Chapter 10: An Honored Guest Arrives

Lin Xiao stared intently at the memory amber in his hand; his ability to overcome the current financial crisis depended entirely on it.

When customers arrived, he simply needed to activate the memory stored within the amber, allowing them to personally experience a culinary feast of the highest caliber.

As for the pricing, Lin Xiao had set a minimum fee of 500 yuan. This was the lowest price permitted by the industry association to prevent vicious price wars. For a mere 500 yuan, one could enjoy a top-tier feast worth 500,000 yuan. Lin Xiao felt his pricing strategy was akin to a fool flying a kite—a bargain beyond belief.

Unfortunately, the memory amber suffered from usage degradation; it could sustain at most two hundred experiences before its energy was exhausted and it crumbled into dust.

However, for Lin Xiao, this was more than enough. His goal was merely to scrape together 84,892 yuan. If he could actually use up this amber, he would have already far exceeded his target.

Now that everything was ready, he only needed to print the photos and post them on the signboard outside to wait for customers to come knocking.

...

In the parking lot not far from the small shop, seven or eight luxury cars slowly pulled in. These vehicles were worth at least seven figures, with several top-tier models reaching eight figures.

After the line of cars pulled over neatly, a group of elegantly dressed young men stepped out one after another. The leader was Xu Tao, a "strongman" who stood 198 centimeters tall and weighed 198 jin, making him particularly conspicuous in the crowd.

"Brother Xu, aren't you exaggerating a bit? What delicacies have we not tasted before? I don't believe there could be any 'unprecedented' culinary experience," a young man in a bespoke jacket remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly. If it were truly that delicious, why not just hire the chef to cook at home? Why bother coming here to experience some second-hand memory?" another young man chimed in.

Hearing this, Xu Tao said with a serious expression, "You don't know my friend; he has always been a man of his word. Since he dared to say so, I trust him! Be polite when we get inside; don't go picking and choosing."

"Don't worry," the first young man said with a wave of his hand. "We aren't those nouveau riche types who are desperate to belittle everyone they meet just to show off their superiority."

Xu Tao nodded, feeling somewhat reassured. He had brought his friends to support Lin Xiao out of kindness, and he certainly didn't want things to backfire. This group of friends all came from prominent families. While they appeared refined and cultured on the surface, they were not truly humble; their deep-seated sense of superiority meant they disdained the boorish behavior of the nouveau riche. Yet, because they were so worldly and experienced, they couldn't help but feel a bit defiant: What right did he have to call this an "unprecedented" experience?

Xu Tao could only hope that Lin Xiao's culinary memory was as stunning as he claimed.

At that moment, an eye-catching red sports car pulled into the parking lot.

"Brother Xu, look! It's Big Sis's car!" one of the young men exclaimed.

"What 'Big Sis'? Do you still think we're out messing around like we used to? Call her Director Chen! She’s a Second-Level Tax Supervisor now, the second-in-command of the entire East Sea City tax authority!" Xu Tao glanced over and frowned.

"But Big Sis said she prefers the old nickname in private."

The young men chatted and laughed as they swarmed toward the red sports car, leaving Xu Tao standing where he was.

As the car door opened gracefully, a pair of slender, beautiful legs caught everyone's attention first: professional black trousers perfectly outlined the curves of her legs, with nude-colored stockings shimmering with a delicate luster, paired with black lambskin high heels. This combination of "professional attire" and "tights under trousers" exuded an ultimate intellectual elegance while carrying a hint of subtle temptation—a lethal combination for any man.

However, none of the young men present dared to stare brazenly.

A tall figure stepped out of the car with poise. The moment she stood straight, the young men around her instinctively straightened their postures as well. Even among a group of wealthy scions, she stood out like a crane in a flock of chickens.

After greeting the young masters who surrounded her, the woman turned her gaze toward Xu Tao, who was standing alone not far away. A hint of a smile played in her cold, clear eyes, nearly making Xu Tao lose his composure.

He bit the bullet and forced out a greeting: "Director Chen, long time no see."

"Are you hiding because you’re afraid to see me? It’s been seven years, and I’m still waiting for you to show me what you've got!"

"Heh, heh, heh. I was young and reckless back then; don't take it to heart," Xu Tao said with an awkward laugh.

The woman before him was Chen Xin, his childhood sweetheart. In their social circle, he was the undisputed big brother, and Chen Xin was the unquestionable big sister. As they grew older, Xu Tao, smitten with her beauty, gradually developed feelings for his childhood companion. On the eve of his coming-of-age ceremony, at his repeated insistence, his father proposed marriage to the Chen family on his behalf.

In Xu Tao's view, their families were well-matched, and they were childhood sweethearts; there was no possibility of failure. But life is always full of surprises—Chen Xin had flatly rejected him.

"I, Chen Xin, have great ambitions. How could I marry a man who lacks drive?"

Rejected, Xu Tao felt immense humiliation. He swore before Chen Xin: "Give me seven years, and I will make you regret this decision!"

Spurred by the rejection, he had staked his deepest desires at his eighteenth-birthday coming-of-age ceremony, making a painful vow. He wanted to respond to Chen Xin's disdain with undeniable achievements.

But... Xu Tao never expected that seven years later, Chen Xin would have become the youngest Level 4 Awakened in the East Sea region! Simultaneously, her career had soared; at only 25, she had become a Second-Level Tax Supervisor.

The tax system was divided into five ranks and fourteen levels. Below the Chief, the remaining four ranks from highest to lowest were: Inspector, Supervisor, Administrator, and Officer, with each rank divided into three levels. A Second-Level Tax Supervisor was already the eighth level out of fourteen, high enough to serve as the second-in-command of the tax authority for an East Sea City population of 11 million.

To put it bluntly, in every aspect, Chen Xin had completely eclipsed Xu Tao. The seven-year pact had ultimately become a joke. It was no wonder Xu Tao had been avoiding her.

Seeing Xu Tao so awkward, the young masters nearby tried to smooth things over with a laugh: "Big Sis, you're so busy with work, how did you find time to come today?"

"It's been a long time since we all got together. I heard there was an event today, and I also heard the owner is particularly handsome, so I wanted to come and see," Chen Xin said, casting another glance at Xu Tao.

Xu Tao just pouted but said nothing.

However, Chen Xin didn't intend to let him off the hook: "I heard you recently became infatuated with a peerless beauty and even bought a watch for her?"

"That's not true..." Xu Tao tried to deny it.

But one young man immediately raised his hand and said, "I can testify! I saw with my own eyes that Brother Xu bought a men's 'Time' watch and gave it to that Miss Yang!"

*You really are my dearest, closest friend!* Xu Tao thought, his teeth aching with resentment.

"Oh, is that Miss Yang very beautiful?" Chen Xin asked. "How does she compare to me?"

"Heh, she and Big Sis aren't the same type; each has her own beauty," the young man who had testified said with a sheepish grin.

"Your answer tells me everything; she's better looking than I am."

"Big Sis..."

"No need to say more. I'm not that fragile. Now, I'm actually curious to see just how beautiful she is."

Watching the inquisitive look on Chen Xin's face, Xu Tao knew this wasn't good, so he spoke up: "Enough! This has nothing to do with her, and besides, that watch is currently being worn by Lin Xiao."

"Who is Lin Xiao?"

"I believe he's the owner of the memory experience shop we're going to today."

Chen Xin: "..."

The group of young men: "!!!"

"Brother Xu, even like this, you're still patronizing that shop? I suddenly believe that the culinary memory in this shop must be truly excellent and irreplaceable!" the young man exclaimed.

"I’m even more convinced that the owner must be very handsome. After all, even with all your money, you still lost," Chen Xin said with a smile.

Xu Tao and the group of young masters: "..."