! If you keep gaining weight like this, you'll be single for ten thousand years!"

Michelle gave Xiao Peng the middle finger: "Every pound of fat on my body is hard-earned, why should I lose weight? A woman who loves me must love every gram of fat on my body!"

"You deserve to be single!" Xiao Peng gave him a middle finger after hearing this.

At this moment someone pushed the door open.

"Xiao! I've had enough!" It was Fabian who came in: "I have to run so far every time to find you!"

Xiao Peng shrugged: "Why am I studying so hard here? Isn't it for the development of our company?"

Fabian sat down and said, "So how are you doing now? Michelle, have a mocha."

Michelle said after hearing this: "No problem, Mr. Cousteau, are you planning to take Xiao away?"

Fabian nodded after hearing this and said, "Why? You still can't bear to leave him? I really want to take him away today!"

Michelle said, "I'm not reluctant to part with him, I'm reluctant to part with Ms. Bellucci. She doesn't know when she'll be able to enjoy her cooking again."

After hearing this, Xiao Peng curled his lips and asked Fabian, "Fabian, what's the matter with you suddenly coming to see me?"

Fabian took out a postcard and an envelope from his pocket and handed them to Xiao Peng: "The Derridas have arrived in Alkmaar and sent you a postcard and a letter."

After buying a new boat, the Derridas finally embarked on a round-the-world trip. Every time they visited a new place, they would send postcards to Xiao Peng and his friends.

Xiao Peng opened the envelope and took a look with a look of disgust: "What do you mean? Showing off their love around the world? Alkmaar... Alkmaar... Are they going to the Netherlands? They really went all the way north along the Atlantic Ocean! I thought they could go along the African route! Tsk tsk, who still uses photos these days? It's so old-fashioned!"

The envelope contained photos of the couple. Xiao Peng expressed disdain for it, but he still carefully put the photos away. It felt so good to be remembered by someone!

"You came here just to deliver a postcard?" Xiao Peng looked at Fabian and said.

Michelle came over with coffee and said with a smile: "You are a wealthy man now, aren't you? You are treated like a wealthy man!"

Xiao Peng rolled his eyes at Michelle and said, "If you tease me again, I'll beat you up. I'm so poor I can barely support my family!"

Mata Hari's jewelry was sold, but according to the Law of the Sea, 10% of the proceeds had to be paid to the French government. However, the Marseilles City Government and the French government were arguing over who would own this 10%. Therefore, Xiao Peng still hadn't received the money!

Later, the money did arrive in the company's account, but because of tax evasion, the money had to be transferred between several subsidiaries, so Xiao Peng has not received the money yet. He is the type of person who is "rich in theory but poor in pocket".

Fabian put a small box on the table and said, "Xiao, now you can stop crying poor."

"What's that?" Xiao Peng took the box and opened it, revealing a sky-blue bank card. There was a 'VISA' logo on the lower right corner. Seeing the bank card, Xiao Peng became excited. "Has the money arrived?"

"That's right!" Fabian smiled. "It's an account at Société Générale. Congratulations, young millionaire! Check it yourself on your phone."

Xiao Peng laughed: "Same here!"

He put the book aside, looked at the bank card in his hand, and suddenly stood up: "Fuck, I've been waiting for this money for too long! Fabian, I promised Xiao Pa that he would come home with me after I get the money! Are you going? If you want to go, I'll book a flight now!"

But Fabian shook his head: "Xiao, I'm sorry, you really can't go back now!"