Chapter 306: Tricking Hunter

Hunter stared at the $1 million check in his hand, puzzled as he looked at William. He wasn't foolish enough to think this was just a tip.

"After covering today's expenses, put the remaining amount onto Ambrosio's gold card," William said with a smile. "Your restaurant offers a prepaid dining service, right?"

Hunter smiled and replied, "Normally, we don't have such a service, but..." He waved the check in his hand and sighed. "With a $1 million check like this, I don't think any restaurant would refuse to add this service for you."

He bowed slightly to William and continued, "You will be our restaurant's first diamond-level customer. To show our gratitude, today's meal is on the house, and in the future, you and Miss Ambrosio will enjoy a 15% discount whenever you dine with us."

"Ah!" Martin, who was standing nearby, let out a soft gasp. Realizing everyone was looking at him, he quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, everyone, that was rude of me."

The group indicated that it was no big deal, and Martin turned to William. "Mr. Devonshire, as far as I know, Restaurant 11 never gives discounts. Not only that, people willing to pay several times the price for a special occasion often can't even get a table."

"Ha ha, really?" William let out a dry laugh, thinking to himself that it wasn't all that surprising—he was a super-rich man, after all.

A Michelin three-star restaurant might sound impressive, and indeed it was, but these restaurants weren't guaranteed to maintain their three-star status forever. A few minor mistakes, and a Michelin three-star could easily drop to two stars. Although Michelin restaurants don't need to advertise, the more famous a restaurant, the more it needs buzz and headlines to maintain its reputation and the chef's standing. Otherwise, why would renowned Michelin chefs be so eager to appear on TV cooking shows?

The more famous they are, the more opportunities they have to open branches and make more money. A $1 million prepaid dining fee was an excellent headline, which is why Chef Hunter had decided to offer William a discount without consulting the restaurant's other shareholders.

Understanding this, William wasn't surprised at all. However, the mention of birthdays reminded him that his mother, Lena, had a birthday coming up on the 23rd of next month, and he hadn't yet planned her birthday party.

Looking at the highly esteemed Hunter standing before him, William's eyes gleamed with a plan as he smiled and thanked him. "Thank you, but this $1 million might be spent on the next banquet."

"What do you mean?" Hunter asked, confused. "Mr. Devonshire, our restaurant's prices aren't that high. Including wine, the average per person is about $500. This $1 million should be enough for you and Miss Ambrosio to dine with us 1,000 times."

"Ha ha, Hunter, you're right, but don't forget about Miss Ambrosio's banquet."

William glanced at Ambrosio, who was equally puzzled, and explained with a smile, "Men earn money for women to spend. The cost of the dishes isn't much, but this upcoming banquet is my girlfriend Miss Ambrosio's first formal event to host her friends, so I need the best of everything related to the banquet. I may not know much about ingredients, but what about those wines costing tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands? Do those get the 15% discount as well?"

William's question made Hunter's heart skip a beat, and he inwardly cursed. Dealing with a rich client like William, who cared more about face than price, was indeed troublesome.

Normally, guests would order wines ranging from a few hundred to a thousand dollars, and only a few would go for something more expensive. With set menus, the wine prices would typically be even lower, as the sommelier would recommend wines based on the guest's taste and the dishes being served, often charging by the glass rather than the bottle. But if William was serious about using wines priced in the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands for a banquet, the restaurant would certainly lose money. That kind of business wasn't something Hunter could decide alone, and even if he were willing to lose money for the sake of his reputation, he couldn't sell such expensive wines at an 85% discount.

Hunter, feeling a bit uneasy, explained, "That is indeed a big issue. Our restaurant focuses on innovative ingredients and dishes, and we've always believed that wine should complement the food. So, our wine prices are quite transparent, with a markup of about 12% from the wineries, which is still 1% to 3% lower than the prices offered by primary distributors. But as for those rare vintage wines, it's impossible to offer an 85% discount. Although we can get them through connections,"

Hunter said proudly, knowing that their ability to source rare wines set them apart. But his pride quickly turned to frustration as he continued, "The problem is, even if we can get them, we can't sell them at such a low price, or the wine merchants would want to kill us."

William understood Hunter's dilemma. Rare wines were scarce, and if a wine merchant granted you the privilege of buying them, you couldn't sell them at a loss, as that would ruin the merchant's business.

Cutting off someone's income is akin to killing their parents, which is why William smiled knowingly as he waited for Hunter to speak.

After thinking for a moment, Hunter said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Devonshire, I didn't consider this carefully. As compensation, how about...?"

"Sorry, hold on," William interrupted Hunter, who had been waiting for him to offer compensation. But William needed to propose it himself. At times, William was very careful with money, but when it came to his mother, he was quite generous. After talking for so long, he had finally cornered Hunter. Now that he had achieved his goal, William directly suggested, "I don't care about the money. If you want to make it up to me, how about coming to England next month on the 23rd to be the head chef for my mother's birthday? If you agree, I'll cancel the discount at your restaurant and only keep the privilege of dining there anytime, anywhere. As for the compensation for you and your team," he paused before naming a figure that left everyone gasping, "How about $1.5 million for three days?"

"Phew," everyone except Hunter gasped at the high offer. It was likely the highest payment in the culinary world. But instead of feeling thrilled, Hunter felt uneasy. After a moment's thought, he sighed quietly, "Mr. Devonshire, this was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

"Ha ha," William was a bit surprised by Hunter's calmness, but since he was asking for a favor and had already outmaneuvered him, William decided to play the family card. With an unusually pleasant tone, he said, "I apologize, Mr. Hunter. I know you're very busy, but the 23rd of next month will be the first time I'm celebrating my mother's birthday since I made my fortune. She has sacrificed so much for me, so I want to give her the best birthday party possible. In the culinary world, no one is more famous, experienced, or has held Michelin three-star status longer than you. I believe you are the most suitable chef to oversee the kitchen for this event."

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