Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

"No, no, he's still young, he has a long road ahead of him."

That's what she said, but the smile on her face was impossible to hide.

Lin Guodong stood to the side, still holding the rag in his hand. Nobody paid him any attention.

But the corners of his mouth were curved, and they remained curved.

My uncle stood by the window and peered down.

"Ah Dong, is that Mercedes downstairs yours?"

Lin Dong nodded.

"Um."

The eldest uncle clicked his tongue.

"My goodness..."

Upon hearing this, my aunt also went to the window to look down.

"It really is a Mercedes! Black! And a huge one!"

My second aunt and cousin also squeezed in.

"Where? Where?"

"Right there, under the tree!"

"Wow, it really is a Mercedes!"

Lin Guodong stood to the side, motionless. But the corners of his mouth were curved, and remained curved.

Lin Dong looked at the people inside the room.

"Everyone has worked hard today," he said. "Lunch is on me, let's go eat."

The eldest uncle was stunned for a moment.

"Eat? Where to go?"

Lin Dong smiled.

You'll find out when you get there.

"The best restaurant," Lin Dong said, "the one in Cottontown, the Bay Restaurant."

Bayside Restaurant.

That's the most expensive restaurant in Miancheng. It's said that a single meal there costs the equivalent of several months' salary for an average person. Luxury cars are always parked outside, and only the very wealthy and powerful go inside.

Aunt swallowed hard.

"Ah Dong, that place... is very expensive."

Lin Dong smiled.

"It's alright, let's go."

A large group of people walked downstairs in a grand procession.

The stairs were narrow and crowded, so people walked slowly. But no one complained about the slow pace.

My aunt walked in front, almost running down the road.

When she got downstairs, she was the first to rush to the car.

"My goodness, it really is a Mercedes!"

She walked around the car, wanting to touch it but not daring to.

My second aunt and cousin also joined in.

"How much does this car cost?"

"Ah Dong said several hundred thousand!"

"Hundreds of thousands? My God..."

My uncle stood at the front of the car, staring at the three-pointed star logo for a long time.

"I've seen this logo on TV."

My third uncle, leaning on his cane, stood at the back of the crowd, saying nothing.

Lin Dong opened the driver's side door.

"Uncle, you guys ride in that van, Ah-hao will drive."

He pointed to the white seven-seater car behind him.

"Ah Hao, drive carefully."

Zheng Hao nodded.

"it is good."

Lin Dong got into the driver's seat and started the engine. He rolled down the window and said to Li Xiuzhen, who was standing by the roadside:

"Mom, get in the car."

Li Xiuzhen was stunned for a moment.

"Shall I sit here?"

Lin Dong looked at her.

"Otherwise what?"

Li Xiuzhen laughed, her eyes crinkling into crescents.

She opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat, and ran her hands over the leather seat.

Lin Guodong got into the back seat.

He didn't say anything, he just looked out the window at the old banyan tree, at the relatives standing by the car, and at the alley where he had lived for decades.

The group headed to the Bayside Restaurant in a grand procession.

In the car, my aunt was so excited she couldn't sit still.

"Oh my, I've never been to the Bayview Restaurant before! I heard all the waiters there wear suits!"

My second aunt chimed in from the side, "I also heard that a plate of vegetables can cost several tens of yuan."

"Dozens?" Auntie scoffed. "I heard it's served per 'person,' one serving per person, not one plate per table."

My aunt clicked her tongue.

"How much did this meal cost...?"

The eldest uncle chimed in from the side, "Since A-Dong is treating, you can eat without worry."

Aunt nodded and added, "We have to toast A-Dong properly later. He's so thoughtful, treating us to dinner and giving us gifts."

My aunt nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, we should thank them properly."

At noon, two cars stopped at the Bayside Restaurant.

Two hostesses in cheongsams greeted guests at the entrance, their faces smiling, but their eyes held a hint of doubt.

Lin Dong, who was walking ahead, was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and simple clothes. He and the relatives behind him, who had just finished working at home, did not look like people who could afford to spend money here.

But their professionalism compelled them to bow slightly.

Welcome!

The group entered the lobby. The decor was opulent, with crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and a manager in a suit standing at the front desk.

The manager walked over with a professional smile on his face.

"Who are you all...?"

My uncle chimed in, "Let's eat! We made a reservation!"

The manager was taken aback.

"May I ask your surname?"

Lin Dong spoke.

"Forest."

The manager glanced down at the register, then looked up, his smile fading slightly.

"Mr. Lin, I'm sorry, we couldn't find your reservation. The Bay Restaurant is a members-only establishment, so reservations are required in advance."

The smile on my uncle's face froze.

My aunt muttered under her breath, "Membership system... what does that mean?"

The manager explained with a smile, "It means only our members can dine here. Non-members need to be accompanied by a member."

An awkward atmosphere filled the lobby.

The eldest uncle looked at Lin Dong.

Lin Dong didn't say anything.

He took a step forward and stood in front of the manager.

How do I become a member?

The manager looked him up and down.

A regular T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

The people behind him were dressed simply, clearly from ordinary families.

He smiled.

"Mr. Lin, our annual membership fee is 88,800."

Lin Dong looked at him.

"Eighty-eight thousand eight?"

The manager nodded.

"right."

Lin Dong nodded.

"manage."

The manager was taken aback.

"...What?"

"Do it," Lin Dong said. "Do it now."

The manager's smile froze.

He looked at Lin Dong, trying to find a trace of a joke on that young face. But he found nothing.

He swallowed hard.

"Mr. Lin, are you sure... eighty-eight thousand eight?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

Do you have hearing problems?

The manager opened his mouth.

Then the expression on his face changed.

He took a step forward, bent his waist slightly, and put on a smile.

"Okay, okay! Mr. Lin, this way please! I'll process your paperwork right away!"

Lin Dong looked at him.

I still prefer you the way you were just now.

The manager was taken aback.

"What?"

Lin Dong did not explain.

The manager opened his mouth, and his signature smile returned to his face.

"……OK."

The procedures were completed very quickly.

Ten minutes later, the manager personally led them to the private room.

"Mr. Lin, this way please. This is our best private room, the Seaview Pavilion, which is usually only open to diamond members. Today is your first time here, so we'll make an exception for you."

Lin Dong didn't say anything and followed them inside.

The eldest uncle whispered to his aunt from behind, "Eighty-eight thousand eight... My goodness..."

My aunt was speechless.

The private room was very large.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see the sea in the distance.

The round table can seat twenty people, covered with a snow-white tablecloth, and each seat has three sets of bowls and chopsticks.

The waiter stood by, waiting to take our order.

The menu was handed over; it was thick and had a gold-stamped cover.

Li Xiuzhen took it, turned to the first page, glanced at it, and her expression changed.

She leaned close to Lin Dong's ear and whispered.

"Ah Dong, this plate of vegetables costs 380..."