Chapter 34 A Reward Earned Through Eating!
At the Patek Philippe Mansion in Shanghai. An Liang and Liang Xue walked out together. The chauffeur from Amanyangyun had already opened the rear door of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Liang Xue got in first, followed by An Liang from the other side.
“Mr. An, where to now?” The chauffeur asked.
Liang Xue responded on An Liang’s behalf, “Do you know Rongcheng Restaurant on Fuxing Middle Road?”
The chauffeur confirmed.
“Yes, I do.”
An Liang added, “Yes, we’re going to Rongcheng Restaurant.”
“Very well,” the chauffeur said, starting the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
The stately and grand Phantom drove steadily. In the spacious backseat, Liang Xue introduced Rongcheng Restaurant.
“Rongcheng Restaurant is famous in Shanghai for its local cuisine. The main style is moderately seasoned and emphasizes preserving the original flavors. Since you’re visiting Shanghai, Mr. An, I recommend you try our local cuisine,” Liang Xue explained.
“No problem,” An Liang replied.
They chatted about the local culture of Shanghai, and about an hour later, they arrived at Rongcheng Restaurant.
Liang Xue walked ahead and spoke to the staff, “I have a reservation under the name Liang. Two people. We’d like a private room.”
The staff responded, “Hello, our private rooms have a minimum charge of 2,000 yuan. Is that alright?”
Liang Xue nodded.
“That’s fine.”
“This way, please,” the staff member said, leading them in.
An Liang and Liang Xue followed and entered a small private room. The staff handed each of them a tablet to browse the menu and then left the room.
“Mr. An, please take your time,” Liang Xue said as she scrolled through the tablet.
An Liang was browsing the signature dishes. “The Old Shanghai Smoked Fish looks good. It feels very authentic.”
Liang Xue smiled lightly.
“It really is a good choice.”
An Liang continued scrolling.
“Let’s also get the Deep-well Roast Goose and Lobster Rice. You can pick the rest.”
The Old Shanghai Smoked Fish was only 98 yuan, the Deep-well Roast Goose just 128 yuan, and the top recommended Lobster Rice was only 39 yuan per serving. An Liang’s selections were very modest—not at all extravagant like his appearance at Patek Philippe might suggest.
But his restrained approach to ordering actually impressed Liang Xue. Liang Xue looked through the tablet and ordered a Rongcheng Signature Casserole for 399 yuan—a classic Shanghai-style braised dish and the second most popular item on the menu.
She also ordered a Steamed Marble Goby for 398 yuan, another rich, soy-sauce-heavy local dish. Then she added Herb Sauce Baked Lamb Chops for 298 yuan and Signature Braised Pork for 198 yuan.
She also made sure to include the signature Black Truffle Shrimp for 398 yuan, and finally added the Old Shanghai Fried Eel Slivers for 258 yuan to meet the room’s minimum spending.
“This feels like a bit much!” An Liang commented.
Liang Xue replied confidently, “It won’t go to waste. You’ll see.”
The first dish served was the Deep-well Roast Goose. On the tablet, it looked like a large bowl, but in reality, it was just a small plate. The Old Shanghai Smoked Fish was the same—though the promotional photo made it seem plentiful, only six small pieces were served, each about a third the size of a bank card.
When the two Herb Sauce Baked Lamb Chops arrived, An Liang finally understood what Liang Xue meant. The prices at Rongcheng Restaurant seemed affordable, but the portion sizes were minuscule.
The Signature Braised Pork was even more pitiful—198 yuan got them only a small rice bowl’s worth, with just four chunks of pork!
An Liang, being a hungry 18-year-old with a big appetite, finished everything and had to order an extra serving of Lobster Rice just to be about 90% full. Fortunately, the taste of the dishes matched the price. If judged purely on flavor, An Liang would rate it an 8.5 out of 10.
[Ding!
“Host has experienced an unforgettable culinary delight and obtained a [Gourmet Cashback Card].”
Gourmet Cashback Card: When the host organizes a gourmet experience for up to four people, once the experience concludes, the host will receive cashback worth 1 to 100 times the total bill. Additionally, the host will gain a satisfaction multiplier based on the other participants’ satisfaction levels.
Special Note: If the host invites three people, spends 10,000 yuan total, receives a cashback multiplier of 100, and the satisfaction levels of the three participants are 80%, 90%, and 100% respectively…
The total cashback = 10,000 x 100 x 2.7 = 2.7 million yuan.
An Liang silently did the math. The final reward would be 2.7 million?
The last time he got a similar cashback from dining, he only earned a bit over 50,000. He expected a similar result this time, but the Gourmet Cashback Card was way more powerful than he imagined!
“Mr. An, thank you so much for helping me out earlier, but I really can’t accept this watch,” Liang Xue said as she took off the Patek Philippe 4937R-001, placed it back into its box, and set it inside the Patek Philippe shopping bag on the table.
Seeing Liang Xue’s gesture, An Liang thought for a moment and didn’t insist. Just as his modest dish selections had left a good impression, Liang Xue’s decision to return the watch also won his respect.