Chapter 329: Just This Once
Tang Xiu slightly frowned, since he didn’t expect someone from Shanghai’s Everlasting Feast Hall would actually recognize him. Though he knew the Everlasting Feast Hall’s HQ in Jingmen Island should have forwarded his photo to the core members, but this was way too coincidental, right?
Han Qingwu glanced at Tang Xiu and Chi Nan. With a bewildered look on her beautiful face, she asked, “What did you call Tang Xiu? Boss?”
“Teacher Han, many restaurant’s attendants call their guests Boss,” Hu Qingsong grinned, “I often encounter this situation. By the way, pretty woman, we are students, not Bosses.”
Chi Nan was startled for a moment. With her smooth and slick nature in dealing with all social situations, she was exceptionally astute. Judging from the slight frown on Tang Xiu’s face, she knew she had misstepped.
It seemed like her boss didn’t want the two to know his identity.
Therefore, she swiftly responded with a smile, “In our eyes, every visitor who comes to our Everlasting Feast Hall is a Boss. The reason why I stopped you was because I wanted to inform you something. We have a custom here: the 201st guest of the day gets a discount. Congratulations, you’re our 201st visitor today.”
“You have this kind of custom?” Hu Qingsong was astounded.
“Yes!”
Inadvertently glancing at Tang Xiu, Chi Nan found that Tang Xiu was no longer knitting his brows and immediately replied with a smile.
Taking out his wallet, Tang Xiu took a bank card and gave it to Chi Nan and said with a smile, “Seems like our luck is rather good. Please swipe this card for the bill.”
“Alright! Everyone, please wait a bit.”
Taking the bank card, Chi Nan turned around and walked toward the counter.
“Eldest Brother Tang, hanging out with you is quite lucky,” Hu Qingsong exclaimed, “We even chanced upon such a good discount in this upscale restaurant. Later, when we don’t have money to eat, we gotta run to this Everlasting Feast Hall and squat down in front of the entrance. We gotta carefully count the visitors. After the 200th guests pay up, we then pay our bill and leave.”
“Hahaha,” Tang Xiu couldn’t help laughing, “Ain’t it the same as filling your belly for free? I estimate that even with the discount, it would be more expensive than buying tow pancakes and a pack of pickles.”
Hu Qingsong chuckled to himself, “That’s true!”
As for Han Qingwu, she looked at Chi Nan’s back with a strange expression before her sight fell on Tang Xiu’s calm face. Inside, she suddenly recalled her bosom friend’s remark.
Could it be that… Tang Xiu’s identity was really not simple?
However, she knew his family situation! In particular, she had investigated it for a long period of time more than a year ago. She even realized that Tang Xiu’s family was rather destitute. Hence, she and her colleagues secretly went to visit and eat in Tang Xiu’s family restaurant, ordering a lot of food on purpose and helping their family business.
But that woman just now was unlikely to be just an attendant.
Even after pondering about it for a while Han Qingwu was still baffled. She shook her head and no longer kept such wild thoughts.
Unaware of what was inside Han Qingwu’s mind, Tang Xiu looked at Chi Nan and said, “Teacher Han, you and Hu Qingsong go over first. I’ll be signing the bill.”
“I’ll stay with you,” said Han Qingwu quickly.
“No,” Tang Xiu said with a smile, “I’ll sign the bill and then we’ll leave together.”
After hesitating for a moment, Han Qingwu nodded, “Alright!”
After that, Tang Xiu went to the counter, entered the PIN and signed the bill. Then he calmly said, “Are you the manager here?”
"Yes!" answered Chi Nan softly.
“They are my classmate and teacher who come out together with me tonight,” said Tang Xiu and continued, “Fortunately, you reacted quickly, or else my identity would’ve been exposed.”
Upon hearing Tang Xiu’s words, Chi Nan immediately felt happy. She quickly glanced at Han Qingwu and Hu Qingsong as she slightly moved her body, and then spoke the moment she obstructed Tang Xiu, “Do you have any instructions, Boss?”
“No instruction. Just do what you usually do.”
“Got it. Anyhow, your friend is currently dining in the VIP lounge on the fourth floor,” said Chi Nan.
“Friend? Who is it?” asked Tang Xiu, surprised.
“Miao Wentang,” said Chi Nan.
After thinking for a moment, Tang Xiu said in low voice, “Is he alone or is he with friends?”
“With friends. Some Shanghai bigwigs,” said Chi Nan.
“If so, I’ll send off my classmate and teacher first. Go greet Miao Wentang after his party's over and tell him to wait for me. If it doesn’t end soon, tell him I’ll visit him later, since I need to discuss something with him,” said Tang Xiu.
“Shall I tell him about it in advance?” asked Chi Nan.
“No,” said Tang Xiu
Quickly, Tang Xiu put his bank card into his pocket and then returned to Han Qingwu and Hu Qingsong. Then, he said with a smile, “The meal is rather affordable, let’s go!”
Just at this moment, he got a text message on his mobile. Chi Nan charged 1 yuan from his card.
A moment after, as the trio left the restaurant, Han Qingwu smiled and said, “I drove a car here, so I can send you back to campus. Right, you just arrived in Shanghai today, right? Have you seen the night view of the Huangpu River?”
“Nope,” Hu Qingsong shook his head and said, “I’ve never seen it.”
“Since we’ll happen to pass it by, I’ll take you there to see it,” said Han Qingwu with a smile.
“Teacher Han, I’ve seen it last night so I won’t go today. Also, I have an elder in Shanghai and I promised him to stay at his place tonight. So you just send Qingsong back to campus. I’ll take a cab and go straight to my relative’s home.”
A relative?
Han Qingwu looked at Tang Xiu in astonishment. She then nodded and said, “Be careful then. Although Shanghai has good public security, but going alone outside, especially at night, some unexpected accidents somehow still happen.”
“OK!” Tang Xiu laughed and said, “I’m not a kid anymore, so don’t worry!”
In next to no time, Han Qingwu drove away with Hu Qingsong as Tang Xiu walked toward the other side. In order to avoid encountering Han Qingwu from returning, he deliberately circumnavigated the Everlasting Feast Hall before coming back.
"Boss!"
Chi Nan respectfully called Tang Xiu upon seeing him back.
Nodding to her in response, Tang Xiu said, “Get me two bottles of fine wine and take me to the VIP lounge on the fourth floor.”
“Okay, please wait!”
Chi Nan strode toward the elevator. Two minutes later, she came back carrying two beautifully packaged wine bottles, as she then said with a smile, “This is the finest wine in my collection. It’s much better than wine I sent to the fourth floor lounge before.”
Having a look at it, Tang Xiu nodded and laughed, “This will do. Let’s go!"
Knock, knock!
The VIP lounge’s door on the fourth floor was knocked by Chi Nan. After that, she gently opened the door. Looking at Miao Wentang who was chatting with his three friends, she then chuckled and said, “Gentlemen, I apologize for disturbing you again.”
Miao Wentang stood up and was about to speak when he saw Tang Xiu coming inside behind Chi Nan. A pleasantly surprised expression showed on his face as he smiled, “Brother Tang, we were just talking about you. I didn’t expect for you to come here! Come in, quickly!”
“Did I disturb you?” asked Tang Xiu with a smile.
“No, no.” Miao Wentang laughed and said, “These three are my old buddies, and they also want to get to know you! They will be very happy knowing you’re here. Come, I’ll introduce you to them. This is Zhang Yueming, the Xinyang Group’s Boss; this one is Gu Changmin, the Dingshen Media’s Boss; and this one is Jin Xingkui, the Jinda Estate’s Boss. We are old buddies for more than two decades.”
Tang Xiu smiled and shook hands with the three men before taking a seat under Miao Wentang’s warm greeting. In contrast, Chi Nan was like an attendant as she personally opened the bottle of wine and filled Tang Xiu’s glass to the full.
“I welcome you to the Everlasting Feast Hall today. It was destined meeting you, so we can say that there is a fate between us. This banquet will be on me. I hope you can come and support our Everlasting Feast Hall later,” Tang Xiu raised his glass and said with a smile.
“Boss Tang is polite!”
Jin Xingkui was the first to speak.
Nodding and smiling at him in response, Tang Xiu looked at Miao Wentang and said, “I originally came to have a meal here tonight, but didn’t expect that you would also be here. How are you suddenly in Shanghai?”
“Brother Tang, it’s like you don’t know me. There’s a several years’ event of Wine Tasting Conference here. For such important event, I naturally must attend it hopes of tasting a new fine product. Anyhow, how did you turn into the restaurant’s new owner?”
“It’s a long story. We’ll talk about it some other time. But speaking about that Wine Tasting Conference, I can assure you that you will chance upon a new good one this year.”
Surprised, Miao Wentang said, “What do you mean? Don’t tell me you know that a new good product will appear there?”
“I set up a winery recently. Although I delegated the management to another person, I personally made the formula. Just wait until the Wine Tasting Conference, I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
With a strange tone, Miao Wentang said, “I did hear you saying you would brew wine. But I never thought that you would actually set up a winery, though. If the wine produced by your winery is really good, I’ll help you contact a few wine wholesalers, so you don’t have to worry about the sales issues.”
Tang Xiu shook his head and said, “I have to decline your offer. We’ll distribute our wine with our own exclusive agents that will be opened in the major cities in the country.”
“You seem very confident, Brother Tang!” laughed Miao Wentang.
Jin Xingkui suddenly interrupted, “Brother Tang, since you have a wine business, whereas I myself am a good wine lover, I would like to order a batch of it in advance from you! As for the amount… how about 50 million.”
What?
Miao Wentang was stupefied. Zhang Yueming and Gu Changmin were also dumbfounded.
What was this? How and where would Jin Xingkui sell it? This was obviously a naked attempt to… curry favor?
Tang Xiu fell into silence for a moment, before he grinned and replied, “I didn’t originally have this intention. But since Boss Jin has spoken, it would be rude of me to refuse it. The price per bottle is 10 thousand yuan, but I’ll make an exception and give you a 20% discount! We’ll have an agreement first, just this once!”