Chapter 7: President Lü’s Banquet

"Because this watch is currently on my wrist," Lin Xiao said candidly.

"..."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

It isn't just men who spend big money when pursuing women. Women, too, will spend lavishly on the men they fancy.

"Xu Tao..."

"Hey! Don't comfort me! That only makes me look more like a clown. It was just a failed attempt at a tryst; for a playboy like me, it's nothing to take to heart."

"Alright, then I won't say any more."

"Wait, you should still say a few words."

"Fine, what do you want to know?"

"You're the type who never likes to take advantage of anyone. Accepting such an expensive watch—does this mean you two are together?"

"No."

"Really not? People who lie have to swallow a thousand needles, you know."

"If I'm lying, may I drop dead right now!"

"..."

The phone remained silent for a long time before Xu Tao's voice finally returned:

"I was just saying that casually. There's no need to swear such a nasty oath, is there? If you really died, how would I..."

The voice cut off abruptly. Through the receiver came Xu Tao's slightly flustered tone:

"Forget it, let's skip this. You called me so early—is something the matter?"

Lin Xiao paused. Adhering to his principle of "absolute sincerity," he had been prepared to tell Xu Tao that there was actually another reason why Miss Yang had given him such an expensive watch. But since Xu Tao no longer wanted to ask, Lin Xiao shifted the topic accordingly: "I have a brand-new memory of a culinary experience here—the experience was absolutely perfect. Do you want to come over and try it?"

"Really? It takes a lot to make a rigorous guy like you use the word 'perfect'?"

On the other end, Xu Tao's mood clearly lifted. "Wait for me, I'm coming over right now!"

"Don't be so impatient. Give it a moment; I still need two or three hours to prepare." Lin Xiao felt he had underestimated the impulses of a true "foodie."

"Is this memory really as perfect as you say?"

"If I'm lying, may I drop dead righ—"

"Enough! Enough! Can't I just believe you? See you at your shop in a bit," Xu Tao said excitedly.

***

"Alright, see you in a bit."

Ending the call, Lin Xiao hung up. He shook his head with a helpless smile. No matter how much he didn't want to pry into Xu Tao's secrets, he couldn't help but passively sense something: could Xu Tao's painful oaths be linked to some sort of restriction regarding food?

The guy was definitely a foodie among foodies. Lin Xiao even felt that his flitting through romantic encounters was merely a way to dull his cravings for food.

Lin Xiao didn't delve further into Xu Tao's secret; no one likes having their painful oaths scrutinized. Since the big spender was now confirmed, it was time to prepare the "feast."

He had many culinary memories from his past life, but the most stunning one was...

Lin Xiao closed his eyes, returning once again to the memory of his thirty-third year in his previous life.

***

The resplendent, golden Chinese banquet room had not faded in his memory despite the passage of time.

Lin Xiao looked up to see a three-tiered gilded palace lantern directly above him, its hundreds of handcrafted glass pendants casting a soft, amber glow across the entire room. The surrounding Suzhou-style embroidered screens, featuring "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" outlined in gold thread, seemed lifelike under the light.

The yellow rosewood table and chairs, enclosed by the screens, radiated a warm luster. White jade chopsticks inlaid with gold and white jade bowls sitting on gold stands—every detail spoke of opulence.

The Lin Xiao of that time couldn't fathom the extent of the luxury, and he still couldn't today. After all, he had only been to such a high-end venue once.

"Mr. Lin, it is truly an honor to share a meal with you."

A gentle voice drifted over from across the table.

Lin Xiao felt his past self stop his curious scanning of the room and look toward the source of the sound. Sitting opposite him was a man in his early fifties, tall and lean, lacking the corpulence common at that age, his gold-rimmed glasses adding a touch of scholarly elegance.

"Director Lu, you are too kind; the honor is mine," his past self responded cautiously.

After all, the man was a business titan with a net worth exceeding seven billion, while he was merely an ordinary military research scientist. Although Lin Xiao didn't feel inferior, in the eyes of the world, their social statuses were indeed worlds apart.

"I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Perhaps others put me on a pedestal, but I know clearly that I just have a bit of money; I can hardly claim to have made any contribution to this country or society."

Director Lu's smile appeared exceptionally sincere. "Talents like Mr. Lin are the true pillars supporting our nation. I genuinely want to get closer to you. May I be so bold as to call you Xiao Lin?"

"Of course, you are my elder. Director Lu, you are too modest; entrepreneurs like you have made contributions to society that are equally significant."

"Since I'm calling you Xiao Lin, you should call me Uncle Lu. 'Director Lu' sounds too distant."

"Alright. Un... Uncle Lu..."

Lin Xiao felt his past self acting rather awkward in such a setting, his social pleasantries sounding dry and stiff. After all, he had gone straight from university into the military industrial system and rarely experienced such social occasions.

"I speak from the heart. My whole family deeply respects scientific talents like you who bring glory to the country. If you don't believe me, ask my niece, Xiao Ying; you are the scholar she admires most," Director Lu said with a smile.

Lin Xiao felt his past self turn his head with some trepidation—he hadn't dared to look directly in that direction before.

Sitting there quietly was a pure-looking young woman. She wore a simple white dress, her long, dark hair draped softly over her shoulders, and her natural, unadorned face held a faint blush. Even without a word, her ethereal temperament was enough to catch one's eye.

The sound of his heartbeat in that memory was clearly audible.

Lin Xiao understood that this was a normal reaction; after all, in his previous life, he had barely interacted with women. Even looking back now, he still thought she was beautiful—much like Miss Yang, she was of the pure, innocent type.

However, Miss Yang was clearly the ceiling of that archetype, completely overshadowing the Miss Lu before him.

"Why so quiet? Shy?" Director Lu teased.

Miss Lu lowered her head, her earlobes turning red enough to bleed.

Just as the atmosphere grew awkward yet tinged with a hint of ambiguity, the waiter began serving the dishes, which made Lin Xiao feel a sense of relief.

As the waiter announced the names of the dishes, one exquisite delicacy after another was placed on the table.

Stir-fried Golden-beak Sparrow Tongues, Clear-broth Braised Wild Yellow Croaker Maw, Thirty-year-old Xinhui Tangerine Peel Braised Two-head Dried Net Abalone...

As these luxurious dishes were laid out one by one, Lin Xiao felt the relief he had just experienced in his memory tighten again. His past self had naturally never tasted such delicacies, but thanks to the wealth of information on the internet, he had a rough idea of how expensive they were.

Not to mention the stir-fried sparrow tongues, the wild yellow croaker maw alone had a market price of hundreds of thousands per jin. The thirty-year-old Xinhui tangerine peel was no less expensive than the maw.

As for the main course, the two-head dried net abalone... that was completely beyond his comprehension. To maintain such a size even after being dried—how much must it have weighed when fresh?

Lin Xiao only knew that a single four-head dried abalone cost over 18,000 yuan.

The price of this single table would likely consume several years of his salary. Was he truly worth such a display of hospitality?