Financial freedom starts from graduation

Chapter 530 Sky-high Bill
After choosing a room, putting away our luggage, and another round of dawdling, it was already completely dark.

After discussing it, since all four girls except Yu Duo had come from out of town that morning and had already gotten up very early and had been traveling all day, they all decided to rest in their rooms tonight and go out for a stroll tomorrow.

So Zhou Wang asked his butler Charles to help arrange dinner.

At 9 p.m., in the six-person dining room of the Sky Suite, Charles, along with the restaurant's executive chef, personally delivered dinner for five people.

This dinner was at Cloud View, a rooftop restaurant owned by Raffles Hotel, a restaurant rated one diamond by Black Pearl.

Zhou Wang and his group checked into the suite around 6 or 7 o'clock. The reason they didn't eat until 9 o'clock was because Zhou Wang requested "some classic Cantonese dishes." After all, it was their first meal after landing in Shenzhen. Although they were just having a meal in the room, Zhou Wang had no reason to compromise.

Since Zhou Wang made the request, the butler Charles naturally had to fulfill it unconditionally. As a result, the restaurant spent a long time preparing, which caused a considerable delay.

But without a doubt, even though Yun Jing Chinese Restaurant, with only a Black Pearl One Diamond rating, is nothing special in the entire city of Shenzhen, the dinner was still of a very high standard because of the executive chef's personal leadership.

"Mr. Zhou, classic Cantonese cuisine is known for its meticulous selection of ingredients, exquisite craftsmanship, and fresh and delicate flavors. It places great emphasis on the original taste of the ingredients and their seasonality. The first dish we present to you and the ladies is one of the most outstanding dishes in our Cantonese cuisine."

As Chef Guo stepped aside, the waitresses behind him brought the first dish from the food cart and placed a small bowl in front of each person.

"Rich Broth with Nine-Fish Shark Fins!"

As Zhou Wang curiously lifted the lid, Mr. Guo also took the opportunity to introduce the name of the dish.

Su Yajing and the others were completely confused, not understanding what the name meant. However, when they saw what was in the small cup, they all subconsciously felt a little displeased.

This food looks unrecognizable, and it doesn't seem very appetizing...

(picture)

At first glance, it looks like a thick soup and vermicelli mixed together, a very thick lump that doesn't look very appealing.

Zhou Wang, however, raised an eyebrow and cast a cryptic glance at Executive Chef Guo: "Are you sure this is really 'Tianjiu Wings'?"

Before Mr. Guo could answer, Su Yaqing couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what is 'Nine Heavenly Wings'?"

"It's what we Chinese usually call 'shark fin'."

Zhou Wang explained, "But there are many kinds of shark fins, such as golden hook fin, sea tiger fin, spring fin, butterfly green fin... while Tianjiu fin is the highest grade of shark fin."

"So this is the legendary shark fin!"

Su Yaqing exclaimed "Wow!" and her eyes lit up as she looked at the chicken wings. "I've never actually eaten this before..."

"I've never eaten it either."

Shen Yutong no longer hid her curiosity, "But... what kind of fish fin is this? Why is it so big?"

Shen Yutong tried scooping it up with a spoon, looking somewhat puzzled.

Yu Duo couldn't help but chuckle, then tugged at Shen Yutong, "Sister Tongtong, the so-called shark fin refers to the fins of sharks, not the fish you usually see..."

"Huh, a shark?"

Shen Yutong was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Choi Min-ah maintained a proper and reserved demeanor on the surface, but inwardly she thought, "That was close."

She also didn't know what "shark fin" was, but luckily Shen Yutong asked for her first, otherwise she would have been the one to lose face.

Shark fins... Although Choi Min-ah was still not quite sure what kind of ingredient it was, it sounded very high-end.

"Hey, we grew up inland, so it's normal that we don't know about shark fin."

Yu Duo shrugged dismissively, "Although I've eaten shark fin once before when I was entertaining clients with my parents, I didn't know there were so many different interpretations."

After the girls finished talking, Mr. Guo smiled and answered Zhou Wang's earlier question.

"Mr. Zhou, traditional Tianjiu fins are generally taken from the fins of whale sharks and basking sharks. Both of these sharks are Class I protected animals in China. So if you insist on asking, this is certainly not the real Tianjiu fin... However, our restaurant has tried its best to use the fins of farmed sharks that are closer to the original flavor. The taste will not be too different, so you can enjoy it with peace of mind."

Hearing the chef's subtle reply, Zhou Wang understood and became somewhat interested.

It doesn't really matter what kind of shark fin the shark fin came from, anyway... it was his first time eating shark fin, so he just treated it as a novelty.

While the other girls were still taking pictures, Zhou Wang started eating first.

He took a spoonful of shark fin soup, savored it carefully, and then put down the spoon with some difficulty in commenting.

how to say?

It didn't have any fishy smell, but it also didn't have the fresh sweetness of seafood that I had imagined, or perhaps it had a little bit, but it was very faint.

This shark fin not only looks like vermicelli, but also tastes somewhat similar, though it's more chewy, with a gelatinous, sticky texture. It's a bit bouncy, but still quite smooth...

Forget it, I can’t continue.

If Zhou Wang were to give his opinion, this thing would be practically tasteless.

Yes, it has no taste.

This is Zhou Wang's truest feeling.

He didn't know if there was something wrong with the restaurant's cooking method, or if shark fin was just like that, but in any case, Zhou Wang couldn't eat any more after just one bite.

...The soup was quite good, though, and Zhou Wang drank a few more sips.

"Mr. Zhou, the next dish for you is the second one, which you may have had elsewhere... a classic of traditional abalone, the soft-boiled abalone!"

One by one, separate plates were brought to the table, and Chef Guo began to speak eloquently.

"After being soaked for several days, dried abalone is slowly simmered with old chicken and top-grade ham until the center is soft and tender, with a texture as soft and sweet as honey. It is known as the 'gold among abalone'..."

(picture)

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wang lost interest again... There was no doubt that this was a sweet dish.

After all, abalone wasn't anything new to him, but since it was a local delicacy, Zhou Wang picked up his knife and fork and gave it a try.

A moment later, Zhou Wang seemed pleasantly surprised. Perhaps because of the contrast with the shark fin, the abalone tasted surprisingly good—soft, sweet, and with a hint of caramel aroma…

Zhou Wang suspected that the chef had done it on purpose, putting the worst-tasting dish first, and after the soft-boiled abalone, the taste of each dish began to improve dramatically.

Grilled conch, steamed grouper, stuffed crab claws with various fillings, honey-glazed char siu, flaky bird's nest egg tarts... even the simplest "boiled cabbage in clear broth" tastes delicious to Zhou Wang.

Although each dish was only a delicate single serving and the portion was small, Zhou Wang was still a bit full when it came to the grand finale, the exquisitely presented "Dragon Soaring Across the Seas," which was an Australian lobster prepared in two ways.

To his amusement and exasperation, Su Yajing and the others, who had taken photos for ten minutes first, actually ate more than him.

Whether it was the "Tianjiu Wings" at the very beginning or the Australian lobster at the end, the four girls ate almost everything, leaving very little waste.

However, a girl's appetite is always a mystery, and Zhou Wang didn't investigate further.

After they had all put down their knives and forks with satisfaction, Zhou Wang then signaled to Charles, who had been waiting patiently, that they could start clearing away the plates.

While the waiter was busy, Charles handed Zhou Wang a bill to sign.

Choi Min-ah was sitting to Zhou Wang's right. After glancing at the numbers at the bottom of the bill, she almost couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Suspecting she might be seeing things, Choi Min-ah pretended to reach for a tissue, but then took another closer look, her shock becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.

"Are we eating seafood or gold? How can it be so extravagant..." Su Yaqing noticed Cui Min'er's strange behavior. She followed Cui Min'er's gaze and playfully snatched the bill from Zhou Wang's hand.

"Brother, what's wrong with Min'er's expression? We can't possibly eat a whole house... a house, can we..."

After seeing the bill, Su Yajing's voice gradually softened, and her mouth opened into an "O" shape.

Yu Duo and Shen Yutong couldn't hold back any longer and came over, exclaiming in surprise one after the other.

"Oh my God!"

"How can it be so expensive... This is outrageous!"

……

Thick soup with shark fin soup, 8888 yuan per case, 5 cases in total.

Abalone with soft-boiled filling, NT$26888 per case, 5 cases in total.

Wild-cooked steamed grouper, 2888 yuan per case, 5 cases in total...

Charcoal-grilled conch with aged Shaoxing wine, 6888 yuan per serving, 5 servings in total...

Crab claws, char siu, bird's nest egg tarts, Australian lobster, plus a 10% service charge...

After a 90% VIP discount, the final total price is 318836.70 RMB.

……

More than 300,000.

Yes, Su Yajing realized she had been too naive.

In a small county town, wouldn't this be considered a house?
"Because Mr. Zhou requested the most authentic Cantonese cuisine, we used only the finest ingredients. For example, this premium abalone is imported from Japan. Even with our dedicated sourcing channels, the cost of each abalone is close to 20,000 yuan, not to mention the cooking process..."

Because of the incredulous expressions on the girls' faces, Charles quickly and carefully explained.

Only Zhou Wang had the most composed expression, because he knew that assuming the ingredients used were indeed fine, the price might sound outrageous, but the hotel wasn't deliberately trying to rip him off.

After all, President Mu's connections are still there...

Although he was somewhat prepared, Zhou Wang still didn't expect it to be so expensive.

Five people spent over 300,000 yuan on a meal, even after a discount; nobody would believe it if you told them.

Now Zhou Wang knows where those "sky-high bills" on the internet come from.

Shaking his head and smiling, Zhou Wang waved his hand to stop Charles from continuing his explanation, and signed the bill with a flourish.

He has always believed that the desire for food is the easiest to satisfy. If you don't have the means, just eat your fill; if you do have the means, eat well and eat your fill. There's no need to overthink it.

After Charles left with the restaurant staff, the girls all looked at Zhou Wang simultaneously.

"What are you looking at me for?"

"Brother, isn't this going too far..."

"Hey, you're wrong about that."

Zhou Wang smiled and said, "You're the one who paid for this. I'll deduct it from your allowance later, so it's not me who's paying, it's you."

"Oh, brother, how could you do this? No, no, you can't take away someone's allowance..."

Su Yaqing clung to Zhou Wang's arm and started to act coquettishly, but she knew in her heart that this was just an excuse from Zhou Wang... After all, how much pocket money she should have was entirely up to Zhou Wang.

After playing around with Su Yaqing, Zhou Wang checked the time and realized it was almost eleven o'clock. He looked up and asked:
"It's getting late, would you like to go back to your rooms to rest or..."

The girls looked at each other, and for a moment no one spoke.

Just as Zhou Wang was wondering, Su Yaqing hesitated before speaking, "How about... how about we rest?"

"Uh, that's fine then, I'm pretty tired anyway..."

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Yu Duo quietly echoed.

"I'm going back to take a shower now..."

After secretly glancing at Zhou Wang, Shen Yutong got up first and left with Yu Duo.

Choi Min-ah also smoothed her hair and followed suit.

"Brother, I'll go back to my room and wait for you. I've missed you so much! Come in soon!"

Seeing that Zhou Wang was still holding a cigarette and showed no intention of getting up, Su Yajing whispered something in his ear.

Zhou Wang's heart skipped a beat, and for a moment he couldn't figure out exactly what Su Yajing wanted him to "come in" quickly.

This little goblin...

After Su Yajing left, Zhou Wang first took out his phone, handled some official business as usual, and then replied to his senior's various check-in messages... Mentioning Jiang Mo, Zhou Wang paused slightly.

The senior's first solo concert was postponed for some reason, but Zhou Wang didn't have time to deal with it for the time being.

About half an hour later, Zhou Wang, having finished dealing with all the miscellaneous tasks, got up and walked towards the master bedroom.

Zhou Wang paused for a moment as he left the restaurant.

Wait, he clearly remembered that the signed bill was on the table just now, where did it go?
However, Zhou Wang didn't take it to heart, and after glancing at it, he turned and left.

……

The dark red silk shimmered with a wine-like sheen, and snow-white skin was faintly visible beneath the semi-transparent mesh. The ribbon around her neck seemed as if it would scatter like flower petals with the slightest pull, and her smooth thighs, piled together beneath the short skirt, were still damp with moisture, revealing an indescribably alluring texture.

The classic openwork halter top with its Chinese design, worn on the girl's delicate body, with its striking contrast of red and white, made Zhou Wang swallow hard.

Unfortunately... the girl in front of me was asleep.

Zhou Wang sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked Su Yajing's hair.

Clearly, she had taken a shower and dressed herself up carefully, but fell asleep before Zhou Wang could come in.

Su Yaqing frowned, muttering something to herself, her eyes showing a hint of weariness.

Zhou Wang was breathing heavily, and he was reluctant to wake her... He knew that Su Yajing had been working very hard lately, getting up early and going to bed late every day because of training. She had also gotten up early this morning to come from Beidu.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhou Wang finally shook his head and decided to let her take a short nap first.

As for Zhou Wang himself, he was not sleepy at all. After wandering around the room for a while, Zhou Wang suddenly had a thought and remembered the infinity pool upstairs.

"It's been a long time since I've swum..."

Without hesitation, Zhou Wang immediately asked the waiter to bring him a pair of swimming trunks, and then went to the living room alone, wrapped in a towel.

Zhou Wang paused for a moment when he stepped onto the spiral staircase.

He seemed to hear a faint sound coming from behind the wooden door...

(End of this chapter)