Upon hearing these words, Lucy's face changed dramatically. She quickly turned away, apologizing profusely.
"I'm sorry, manager, he's my boyfriend!"
Manager Maggie scrutinized Chou Ping, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Working at a Michelin-starred restaurant, she encountered wealthy customers daily.
As the manager, her discerning eyes wouldn't miss the top-notch designer clothes this man was wearing, easily costing tens of thousands of dollars.
"So, he's not here to dine?" Maggie questioned.
Lucy continued to apologize, "He's just here to see me and will leave soon."
She hurriedly turned back, grabbing Chou Ping's arm, attempting to escort him out of the restaurant. Maggie's sharp voice echoed again.
"The attire on this man is all fake, isn't it?"
She found it hard to believe that someone wearing clothes worth a fortune would let his girlfriend earn a few thousand dollars in the restaurant. If these clothes were genuine, they could cover Lucy's salary for half a year.
Lucy blushed, suddenly realizing the issue. If Chou Ping had so much money, he should have told her yesterday. But he didn't. Today, with his designer clothes and an expensive watch, were they all fake?
Chou Ping crossed his arms, looking at Maggie calmly. "I came to spend money, but your service attitude disappoints me."
"Haha, it's ridiculous. You haven't even ordered a dish, and you have the nerve to say you came here to spend money?" Maggie retorted.
Chou Ping walked directly to a table and sat down, gesturing for Maggie to come over.
"Come here, serve me and take my order!"
Maggie's expression soured, but if he was genuinely there to spend money, her professional duty prevented her from getting angry at customers. Biting her lip, Maggie reluctantly approached.
"I'll have this, and this, and this..."
Seeing Chou Ping's choices, Maggie's disdainful expression grew more evident. Chou Ping ordered the cheapest dishes in the restaurant.
It seemed this man was willing to endure humiliation to save face. Without money, he insisted on pretending to be wealthy.
"Don't want these. Bring me everything else, and I don't want to wait too long!"
With these words, Maggie's mood mirrored Lucy's earlier feelings—astonished.
Really? So many dishes? Can he finish all of them?
Nevertheless, Maggie's face wore a strange smile. "Alright, sir. Please wait a moment."
Maggie couldn't believe someone could order so much, especially when these were the cheapest dishes in their restaurant.
"By the way, what's the most expensive wine you have?"
While Lucy was about to speak, Chou Ping raised his hand to stop her, calmly saying, "Lucy, you're a customer now. I need to hear the manager, madam, explain it to me personally."
Maggie's face turned ugly. She was only thirty years old—how did she become a "madam"?
Suppressing her anger, Maggie wanted to see how long this swindler could keep up his act.
Maggie briefly introduced the prices of various wines—red wine, whiskey, and more.
Chou Ping furrowed his brow. "Is this really a Michelin restaurant? Why don't you have Huaxia baijiu? I want to drink Erguotou, and I want it now!"
Maggie looked puzzled. "What? Erguotou?"
She had never even heard of this brand.
"Sorry, we don't have Erguotou. Please choose another wine."
"I want to drink Erguotou today. Providing services to customers within our capabilities is the duty of your restaurant!"
Maggie doubted her ears. "What? You want two bottles of Erguotou?"
Forty thousand dollars? Is this guy crazy?
"Sorry, sir. I doubt your ability to pay for a bill exceeding forty thousand."
"I can pay first!"
A minute later, Maggie stared blankly at the card reader. Just a second before, it flashed a successful payment for a bill exceeding four hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
Chou Ping, with an unchanged expression, acted as if he had just spent a casual sum of money.
That was more than four hundred thousand dollars! If she didn't get a promotion and a raise, this bill would equal her salary for at least five years.
Most importantly, she had treated Chou Ping's words as a joke from the beginning. She never believed he could afford that sum.
So, she quoted outrageous prices. But now that Chou Ping had actually paid, Maggie felt a bit panicked. Chou Ping could use this against the restaurant, jeopardizing her job.
"Sir, I was just making a little joke with you. I think we can give you two bottles of Erguotou for free..."
As she spoke, Maggie's hands trembled.
Chou Ping tapped the table, smirking. "You're surprisingly generous. Two bottles of Erguotou, valued at two hundred thousand dollars each, and you're giving them to me for free?"
Maggie's face turned pale, and she managed to force a smile. "Sir, can we refund the money for the wine to you? The two bottles of Erguotou will be complimentary."
Chou Ping's threat was blatant. Maggie hoped he would be merciful and allow her to refund the money.
Chou Ping sneered. "Fine, but make sure Lucy and I are well taken care of. Consider those two bottles of wine your gift to me. If unsatisfied, you don't need to return the money."
Chou Ping's blatant threat left Maggie no room for complaints. She hurriedly agreed.
"Yes, sir. Please wait; I'll prepare them right away."