Chapter 93

(Bowing in gratitude to "p7878" for your support!)

Zhou Ming pulled Tang Ran and followed the Toyota man into the Dongmen Hotel. Tang Ran, nervous, held Zhou Ming's hand and whispered, "Brother Ming, will there be any problems?"

Zhou Ming patted Tang Ran's small hand and said, "Don't worry, it's not our first time here. As long as I'm not recognized, once we get into the private room, we can order as much food as we want. We'll order the most expensive dishes and eat him into bankruptcy, okay?"

Tang Ran nodded vigorously, "I'll do whatever you say, Brother Ming. This guy is really annoying; I don't like him!"

"Good girl!" Zhou Ming praised her.

At the hotel entrance, the receptionist bowed and greeted Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou, hello." This made Zhou Ming feel a bit helpless. It seemed that the hotel staff had remembered him from the last time he auctioned land and talked with Mayor Chen. Even after a month, the receptionist at the door still remembered him!

However, before Zhou Ming could say anything, the Toyota man waved to the receptionist and said, "Hello, you too."

Seeing the surprise in the eyes of the two receptionists, it was clear they didn't recognize the Toyota man. Zhou Ming couldn't help but ask, "What? You're also surnamed Zhou?"

The Toyota man replied matter-of-factly, "Of course. Didn't you hear the two receptionists greeting me?"

Zhou Ming was speechless. He hadn't expected this coincidence today, that the Toyota man would also be surnamed Zhou. But this was good, because if he were recognized by the hotel, it wouldn't be fun. Since the Toyota man was so confident that they were greeting him, the hotel staff probably thought he was an important guest and wouldn't expose him. So, he decided to play along and let the Toyota man enjoy the feeling of being a big boss, even if the cost would be high.

The Toyota man was indeed overconfident. He hadn't expected his luck to be so good that the receptionist at the door would greet him. It seemed that high-end hotels were different; they remembered him after just a few visits.

Inside the hotel, the Toyota man approached the front desk. Originally, he only wanted a regular private room, as the VIP rooms were very expensive and usually reserved for important figures, which he couldn't book with his status. But to his surprise, the front desk attendant told him there was a VIP room available.

"VIP room? Can I book it?" The Toyota man was a bit surprised.

"Of course," the front desk attendant smiled and replied.

The Toyota man was stunned. At that moment, Zhou Ming said from behind, "What? Can't Mr. Zhou afford a VIP room?"

Hearing Zhou Ming's voice, the Toyota man's face stiffened for a moment, then he puffed out his chest and said, "How could I not? It's just a VIP room. I often go there. Do you think VIP rooms at a luxury hotel like Dongmen are reserved for just anyone? Today, it's just your luck that I'm here, so you get to experience a VIP room."

The front desk attendant was a bit surprised by the Toyota man's words, while Zhou Ming nodded and said, "I believe you. Whether others believe it or not, I do."

The Toyota man booked a VIP room at the front desk and then asked a waiter to lead them to the room. Once seated, the waiter brought the menu to the three of them. Zhou Ming opened the menu and looked up at the waiter, "What's the most expensive dish here?"

This question almost made the Toyota man choke. He said to Zhou Ming, "Can you be a bit more mature? This is Dongmen Hotel, a high-end place, not a street stall. You don't order like that!"

Zhou Ming raised an eyebrow, "If not like that, how should I order? Or are you afraid of being short on cash when it's time to pay?"

The Toyota man was stunned. He glanced at Tang Ran, who was looking at him with innocent eyes. He gritted his teeth and waved his hand, "How could I be? Do you think I'm a poor student who can't afford anything? I'm a big boss with a Toyota. Order whatever you want, and today I'll show you what it's like to be a big boss!"

Zhou Ming barely held back his laughter and gave the Toyota man a thumbs up, "Good! You're a true big boss, very generous!"

Then Zhou Ming closed his menu and handed it back to the waiter, "No need to look. Just bring the most expensive dishes. After all, there's a big boss here to pay the bill."

The waiter also remembered the big boss with the Toyota and chuckled, but quickly suppressed it. She smiled and nodded at Zhou Ming and the Toyota man, then asked softly, "Mr. Zhou, what would you like to drink?"

"I'll look at the menu first," the Toyota man said.

Zhou Ming said without hesitation, "A bottle of 1982 Lafite and some Hennessy XO. Do you have it?"

"Sure, I'll check for you. Please wait a moment."

The waiter went to check with the walkie-talkie. Soon, she returned and said to Zhou Ming, "Sir, we have the 1982 Lafite, but not the Hennessy XO. I apologize."

"That's fine. Just bring another expensive brandy or tequila," Zhou Ming added, "Make sure it's the most expensive!"

The Toyota man's heart raced at the unfamiliar names, but he held back his words to maintain his composure in front of the lady. When he heard Zhou Ming's last sentence, he almost bled from his nose.

The Toyota man gestured to the waiter, about to speak, but Zhou Ming beat him to it, "Oh, right. The boss over there is different. Bring him a drink that makes him feel heartache."

The waiter and the Toyota man were both stunned, looking at Zhou Ming in confusion, "What's a heartache drink?"

Zhou Ming gestured for the waiter to come closer and whispered in her ear that it was a glass of water for 20,000 yuan.

The waiter couldn't help but laugh, but when she was about to tell Zhou Ming that the hotel didn't sell it that way, Zhou Ming told her, "Just tell the manager to do it." The waiter nodded and left the room to place the order.

After the waiter left, the Toyota man looked at Zhou Ming in confusion, "What's a heartache drink?"

"It's a special drink unique to this hotel. How can a big boss like you not know?" Zhou Ming asked, feigning surprise.

The Toyota man felt his face was at stake and puffed out his chest, "Of course I know. How could I not? I just didn't want to tell you!"

Then he turned to Tang Ran and said gently, "Miss, you've ordered the food, but I don't know your name yet!"

Tang Ran, using her natural charm, looked at the Toyota man with big, innocent eyes, "Are you really that rich? This meal will probably cost a lot of money!"

The Toyota man waved his hand dismissively, "Do you think I'm poor? Didn't I tell you? I'm a big boss, a very rich one. I usually eat like this, and even more expensive. Today, I just felt a connection with you, so I brought you here to broaden your horizons."

Tang Ran said, "Oh, so it seems we've really found a big spender today."

If Zhou Ming's words had only made the Toyota man want to bleed, then Tang Ran's words made him want to explode.

What? I drove you to the best restaurant in Nanjiang, let you order the most expensive food and drinks, and this is how you evaluate me? A big spender?

Zhou Ming also seriously criticized Tang Ran, "Ran Ran, how can you say that? If it weren't for this uncle, how could we come to Dongmen Hotel to eat the most expensive food and drink the most expensive wine? Didn't you always want to eat Western food? Let me tell you, Lafite is the best red wine in the world."

Tang Ran nodded, seemingly understanding, and then said to the Toyota man, "Thank you, Uncle!"

The Toyota man couldn't maintain his gentlemanly demeanor anymore. He gritted his teeth, "I'm not even thirty!"

"Okay, don't get upset. I know you're not thirty. You're already driving a Toyota, which is a symbol of nobility, so you're very impressive," Zhou Ming consoled the Toyota man, but his smile didn't convey any respect, only a hint of mockery.

The Toyota man sat down, fuming, "A poor guy is a poor guy, with no manners or etiquette!"

At that moment, the door to the private room was pushed open, and the hotel manager walked in. He looked around the room and finally fixed his gaze on Zhou Ming, saying respectfully, "I apologize for the interruption. I'm the hotel manager, Mr. Wang. You might not remember me, Mr. Zhou."

The hotel manager was about to shake hands with Zhou Ming, but the Toyota man quickly stood up and shook his hand, saying, "Manager Wang, you're too kind. We didn't expect you to come personally. It's really an honor!"

Manager Wang looked at the unfamiliar face of the Toyota man, unable to recall who he was, but he still smiled and greeted him, "Hello." After greeting the Toyota man, he walked over to Zhou Ming and said, "Mr. Zhou, welcome to our hotel. I hope our service meets your expectations. If there's anything unsatisfactory, please let us know, and we'll improve immediately."

Zhou Ming waved his hand, "Manager Wang, you're too kind. Your place is great."

This scene stunned the Toyota man. He asked Manager Wang in confusion, "Manager Wang, do you know him?"

"Of course, he's Mr. Zhou Ming," Manager Wang replied matter-of-factly.

Zhou Ming?

The Toyota man frowned, thinking hard.

Suddenly, the Toyota man seemed to realize something terrifying. He looked at Zhou Ming in disbelief, "Zhou Ming? Are you that Zhou Ming?"

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