Chapter 9 Its a Tough World (2/2)
”You had money to help someone who was trying to sell himself as a slave to bury his father, but you are telling me that you don't have money to pay for your accommodation? On top of that, you are trying to get a free meal. What kind of logic is this?” the manager exclaimed.
”The money was not a gift; I bought him as my slave. Don't worry about the outstanding balance, I can just get my slave to work for you to pay it off.”
”Without drawing up a contract and not knowing where he stays, how are you going to know that he wasn't conning you? Only your kind of people would believe this sort of story.” The manager laughed sarcastically.
”I told him to come back in three days, he will not go back on his words,” the man in green replied.
”That was what you said yesterday.”
”But today is the day, not yesterday.”
Right at this moment, the food was brought out from the kitchen; its aromatic scent filled up the whole place.
When the dish was brought to Shen Lian's table, the man in green took a seat directly opposite of him. He reached for a piece of steaming hot meat and sent it into his mouth.
The dish was sizzling beef. It was covered with boiling hot oil, but the man in green swallowed it without so much as batting an eye.
The manager was surprised at how that the man in green had the balls to sit at Shen Lian's table. He quickly went over to chase him away.
Before the manager could do anything, Shen Lian spoke, ”Bring over another set of cutleries. Also, I'll pay for his food and board.”
The manager did not recognize Shen Lian, but he knew that his two bodyguards were from the Shen family. This was why he went out of his way and did as Shen Lian said.
The name of the Shen family did wonder, the manager had no reason to reject Shen Lian's offer to pay up.
After all, all he wanted was money. He did not have personal vengeance against the man in green.
Money was the one thing that the Shen family had in abundance.
After having some meat, the man in green reached for the pot of old wine. He gulped down the wine and emptied the pot in a matter of seconds.
”What a dishonest trader! The amount of wine in the pot was painstakingly little. Bring me a bigger pot, bring over ten more,” the man in green complained.
The manager looked at Shen Lian. Shen Lian nodded in approval.
It did not take long for the manager to bring over ten potfuls of good liquor.
”What on earth are these, flavored water? Are you taking me for a fool? Bring over ten pot of the liquor that I just had.” The man in green barked after taking a sniff at the pot.
”The liquor from earlier was Huadiao wine made from our secret recipe, we don't have a lot of them in stock,” the manager replied in a friendly tone, but in his mind, he was cursing the man in green for taking advantage of Shen Lian.
”You old prick, are you worried that this young master cannot pay up?” The man in green pointed at Shen Lian.
”Bring us the wine from earlier. Bring over all of your remaining stock,” Shen Lian responded.
The manager nodded and told the waiter to swap the wine that he brought over into the Huadiao that was low in stock.
”Fine young man, you look so refined and cultured, who would have thought that you have such a heroic spirit! It's too bad that I've met the other young man first. What a shame!” The man in green shook his head.
”Looking at how I've offered to pay for your meal, it would mean that I'm not short on cash. Giving away one buck when you have a thousand bucks, as compared to giving away one buck when that's all you have; the effect is the same, but the level of ties and affection is different. It's a tough world. There is no need to think so highly of me,” Shen Lian smiled as he replied.
The man in green's eyes brightened up, and he knocked on the bowl with his chopstick. He then spoke up with a clear voice, ”It's a tough world indeed. I wouldn't have expected such wisdom from someone your age!” he complimented.
”These are not my words. They are part of a passage by someone named Gulong. Would you like to hear the rest?”
”Hold up, these words of wisdom would go well with wine. We should wait for the wine!”