Chapter Twenty-Three: An Inexplicable Situation

Hearing this, Lu Hao felt speechless. Why were so many people lacking judgment today? The endless questioning was starting to irritate him.

“This... Forget it, I can't explain it to you properly. When your manager arrives, you'll understand,” Lu Hao said impatiently, waving his hand and turning back, intent on resuming his meal.

He had no desire to pay any more attention to these buzzing flies.

Yet the server before him, seeing Lu Hao unwilling to pay directly, became even more convinced of Xu Sen's accusations. Eyeing Lu Hao's bargain-bin clothes, she surmised his financial status was likely mediocre.

Driven by the threat to her own interests, she had to clarify the situation. If this guest truly tried to dine without paying, none of the waitstaff would escape the consequences.

She tried to be diplomatic. “Sir, please... Please pay now. It's not that we don't trust you, but if you don't pay, this gentleman will make trouble for us, and we're really in a bind.”

Lu Hao let out a cold laugh. These servers spoke sweetly enough, but at the end of the day, they thought he couldn't afford the meal. Truly, they judged people by appearances.

But Lu Hao simply didn’t have enough cash on him. If he were asked to pay now, he couldn’t. He was able to order so much only because Manager Wang had assured him he could use his Diamond VIP card, and didn't need to worry.

“How should I reply to you? If he's causing trouble, just throw him out. Why come to me?” Lu Hao's voice was icy. “Is this how your Arabian Restaurant operates? Someone else makes a scene at my table, and you trouble me instead? Go ask around—do people pay before eating here? If that's the rule, I can comply.”

By now, Lu Hao had no intention of showing the server any courtesy. From the moment he entered, the Arabian Restaurant had left a sour impression, starting with the doorman.

Xu Sen, witnessing the scene, grew even more smug. “See? Didn't I say it? I told you he couldn't pay, but you didn't believe me. Now you're in trouble, aren't you?”

“If he can't cover the seventy thousand for this table, who else will pay? It'll fall to you, won’t it? Don't say nobody warned you when you’re crying later.”

“Sir, please, honestly, don't make it hard for us. You ordered such a huge spread, just the two of you, which you can't finish. And we've never seen you here before, so...”

“We must ask you to pay first.”

As fate would have it, the server's name was Zhang Li, the cousin—and secret lover—of Zhang Qiang, the front door attendant. Truly, birds of a feather flock together.

Hearing this, Zhang Qingfan could no longer sit still. She slapped the table and stood up. “What do you mean by that?”

“Is this how your restaurant conducts business?”

“You don't know him, but surely you know me?” She pointed to her own nose.

She frequented this place and assumed the staff would recognize her. Yet Zhang Li simply shook her head. “Sorry, miss, it doesn’t matter who you are. Everyone dining here must pay. That won’t change, no matter your identity.”

After all, Zhang Li had only been working there a few months, thanks to Zhang Qiang's connections, so she didn’t know Zhang Qingfan.

“You—!” Zhang Qingfan was so angry she nearly threw her chopsticks to the floor, ready to storm out and teach the servers and Xu Sen a lesson.

But Lu Hao grabbed her arm and signaled with his eyes: don’t act rashly.

As the saying goes, before destruction comes madness.

Lu Hao wanted them to become even more arrogant; the more outrageous, the better. That way, he could teach them a lesson they wouldn't soon forget.

Lu Hao stood slowly, smiling at Zhang Li. “You really want me to pay?”

“Of course, sir. I checked at the cashier’s desk—there’s been no payment yet. The total comes to seventy-six thousand five hundred forty-three. We’ll round it down for you; just seventy-six thousand five hundred forty.”

Her face was expressionless, as if she was certain Lu Hao couldn't pay, simply awaiting his outburst so she could call security to remove them all.

She was already imagining her superior praising her, awarding her a bonus for the month. Her palms grew warm with excitement.

“Very well, I’ll pay,” Lu Hao replied, pulling out the fifty-thousand-yuan bank card he'd received from Sister Chu.

“You accept cards here, right? This is from one of the four major banks,” Lu Hao said calmly.

Zhang Li remained expressionless, but internally she was locked in a contest of wills with him. “Yes, sir, we accept cards. Any standard domestic payment method is fine,” she replied.

Xu Sen, fanning the flames nearby, chimed in, “Let him swipe it. I want to see how this pig masquerades as an elephant.”

Soon Zhang Li brought over the card reader, specially designed for credit and debit card payments.

“Let me handle it, teacher,” Zhang Qingfan offered, but Lu Hao gently pushed her hand away.

He placed the card on the reader.

“Please enter your PIN,” Zhang Li said, still convinced Lu Hao was merely pretending to wealth—after all, a truly rich man wouldn’t be dressed in such cheap clothes.

Lu Hao quickly entered the password Sister Chu had given him.

Beep beep beep...

Ding! “Transaction successful. Paid seventy-six thousand five hundred forty yuan.”

The sound of the card reader stunned everyone present.

Especially Xu Sen and Zhang Li—their expressions shifted dramatically. Neither had expected Lu Hao to actually have the funds.

“So?” Lu Hao’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Satisfied now?”

He raised his voice. “You all thought I couldn’t afford it and demanded I pay upfront. Well, I’ve paid. And now I can say this: as far as service goes, your Arabian Restaurant is the worst I’ve ever experienced.”

“Even the fly-infested diners back home treat customers better than this. If I buy a bowl of porridge, at least the proprietor manages a smile, not a background check.”

With a crash, Lu Hao slammed a bowl onto the floor, shattering it. Instantly, all the guests’ attention snapped toward them.