Chapter 2017 — What Riddle Are You Playing At?

Wei Zhao phoned Feng Sanhuang and told him to head for the "Arctic Ocean Seafood Restaurant." Feng Sanhuang's car had a navigation system, so finding it would be easy enough; all Wei Zhao and the others had to do was follow his business van.

"Xiaoshu, you're wicked, you know that? The Arctic Ocean Seafood Restaurant is anything but cheap—word is it runs tens of thousands per head..." Gu Mengyao said.

"Pfft... didn't you say a meal there costs tens of thousands?" Wei Zhao was startled.

"That's right—tens of thousands for one person's meal. Zhang Duopan was too dense to ask for clarification," Shen Yushu said with a nod.

"..." He Meiyue, Chai Xiaoling, and Wang Xinyan all glanced at Shen Yushu, cold sweat breaking out down their backs in unison. This girl was a little too vicious...

The three cars pulled up one after another at the entrance of the Arctic Ocean Seafood Restaurant, and Xu Shilan and Cheng Yiyi resumed the layered, mummified disguises they had worn the night before, so that no one could tell who they were from appearances alone.

Zhang Duopan got out of the car, took one look at the sign and facade of the Arctic Ocean Seafood Restaurant, and was frightened half to death. A building this lavish, like something out of a palace—how could he ever afford to eat here?

Then he looked at the cars by the entrance: apart from sports cars, there were Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, and other luxury vehicles, none of them under a million. That set Zhang Duopan's nerves on edge at once.

But he had already come this far and could not back out now, so he could only grit his teeth and walk into the restaurant with Fan Ganhe.

The moment they stepped inside, the whole group was received with warm hospitality—a row of waiters bowed and greeted them enthusiastically, and a dedicated male and female receptionist led everyone to the ordering hall to choose dishes. Service like that was worth a fair sum in itself, and it made Zhang Duopan regret all the more that he had come here!

It looked like he really was going to have to play the big spender today.

In the ordering hall, enormous aquarium tanks lined the walls, filled with a dazzling array of every kind of live seafood, giving everyone the feeling of stepping into an aquarium. Of course, the price tags pasted on the tanks were no small matter either—practically everything started at ten thousand yuan and went up from there. Zhang Duopan nearly lost his footing and crashed to the floor!

How was this a meal that cost tens of thousands? If a few people ate here, it would come to at least several hundred thousand!

"Ha, this place is nice enough. Tell me, what's the average spend per person here?" Zhang Duopan's heart was bleeding, but he kept up a casual, offhand manner as he inquired of the waiter taking their order.

"For seafood, about seventy or eighty thousand, sir," the ordering waiter said.

"What?" Zhang Duopan was stunned. Seventy or eighty thousand for one person—Shen Yushu really knew how to sink a man! He was just about to say something when Shen Yushu spoke up instead.

"Seventy or eighty thousand for one person's meal—that's not so expensive, is it, Sister Yaoyao?" Shen Yushu said.

"..." Zhang Duopan was speechless. So what she had meant earlier was seventy or eighty thousand per person?

Zhang Duopan's heart had already begun to twitch. He was calculating how, if he came up short later, he might finagle some money out of his old man. As he thought, he mentally put Shen Yushu on his grudge list. Sure, Shen Yushu had a cute little face and big breasts, but in Zhang Duopan's eyes she was a little demon, and if he ever got the chance, he would not let this girl off easy.

"Prices here are so high—how about we order less seafood and more stir-fried dishes?" Xu Shilan was a kind soul and did not want to sink Zhang Duopan. From the look on his face, he was clearly at the end of his rope, and since Cheng Yiyi and Zhang Duopan's father's company had a business relationship, Xu Shilan did not want to put Cheng Yiyi in a difficult spot either.

"Haha, right, stir-fried dishes are healthier!" Hearing Xu Shilan's words, Zhang Duopan wanted nothing more than to throw his arms around her and plant a kiss on her—she was his savior! But he did not dare.

"Exactly, seafood's the kind of thing that gives you a bad stomach if you eat too much in this freezing weather. Even us athletes in the sports department don't dare gorge on it!" Fan Ganhe chimed in hurriedly.

Seeing that even Xu Shilan had spoken up, Shen Yushu did not keep sinking Zhang Duopan. This kid was far poorer than Zhong Yongliang and An Jianwen; as long as he stopped targeting Brother Arrowbrand with his tiresome needling, Shen Yushu would let him off for now.

With Xu Shilan leading the way, everyone naturally set their sights on the ordinary stir-fried dishes. They were not cheap either, but at least far cheaper than the seafood. From the seafood side, they only ordered crab and prawns, which did not cost much anyway. The whole meal came to just over a hundred thousand, which made Zhang Duopan breathe a sigh of relief—his pocket money, once the payment to Cheng Yiyi was deducted, was still enough to treat everyone.

Only, for some time to come, he would not be able to spend freely; he would have to tighten his belt and live frugally.

Once the dishes were chosen, everyone headed for the private room.

"Haha, today it's my treat—eat and drink your fill, everyone!" Zhang Duopan's money could not go to waste. At this moment he put on the air of a proper host.

"That's right—if it's not enough, order more later. Otherwise Zhang Duopan won't be happy if we don't eat well," Shen Yushu added.

"Actually, I saw that the abalone here are all live. We should order some abalone—I've never eaten abalone this big!" Bai Weituo said, gesturing with his hands.

"Uh... abalone, that stuff really isn't all that~~latest chapter update~~ tasty, and it doesn't look good either. With girls present, let's skip it, haha..." Zhang Duopan's calves nearly cramped with fright. He had seen the price of abalone earlier—those were single-shell abalone at several tens of thousands per catty, the very cream of the crop. Even his father had never eaten it, let alone him.

"What's wrong with girls being present?" Bai Weituo's eyes flickered; he knew at once that Zhang Duopan was hinting at something, so he deliberately feigned ignorance. "Why can't we order abalone when there are girls around? And how is abalone not good-looking?"

"Ahem... keep your voice down. It's just that—girls' parts, aren't they usually called abalone...?" Zhang Duopan thought Bai Weituo genuinely did not understand, and fearing he would keep shouting, he pulled him aside and whispered.

Normally, that would be enough for any listener to give a knowing smile and drop the subject, but Bai Weituo kept his eyes wide open and exclaimed, "Girls' parts? Which parts? What do you mean, this and that? Zhang Duopan, what riddle are you playing at? If you can't afford the abalone, just say so. Dragging out all these mysterious euphemisms and beating around the bush—do you think that's interesting?"

.RT