"I didn't expect your culinary skills to be so good," Dirk disregarded the others and looked at Jake. "I have tried squirrel-shaped mandarin fish in many restaurants, but never have I encountered one that tastes better than what Chef Alan makes. I always thought that Chef Alan's squirrel-shaped mandarin fish was the best in the country, but I never expected to be defeated by a physical education teacher."
"Thank you for the praise," Jake replied politely. Dirk's fairness left a positive impression on Jake.
"I am just stating the facts," Dirk said. He looked at the two bowls of soup being held by the waiter and suggested, "Are these two bowls also part of the competition? How about..."
"How about I give it a try?" At that moment, the young man sitting in the main seat suddenly spoke up. All eyes turned to him, and he remained composed, saying, "I have had quite a bit to drink, so I could use some soup."
"Is Carlton willing to be the judge? That would be best," Dirk said. Since Dirk said so, the others naturally had no objections.
In reality, whether or not they competed in the third round didn't make a difference. After all, Jake had already won two rounds and secured the final victory. However, since both Dirk and the young man sitting in the main seat spoke up, Don didn't dare to refuse. Plus, he wanted to win this round to salvage the restaurant's reputation.
The young man casually sipped the soup and said, "Are all of you from Princeton University?"
"Yes, I am a physical education teacher at Princeton University. This is my second year," Bill quickly responded.
Bill, who was initially perplexed, now understood the young man's significance based on Dirk's attitude toward him. He also wanted to establish a closer relationship with the young man. For people like them, it was necessary to know more people in their circle.
The young man nodded and said, "I actually have a friend studying at Princeton University."
"That's a coincidence," Bill said. "I wonder who it is? I still have some connections at Princeton University and can take care of her a bit."
"No need for that," the young man smiled. "With her abilities, no one can bully her."
"That's right. Carlton's friend is no ordinary person," Bill said.
Although Bill also belonged to the circle of the wealthy second generation, there were hierarchies within this circle. Bill's status was lower than Dirk's, and since Dirk was so polite to Carlton, Bill naturally didn't dare to act arrogantly in front of him. After mingling in this circle for many years, he understood this much.
"The taste of both soups is good," at this point, the young man had tasted both bowls of soup and said, "However, if we have to determine a winner, this soup is slightly better. It is both fresh and fragrant, bringing out the flavors of radish and greens to the fullest."
Don forced a smile on his face, but he felt increasingly bitter inside. Because the soup that the young man said tasted better was still made by Jake. In other words, their restaurant had been completely defeated!
Bill was also feeling dissatisfied in his heart. However, most of his thoughts were focused on the young man. He didn't care much about Jake anymore. In his view, there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with Jake in the future. If he failed today, he could always find another chance. After all, Jake was just an ordinary person. How could he be lucky every time? Therefore, in comparison, establishing connections seemed more important to Bill.
As for Verna, she was naturally happy. Regardless of the circumstances, it was because of her that Bill deliberately targeted Jake. If Jake had really been unlucky, Verna would have felt guilty.
Alan, on the other hand, had already left the private room. Being defeated by a physical education teacher in his area of expertise was a significant blow to him. However, he didn't resent Jake because he had tasted Jake's dish and recognized that it was indeed better than his own. He accepted his defeat graciously, but he couldn't deny feeling upset about it.
"Since you're here, let's add a few more sets of utensils and sit down together for a meal," Dirk invited Verna and Bill. Then, he looked at Jake and said, "You should stay as well."
"I won't stay. Thanks for the offer, but I have something to attend to, so I'll leave," Jake said.
"Why not push it back a bit and have a meal? It won't take much time," Verna urged Jake, simultaneously sending him signals with her eyes, hoping he would stay.
Having grown up in this circle, Verna understood the importance of connections. And now, there was an opportunity for Jake to establish connections with Dirk and the young man in the main seat. They were not ordinary people, and it would be greatly beneficial for Jake to get to know them.
"Verna, stop persuading him. Maybe he has something else on his mind and just doesn't want to have a meal with us. By doing this, you're only making Jake feel awkward," Bill said.
"Shut up!" Verna snapped.
"Since you have something to attend to, I won't insist," Dirk said.
"Thank you," Jake expressed his gratitude and then glanced appreciatively at Verna. Without hesitation, he turned around and prepared to leave the private room.
In truth, Jake didn't want to get involved in this circle. He felt that he and these people were not of the same class, and staying would only add to the awkwardness. That's why he wanted to leave.
Of course, Jake wasn't entirely lying. He did have something to attend to, which was the teleportation business. After a busy period, it was getting late, and although teleportation could be done at any time of the day, Jake didn't want to wait. He had fully realized the importance of the other timeline to him, so he took each teleportation seriously and urgently.
"Oh, by the way," when Jake reached the door of the private room, he suddenly stopped.
"What's the matter? Having second thoughts about leaving?" Bill thought Jake regretted his decision and wanted to stay, so he couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.
"No," Jake shook his head. "I just wanted to remind Mr. Bill not to forget about my money. Also, I won't bother saying goodbye to Don. Kindly relay the message for me."
Upon hearing Jake's words, Bill's face turned awkward and angry. "Rest assured, I won't shortchange you! Ten thousand dollars, like someone like you would take it seriously!"
"As long as Mr. Bill remembers," Jake smiled and then turned around to leave.
"What happened?" After Jake left, Dirk asked Verna and Bill curiously.
Verna smiled and recounted what had happened in the private room. After Dirk listened to the story, he looked in the direction Jake had gone and muttered to himself, "Interesting."