Chapter 94: Robbing Money

"What do you mean?" Lu Hao looked at Yang Tian, his expression notably calm.

This Yang Tian, back in middle school, was notorious for bullying both boys and girls. At that time, they were still minors, not much aware of the law, and Yang Tian took full advantage. Many of Lu Hao's friends had their money taken by him at school. Lu Hao had even stood up for them several times, getting into fights, but still couldn't escape this fellow's shadow.

Quite a few people suffered at Yang Tian's hands; there were even several girls expelled from school for getting involved with him. Yet Yang Tian himself always came out unscathed, thanks to his father, who was well-connected in the local underworld.

"So what, your old classmate comes to support your restaurant, and you're not happy to see me?" Yang Tian smiled, his lanky six-foot frame topped with a mane of long hair, looking every bit the street tough.

Lu Hao's face darkened.

Yang Tian never finished high school, instead finding his way into the criminal world. Later, by currying favor with Sun Wenguo, he ended up in Sun's crew, becoming one of his hangers-on and picking up a few gigs along the way.

Born a troublemaker, Yang Tian was someone Lu Hao never respected nor cared to remember.

"Every guest is welcome here. Why wouldn’t I be glad to see you?" Lu Hao managed a faint smile.

He knew Yang Tian hadn't come here with good intentions.

"Hahaha, that's good then. I was afraid that now you've made it, you'd start looking down on us old classmates, treating us like dirt," Yang Tian sneered, a mocking grin on his face.

"The décor's not bad around here. Your restaurant seems decent. I hope you won't disappoint my brothers and me when it comes time to eat," Yang Tian said enthusiastically, taking a seat.

"Alright, then go ahead and order," Lu Hao said, handing Yang Tian a menu.

Yang Tian took it and scanned through. Seeing that almost every dish was over thirty yuan, he let out a scornful laugh.

"Lu Hao, Lu Hao, you were stingy in middle school, and now you're grown, you're still just as tight-fisted. Your menu is highway robbery."

"You think everyone in Peach Blossom Village is rich? Can't you be a bit more generous and give back to the folks here?"

Lu Hao smiled lightly. "The prices weren't set by me. The previous owner decided them. I only just took over. I can't change things so easily."

"Oh, so now you're making excuses for your profiteering. Fine, expensive is expensive. As an old classmate, I can't not support you, can I?" Yang Tian said with a smirk.

"And someone as stingy as you surely wouldn't waive the bill for an old classmate." Yang Tian said this pointedly, watching Lu Hao's face.

In truth, Yang Tian hadn't brought a single cent with him today.

"Of course I can't give out freebies," Lu Hao said evenly. "When I took over, I made a rule—no free meals for anyone."

"But since you're an old classmate, I can give you a forty percent discount. That's almost at cost. What do you think?"

Lu Hao didn't offer the discount out of any sense of nostalgia. He knew Yang Tian was here to make trouble. If he didn't offer some kind of discount, Yang Tian would no doubt use the Sun Group's considerable influence to paint Lu Hao as a heartless miser who cared nothing for his old friends.

So, with someone intent on causing trouble, a discount was the bare minimum—he might even have to give them a free meal, at least this first time.

"Alright then, I'll start ordering." Sure enough, Yang Tian's eyes showed no joy, only a cold calculation. Clearly, Lu Hao's approach had thwarted his intentions.

"Let’s have the big plate chicken, steamed perch, braised pork knuckle…"

"Boss, I want this one, and this, and that one too—oh, and the braised beef looks good!"

Immediately, the crowd of ruffians Yang Tian had brought with him started drooling over the menu, clamoring for dishes.

Lu Hao's River Inn was usually a place for the more well-to-do villagers to host dinners. These petty criminals had no legitimate income and could hardly afford a meal here.

Soon, the five or six of them had ordered over twenty dishes, all the most expensive: fish, beef, large platters. Some ingredients even had to be bought fresh from the market by the kitchen staff.

At that moment, Manager Wu, skilled at reading people, pulled Lu Hao aside and whispered, frowning, "Boss, these people don't look like they plan to pay. Judging by their demeanor, they're up to no good. Should we even serve them?"

Lu Hao shook his head. "I know what they're thinking, but it's simple."

"For the most expensive dishes, just say we can't do them—the chef’s on leave. As for the others, serve them, but cap it at twenty dishes. No more."

"They won't pay, so put it on my tab. The main thing is to see what their next move is."

"Understood." Manager Wu gave Lu Hao a long look—clearly, his new boss was no fool and could read these scoundrels like an open book.

"That’s enough for now. If we don’t finish, we’ll order more. Don’t worry, I came to support you as an old classmate—of course I’ll pay," Yang Tian said, as if afraid Lu Hao would refuse to cook.

"But you must make sure my brothers are satisfied."

Yang Tian beamed with exaggerated friendliness, as though he and Lu Hao had been the best of friends back in school.

"Very well. I’ll have the kitchen start preparing."

Soon, under Lu Hao's instructions, the kitchen got to work, serving up dishes at record speed. To ensure quality, the kitchen staff was the old team, now led by Zhao Xiaojie.

As soon as the dishes hit the table—plates heaped with meat, delicacies like braised beef and red-cooked perch—the gang devoured them, stuffing themselves until their faces glistened with grease and their eyes shone with greed.

For their comfort, they demanded plenty of beer, which Lu Hao provided without hesitation.

Once they were full and had drunk their fill, Yang Tian opened his mouth, and his first words left everyone in the restaurant speechless.

"What kind of garbage is this? Not even remotely edible," Yang Tian sneered coldly.