I Want to Be the First

An hour later, Gao Yuan and Si Ma Zhi carried back a few plastic bags. Following behind them were two grocers that were helping with the deliveries.

After they entered the restaurant, they saw the variety of vegetables and seasonings. There were now individual boxes for crabs, fishes, prawns, oysters, and abalones. After they delivered the goods inside the kitchen, the grocers left. Gao Yuan placed two bottles of red wine onto the counter. With a provoking tone, he challenged the rules of the restaurant. "Can we drink it?" 

Bai Lu giggled. "Sure. However, dinner starts at a later time for you guys."

With an attitude of a victor, Gao Yuan declared, "So be it. We will be going out to party at night anyway." Then he also said, "Spending someone else's money is simply the best feeling ever."

All the goods were purchased with the $10k that was snatched by Gao Yuan earlier. Bai Lu snickered, but he did not say anything.

A while later, the restaurant started dinner service. When the doors were opened, the customers streamed in. It wasn't long before all six tables were filled.

Zhang Sha Sha had no place to sit. She stood at the entrance and did not know what she should be doing.

Bai Lu said, "In a moment, you are responsible for serving up the dishes."

"Yes," she said and walked to the entrance of the kitchen.

It was the same old situation. Whatever the customers ate, were entirely dependent on Bai Lu's mood. Except for Gao Yuan's table, in just half an hour, all the other five tables were swiftly dealt with.

Zhang Sha Sha worked in a very nimble manner. As soon as she finished serving the dishes, Bai Lu said, "Collect $20 per person." She then carried out the task right away.

She finished collecting the money and handed it over to Bai Lu. "Why do you serve six tables only? If you serve more customers, wouldn't you make more money?"

Bai Lu chuckled. Gao Yuan stood by the side and abruptly said, "That's because he is an idiot."

At the same time, He San Qing had returned. He carried a huge backpack and threw it down at Bai Lu's feet. "It's yours. There are two more bags in the car."

It was a very inconspicuous canvas bag. The way that it was being handled, no one would have thought that it contained a lot of money. Bai Lu kicked the canvas bag into the corner of the wall. "Sit. The meal is starting soon."

He San Qing took a look at the thermos flask, and he went out of the restaurant. After a while, he returned with a carton of mineral water bottles. "I have never worked so hard in my entire life; not even for my dad."

The bunch of people was talking and laughing. Only when the other five tables of customers left, did Bai Lu re-enter the kitchen to start the second round of cooking.

Seafood must be eaten fresh. Even though Bai Lu came from the desert, he had a specific natural talent for cooking. After a considerable effort, he served up a seafood banquet.

Including Zhang Sha Sha and Bai Lu, there were 11 people in total, so two tables were combined. The whole lot gathered around for a meal. It could be said that they ate to their heart's content.

Bai Lu sat beside Zhang Sha Sha and kept peeling the prawn shells and cracking the crabs for her. She thanked him with a soft voice.

After the meal, He San Qing escorted Bai Lu to the car to retrieve the other two money bags and helped to transfer them into the bedroom. Le Miao Miao did not know what was inside. She was curious to help but was restrained by Bai Lu.

There were three canvas bags in total. Gao Yuan and He San Qing went into the bedroom.

The first words from Gao Yuan: "Are you staying here in this doghouse?"

"Precisely. I am staying here in this doghouse so that I can make dog food for you." Bai Lu retorted.

He San Qing said, "Stop your rambling. Let's count the money first. With the actual gold brick weighing a full 25kg, there's no possible bill of purchase. Also, the transaction fees were slightly higher, but who am I? Who dares to cheat my money? Those guys officially charged $100k fees for symbolic purposes. Then they converted the gold to cash according to the official international rates for the price of gold. After rounding down the total sum, there's a total of $8 million in here. If not for the huge delay in time to process the transaction, and also their lack of such a huge amount of floating cash, I would have returned long ago."

There was $8 million in cash. It filled up the three canvas bags. Bai Lu opened the zip and cast a few quick glances casually. Then he closed the bag, stuffed it under the bed and said, "Thanks."

"Not counting?" Gao Yuan asked.

"There's no point in counting." Bai Lu took the initiative to return to the restaurant.

He San Qing smiled. "This guy is indeed admirable. All that effort to help him was not in vain."

For a guy like He San Qing, what he truly cared about was his honor and reputation. After he carried out the task assigned by Bai Lu, if he then counted the money in front of him, that would be easily construed as an apparent lack of trust. For He San Qing that would not only feel like a slap in the face but also a direct act of contempt.

As for what had happened now, Bai Lu trusted him implicitly. That made He San Qing feel very invigorating. It wasn't a small sum of money at all. Even though anyone would be tempted in this situation, but like the ancient Chinese saying: "However avaricious a person of noble character may be, he should still accumulate his wealth in a fair manner." It means that in the worst case scenario, He San Qing could still be engaged in shady acts behind the back. Like for example, coming up with illegal methods to plunder money. But on the surface, he would never do something so easily detectable. For the same reason, with his financial background, there was utterly no need for him to withhold a few $100k. If people found out what he did, he would lose even more face.

Gao Yuan spoke with contempt. "Never have I ever befriended an inferior person."

"Stop giving yourself so much credit." He San Qing left the bedroom, and he spoke with everyone else. "Tonight, let's party at Cashbox KTV, followed by the nightclub. It's my treat. Those that do not want to go home can stay at the Sheraton."

"Did you consider the distance?" Gao Yuan interrupted.

"Then look for another 5-Star hotel. No, wait. Simply look for a 4-Star guesthouse, I will pay for everything."

"Why not a 5-Star hotel?" Si Ma Zhi asked.

"We are already at a 5-Star restaurant, you idiot."

Le Miao Miao and the other girls were elated. They exclaimed their support for the plan. They were classmates in the same class, who stayed in a hostel and studied dancing, and they all had beauty and youthful energy.

When Bai Lu realized that Zhang Sha Sha was not around, he went into the kitchen and saw that she was scrubbing the crockery. He went over and said, "This is not your job. Since it's not that late yet, let's go and buy some new stuff."

She did not stop. "I do not want to buy new stuff."

"We have to buy some new bedding for you—"

"The weather is hot, not cold." Before he could finish, she interrupted his sentence.

"Then let's buy a set of clothes. Treat it as your work attire."

Only then did she stop rejecting him.

Le Miao Miao went into the kitchen. "Brother Bai, they are leaving soon, so they asked me to inform you."

"I am not going."

Le Miao Miao stood at the entrance of the kitchen. "Brother Gao, Brother Bai said he did not want to go."

"Call me Bai Lu will do. Otherwise, Lu Zi is fine as well. Hearing people calling me brother, really makes me uncomfortable."

"Yea sure." Le Miao Miao agreed.

Gao Yuan squeezed into the kitchen. "What's the matter? You expect me to invite you personally?"

"Why are you not buying food for your grandpa anymore?" Bai Lu changed the topic.

"My grandpa said, 'No matter how delicious the food is, one should not overeat. People should control their cravings.' "

Seeing how Zhang Sha Sha was still as busy as before, Bai Lu said to her, "Come and party with us?

She shook her head. "Not coming."

From deep within her soul, this petite and gentle girl fully embodied the meaning of the word: stubbornness. Reminiscing about his life in the desert, he thought, "Zhang Lao San had always treated me well. Whenever I did something wrong, he would always cover up for me. If I got beaten up by my dad, he would also try his best to persuade him out of it. Perhaps, he simply treated me as his daughter, which he never had a chance to raise."

"How tall are you?" Bai Lu asked.

"1.55 meters." This 15-year-old girl, who had just graduated from secondary three, grew up in a lonely environment. All her life she had barely any warm clothing and continuously felt hunger. However, contrary to expectations, she had developed a strong sense of competitiveness.

Bai Lu looked at her quietly. "How about telling me more about yourself? If you don't, I would have to go through all that effort, to revisit your village to find out."

Zhang Sha Sha paused. "What's there to tell?"

Gao Yuan yelled. "Stop telling anything. Let's go out to party. Today is Sha Sha's first day here, so let's do a welcoming for her. Sha Sha, if you don't come, then you are making me lose face. Just tell me whether or not you are coming?"

Zhang Sha Sha hesitated a little. "Coming."

"That's the way. Let's go, guys!" Gao Yuan stormed out of the house.

She wiped her hands, and then she followed Bai Lu out of the restaurant. The shutter doors were locked.

This night was one to remember, as they all partied to the fullest. Just the beer alone, they already finished ten crates of it. In the end, they did not even go to the nightclub. All of them just sang and danced in the KTV.

When the night was over, to avoid drink-driving, Bai Lu urged He San Qing to book four rooms in the hotel directly opposite.

The real reason behind the plan for booking the accommodation had to be hidden. Otherwise, the three young masters would think that he was looking down on them. They would probably say something like this: "Whats the big deal? Isn't it just a small case of drink-driving? So what if the cops caught us, would they dare to arrest us?"

With four rooms in total, the three young masters would occupy one room. Le Miao Miao and her five friends would be split up into two rooms, while Bai Lu and Zhang Sha Sha shared the last room.

After they settled into the rooms, Zhang Sha Sha looked at Bai Lu warily. He said to her, "For a long period in the future, we would both have to stay in the same room. You need not worry about this, so tell me more about your history."

Zhang Sha Sha thought about it. She sat on the sofa and started to share about her past.

No matter how tough and stubborn she seemed on the outside, she was still really a 15-year-old kid. After spending the day with Bai Lu— perhaps it was because of her acceptance towards him— the girl who rarely spoke finally opened her heart. She began to share her life stories, all the way until it was almost dawn. Finally, she hugged her pillow and fell into a deep slumber.

Bai Lu stood at the side of her bed and looked at her. The girl who was trying hard to be brave fell asleep. Her face had a serene expression; it seemed very firm and steady.

Bai Lu felt heartache towards her. Her dad was a criminal. Since young, she was bullied by the other kids. Thankfully Bao Zi was always protecting and looking out for her. That was how she grew up without any mishap. But also because of this, Bao Zi had no minor share of the harassment. Even before he was 10, the bullies accused him and Zhang Sha Sha of acting like gangsters.

She persevered through all of the hardships and strived to grow up. Continually telling herself that life was not unfair, she persisted all the way until she graduated middle school.

Bao Zi belonged to a single parent family. He only had a mother. Bao Zi's mom also felt heartache towards Sha Sha, but more towards her son. He always got into fights because of her. Of course, his mom would be unhappy. It was the same situation again; two teenagers imitated a movie plot to tease her. Bao Zi was so enraged that he pulled out his knife. One of them ran away, while the other was hospitalized for slash wounds.

Their parents came over to collect money, which was a settlement fee for $10k to resolve the dispute privately. However, it was just a blatant plot to extort money. Zhang Sha Sha did not want Bao Zi to go to prison. That was why she had to ask Bai Lu for cash. The reason was that she really could not think of any other solutions.

It was 9 am plus in the early afternoon. He San Qing came over and knocked on the door. Bai Lu asked, "Is there any high school in the vicinity of Xiao Wang's Village that could be enrolled into by simply paying money."

"There's simply too many."

...

After they checked out of the hotel, He San Qing and friends insisted on having lunch before they went home. Therefore, the group of them marched back majestically to the Great 5-Star Restaurant.

After reaching home, Bai Lu said to Zhang Sha Sha, "This afternoon, let's obtain the required documents together. Then we would look for a school in the vicinity for you to enroll to study."

She paused for a moment. "Not studying."

"Why?"

"I do not want to owe you too much."

"Just let it be. When you make money in the future, then you can repay it slowly."

Zhang Sha Sha thought about it. "Ok. After school and during holidays, I would continue to work for you."

"Deal. $100 a day, food and accommodation are included."

"Such a good deal? Are you still hiring? I would like to come and work for you too." One of Le Miao Miao's classmate, Cheng Rou, responded.

"Let's keep that deal for the future. When the new restaurant is opened, you must not decline the offer." Bai Lu said to her.

"Opening a new restaurant?" Gao Yuan joined in the conversation.

If Bai Lu was alone by himself, he could scrape along, but now there was Zhang Sha Sha and also Bao Zi to support. He felt that he had to up his game, to progress to the top vigorously. Translating this into simple language meant that he had to earn more money. The more, the better. If possible, he could also fulfill his dream simultaneously, which was to become the most famous chef.

When Bai Lu was still in the desert, he wanted to become the first in many titles. For example, the best thief, the best scammer and so forth. Unfortunately, these kinds of professions cannot achieve fame. Because once many people knew about it, it would be time to go to prison; how unsafe indeed! The best thug? Not very suitable too. It was just too bloody and gory. If by any chance a few extraordinary fighters on the level of Bruce Lee showed up, it would be unclear who would be the one getting beaten up.

The best singer? The best writer? These seemed to be even less reliable. With no better alternatives, he had no choice but to focus on being a chef. This profession seemed like a safer decision, with an extra benefit of eating good food as well. Very promising, with excellent prospects for the future!