Xu Ru deliberately mentioned the jar of vintage Guyue Longshan yellow wine, even stating its price of 138,888 in front of everyone.
On the surface, it seemed like she was just reporting work matters to Zeng Haifeng, but in reality, she was helping Jiang Beicheng save face.
Not to mention the amount of derogatory and mocking remarks about Jiang Beicheng after the Jiang family's downfall, just Zeng Haifeng's earlier words to drive him out had already made Xu Ru very uncomfortable.
After she spoke, everyone in the hall was shocked.
First, the waiters who didn't know Jiang Beicheng all knew about the exorbitantly priced wine in the restaurant. Despite so many distinguished guests coming through, no one had ever ordered it.
This alone demonstrated Jiang Beicheng's influence—a true super-rich second-generation heir.
His wealth might even surpass that of their boss, Zeng Haifeng.
Zeng Haifeng had already overheard some hushed discussions and looked at Jiang Beicheng with an incredulous gaze.
Was he still pretending to be "Young Master Jiang," or had Jiang Tao left him a large sum of money, allowing him to maintain the demeanor of a second-generation heir?
Wasn't it said that the Jiang family's assets had been sold off by his stepmother, who then fled the country?
That's what the business circle was saying—could they have been wrong?
Zeng Haifeng couldn't figure it out.
He began to hesitate in his heart—should he honor his earlier promise to waive the bill for Jiang Beicheng and his group?
If he waived the bill, including the cost of the private room's food, service fees, and more, he'd personally have to cover around 140,000 to 150,000 yuan.
Given the current business at Li's Restaurant, that amount represented profits for quite a long time.
He naturally felt it was too much of a loss.
More importantly, he had assumed that Jiang Beicheng, now living the life of an ordinary person, scrambling to find work and make a living, should have shown him respect and deference. Yet, Jiang Beicheng hadn't changed one bit.
He was still as extravagant as ever.
A single meal costing 140,000 to 150,000 yuan.
Zeng Haifeng, who had been competing with Jiang Beicheng for years, certainly didn't want him to be doing better than himself.
This made him even more reluctant to waive the bill.
Standing beside him, Zhou Yu kept staring at Jiang Beicheng in shock.
Where did he get so much money?
How could he afford to spend like this?
Had Jiang Beicheng deceived her?
Did Jiang Tao leave him money?
Countless questions swirled in her mind.
Her emotions grew complicated, and she felt a pang of discomfort.
Also looking at Jiang Beicheng in surprise was Li Xingying. Wasn't this the same extravagant Young Master Jiang? How could he be as miserable and struggling as Zhou Yu had described?
But at this moment, she was a bit nervous. She was the one treating everyone to this meal, and she couldn't afford a bill of 140,000 to 150,000 yuan.
If she had known, she wouldn't have said those words and just let Zeng Haifeng waive the bill.
Her savings from most of the year would be wiped out.
Li Xingying gritted her teeth and accepted it.
It's fine—she'd earn it back later.
"Boss Zeng, I'll go handle it as you instructed," Xu Ru said.
Her words at this critical moment were devastating.
"Wait a moment…" Zeng Haifeng hesitated, "I'll personally go check if there's any issue with the food in the private room."
He found a reasonable excuse to back off.
You've already put on such a show—do you think you can just walk away now?
Jiang Beicheng smiled faintly, "Boss Zeng, your general manager not only lacks execution but also lacks courage."
The implication was clear: *You're hesitating even when you're trying to show off. How unimpressive.*
This remark ignited Zeng Haifeng's anger.
"We follow rules and procedures. Whether it's an issue with the food or service, or if you're deliberately finding fault, we'll know after an inspection," Zeng Haifeng said confidently. "I don't need you to teach me how to be a manager or how to conduct myself.
Mind your own business."
The store manager and head chef felt deeply ashamed and lowered their heads.
Was an inspection even necessary?
Wasn't the restaurant already dirty enough?
If they weren't working for the Zeng family, they would've quit long ago.
Jiang Beicheng responded to Zeng Haifeng's incompetent outburst with disdain, saying in a deep voice, "Even your father wouldn't dare speak to me in that tone."
That one sentence completely crushed Zeng Haifeng.
Zeng Haifeng didn't dare retort, only bottling up his frustration, because Jiang Beicheng was telling the truth.
Who in Jiangnan City's (dining circle) didn't know that his father, Zeng Wei, used to be Jiang Tao's driver? Not only did Jiang Tao bring him into the foreign trade business, but he also lent him money to open a hotpot restaurant.
Without Jiang Tao, Zeng Wei might still be driving for someone else.
The higher one climbs, the more they care about face.
If the Zeng family father and son treated Jiang Beicheng dishonorably, Zeng Wei's reputation in Jiangnan City's dining industry would take a hit.
The label of ingratitude would weigh heavily on him, and he wouldn't be able to hold his head up among his peers.
Jiangnan City was a place steeped in a strong (spirit, or sense of camaraderie and honor), and the old-timers in the dining industry valued character and integrity above all else.
This was also why Zeng Wei had told Zeng Haifeng to keep an eye on Jiang Beicheng.
He cared about his reputation.
Zhou Yu watched as her newly acquired "sponsor," Boss Zeng, was silenced by a single sentence from Jiang Beicheng. She was utterly shocked.
What was the relationship between Jiang Beicheng and the Zeng family, or with Zeng Haifeng?
As she stood there, completely confused, Jiang Beicheng suddenly looked at her and said to Zeng Haifeng with a smile, "After all these years, you still haven't kicked your bad habit of picking up the things I've discarded."
Zeng Haifeng first looked at Zhou Yu in confusion, then his face darkened instantly.
Zhou Yu's palms began to sweat nervously.
"They say people climb upward, but you seem to enjoy going the opposite way," Jiang Beicheng added, directing another jab at Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu clearly understood the implication: he was saying her taste was terrible, choosing such a pathetic "successor" like Zeng Haifeng.
Zeng Haifeng, who didn't dare disrespect Jiang Beicheng, finally found a way to shift the conflict onto Zhou Yu.
He wasn't someone who picked up Jiang Beicheng's scraps.
"Little Li, make a call to the Market Supervision Bureau," Jiang Beicheng said to Li Xingying.
Li Xingying understood immediately and took out her phone to make the call.
"Two things," Jiang Beicheng warned Zeng Haifeng. "One, cooperate with the Market Supervision Bureau's investigation and rectification. Be responsible to your customers. Two, change the sign of Li's Restaurant. Stop tarnishing my mother's reputation."
Then he turned to Xu Ru, the store manager, "Sister Xu, I'll transfer the money for the wine to you directly. Please have someone deliver it to my grandmother's place."
"Alright, Young Master Jiang," Xu Ru replied.
"I'm treating everyone to this meal, so I should cover the bill…" Li Xingying hurriedly tried to pay, but Jiang Beicheng stopped her with a hand.
Li Xingying looked at Jiang Beicheng, stunned.
"Wait until you're actually making money," Jiang Beicheng said with a smile. "You barely touched your chopsticks earlier. Shall we go somewhere else?"
Li Xingying gazed into Jiang Beicheng's suddenly gentle eyes and nodded.
His commanding presence just moments ago was like that of a completely different person.
Zhou Yu's face darkened. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Jiang Beicheng and her friend Li Xingying leave. Jiang Beicheng had once been so gentle and gentlemanly with her too.
She couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart—it was painful.
But compared to that pain, she now had a bigger problem to deal with. Jiang Beicheng had exposed her identity, and how was she going to explain this to Zeng Haifeng?
…
As Li Xingying followed Jiang Beicheng out of the restaurant, she suddenly laughed. "That was so awkward. Today was just too dramatic, wasn't it?"
Jiang Beicheng's face also broke into a smile as he praised her, "Little Li, your performance today really impressed me."
His smile wasn't about Li Xingying's clumsy defense of him earlier but came from a genuine sense of joy and relief.
For the past two months, he'd been surrounded by trivial matters, criticism, and mocking remarks.
Today, he finally got to vent his emotions on Zeng Haifeng and Zhou Yu.
It felt great.
[Smile +1]
[Smile Count: 2/10]
Indeed, it was the system that had once again given him the confidence of a second-generation heir.
Young Master Jiang was still the same Young Master Jiang—carefree, bold, and extravagant.
But Young Master Jiang wasn't entirely the same as before. He had seen through many things.