Zhang Hao let out a cold laugh and nodded, taking out his phone to contact Wang Fugui.
Zhao Yong's heart skipped a beat at the sight, thinking Zhang Hao was calling for backup.
However, his persuasion was useless. Seeing Su Yu Yan pushing the baby stroller over, he immediately pleaded with her.
"Sister-in-law, can you persuade Haozi? It's just a meal, there's no need to make such a fuss."
Su Yu Yan smiled and nodded, "Zhang Hao, let's just forget about it."
"It's alright, wife," Zhang Hao replied with a smile. Just then, Wang Fugui's voice came through the receiver.
"Young Master Zhang, why are you calling me?"
"I'm in your hotel lobby. The private room I booked for lunch has been taken by someone else. This is against the rules, isn't it?"
"Is that so? I'll be right there."
"Thank you for your trouble," Zhang Hao said politely before hanging up.
Because everyone, regardless of their status, has their dignity and likes to be respected.
Since others showed him courtesy, he had to reciprocate. This is just common courtesy.
Soon, Wang Fugui arrived.
Seeing Zhang Hao, his face was beaming with a smile, and his heart was filled with gratitude.
Thanks to his secret recipe for delicacies, the hotel's business had boomed in just two days, with profits reaching new heights daily.
And he, in turn, received an increased commission.
Therefore, seeing Zhang Hao was like seeing the God of Wealth; he absolutely could not afford to be negligent.
"Young Master Zhang, you're here for a meal with your wife, child, and friends?"
"Yes, but unfortunately, there are no rooms."
"How can that be? If there's no room for anyone else, there must be one for you. Follow me." As he spoke, he walked towards the elevator.
Zhang Hao stood still, as something still needed to be resolved.
"Wait, I believe your hotel's front desk staff has a problematic attitude, as if they look down on us."
Zhang Hao wasn't one to nitpick, but it depended on the situation.
He was very angry about the receptionist's attitude just now.
If this anger wasn't appeased, he wouldn't be able to eat.
Upon hearing this, Wang Fugui's expression immediately darkened.
Without a word, he fired the receptionist.
"You can go. Don't come back tomorrow."
"Huh?" The beautiful receptionist was stunned.
Although she had been prepared to be scolded when the manager appeared, she never expected to be fired on the spot.
Realizing her job was on the line, she immediately started pleading.
"Manager, I know I was wrong. Please don't fire me."
"You offended Young Master Zhang. What's the use of pleading with me?" Hearing this, the beautiful receptionist immediately placed her hope on Zhang Hao.
"Young Master Zhang, I'm sorry. I was wrong just now. I shouldn't have treated you like that. It's just that I'm on my period these days, so I tend to lose my temper easily. I hope you don't mind. If I lose this job, I'm ruined, because my life is so hard. I've lived alone with my mother since I was little, and I have to pay rent every month..."
"Stop!" Before the beautiful receptionist could finish, Zhang Hao interrupted her.
"Do you think I'd believe that? The gold necklace around your neck isn't cheap, and neither is the jade bracelet on your hand, not to mention your freshly done nails. And you say your life is hard?"
The beautiful receptionist, her lie exposed, was speechless and had no choice but to accept her fate.
However, at this moment, Da Zhuang awkwardly approached Zhang Hao.
He said with a faint smile, "Brother Hao, for my sake, let's just drop it. Don't make things difficult for the young girl."
"Hmm?" Zhang Hao was taken aback, not expecting Da Zhuang to plead for the receptionist.
"Do you know each other?"
"No, we don't." Da Zhuang shook his head with a smile, a very unnatural smile.
Zhang Hao immediately understood.
Needless to say, Da Zhuang must have taken a liking to the girl.
After all, this pure beauty was very attractive, but not nearly as much as his wife.
"Could it be that you've fallen for her?"
Da Zhuang smiled without answering, then looked at the beautiful receptionist and asked with a smile, "Miss, can I add your WeChat?"
"Yes." The beautiful receptionist readily agreed without even thinking.
Then, Da Zhuang took out his phone and added the beauty on WeChat.
Zhang Hao smiled slightly. Since things had come to this, he wouldn't pursue it further.
Da Zhuang was a shy type. He rarely talked to girls.
Now that he had finally met a girl he liked, as brothers, they naturally had to offer their full support.
The manager saw this and immediately laughed, smoothing things over.
"Young Master Zhang, since everything is fine, please follow me. I'll arrange the best private room for you."
"Thanks." Then, Zhang Hao and his group followed the manager into the elevator.
At this moment, Zhao Yong was somewhat confused.
Wasn't Zhang Hao down on his luck? Why did he still have so much pull wherever he went?
Lost in thought, he nudged Da Zhuang's arm and whispered, "I didn't expect you to be so brave, taking the initiative to add the pretty girl on WeChat. Actually, I also fancied that pretty girl, but you beat me to it."
"Get lost!" Da Zhuang shot Zhao Yong a sideways glance, then smiled and looked at his phone.
"Hello, beautiful. My name is Da Zhuang. May I ask your name?"
"Just call me Xiao Qian. Thank you just now."
"You're welcome." After Da Zhuang replied, he waited for a long time without receiving a message from Xiao Qian, so he racked his brains to come up with a sentence.
"The beauty's dimples hold no wine, yet I'm drunk like a dog."
"Hehe, you're so funny. Are you like this with other girls too?"
"Absolutely not. The moment I saw you, I knew what love at first sight was."
"Really? I feel the same way, actually."
Seeing this message, Da Zhuang's eyes suddenly lit up. He knew this was going to be promising.
Haha, his spring was about to arrive!
Chapter 38 Introduction
"Young Master Zhang, this is our hotel's latest menu. Please take a look and see what you'd like to eat." In the luxurious private room, Wang Fugui smilingly placed the menu in front of Zhang Hao.
"I don't mind. Let them order first."
"Indeed. After all, you are very familiar with every dish."
As he spoke, he passed the menu to Su Yu Yan.
"Sister-in-law, what do you want to eat?"
"Let them order first." Su Yu Yan replied with a smile, placing the menu in front of Zhao Yong.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law. I won't be polite then." Zhao Yong smiled and took the menu.
However, as soon as he opened it, he frowned.
Braised Pork Belly: 158.
Sweet and Sour Pork: 125.
Braised Lion's Head: 88.
These prices were too high.
Even the cheapest scrambled eggs with tomatoes cost 38.
Although Shenghai Grand Hotel could be considered mid-range in Haicheng, these prices were outrageous.
"Haozi, why don't we go somewhere else to eat?"
Zhang Hao smiled. He understood what Zhao Yong was thinking from his expression while looking at the menu.
"It's okay. Everyone, feel free to order. I'm treating you all to celebrate your basketball championship win."
As soon as he said this, Zhao Yong and the others were stunned.
"Haozi, how did you know our class won the basketball championship?" Zhao Yong looked bewildered.
He hadn't mentioned the championship win to Zhang Hao at all. How could he have known?
"Well... I naturally found out from other classmates," Zhang Hao thought quickly, coming up with a perfect excuse.
Even though he knew it from the system's bonus, who would believe it if he said it? He wouldn't even believe it himself.
Zhao Yong nodded, relieved. "Oh, I see. But we can't let you treat. You're not exactly feeding yourself anymore, and you just bought a car with a loan. You should be saving money. Let's stick to what we agreed on, split the bill."
As he spoke, he deliberately ordered some cheaper dishes.
Zhang Hao smiled and looked directly at Wang Fugui.
"Manager Wang, we won't order specific dishes or drinks. Please just bring whatever you think is best."
Wang Fugui patted his chest. "Don't worry, Young Master Zhang, I'll make sure everything is perfect. By the way, are the babies hungry? Would you like some millet porridge or noodles first?"
Zhang Hao's expression shifted slightly. He thought Wang Fugui was quite thoughtful.
Considering the babies hadn't eaten for almost three hours, they must be hungry.
"That's thoughtful of you. Please make some millet porridge, and add some vegetables to it."
"Alright, I'll be right there." With that, Wang Fugui turned and left the private room.
At this moment, driven by curiosity, Zhao Yong couldn't help but ask Zhang Hao, "Haozi, didn't you fall on hard times? Why is the manager here so polite to you?"
"Because I used to frequent this place often. I'm very familiar with the manager."
"Oh, I thought you were just pretending to be rich when you couldn't afford it."
"Uh..." Zhang Hao was slightly taken aback. Just then, he felt a touch on his leg.
Then, Su Yu Yan's quiet voice reached his ear.
"Did you buy that car with a loan?"
"Of course not, I paid cash. We don't lack money now."
"Then you didn't need to buy such an expensive one. A car for twenty to thirty thousand would have sufficed."
"It's okay, this car isn't that expensive, only a little over three hundred thousand."
"Only a little over three hundred thousand? Are we that rich?"
"Let me see, we have about four million."
"Really! Where did you get all that money?"
"Well..." Just as Zhang Hao was thinking of an excuse, Zhao Yong's voice rang out.
"Haozi, although we all know Sister-in-law is the most beautiful girl from Normal University, this is our first formal meeting. Shouldn't you introduce us?"
"Alright." Zhang Hao smiled and stood up, starting to introduce Su Yu Yan.
"This is Zhao Yong, the eldest; Da Zhuang is the second; Shao Hua is the youngest..."
"Damn it! Can you be serious?" Zhao Yong interrupted with a frown.
Da Zhuang, who was chatting with Xiao Qian, also looked up and gave Zhang Hao the middle finger.
Zhang Hao smiled. There was nothing he could do; he was used to joking around with his roommates.
"These three are my roommates: Zhao Yong, Da Zhuang, and Shao Hua. These gentlemen are my classmates: Zhang Wei, Wang Yuan, and Guo Shuai."
Su Yu Yan smiled and nodded. "Hello, everyone."
"Hello, Sister-in-law." Everyone responded with smiles.
Next, it was time to introduce Su Yu Yan.
At this moment, Zhang Hao smiled even more brightly.
"Ahem, this is my wife, Su Yu Yan. You all know her."
As he spoke, he pulled the nearby baby stroller closer.
"Next, I would like to solemnly introduce the three little princesses in my family, from oldest to youngest: Xin Xin, Miao Miao, and Jing Jing."
Upon hearing Zhang Hao's voice, the initially quiet three cute babies became excited.
They waved their little arms and called out, "Dad~" "Dad~" "Dad~"
Their childlike voices melted the hearts of everyone present.
Zhang Hao smiled and placed all three babies on his lap, pointing at Zhao Yong and the others.
"Come, say hello to your older brothers."
At these words, the smiles on Zhao Yong and the others' faces froze.
"Haozi, can you be serious in front of the children? Don't corrupt the babies."
As he spoke, he looked at the babies' adorable little faces and suddenly looked surprised.
"Holy crap, guys, did you notice? The three babies look exactly the same. Could they be triplets?"
Zhang Hao gave him a look of disdain. "Has your brain been kicked by a donkey? The three babies were born on the same day. Do you think they're triplets?"
Zhao Yong smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. "Haozi, you're still the best. No, Sister-in-law is the best. No, you're both amazing."
Su Yu Yan's cheeks turned red upon hearing this.
Zhang Hao's expression became a bit strained. "If you can talk properly, say more."
"Hehe." Zhao Yong smiled and scratched his head, then said seriously, "Haozi, Sister-in-law, you two are truly meant to be. When can we have the pleasure of attending your wedding?"
Su Yu Yan was slightly taken aback, not knowing how to answer.
She couldn't exactly reveal her father's condition to Zhang Hao: earning 100 million in half a year.
If she told them, Zhang Hao's friends would surely laugh at them.
At this moment, Zhang Hao said with a smile, "Soon. We'll notify you when the time comes."
"Okay, we look forward to that day arriving soon."
As he spoke, Zhao Yong looked at the three adorable babies, finding them more likable the more he looked.
Suddenly, he seemed to recall something.
"Da Zhuang, Shao Hua, did we forget something?"
"What... Oh." Then, Zhao Yong and the other two each took out a red envelope from their pockets, and they looked quite thick.
Zhang Hao's brow furrowed upon seeing this. "What are you doing? Put them back!"
Zhao Yong: "Haozi, you're overthinking it. This isn't for you, it's for the three babies."
Da Zhuang: "Exactly. As uncles, it's normal to give red envelopes when meeting their nieces for the first time, right?"
Shao Hua: "The amount of money isn't important, it's the sentiment."
Saying this, the three stood up and placed the three red envelopes on the three babies respectively.
Zhang Hao no longer refused, feeling deeply touched.
Zhao Yong and the others were ordinary people. Judging by the thickness of the red envelopes, they contained about two thousand yuan each, which was their monthly living expenses.
No, from now on, he must find a way to repay them.
*Knock knock knock.*
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Chapter 39 I'm Treating
"Come in." The private room door opened from the outside.
First, Wang Fugui entered, holding two bottles of 2009 Lafite.
Immediately after, more than a dozen waiters entered, all handsome men and beautiful women with good demeanors.
The beauties held trays, on which were placed dishes exuding color, aroma, and taste.
The handsome men carried the alcohol: four bottles of Feitian Maotai, two bottles of Remy Martin XO, two bottles of Royal Salute, and four cases of Tsingtao Amber Lager beer.
Of course, there were also baby meals for the babies: three bowls of millet porridge, with Peppa Pig drawn on each bowl using vegetable juice.
The scene stunned everyone present.
Even Zhang Hao and Su Yu Yan were no exception.
As for Zhao Yong and the others, they began to calculate in their minds.
"These dishes cost four to five hundred yuan each, a total of ten dishes."
"That Maotai is at least two to three thousand, Remy Martin XO over a thousand, Royal Salute over a thousand, and Tsingtao Amber Lager is about two hundred per case."
"The total cost is over twenty thousand!"
"This is too extravagant!"
Because they were all students with no income, they spent their parents' hard-earned money. At most, they would spend three to four hundred on barbecue at a roadside stall, and even going to a bar would be a minimum package of 688.
Now, a single meal costing what amounted to their annual living expenses was indeed hard to accept.
Soon, the waiters finished setting the table with the food and drinks.
"Young Master Zhang, the food and drinks are all served. Please let me know if you need anything else." Wang Fugui bowed and was extremely polite.
He had just informed the boss, Liu Huaqiang, about Zhang Hao's arrival at the hotel, and the boss had instructed him not to neglect Zhang Hao, as they would need his help later.
Although the boss hadn't specified what the help was, he knew it must be related to purchasing the secret recipe.
"Okay, thank you for your trouble." "It's no trouble at all; I'm happy to be of service. I'll take my leave now." Wang Fugui smiled and withdrew.
At this time, Zhao Yong exclaimed in amazement, "Haozi, isn't this a bit too extravagant? I just did the math. This meal is at least over twenty thousand."
Zhang Hao smiled and picked up a bottle of red wine. "Guess how much this bottle of '09 Lafite costs?"
Zhao Yong's eyes widened. "This is Lafite? It must be over a hundred thousand."
"You're talking about '82 Lafite. This is '09, only twenty thousand something."
"Twenty thousand something, that's still not cheap!"
Upon learning the price of the red wine, Zhao Yong and the others were once again shocked.
Two bottles of red wine cost over forty thousand, so this meal would cost sixty to seventy thousand!
If they split the bill, that would be an average of ten thousand per person.
Forget about savings, even with Alipay...
It wouldn't be enough.
Thinking of this, he lost his appetite looking at the delicious food and fine wine.
"Haozi, the food hasn't been touched, and the wine hasn't been opened yet. Can you ask if they can take it back?"
"Yeah, this meal is too expensive, we can't afford it."
"How about we go to a small restaurant? It's more economical and affordable."
Hearing their words, Zhang Hao smiled and waved his hand.
"I already said that I'm treating today. Just enjoy the meal, don't worry about anything else."
After all, Zhao Yong and the others had made the greatest contribution to winning the basketball game.
Therefore, it was only right to treat them to this meal costing a hundred thousand yuan.
Zhao Yong and the others exchanged glances, at a loss.
Zhang Hao continued, "I have money deposited here. Go ahead and eat and drink to your heart's content. Don't just stand there."
Upon hearing this, everyone finally felt at ease.
"Okay, then we'll gratefully accept your offer. We'll treat you when we have money in the future."
Saying this, Zhao Yong opened a bottle of Maotai and began to pour wine for everyone.
Since they were close friends, there was no need to worry about any formalities of drinking etiquette.
At this time, Zhang Hao opened a bottle of red wine and looked at Su Yu Yan with a smile.
"Wife, would you like some?"
"No, I have to put the babies to sleep when we get back."
"Alright, then have some juice."
Zhang Hao didn't insist further and poured himself a glass.
"Haozi, aren't you drinking some baijiu (white liquor)?"
Hearing Zhao Yong's question, Zhang Hao replied, "I'll just have some red wine."
"How can that be? We're all drinking baijiu, so you must drink baijiu too."
Zhang Hao's expression shifted slightly.
He knew Zhao Yong never pressured anyone to drink. Why was he acting like this today?
"Da Zhuang, get some for Haozi."
Zhao Yong directly poured a glass of baijiu.
Da Zhuang placed the baijiu in front of Zhang Hao.
"Alright, then I'll drink a little."
Out of consideration for their friendship, Zhang Hao had no choice but to agree.
At this time, the lively Zhao Yong was not finished yet. He smiled and looked at Su Yu Yan.
"Sister-in-law, this is our first time meeting formally. How about you have some red wine?"
Su Yu Yan smiled lightly. "No, you all drink."
"Hey, Sister-in-law, we're all drinking. Please have just a little. Just one glass. We'll still toast you later."
"This..." Su Yu Yan seemed hesitant.
Zhang Hao frowned. "Zhao Yong, what's gotten into you today? Did you take the wrong medicine?"
"Hehe." Zhao Yong showed a simple and honest smile. "It's just that we're meeting Sister-in-law for the first time, so we wanted to show our respect. If Sister-in-law is unwilling, then forget it.