[Chapter 197]
"Sir, there's just no way! Their food has already been served!"
"You still don't get it? Don't you know who you're talking to? Three minutes, that's all I'll give you—and if you can't get it done for me, your manager will do it in your place. Try me!" the man blustered arrogantly.
"Alright… I'll give it a shot." The waitress hurried inside and explained the situation.
Lilian and the others would have none of it.
What was the meaning of this? They had gotten here first—they had even begun eating already! Now, you come in here and say, what, switch tables? Just like that?
Who do you think you are!
"No way. Tell them we're not moving!" Lilian was glaring, her temper suddenly flaring.
"Oho? I'd like to see just who that is hollering in there, thinking she's hot stuff!"
The doors to the private room opened, and the other group strode right in.
It was building up toward a brawl.
Murphy was their champion on this side. He had nothing to fear from your run-of-the-mill rich brats—especially not now that he was working for the Mayberry group. Everyone looked toward him in anticipation.
Murphy cleared his throat and stood. "My friends, we did reserve this room first. Changing places now is simply not an option—
that's just unreasonable. How about this, next time, I make it my treat? We can have a meal together at Homeland Kitchen along Mayberry Commercial Street!"
He was cool and collected, smiling amicably.
It was a statement bearing multiple payloads: They were standing their ground, and he had connections to Mayberry.
"Gods! Everyone and their mother claims to be from Mayberry these days! You think just because I don't work there myself, that means I don't have any big friends in Mayberry?"
Saying this, someone appeared at the doorway, strolling through with both hands in his pockets.
"Mr. Ziegler! So it was you, sir?" Seeing this man, Murphy's stern countenance instantly gave way to effusive fawning. Even Sharon had to avert her eyes from the sight of this.
Yancy Ziegler was a big kahuna attending Sunnydale University and had been painting the town red regularly with the Bakers!
He also used to be a recurring fixture at cruise parties, where he was said to have made friends with someone of note!
This was big. Yancy was not your typical rich brat at all!
"Oh, you know who I am?" Yancy said pleasantly.
"How could I not? I'm friends with Ken, and he's always going on about you!" Murphy was in total doormat mode now. Gone was the cool champion from a moment earlier.
"I see… one of Ken's boys, huh?" Yancy smirked. "I came here to have dinner… is switching tables for my sake really too much to ask?"
"Meaning no offense, I swear, but… Mr. Ziegler, we've already started here, you see… Couldn't you just see this as doing me a favor?"
"Pah! Like I owe you any favors." Yancy was done playing nice. "Enough horse crap—will you move or not?"
Murphy swallowed hard. So did everybody else at the table.
Mr. Yancy Ziegler was not someone to be taken lightly.
Murphy's usual routines were worthless here. One word to Aiden and he could kiss his precious job in Mayberry Street goodbye.
Though his cheeks were burning now, there was nothing for it but to grit his teeth and say, "Understood! We'll move!"
"Gosh, but there are so many dishes on the table… How shall we do this?" Lilian suddenly chirped sweetly. Just a moment ago, she had been a raging tigress.
Though she was still discussing the same matter as before, this time, she had become a mewling kitten.
"Gerard can move everything over to our new table. Clear the room for Mr. Ziegler!" one of the other girls suggested.
"Right! That's the way we'll do it, then!" Everyone else nodded in agreement.
Yancy, meanwhile, froze in place.
Gerard?
He peered down at the young man, sitting with his back toward him, just quietly eating away without another care in the world.
Truth be told, when Yancy had first walked in here, he had glanced at that same guy and thought that he looked familiar.
Now that his name had been spoken, Yancy burst into action, hurrying over to Gerard for a better look.
He very nearly shrieked aloud. It was Gerard Crawford!
"Gerald! S-s-so you were here!" Yancy stammered, remembering what Aiden had said last time.
Behind him, those henchmen who had also met Gerard before were too stunned to move.