As you can tell from the name of this restaurant, it was converted from a fire station.

This fire station is not an ordinary fire station, but an antique fire station with historical value built in 1889.

The main building of the entire old fire station is in Victorian Gothic architectural style. The small courtyard before the entrance is an open-air glass dome, so you can enjoy the night view while being protected from wind and rain.

There are also a few small round tables in the small courtyard. Although it is not the weekend, the attendance rate is still good.

The layout inside the old fire station is full of classical style, and every brick and tile carries a sense of history.

This is also the selling point of this restaurant.

Just as Gu Ran and Annie were about to walk into the courtyard of the fire station restaurant, a restaurant manager wearing a tuxedo and looking like an old British butler came up to them with a serious face.

"Good evening, ma'am, good evening, sir."

The restaurant manager spoke in a kind tone, but his expression and behavior revealed the arrogance of the British upper class.

Anne said, "Good evening sir, we have an appointment."

As she spoke, Annie gave out her assistant's phone number.

"Of course, ma'am, you're welcome." The restaurant manager smiled coldly, his chin slightly raised, "But I'm sorry, this gentleman's attire does not meet the requirements of this restaurant."

Gu Ran looked down at his sports jacket with the Southampton school emblem printed on it.

This is definitely not formal wear.

Abroad, most high-end Western restaurants have dress codes. Even if you don't wear a suit, you must at least wear trousers, leather shoes and a shirt.

Is this civilization? No, Gu Ran doesn't think so.

When European workers went on strike for the first time, they had never struck before and didn't know how to strike. So they followed the example of the upper class and bought suits and tuxedos and took to the streets.

Since then, Europeans have become sick and are required to wear suits even when eating.

If this happened in China, those who wear big vests and flip-flops are the real rich people - they can dress however they want.

Gu Ran frowned slightly, "I came here in a hurry today, can you be flexible?"

The restaurant manager raised his lips in disdain. "I'm sorry, sir. I understand your eagerness to dine in our restaurant, but this restaurant is a Michelin one-star restaurant. Our chef is the star Michelin chef Nuno Mendis. You may have seen his column on the midnight food show on London TV. We often have celebrities patronizing our restaurant. Your attire will affect the grade of our restaurant and the good mood of other guests. So I suggest that you change into formal clothes first, and then come to dine - we will keep your reserved table... for 15 minutes."

Holy shit…

Are you discriminating against me? Forget about your one-star Michelin, even if you have three Michelin stars, so what? Gu Ran's eyes immediately turned cold.

Anne beside him couldn't help but protest, "What? Only give us 15 minutes? This is so unfair! Even if we find a men's clothing store and buy a new set, it will be too late!"

The restaurant manager put on a cold smile and said, "We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience caused to you, but this is the rule of our restaurant. If you feel uncomfortable, you can choose to leave."

"You!" Anne was so angry that her body trembled slightly.

She wanted to take this opportunity to treat Gu Ran to a meal to express her gratitude to Gu Ran, but she didn't expect to encounter such discriminatory treatment!

It’s simply because Gu Ran is Asian and was wearing a sports jacket from an unknown school, so the restaurant manager acted like this!

If a western restaurant has rules and formal attire is indeed required, then it doesn't matter if you buy a suit, but if you only reserve a seat for 15 minutes, it's not just a matter of formal attire! Annie grabbed the brim of her sun hat and was about to take it off to reveal her identity and seek justice for Gu Ran! But Gu Ran grabbed Annie's fair wrist and said with a faint smile, "No need, Annie."

Annie was still very angry, "Gu, I won't allow them to treat you like this!"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Then let me talk some sense into them."

Annie said worriedly, "Gu, can you reason with them?"

Gu Ran did not respond, but calmly opened his sports backpack and took out a thick stack of pounds.

Each British pound note has a face value of 50.

There are a hundred sheets in this stack!

Anne was terribly surprised.

She knew that Gu Ran was rich, but she didn't expect that Gu Ran was so rich that he could easily take out 5,000 pounds from his sports bag.

Gu Ran cut the pounds one by one into the face of the arrogant restaurant manager like cutting noodles with a knife, "Can I eat here? Can I? Can I?"

Pounds fell on the restaurant manager's face like snowflakes. The restaurant manager was so angry that he trembled all over. "Sir, you are insulting me!"

"Yes, I am insulting you."

After cutting one stack, Gu Ran took out another stack and continued to cut it on the face of the arrogant restaurant manager.

So cruel, so brutal, so direct!

The guests and passersby were all shocked by Gu Ran's actions! Some passersby even took up their phones to secretly take photos - after all, this kind of scene of throwing money at people's faces is not something you see often.

Gu Ran finished cutting the second stack, and then the third stack. "Can I? Can I? I'm asking you, can I?"

The originally arrogant restaurant manager suddenly began to tremble all over.

That’s already 15,000 pounds!

Although it was very insulting, it was a lot of money! The restaurant manager panted heavily, "Sir, please don't be like this. I don't value the money. This is really an upper-class restaurant... Otherwise, go buy a suit and come back. I'll keep your table for you."

The arrogant restaurant manager has begun to give in!

Gu Ran sneered: "I thought you were a tough guy!"

As he spoke, Gu Ran took out a fourth stack of pounds and continued to cut it into the restaurant manager's face, "I want to go in now!"

The restaurant manager's feet were covered in pounds!

This is a real 20,000 pounds!

How could someone who could easily take out 20,000 pounds to play around be an ordinary person?

The arrogance on the restaurant manager's face immediately disappeared, and his attitude changed 180 degrees, "Sir! Sir, I can tell from the looks of it that you are a person of high status! I was not able to provide good service just now, I am so sorry."

The restaurant manager bowed to Gu Ran repeatedly! ... Money is still the best thing! Gu Ran sneered and said, "So, I can go in?"

The restaurant manager nodded and said, "Yes, yes, yes! Of course! Our restaurant will serve you with the most professional attitude and ensure that you and your girlfriend will enjoy first-class service."

The restaurant manager was so happy to earn 20,000 pounds in one go that he almost went crazy. He wanted to worship Gu Ran like a foreign god of wealth!

Then I heard Gu Ran sneer, "Well, how nice it would be if you had such an attitude earlier? Okay, you pick up the money for me first, and then I'll see if your superb service is good or not, and then I'll decide whether I want to eat at your house."

What……

The restaurant manager was completely stunned.

"Sir, I thought...the money was for me."

Gu Ran frowned and said, "Did I say I would give it to you? I just wanted you to see how rich I am. Do you see it now?"

The restaurant manager opened his mouth and said with difficulty: "See, I saw it."

Gu Ran said coldly: "Pick it up and return it to me if you see it. I tell you, one less will not do. If one less, it means your restaurant is not decent!"

Who is the one who is not serious?

The restaurant manager was so angry that he was shaking all over!

I had pounds thrown in my face, but I couldn't get them!

This, this, this is too bullying!

The key point is that with so many people watching around, the British upper class has lost all their face!

The restaurant manager wanted to kick Gu Ran out.

But he really didn't dare to do it.

Gu Ran said coldly: "Why? Just now you said that I am a person of extraordinary status and super upper class, and you will provide me with superb service. Could it be that you are only interested in money?"

“No, no, no,” the restaurant manager said, his face flushed. “Sir, you misunderstood. We are not that kind of people! We…we will pick up the money for you right now.”

The restaurant manager bent down towards Gu Ran and picked up the money one by one.

Gu Ran looked down at this arrogant guy with a cold face, and he felt so happy in his heart! Annie beside him hugged Gu Ran's arm tightly, and almost cried out in excitement.

It turns out that this is Gu Ran's "reasoning"! This kind of reasoning is too domineering, too wild, and it's a slap in the face! And using money to slap someone in the face is not the most exciting thing. The most exciting thing is that after using money to slap someone in the face, he also makes the other person pick up the money and exchange it back! ...Ahhh!

Gu Ran, why are you so mean!

He's so bad that I want to pin him to the ground!

Gu Ran's whole body, every pore, is full of strong hormone charm! Annie feels that she can't control herself...

Light~ The restaurant manager dropped a blue bubble.

Gu Ran didn't even look at the concentration.

The last pickup progress is not prepared for this kind of person.

"Sir, they have all been picked up. Please count them." The restaurant manager handed over several thick stacks of pounds with a wry smile on his face.

Now it was Gu Ran's turn to be arrogant. Gu Ran took the money and opened his backpack. "I'm too lazy to order. It's okay if it's less. The things you stole from the British Museum are much more than the little money I have. What else should I care about? Put it all in."

The restaurant manager was almost driven crazy by Gu Ran, but he didn't dare to get angry! "Sir, why don't you just order something!"

"If I say no, then no!" Gu Ran frowned, and then stretched out his hands to hold Annie's soft waist and hips, "Annie, it's getting late. Since the service here is pretty good, let's just eat here for a while."

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Annie was extremely well-behaved, with half of her body leaning in Gu Ran's arms.

So cool...

Gu Ran is arrogant!

Gu Ran helped Annie walk halfway, then suddenly stopped and turned to the restaurant manager behind him and said, "Oh, by the way, I still prefer your rebellious look just now."

The restaurant manager almost fainted.

Under the guidance of the waiter, Gu Ran and Annie walked through the small courtyard with a glass dome and entered the quieter and softer interior of the restaurant.

The two found a quiet corner and sat down.

Annie asked nervously, "Gu, do you think this is okay?"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "The environment is not bad."

The waiter said proudly, "Sir, Madam, this is a famous Michelin one-star restaurant. We are often visited by celebrities, such as David Beckham and Jennifer Lawrence."

As soon as he heard the name David Beckham, Gu Ran immediately became excited.

There is still a chance to get something for free today. If I can meet Brother Xiaobei here, it would be really great!

By the way, since we last met, Xiao Bei Ge probably won’t recognize me anymore…

When Anne heard Jennifer Lawrence's name, she was annoyed. "Hey, I called my assistant to book a restaurant, but all the three-star Michelin restaurants in London were sold out. If I had known that Jennifer had eaten here before, I would have... Oh, forget it. It looks like we can only make do with this one-star restaurant today."

The waiter's mouth twitched slightly: "Who are you? Do you think you are Anne Hathaway?" Gu Ran smiled and said, "Annie, come and order the food."

"OK."

Annie took the menu and glanced at it. "For the appetizer, I want seaweed crisps. For the appetizer, I want baked Hokkaido scallops. For the salad, I want lime, strawberry and avocado. For the soup, I want abalone and spring bamboo shoots soup. For the side dishes, I want grilled mushrooms, hot spring egg, and black truffles. For the main course... charcoal-grilled American purebred Black Angus beef shank. For dessert, I want Italian parfait."

For formal Western cuisine, there are also some rules to follow when ordering dishes.

Appetizers, appetizers, salads, soups, side dishes, main courses, and desserts must all be ordered in the correct order.

Regardless of whether the Western food tastes good or not, it is definitely very high-end.

After Annie finished ordering, she handed the menu to Gu Ran.

Gu Ran took it and took a look - there was no picture, only a line of cursive English, and not even a price.

…Europeans have only had enough food for about 400 years, but they are really good at showing off.

Gu Ran glanced at it and threw the menu away. "Appetizer: veal with caviar, appetizer: foie gras with mango and nuts, salad... Oh, why is there such a thing as salad? Let's have tomatoes with sugar."

The waiter said with a depressed look on his face: "Sorry, we don't have this dish."

Gu Ran said, "It's very simple. Just slice the tomatoes and sprinkle some sugar on them. Tell your celebrity chef. If he doesn't know how to make it, I can go to the back and teach him myself."

The waiter's mouth twitched, "...Okay sir. What else?"

Gu Ran sighed and continued, "For soup, I'd like abalone and matsutake soup. For side dishes, I'd like lemon pulp salmon and black truffles. For the main course, I'd like black pepper tomahawk steak cooked medium rare. For dessert, I'd like the Peak of Life pudding."

Although he didn't like Western food with so many rules, as an international student, Gu Ran had some experience in eating Western food.

The waiter said respectfully, "Okay, what would you like to drink?"

Annie bit her lip and said softly, "Gu, it's up to you to decide."

Gu Ran waved his hand, "I don't drink."

"Oh, then don't do that."

Annie smiled and thought: Gu Ran is indeed a gentleman, he has no intention of getting me drunk - but why do I feel a little disappointed? The waiter walked away with the menu.

After a while, the appetizers and appetizers were served.

The service professionalism of this one-star Michelin restaurant is truly impeccable. When Gu Ran and Annie ordered their dishes, the waiter did not take notes with a pen, but he was able to remember each dish accurately and knew which dish should be served to whom.

Gu Ran was stunned when he saw the veal with caviar and foie gras with mango nuts in front of him.

He had eaten Western food before, but... this was the first time he had eaten such exquisite Western food.

Exquisite is not only used to describe good looks, but also to describe smallness.

The portion of veal with caviar was only as big as a little finger, and the caviar on it was literally counted by the grains.

Look at Annie's portion of seaweed crisps, which is half the size of Polly's seaweed.

well.

It would be strange if I could eat enough.

Gu Ran swallowed the veal with caviar in one gulp with a worried look on his face - it tasted pretty good, the caviar was very full, and the veal should be raw meat from the tenderloin, and it was caught that afternoon, so it was very tender.

It’s just… too little.

"Sir, this is the sugar-coated tomatoes you ordered." The waiter brought a large plate and placed it in front of Gu Ran.

I saw that seven thin tomato slices were cut with exquisite knife skills and decorated into the shape of a blooming flower in the center of the large plate, with a layer of snow-white icing sprinkled on the petals.

The tomato slices were as thin as gauze.

Gu Ran: ...

A cherry tomato has more sugar than this tomato slice! Gu Ran couldn't help but ask, "Waiter, I can't help but ask, how much does this plate of sugar-mixed tomatoes cost?"

The waiter smiled and said, "Sir, this dish is not expensive, but other chefs don't know how to make it. It is made by the famous chef Nuno Mendis himself, so the price will be a little higher."

"How many?"

"It's only £159."

Gu Ran: ...

Fortunately, it’s cheaper than a pair of garter stockings.

Gu Ran sighed and handed the sugar-mixed tomatoes to Annie, "Annie, eat it."

"Ah? Okay, thank you." Annie took it, picked up a piece of tomato slice as thin as a cicada's wing with a fork, and put it into her mouth.

"Wow, it's delicious! So sweet and refreshing! Gu Ran, the dish you created is so creative! I think you should ask that celebrity chef Nuno Mendis for a creative fee!"

Oh, that’s it?

Gu Ran shook his head and drank the abalone and matsutake soup in his heart - Gu Ran was very satisfied with this soup, the matsutake soup was very delicious, and the abalone was big and chewy.

While eating, Gu Ran secretly kept an eye on the guests entering the restaurant.

Anyone who can eat at a Michelin one-star restaurant where a dish of sugar-coated tomatoes costs 159 pounds must be either rich or noble.

Unfortunately, after looking for a long time, there were no stars.

Although Xiaobei and my cousin have been here before, it doesn’t mean they can come here every day.

Seeing that most of the meal has been eaten, there is still one chance to pick up something today. Otherwise, how about getting some free food from that big star chef?

Celebrities are definitely more likely to drop blue skill bubbles, but the problem is that Western cuisine and Chinese cuisine are two completely different systems. Even if you have the Western cuisine skills of a big celebrity chef, you won’t be able to use them very often.

While Gu Ran was pondering, Annie suddenly lowered the brim of her hat nervously and shrank into the corner.

Gu Ran quickly asked with concern: "Annie, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Anne lowered her voice and said, "A Hollywood director, screenwriter and critic came here for dinner! He once commented on my acting skills, saying that I was trash among flowers... I dared not breathe when I saw him."

Gu Ran frowned immediately, "Who is it?"

Annie said quickly: "Shh, Gu Ran, keep your voice down, don't let him find me - let's eat quickly and leave here as soon as we're done."

Gu Ran grabbed Anne's trembling cold little hand and said, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. Our location here is relatively hidden, and you are wearing a big sun hat now, so others won't know that you are Anne Hathaway. Tell me, who is that guy?"

Anne calmed herself down and said carefully, "It's the guy sitting in the third row near the door. He's about fifty years old, wearing a black suit and a bit overweight. His name is Rob Marshall."

Rob Marshall? Gu Ran looked back and saw a white man with a fat and swollen face chatting and laughing with a young black man.

As soon as he saw Rob Marshall's face, Gu Ran immediately activated the relevant memories of his previous life.

This director, screenwriter and film critic was quite talented when he was young. His representative works include "Chicago", "Memoirs of a Geisha" and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.

He is also a gay - in Hollywood, having this identity is considered a BUFF for yourself.

The biggest controversy about this director is not the above works, but that he directed a live-action version of "The Little Mermaid" movie in 2022, which will be released in 2023 - his Little Mermaid starring role is actually a black girl.

It is really ridiculous to forcibly stack buffs just to make it correct.

Even if you really want to use a black girl as the lead, you can find a prettier one. Even if Halle Berry is too old and Zoe Saldana can't play Gamora, Hannah John-Kamen, the ghost villain in Ant-Man 2, can't she play the role? It's really too much to find a girl who can't even accept black people.

...Hollywood's anti-intellectualism has reached the point where it is right for the sake of being right.

Fortunately, it wasn’t that serious in 2010.

Gu Ran is very glad that he was reborn at the end of 2022. He will not see "The Little Mermaid", nor will he see the "Snow White" scheduled for 2024, starring a black man and Gal Gadot as the vicious queen mother.

Moreover, this fellow Rob Marshall openly abused my goddess! It would be fine if I didn't meet her, but now that I have met her, I can't get rid of the hatred in my heart unless I do it! Gu Ran stood up, "Annie, wait here, I will go and vent your anger for you."

Annie said fearfully: "Gu, no! Don't do that——"

Before he finished speaking, Gu Ran took off his Southampton private school coat, left his seat, and strode behind Rob Marshall.

At this time, Marshall was bragging about something to the young black man sitting at the same table with a beaming face. Gu Ran didn't hesitate at all and slapped Marshall on the back of the head!

Bang! Marshall was stunned!

(End of this chapter)