There were plenty of five-star hotels in the capital, but only a few truly stood out, and the Gardevoir Hotel was one of the most famous among them.
As for why Julian chose to go there, the reason was simple—it was a property of the Walker family, and it happened to be the closest option. Naturally, it made sense to head there.
Half an hour later, Julian arrived at the hotel entrance. While he had visited the Gardevoir Hotel in Lake City many times, this was his first time at the one in the capital.
The decor here was undoubtedly more luxurious—after all, this was the capital.
Inside the grand lobby, Julian casually picked a seat. Without even glancing at the menu, he listed off a few dishes. The waiter nodded and left to place his order.
Dining here was a privilege reserved for the wealthy or influential. Even a modest three or four dishes could easily cost the equivalent of an average person's income for three to four months.
For this reason, it wasn't uncommon for Internet celebrities and influencers to dine here occasionally. Their motives? Well, those in the know understood.
"Hey, everyone, here I am at the Gardevoir Hotel," a female influencer said softly, holding her phone as she livestreamed to her audience, showing off the hotel's elegant interior. "I just ordered three dishes, and honestly, this meal means I'll be eating instant noodles next month."
Her audience responded with enthusiasm as a virtual luxury cruise ship appeared on her screen, signaling a generous donation.
"Thanks for the luxury cruise, sweetie!"
The influencer smiled brightly and blew a kiss to the camera.
"You scored a free kiss!"
"Big Brother, showing his dominance!"
"Hey, Little Ain, the guy behind you looks so sloppy"
"No kidding! His clothes look like they haven't been washed in days!"
Still thanking her top donor, the influencer—known as "Little Ain"—glanced behind her at the comments' suggestion. When she saw Julian's somewhat dusty appearance, her brows furrowed instantly.
Julian wasn't actually unkempt—he was just wearing plain clothes and looked a bit dusty from having just emerged from the secret realm.
However, in this upscale hotel where every man was impeccably dressed in suits and every woman wore stunning attire, Julian stood out like a sore thumb.
He looked like a stray mutt that had wandered into an exclusive gathering.
"Ugh, what's with the Gardevoir Hotel? Letting just anyone in—aren't they worried about dine-and-dash freeloaders?" the influencer muttered unhappily.
Julian's seat behind her made it impossible for her to take a decent selfie. No matter how she angled her camera, he kept appearing in the frame. Since she was at a solo table, switching seats wasn't an option either.
If she couldn't take pictures or post to her social media, this meal would be utterly meaningless.
Just then, another luxury cruise ship appeared on her livestream screen.
"Little Ain, get him kicked out, and I'll send five more luxury cruises"
Her top donor messaged.
Other viewers chimed in, cheering her on. Even though a few voices objected, they were quickly drowned out by the crowd's excitement.
Five luxury cruises—worth hundreds of thousands—were more than enough to tempt the influencer. Besides, Julian's presence was indeed ruining her ability to post the perfect selfie.
"Brother, you better keep your word!"
The top donor didn't reply directly but instead sent another luxury cruise, making his intentions clear.
Excited, the female influencer summoned a waiter.
"Ma'am, how may I assist you?" the waiter asked politely.
She pointed to Julian and said with a disdainful tone, "His shabby outfit is ruining my appetite. Kick him out for me."
The waiter shook his head immediately. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but our hotel has no such policy."
The livestream chat erupted with laughter:
"Haha, Little Ain, your words don't carry weight here"
"Just drop it, Little Ain. You can't pull this off"
"This waiter's immune to charm!"
Rejected outright and ridiculed by her chat, the influencer's embarrassment quickly turned to anger.
"No, you must kick him out! Call your manager—I'll speak to them instead!"
The waiter hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "How about this, ma'am? I can arrange a different seat for you. How about one of those prime spots over there?"
He gestured toward the best seats in the hall.
As much as he wanted to avoid escalating the situation, he also knew that if the manager got involved over something trivial, he'd likely face the consequences.
"That won't do!" the influencer snapped. "He needs to leave. He's not just bothering me—he's ruining the entire dining experience for everyone!"
As her tone rose, other diners instinctively turned to see what was happening.
"Ma'am, please lower your voice"
The waiter urged, growing increasingly nervous.
"Lower my voice? Am I being loud?"
Seeing the waiter flustered only made her more confident. She felt that if she kept pushing, the staff would eventually side with her and throw that person out.
By this time, the manager had noticed the commotion and quickly approached the scene. The waiter, relieved, stepped aside.
"Ma'am, may I ask what's going on? I'm the manager of this restaurant. If there's an issue, please let me know," the manager said calmly.
The influencer sneered and pointed at Julian, who was busy devouring his meal.
"Look at him—dressed like that, eating like that. It's disgusting! He's ruining my dining experience. You should kick him out immediately. And frankly, the hotel should compensate all of us by covering our meals."
The influencer wasn't entirely clueless. She attempted to create a "shared interest" among the diners, hoping they'd back her up.
Meanwhile, Julian, who had been too focused on eating to notice earlier, finally picked up on the commotion. His delayed lunch due to Alex's situation meant he was starving, so he was eating quickly and messily, which wasn't helping the situation.
When he glanced up, he realized the influencer was targeting him specifically, trying to have him removed.
"Ma'am, how about this? We'll offer you a 30% discount on your meal"
As a policy, reputable hotels rarely evicted paying guests without a very good reason. Naturally, the manager wasn't about to agree to her unreasonable demands.
However, the influencer's persistent antics were beginning to disrupt the other diners. The manager knew he had to take action to prevent further escalation, so he decided to offer a slight concession.
"No, I'm afraid you didn't quite understand me," the influencer huffed. "He must leave, or I'll lodge a formal complaint against this hotel!"
Despite her unreasonable behavior, the manager maintained his professional demeanor, keeping a polite smile.
"Ma'am, anyone who enters this hotel is a guest. I can authorize your meal to be on the house and offer you a better table. Would that be acceptable?"
By this point, Julian had finished his meal. Taking his time, he strolled over to the commotion.
The female influencer, seeing him approach, instinctively stepped back and snapped, "Why are you coming so close? Don't you know how expensive my clothes are? If you get them dirty, can you even afford to pay for it?"
Julian ignored her. Instead, he turned to the restaurant manager and said calmly, "Do you know who I am?"
The manager, who had only caught a glimpse of Julian's profile earlier, now had a clear view of his face. Recognition dawned instantly.
Standing before him was none other than the heir of the Walker Group himself.
"Young Master Walker!" The manager immediately straightened up, and quickly greeted him with the utmost respect.
"Don't give her any discounts or free meals. Charge her exactly what she owes—no more, no less"
Julian couldn't believe he'd just experienced such a cliche "flexing and face-slapping" moment himself.
Seeing the female influencer's stunned expression;
Julian: Yep, showing off feels pretty great after all. (*￣︶￣)
He had no interest in making things harder for her—his only thought now was to get some much-needed rest.