Chapter 5: Old schoolmate's party

Luke arrived at a lavish seafood restaurant, one he had never visited before. He approached the receptionist and inquired, "Excuse me, where is the table reserved by Mr. Li?"

"In private room number 9, the Diamond Hall," the receptionist replied nonchalantly after checking the reservation.

Upon hearing this, Luke's face took on a thoughtful expression as he pondered:

A private room, no less. That must mean my old classmates from secondary school are doing rather well for themselves. After all, they agreed to split the cost, which would have to be at least several thousand each. Could it be that some of them have suddenly come into wealth, or perhaps even hail from prestigious families?

Then it struck him - there was indeed one chap from a wealthy background among them. A second-generation rich kid who happened to be his sworn enemy, someone he simply could not get along with. Whenever they saw each other, it felt as though a fight might break out at any moment.

Luke strode towards the private room, and as he opened the door, he found about a dozen of his secondary school classmates gathered around a round table, deep in conversation. Upon seeing him enter, they cast disdainful glances in his direction. One particularly sneering individual mocked, "Luke, you left for Australia before even completing your Year 9 exams? You must be either a fool with too much money, a nouveau riche, or simply a pathetic university dropout."

Luke's face turned green with anger, his lips curling upwards into a snarl. Yet he held his tongue, for in this world, his wealth was approaching that of the richest man alive. He had no desire to lower himself to their level. He took a closer look at the jeering man, who sported a Gucci white jacket, Off-White trousers, a pair of Air Jordans, and a thick gold chain around his neck. Although decked out in trendy brands, he appeared to be the epitome of a nouveau riche.

While Luke had seen these high-end brands before, he was more inclined to keep a low profile. He enjoyed a bit of fun but was wary of showing off too much, lest he attracted unwanted trouble. The potential consequences were unimaginable, and he dared not think about the issues that might arise.

After a moment, Luke realized that the man leading the mockery was none other than Allan Zhang, the class captain from his secondary school days. This was the very same overachiever who had all the girls in the class chasing after him. As a result of Allan's presence, Luke's classmates had given him the cold shoulder throughout those four years, leaving him with few friends. It was Allan who had made those years of his life miserable. As it turned out, Allan's family owned a chain of car dealerships, so they were indeed rather affluent.

What ensued was a face-off between the scions of two wealthy families, set against the backdrop of the room's opulent decor. The round table was crafted from golden phoebe wood, while the door was made of padauk. The walls were adorned with 24-karat gold decorations, emitting a dazzling radiance. Even the tableware was made of silver, and the interior design of the room cost no less than a million dollars in the previous world.

In a display of extravagance, Allan ordered a bottle of the 1982 Lafite Rothschild, causing the waitstaff to swiftly serve a plethora of sumptuous dishes, including Australian lobster, "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" soup, and grilled Wagyu beef. The sight of such delicacies left their former classmates salivating.

The waiter then brought out a bottle of red wine, upon which was emblazoned:

LAFITE 1982

At the sight of the wine, the other classmates gasped in unison, exclaiming, "Is this truly the legendary 1982 Lafite Rothschild?" Allan, brimming with pride, declared, "Indeed, it is the fabled 1982 Lafite, valued at a whopping 1 dollars!"

Luke had tasted the '82 Lafite before, but in truth, its flavour differed little from that of ordinary wines; its price had been artificially inflated.

He instructed the waiter to pour a glass of the vintage for each person at the table. As they raised their glasses and sipped the wine, they simultaneously marvelled, "This must be the taste of wealth and luxury!"

However, as the evening wore on and the meal drew to a close, a heated argument erupted among the group over who should foot the bill. Each person's face grew flushed, and the atmosphere grew tense.

Seeing the commotion, Luke devised a plan to regain some dignity: "What if I were to treat everyone? Would that be acceptable?"