Outside the Black Pearl Restaurant, no one noticed that a dilapidated van had suddenly stopped at the alley entrance, with several pairs of eyes constantly peering at the restaurant's entrance.
These people were the thugs that Zhang Qiang had hired.
Su Qingjiao, who was being targeted, was enjoying the attention of everyone and had no idea that she was about to face a great disaster!
Although it was Hao Min's birthday today, Hao Min tactfully gave the main seat to Su Qingjiao and sat in the side seat next to Su Qingjiao herself.
After everyone was seated, Su Qingjiao's sycophantic classmate stood up, beaming, holding a glass of red wine, and addressed the group:
"Come on, let's all raise a glass to thank Miss Su."
"I just heard it! Miss Su ordered a set meal that costs 6,988 yuan per person!"
When they heard that everyone had paid 6,980 yuan for the set meal, a gasp of surprise rippled through the private room.
Before they came, they had searched for this restaurant. Many high-end restaurants do not serve à la carte, but rather set menus, one per person, with prices ranging from four figures to tens of thousands.
Every shipment of ingredients from Black Pearl is specially transported and customized.
Children from ordinary families had never seen such an expensive meal before, and they exclaimed in surprise, "Six thousand nine hundred and eighty per person? I don't even have that much for a quarter's living expenses. Miss Su is so generous."
"Thank you, Miss Su, for treating me to a meal that costs over six thousand yuan. It allowed me, a country bumpkin, to taste what it's like to have a meal like this."
"With so many people in our class, this meal must cost two or three hundred thousand?"
"A set meal? Set meals are so expensive, I might as well just order à la carte."
"You country bumpkin! Many high-end restaurants don't serve à la carte; they only offer set meals. As soon as one person walks in, they pay the minimum for the set meal. Do you think you can just order a glass of water and a fruit platter and sit there all day?"
Xu Ping excitedly stood up from his seat and raised his glass with everyone else.
Everyone said in unison, "Thank you for treating us, Miss Su! You've gone to so much trouble!"
Seeing the envious, enthusiastic, and respectful looks in everyone's eyes, Su Qingjiao's slight displeasure vanished instantly.
She and Hao Min were among the first to take the elevator up, and Su Qingjiao's expression turned somewhat unpleasant when she saw the menu.
Because it's very expensive!
Because only set meals are available!
Because there were so many people here today!
She thought that having more people would just mean adding a couple more chopsticks, but who knew that this Black Pearl restaurant actually offered set meals.
If she were the only one who saw the menu, she could order the cheapest set meal, which costs a little over a thousand yuan per person. However, Hao Min and several other people came with her.
In order to solidify her status as a wealthy and beautiful woman, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and order a set meal that cost over six thousand yuan, which was one of the more expensive options.
Thinking about how I sold three bags to scrape together 300,000 yuan...
I wonder when the owner of the luxury store will come to pick up the goods. I need to inspect the goods and transfer the money at the same time. I hope there won't be any traffic jams. I'm waiting for this money when I pay the bill.
After calming down from the pain of losing money, Su Qingjiao saw the fervor in her classmates' eyes, which made her feel that everything she had done today was worthwhile!
Hao Min, standing to the side, felt uneasy. She should have been the main character today, sitting in the head seat and being congratulated, but Su Qingjiao became the object of everyone's flattery.
Today is her birthday, and she invited the whole class, but she ended up playing a supporting role.
Hao Min downed the red wine in one gulp, the bitter taste spreading in her mouth. She lowered her eyes and swallowed the bitterness back down.
I could hear my classmates praising me and the clicking of cameras all around me.
I noticed that people around me were still taking pictures.
Xu Ping just kept his head down and ate his food in silence. After a few bites, he noticed that Zhou Yi next to him was neither taking pictures nor eating quickly. He was just scrolling through his phone listlessly.
Xu Ping turned his head away, covered one side of his face, and whispered to Zhou Yi, "This 6,980 yuan set meal is really something else. Look, there are more than a dozen sets of tableware. You get a brand new set of tableware after each dish."
"Look at this tofu, it's carved like a flower."
"Eat up, don't be so reserved. Don't worry about saving face at a time like this."
Zhou Yi has lived with his grandmother since he was a child.
My grandmother is a rather traditional person and doesn't like Western or French food.
So Zhou Yi mainly eats Chinese food, while Black Pearl Restaurant mainly serves Western and French cuisine. The food is definitely good, but: "I don't really like it."
Zhou Yi spoke the truth.
But Xu Ping thought that Zhou Yi was probably a little embarrassed: "This is the first time I've ever eaten sea cucumber sashimi. Even if it's raw, I'll still swallow it."
"At least I can brag to others that I've eaten sea cucumber and bird's nest."
Zhou Yi nodded as he looked at the smile on Xu Ping's face.
He could sense that Xu Ping was saying all this to make him feel more at ease.
Although Xu Ping came from a poor family, he was not vain, had excellent academic performance, and was able to be flexible and adaptable.
It's a pity he didn't come from a good family. In this society, the channels for ordinary people to rise have long been blocked by the top people. It's so difficult to climb up, as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Zhou Yi is not a philanthropist; he won't give Xu Ping a chance just because Xu Ping is his classmate.
He knew that excessive kindness would not earn him gratitude.
Instead, they'll blame him for not taking them to the top in the first place. Just like Su Qingjiao, in the end, things just become taken for granted.
Seeing that Zhou Yi didn't speak, Xu Ping thought of the rumors about his mother at school.
Considering Zhou Yi's prideful behavior lately, he decided to offer some guidance, not wanting Zhou Yi to go astray: "Brother, I consider you a friend, so I'm here to say a few words from my heart."
"Actually, the poor have no dignity, so... sigh, don't go against Su."
“You are actually much luckier than me. You are staying at Su’s house and have the Zhou family’s tuition assistance. Although you may suffer some grievances, at least you don’t have to worry about starving to death.”
"Every day when I get home, I have to do housework, and in the evening I have to set up a stall to earn money. When I open my eyes every day, I don't think about how to study today."
“Every day when I open my eyes, all I think about is how to earn money to support myself and my family, how to make money for my monthly living expenses, and how to pay for utilities.”
"Although your mother is a maid, I've heard that rich people use washing machines and have hot water 24 hours a day."
Zhou Yi: "......."
"So you've never washed clothes in ice water when it's below zero, have you?"
"I have never been chased by urban management officers and ran all over the alley, almost getting hit by a car and looking disheveled, nor have I ever humbled myself to be a petty person for a bite to eat."
"But I've had all those experiences. If anyone's to blame, it's just bad luck. Being poor is tough enough as it is; you're much luckier than me..."
Xu Ping often felt that Zhou Yi was unaware of his good fortune.
If Zhou Yi were to lower his head even slightly, he could use his connection as Miss Su's maid to get a job at the Zhou Group.
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