Xu Fei smiled faintly and then continued speaking to Zhang Xiulan.
“By the way, Auntie, before you leave, let me share some good news with you—that bracelet of yours is a fake!”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiulan, who was about to leave, flew into a rage.
“Nonsense! You’re lying! This jade bracelet was bought for me by my son-in-law for over 300,000 yuan. How could it possibly be fake? You’re just spreading rumours because you can’t afford it yourself!”
“Me, spreading rumours? Do you even know who I am?”
Xu Fei smiled slightly. Zhang Xiulan seemed ready to throw caution to the wind, and even her son-in-law beside her couldn’t hold her back.
“Who are you? You’re just a poor university student. Who knows how you managed to cozy up to the general manager here? But no matter what, it’s just a restaurant. I can always choose not to eat here!”
After Zhang Xiulan finished speaking, Xu Fei wasn’t in a hurry to respond himself. Instead, the general manager immediately spoke up.
“How dare you! This gentleman is an esteemed guest of the Sun family and has long-standing ties with them. His expertise in assessing jewellery and jade far surpasses yours. How dare you talk back to him?”
The general manager, having received prior instructions from Mr. Sun, knew that Xu Fei preferred not to reveal his identity. Coincidentally, the Sun family’s business was in the sale of jade and jewellery, and the Jinheyuan Restaurant was just a small venture they happened to establish. Thus, the general manager reacted swiftly.
At these words, Zhang Xiulan was instantly rendered speechless, her face turning ashen.
“Zhang Xiulan, you can choose to be proud and skip this meal, but I wonder if your son-in-law can afford to lose his job so easily?”
Upon Xu Fei’s reminder, Zhang Xiulan and her son-in-law suddenly remembered that they had just been verbally dismissed.
The general manager acted swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, he removed the son-in-law’s name badge and sternly said to him, “That’s right, you’re fired from the restaurant!”
“Hmph! Fired, so what? It’s just a lousy restaurant. What’s the big deal? Come on, son-in-law, let’s go home. I’ll find you a better job…”
Zhang Xiulan still spoke with an air of indifference, but her son-in-law suddenly exploded in anger.
“Will you shut up! Do you have any idea how many reservation slots I secretly sold to buy you this fake bracelet worth tens of thousands…”
In his desperation to keep his job, Zhang Xiulan’s son-in-law accidentally let slip the truth.
“Oh? So that’s why we’ve been getting so many complaints recently. It turns out you’ve been selling reservation slots on the side for extra cash! Get them out of here!”
The general manager shouted, and the security guards quickly moved in, escorting Zhang Xiulan and her son-in-law out.
After Zhang Xiulan left, the two classmates who had come with her exchanged awkward glances.
“Uh… Baihe, I told you Zhang Xiulan was going too far! She kept badmouthing you all the way here, and we couldn’t stop her.”
“Exactly! But don’t worry, Baihe, we’ve always been on your side from the beginning!”
These two old classmates had initially thought they were currying favour with Zhang Xiulan, a wealthy woman, but the sudden twist in events made them realise they had backed the wrong horse.
Now, standing in the restaurant, they felt too awkward to leave or stay, so they quickly declared their stance.
“Enough, no need to say more. If you want to stay, then stay. Arrange another table for them!”
Xu Fei wasn’t a petty person; he simply didn’t want to deal with these two opportunists anymore.
“No problem, Mr. Xu. At Jinheyuan, your wishes are our command!”
The general manager promptly arranged for Su Baihe’s two old classmates to be seated in the main hall, while Xu Fei and the others were led upstairs.
“Mr. Xu, please come in. There’s no need for you to order; Mr. Wang has already arranged everything for you.”
