Chapter 11: Time Waits for No One, My Friend

Chapter 14: Time Waits for No One, My Friend

When Su Feng asked for the bill, Sophie, the charming young lady, glanced at the receipt in her hand, then let out a delicate laugh and said to him, “Our most respected guest, the total is three hundred dollars.”

“What? My goodness, three hundred dollars? Are you joking?” Su Feng was genuinely startled—shocked, in fact. Such a high price truly caught him off guard.

“This is your bill, sir. Don’t overthink or misunderstand. Our little establishment here is not a shady place. All of our prices and items are clearly listed and can be verified, you know?” Sophie continued, handing him the bill for him to review.

Half-believing, half-doubting, Su Feng took the bill from her and examined it thoroughly, searching for any mistake or loophole. But, unfortunately, there was nothing out of place. He could find no flaw or error.

Nevertheless, Su Feng wasn’t ready to give up. If there was no fault to be found on the bill itself, he would try to uncover something from Sophie’s words. It was a desperate move, but he had to try.

However, after exchanging a few sentences with Sophie, his hopes faded. This young lady was truly meticulous—no matter how he tried to probe, she gave nothing away.

This left Su Feng feeling rather frustrated. Three hundred dollars was no small sum, even in a wealthy country like America.

“Miss, let me ask you one last thing...” Su Feng sighed, resigning himself to his fate. Looking at Sophie, he said, “Could you give me a discount, perhaps? After all, we’ve chatted for quite a while. Surely a discount isn’t too much to ask, is it?”

This was his last resort. If this didn’t work, he really would be out of options.

“All right, all right...” Sophie, in truth, was soft-hearted. After Su Feng’s persistent pleading, her resolve wavered. She said, “Since you’ve spoken so much, sir, I’ll give you a discount.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!” Su Feng’s face brightened at her words. Smiling, he asked, “So, what discount will you give me?”

“How about this, sir...” Sophie looked into his eyes and said, “Just pay two hundred and eighty dollars.”

“Two hundred and eighty?” Su Feng considered her offer, then agreed, “Alright, let’s go with that. I won’t argue anymore.”

After paying, Su Feng smiled at Sophie and said, “To be honest, your food is excellent. I’ll be leaving now, but if I have the chance, I’ll come back again. Don’t worry about that.”

“Really?” A hint of joy flashed in Sophie’s eyes. She replied, “Then please come often. I’ll be waiting here for you.” Was that a hint of temptation? Su Feng couldn’t help but smile wryly at her words.

“Well, I’ll be off, then...” With that, Su Feng patted her gently on the shoulder and left the little restaurant.

The moment he stepped outside, Su Feng felt he had wasted far too much time in that place.

Yes, far too much time indeed.

“Well, at least I’m full. I suppose it’s time to head home. I am feeling a bit tired, but as a basketball player, I can’t go to bed so early! Better to stay up a bit later.” As he walked, Su Feng pulled out his phone and noticed it was only around seven o’clock.

Still too early.

“Where should I go to have some fun?” Su Feng looked around.

Houston, after all, had plenty of entertainment options, so finding something to do wouldn’t be difficult.

“Since I’ve eaten my fill, I should have a good drink too. Let’s find a bar and have some fun!” With that decision, he looked both ways and set out to find a bar for a drink and some amusement.

The truth was, in Houston, finding a bar was all too easy. In America—especially in Houston—bars were everywhere, and the city was famous for producing its fair share of heavy drinkers, people who seemed to find solace in the haze of alcohol.

Since coming to the States, Su Feng had somehow picked up the habit of drinking, almost without realizing it.

He found the idea that drinking was a vice somewhat hard to accept. How could enjoying a drink make someone a bad person?

No matter what anyone said, Su Feng didn’t think such a judgment was fair.

“Well, now I know for sure—some bars in Houston really are excellent.” After living in the city for a few days, Su Feng had become something of a regular, and after wandering through several bustling streets, he found a bar he’d been to before and knew was good.

“Welcome, sir, from China!” As soon as Su Feng entered the bar—strangely named “Mysterious Bar”—the doorman at the entrance greeted him with a smile.

“Is it crowded tonight?” Su Feng asked in a familiar tone.

The doorman looked him in the eye and replied, “Not too busy, sir.”