He Xincheng and his group were in a bit of an awkward situation. They didn't have the money, but they couldn't just refuse to pay.
He Xincheng said through gritted teeth,
"Waiter, is there some misunderstanding? This wine shouldn't be this expensive. Please ask your manager to come here."
Upon hearing this, the waiter's expression cooled slightly. He had assumed these men were wealthy young masters, but he hadn't expected them to be so stingy.
He immediately put on a cold face and said.
"Sir, I'll go and fetch our manager for you right away."
Soon, a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair walked in.
He not only had his hair slicked back, but also wore a suit and a bow tie, making him look refined and gentle.
Upon seeing them, the manager approached with a smile.
"Gentlemen, I heard you need to see me. I'm the manager here, and my surname is Wu."
What happened to you?
If there's anything inconvenient, I can help you resolve it.
He Xincheng found it a little difficult to say.
But he couldn't just sit in the restaurant forever. With the afternoon meeting time fast approaching, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and say with a serious face.
"Manager Wu, I just saw the bill your waiter gave us, and I think you must have made a mistake."
We are medical students from the hospital across the street, doing our internships. Your prices are far above the basic market rate; you're ripping us off.
After He Xincheng finished speaking, the atmosphere immediately quieted down.
Manager Wu's smile didn't fade; instead, he gave He Xincheng a meaningful look.
"Young man, we wouldn't dare wear such a big hat as 'we're carrying passengers.' We're a legitimate Western restaurant doing business."
Moreover, we received approval from the highest-ranking leaders of the military reclamation area. Our investment here is not the same as your local operations.
Our investments are independent and autonomous.
"Moreover, our prices have been approved by the Price Bureau, so there are absolutely no problems with them."
If you're going to accuse me of overcharging, I think you'd need to provide evidence.
Besides, judging from their young age and their attire, they didn't seem to be from this area, nor did they look like people who would dine and dash.
I advise you all to resolve any issues properly and not to try to solve them by dining and dashing.
Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite; we have our own methods for dealing with customers who dine and dash.
He Xincheng said, his voice sharp but his tone weak.
"Manager Wu, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to threaten us?"
Do you know who we are?
We are medical students, and each of us is now a student of Dean Ouyang.
You want to detain us here now? Don't you care about Dean Ouyang's reputation?
If you insist on pursuing this matter, then I will have no choice but to call my teacher, Ouyang Zhenyu.
"Have him come here and handle this. I think you opened this restaurant because of my teacher, Ouyang Zhenyu, right?"
It must be said that He Xincheng's other skills are nothing compared to his ability to use someone else's influence to his advantage, which is almost a sure thing.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Manager Wu's smile immediately became ingratiating.
"My apologies, I didn't realize that you students are all Dean Ouyang's students."
If he is Dean Ouyang's student, then it's truly a case of mistaken identity – like family members who don't recognize each other.
I have a very good relationship with Dean Ouyang.
Since you are his students, you are naturally my friends, and therefore my nephews and nieces.
Don't worry, you don't need to pay the bill, and from now on, all your meals at the restaurant will be free.
Upon hearing this, the students immediately cheered, as they had never expected Ouyang Zhenyu to have such a great deal of influence.
Just by bringing up Ouyang Zhenyu, the boss didn't even want the 40,000 yuan.
That's a bit too scary.
He Xincheng's heart pounded when he heard this. He knew perfectly well that he was just using someone else's name as a shield, and that Ouyang Zhenyu knew who he was.
But we have to leave now no matter what, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable if they found out.
He Xincheng pretended to be calm and said,
"Manager Wu, no need for that, we won't take advantage of you."
We should still pay for the food and drinks; after all, your restaurant needs to cover its costs to operate."
Manager Wu, being obedient, immediately smiled and said.
“Since you students have come to our restaurant to eat, you are doing us a favor. So, we will only charge you the cost price.”
That's 300 yuan in total.
Upon hearing this, He Xincheng's heart skipped a beat. No Western restaurant's base price could be 300; clearly, the other party had deliberately given them a discount.
You should know that those who offer unsolicited favors are either treacherous or thieves.
He Xincheng gritted his teeth and counted out 4,000 yuan from his wallet, which was the only 4,000 yuan he had.
"Manager Wu, I can't let you lose money. The 4,000 yuan is the cost of this meal. Thank you for your hospitality. We'll see you again."
All he wants now is to leave as quickly as possible and pay to avoid further trouble.
They had just stood up when they heard Manager Wu laughingly stop them.
"Please don't leave yet, how can I take your money?"
Since you are Dean Ouyang's student, we are naturally all on the same side.
If you can do me a small favor, what's 4,000 yuan?
From now on, you won't have to pay for meals when you come here.
"Let's just be friends."
He Xincheng hurriedly waved his hand.
"Manager Wu, I'm afraid it's inconvenient. My teacher doesn't allow us to use medical means to gain any benefit."
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