Chapter 16: Free of Charge (Another update at six thirty)

Forget it, forget it—since she was already here, she could at least afford one meal. Wang Hong could only comfort herself with this thought.

Once they were seated, the service at the Intercontinental Hotel sprang to life. The two of them were attended by four waiters. Two carried oversized menus, one poured them each a glass of lemon water, and the last gently moved the vase of fresh flowers from the center of the table to the side.

The four waiters then quietly stood behind them, waiting for their order.

Each of them got a menu. Hua Tianyu flipped through his casually, while Wang Hong scrutinized every page. When she reached the end, she remained silent.

The bitterness Wang Hong felt at that moment was hers alone. She truly couldn’t afford anything on the menu. To order even a few dishes would mean tightening her belt for a month—and even then, her credit card wouldn’t cover the overdraft.

Poverty limited her imagination. She had absolutely no idea what to order...

The waiters were seasoned professionals. They’d seen this situation many times. Exchanging glances, three of them quietly left, leaving just one behind to take the order.

As the three walked away, one of them muttered to the other, “Another table that can’t afford anything. Notify Xiao Zhang and the bar: if Table Six orders any expensive dishes, just say they’re sold out.”

The other scoffed, “If they can’t afford it, why come in at all?”

“Don’t say too much. As long as everyone understands, that’s enough. Have Xiao Zhang pay more attention to the other tables. This one doesn’t need much focus.”

“Understood.” The other nodded and glanced back at Table Six with contempt.

“Gentlemen, the lemon water is complimentary,” said Xiao Zhang, the remaining waiter, after receiving instructions through his earpiece. Wang Hong’s face flushed instantly.

Seeing Wang Hong’s embarrassment, Hua Tianyu stood up with a gentle smile. “Wang Hong, keep looking at the menu. I’ll go to the restroom and be right back.”

As Hua Tianyu left for the restroom, Wang Hong replied in a voice barely above a whisper. She didn’t even dare to speak loudly now.

Hua Tianyu realized then—Wang Hong was probably not some heiress, and likely had no idea about the prices here.

He waited until Wang Hong was distracted, then hurried to the bar. “I’d like to order for Table Six.”

“Huh?” The cashier, Guo Qin, was momentarily stunned. Why was someone ordering at the bar? Did he think this was a street-side eatery?

“Is it not possible to order here?” Hua Tianyu smiled at Guo Qin behind the bar.

For reasons she couldn’t explain, although the man before her was smiling, Guo Qin felt unsettled under his gaze. Technically, it was possible to order here, though no customer ever had.

Fine, let him order. “Alright then, please go ahead.”

“For starters: one sturgeon caviar, one foie gras—”

“Wait, wait, you’re from Table Six, right? Both those dishes are sold out.” Guo Qin remembered the instruction from her headset and quickly found a polite excuse to stop him.

Was she kidding? Those were the priciest appetizers. If he ordered them and then claimed he couldn’t pay, were they supposed to cover the bill?

“Sold out?” Hua Tianyu fixed his gaze on her, pressing the question.

“We… we only accept cash, bank cards, or QR code payments. We don’t accept any items as collateral or let customers run tabs.” Guo Qin, unnerved, could only repeat the lines she’d learned in training.

With a soft “thud,” a black American Express Centurion card landed before her.

Hua Tianyu didn’t want to be ostentatious, but sometimes, it was unavoidable. Someone like him could only carry one card—any more would risk exposure and be a burden. The Centurion, with strict confidentiality for its holder, was his card of choice.

Guo Qin gasped when she saw the card. She knew it well: the world’s most prestigious credit card, bar none, with no spending limit. Forget a meal; it could buy an entire Lamborghini racing team on credit.

Its holders were always either wealthy or powerful, and the issuer maintained the highest level of confidentiality regarding their information—just like a Swiss bank account.

During staff training, they were told explicitly: whenever a customer pays with this card, serve them on your knees if you must, never standing. No matter how bizarre the request, fulfill it!

“All the dishes you ordered are available. Please continue!” Guo Qin changed her tone without hesitation, inwardly cursing the supervisor who’d given the previous instructions.

For Hua Tianyu, this card was nothing special; a single top-tier mission’s reward could cover its issuance.

Two minutes later, Guo Qin had finished taking the order, respectfully returned the Centurion card, and asked, “Is there anything else you require?”

“Yes! I want to surprise my girlfriend. Please don’t tell her I’ve already paid. Just say the hotel is treating us to this meal.”

“Understood, sir. Enjoy your meal!”

...

Hua Tianyu returned to his seat, accompanied by the floor manager and eight waiters.

“Congratulations to you both!”

“???” The manager’s loud greeting snapped Wang Hong out of her anxious reverie.

“The esteemed couple happens to be our hotel’s one hundred thousandth table. Our owner has decided to treat you to the meal and has prepared a special set dinner for two. Please enjoy.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Hua Tianyu, unsure if this explanation would satisfy the benefactor.

“What? Exactly the hundred thousandth table, and it’s complimentary?” Wang Hong was so surprised her mouth could have swallowed an egg whole.

“In addition, we’ve prepared a song and dance just for the hundred thousandth table. We hope the esteemed couple will enjoy it!”

“Song and dance?” Hua Tianyu was also surprised—he hadn’t asked them for that.

The manager quickly faced Hua Tianyu, looking earnest. “The entertainment is truly complimentary…”

Hua Tianyu: “Oh…”

Then, “You are my little, little apple…” The music for square dancing suddenly blared, and eight waiters began to dance in unison.

Hua Tianyu put a hand to his forehead. Were they serious? Next time, he really shouldn’t accept anything for free…

Since Hua Tianyu had ordered the full Western set menu, there were several dishes Wang Hong didn’t even recognize. But that didn’t matter—this was the finest, most expensive meal she had ever had.

She was dizzy with delight throughout, wondering how such good fortune had suddenly landed on her. The biggest prize she’d ever won was five yuan from a scratch-off lottery ticket at a restaurant.

After leaving the hotel, she still felt something was off. Suspicious, she asked Hua Tianyu, “Did you secretly pay the bill?”