In a Michelin three-star restaurant in New York, the dishes are all exquisitely prepared and taste fantastic. However, the portion sizes are genuinely on the smaller side. For someone like Paul, who has a hearty appetite, even the cafeteria staff at college would automatically serve him extra, fearing he might still be hungry.
As the menu was handed to Paul, Ryan said with a smile, “Order whatever you want; it’s on me today.”
“Steak, lobster pasta, New York cheesecake, garlic steamed scallops, lemon butter chicken, bourbon grilled wings; let’s start with these,” Paul said, glancing occasionally at Ryan. Surprisingly, Ryan’s face maintained a gentle smile, seeming not to mind the extensive order. After finishing, Paul tentatively asked, “Uh… Ryan, can we get another bottle of that red wine?”
Ryan glanced at the wine bottle on the cart, thinking to himself, Isn’t that the ‘1982 Lafite?
“Just one bottle? Let’s open three. Let’s drink until we’re merry tonight!” Although Ryan belonged to New York’s affluent second generation, his family was quite strict with him. Despite a generous allowance, it wasn’t as extravagant as rumors might suggest. Especially after a recent incident, his monthly allowance had been cut to $5,000. Compared to before, there was a noticeable dip in his lifestyle quality.
But!
Today, he was treating William to a meal!
“Sir, would you like to pay by card or…?” The waiter hesitantly approached Ryan.
Ryan, attempting to remain composed, smiled and replied, “I’ll come out with you to swipe my card.”
As Ryan followed the waiter out of the dining room, David looked at William, at a loss for words.
He had initially thought that once Ryan arrived, everything would proceed according to his script. To his surprise, the situation took an unexpected turn. Ryan was being incredibly respectful to William and even personally covering the bill.
How was he supposed to continue this game?
Meanwhile, Wyatt and the others, upon hearing the dishes Paul ordered, were genuinely impressed.
Once Ryan stepped out, he immediately took out his phone and made a call.
“Dad, transfer a hundred thousand dollars to me!”
Such straightforwardness!
The nearby waiter nearly stumbled upon hearing the large amount.
There was a momentary silence on the other end before the voice bitingly asked, “What have you gotten yourself into now?”
Ryan chuckled, “Gotten into trouble? I’m treating William to dinner and ran short of cash.”
“You need a hundred thousand dollars for a meal?”
Ryan declared confidently, “I’ve already ordered four bottles of Lafite. Just tell me if you’ll transfer the money. If you won’t, I’ll go straight to grandpa. And I’ll also mention how you didn’t give me money. If I end up offending William over this, don’t blame me.”
“You little rascal! Are you threatening me?”
“Absolutely! So, are you giving it or not? If you’re not, I’m hanging up right now!” Ryan suddenly realized that knowing William sometimes had its perks. At least he could confidently demand money like this, leaving his father speechless. It felt utterly exhilarating.
After a moment of silence, Ryan’s father, Christopher, finally asked, “Which card should I use for the transfer?”
“Use the one from Chase! Also, send someone over with another card that has a few hundred thousand dollars on it. I’m at the New York Galaxy Hotel,” Ryan said, then hung up. Knowing that Chase’s daily transfer limit was $100,000, he wanted to ensure he had the money first.
Christopher was fuming after the call. He felt like smashing his phone. How audacious of his son to spend $100,000 on a meal and then have the gall to demand more! The worst part was Ryan’s audacious attitude when asking for money.
He wasn’t always this brazen!
Within minutes, Ryan received a notification about the bank transfer. Smirking, he went to the front desk to settle the bill.
The total cost came up to just over $50,000, but Ryan didn’t flinch at the expense.
In the past, asking his father for an allowance was no small feat. Not only would he get scolded, but he might end up with a mere $200. Consequently, Ryan eventually turned to his mother and sister for pocket money.
He’d never dared to dream of directly asking his father for $100,000 like he did today.
As Ryan walked back to a high-end New York restaurant, he was already plotting. Although his grandfather had warned him not to clash too much with William, he never said they couldn’t be friends. Maybe they could occasionally dine together or share a drink to strengthen their bond.
Despite being an heir to the Carter family , Ryan was brought up with the belief that “daughters should be pampered, sons should be toughened.” This meant he was often “trained” to be more frugal than one might expect from someone of his stature. ．
But if he could occasionally meet with William, wouldn’t that be a perfect excuse to tell his family that he’s spending to broaden his social circle?
This really broadened his horizons! Before, Ryan had been resentful of William. But now, he felt that if William could become part of his family, it would be a match made in heaven.
Returning to the restaurant, the way he looked at William had fundamentally changed.
That forced smile was nowhere to be seen.
“Mr. Johnson, I’ve already covered the bill for what was ordered earlier. Is there anything else you’d like?” Ryan asked as he took a seat, seemingly oblivious to the surprised stares of others around him. His tone was dripping with an eagerness to please William.
William gave Ryan a brief, indifferent glance and responded, “Ask my friend.”
Ryan instantly turned to Paul and quickly inquired, “Do you want to order anything else?”
In the past, how could someone like Ryan, a wealthy young man from the Upper East Side, ever converse so politely with an ordinary student like Paul?
Paul, always a man of few words, nonchalantly replied, “We’ll see after we eat.” From this response, it was clear Paul didn’t hold Ryan in any high regard. At present, all of their NYU dorm room 306 mates seemed to gravitate around William. Wasn’t Ryan’s overt attentiveness obviously aimed at gaining William’s favor?
“We’ll discuss it later then,” Ryan conceded.
He had wine poured for everyone and was the first to raise his glass. “Mr. Johnson, I apologize to you in front of everyone here. I hope you can forgive me. If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Ryan thought, since he had already apologized, he might as well completely mend bridges with William. He believed that if his grandfather had warned him against provoking certain individuals, then others at school probably shouldn’t mess with William either. Especially when William was now a source of money for him.
Why wouldn’t he cultivate a good relationship with someone like that?
“Let’s forget about the past,” William remarked, raising his glass in a distant toast and downing it in one go.
After finishing his drink, Ryan proceeded to toast individually with Wyatt and the others, jovially calling them brothers. To an outsider, it might appear as if they had always been on the best of terms.
More tellingly, after Ryan finished toasting with them, he began introducing William to the senior members of the martial arts school next door. He didn’t bother sharing a drink with David or any of the others present. The disparity in his behavior was evident.
The overarching impression was that Ryan was going out of his way to win William over. As for the others, he didn’t seem to care about them at all.
David’s dignity was notably disregarded.