After Jake left the office, he immediately dialed Dirk's phone, which was quickly answered. Dirk invited him to have dinner together at Kailomen.
Regarding this invitation, Jake hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. He was curious about why Dirk wanted to meet him, as there seemed to be no apparent connection between them.
As Jake arrived at Kailomen once again, his feelings were different. The first time he came, he felt a sense of experiencing something new. The second time, he was here to accompany Wendy, and it didn't hold any special meaning for him. Now, Kailomen was just like any regular restaurant to Jake. He knew that the original chefs here had learned their skills under him, so there was nothing particularly extraordinary about this place for him.
Jake didn't know if Don knew that Alan had gone to him, and if Don did, he wondered how Don would feel about it.
Inside the private room, Jake saw Dirk. Dirk was a regular here, and Kailomen always reserved the private room for him, so he could dine in the private setting anytime he came.
"Come and sit," Dirk said to Jake with neither excessive enthusiasm nor the condescending arrogance that Bill had shown.
"I wonder what brings Dirk to meet me today," Jake sat down and said calmly.
Even though there might be a considerable difference in their social status now, Jake didn't feel inferior to Dirk just because of that magical ring. He even believed that his future achievements would not be inferior to Dirk and others.
"No special reason, just wanted to get to know you and have a casual chat," Dirk said, handing the menu to Jake, "Order whatever you like."
"I'll leave the ordering to you, Dirk. Anything is fine for me," Jake replied.
Dirk didn't insist and took back the menu. As he placed his order, he continued, "I almost forgot, Mr. Jake is also quite skilled in cooking. Even Alan can't surpass you, I guess eating dishes prepared by others might not be very appealing to you."
"It's not like that," Jake said, "I don't have high culinary expectations, as long as it fills me up."
Indeed, Jake had not been living a very comfortable life before. For him, having enough food was sufficient, and eating well was a pursuit he dared not even think about for now.
"Mr. Jake's previous life was, how should I put it, simpler," Dirk commented.
"Seems like you've investigated me, Dirk," Jake took a sip of tea and said calmly.
"I have learned some things about you, as I was asked to do so," Dirk didn't hide it.
"Oh? Why would an ordinary person like me attract anyone's interest? There are probably nine out of ten people on the street just like me," Jake asked.
"Who's interested in you doesn't matter," Dirk said, "What matters is that I noticed Mr. Jake had been quite ordinary before, but recently, there seems to have been a significant change. A very big change."
Jake's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a poker face and asked, "What changes are you talking about?"
"Your culinary skills and your identity as a Princeton University teacher," Dirk replied. "According to my investigation, you suddenly became so skilled in cooking, and you also became a teacher at Princeton University. These are not achievements that an ordinary person can easily attain."
"Dirk has done a thorough investigation on me," Jake's heart sank slightly.
Jake didn't know who had asked Dirk to investigate him, nor did he know if they were aware of his dealings with selling purple sandalwood. Luckily, he hadn't sold too much at once; otherwise, it would have raised suspicions if someone were to investigate him. If the person investigating him had ill intentions, it could lead to trouble. However, Jake believed that whoever was secretly investigating him must not have good intentions.
"It's nothing, really. I don't mean to dig into your past," Dirk said, not pressing further. Although he was curious, he understood that everyone had their secrets. Jake nodded but remained cautious in his thoughts.
"You don't need to worry; I have no ill intentions towards you," Dirk sensed Jake's vigilance and continued, "But I can't speak for others."
"Are you saying that someone has ill intentions towards me and might even harm me? Can you tell me why?" Jake asked in return.
"Because of Wendy!" Dirk replied, "You can actually avoid some trouble if you know how to step back."
"Wendy?" Jake's mind conjured up Wendy's exquisite beauty that day. He seemed to understand who had prompted Dirk to investigate him. Only that person had the ability and intention to do so. "Was it Carlton who asked you to investigate?"
Dirk nodded without denying it and said, "Carlton has been pursuing Wendy for a while. I know there's probably nothing between you and Wendy, as you both come from different worlds. However, you should still maintain a certain distance from her. That way, Carlton won't misunderstand your relationship with her."
Dirk didn't believe that there could be anything between Jake and Wendy. Although he wasn't entirely sure about Wendy's background, he could tell that she was someone far beyond an ordinary person like Jake. Despite Jake's sudden improvement in cooking skills and becoming a Princeton University teacher, he was still just an ordinary person.
Jake wasn't surprised that it was Carlton investigating him; he hadn't expected him to act so quickly. Remembering Carlton's attitude that day, although Jake was amazed at Carlton's speed, he wasn't particularly surprised.
"I indeed have nothing with Wendy," Jake said, "And it's not because I'm afraid of someone saying otherwise."
"I believe you," Dirk said, as he truly didn't think there was anything between Jake and Wendy.
However, Jake wasn't done speaking. "I won't intentionally distance myself from Wendy just because someone is investigating me," he stated firmly.
Dirk furrowed his brow at Jake's words. It was clear that Jake meant he wouldn't change his current relationship with Wendy and wouldn't deliberately distance himself because of Carlton's investigation or Dirk's warning. It seemed that Jake was being quite defiant.