Chapter 8 - 8: Mixer

"Can you make another space for 1 more person?"

"S… Sir? But your reservation is only for 10 people."

"It's fine, it's fine. I am sure you have more space left, I will put a good word for you to my father."

"R… really? Then… then this way then, Mr. Fen. I am sure we can borrow one more table since we don't have a lot of people today."

"Good, good."

"..."

So this is the privilege of the rich? Yun Hao could not help but furrow his eyebrows as he followed his classmates inside the restaurant. But before he could enter, one of the waiters stopped him.

"Would you like us to take your bags, sir?" The waiter respectfully bowed towards Yun Hao. Even though Yun Hao was only wearing a shirt and tattered pants, he was still with the other rich kids. For all they know, it might just be a fashion statement.

"It's fine," Yun Hao said, "My money is inside so I would like to have it with me."

"Of course, sir."

"Pft."

Yun Hao's classmates could not help but scoff and chuckle as they heard Yun Hao's words.

"Just leave it with them, Champ," one of his classmates said, "It's not like you have a lot of money!"

With that statement, the rest of the group started to laugh, even some of the waiting staff also let out a chuckle.

"Oi, don't be like that. Yun Hao has a lot of cars… to wash, that is!"

"Hahaha!"

The only one that wasn't laughing was the waiter that offered to get Yun Hao's bags.

So he wasn't part of the group? The waiter thought, but still, it didn't hurt to be respectful. He had read a lot of those hidden CEO novels, and if there was anything he learned from that-- is that hidden young masters are plenty. He wasn't about to be the one receiving the short end of the stick. It also didn't hurt his decision that this young man was built like a truck. A young master would cause him to lose his job, but if he was a hidden cultivator?

The waiter would be lucky to leave this place in one piece.

"Then at least let me get another chair to put your bag on, sir." The waiter said as he bowed to Yun Hao, "Please, follow me to your tables."

"...Thanks," Yun Hao nodded before he followed the waiter. They were escorted to a long table, somewhere in the corner of the restaurant.

Yun Hao was about to sit when one of his classmates pushed him to the side, saying that he was invited at the last minute, he should sit on the farthest side. But since Yun Hao was an extra person, the waiters still had to set up another table to put as an extension.

"..." Yun Hao just shrugged his shoulders as he proceeded to wait on the side, not minding the looks of the other people that were in the restaurant.

"Why is a bodyguard allowed to go inside the restaurant?"

"Shouldn't he just wait outside?"

"At least dress him properly. I swear, these rich young masters don't have any tact."

"..." Yun Hao could not help but furrow his eyebrows from the people's statement. This was his first time in a fancy restaurant, but it would seem that even the rich could not escape the claws of gossip-- one could even say it was worse.

"Sir, please sit down, the table is ready." The respectful waiter once again bowed towards Yun Hao as he gestured to him to sit. And once again, Yun Hao bowed back before proceeding to sit down.

"You don't have to worry, Champ. Just eat whatever you want, we will pay for everything. Consider it as charity for our school's fallen star."

"Then I thank you for your kindness."

Yun Hao's classmates could not help but blink a couple of times as they heard Yun Hao's words. What's with this sudden awkward politeness, they all thought. Was this guy planning something?

He was. He hasn't eaten yet, and since these young masters told him that they would pay for everything, Yun Hao would make sure to eat his fill. One should not underestimate the appetite of a boxer.

He hasn't had his fill ever since Tsinghai Highschool took him off the boxing team and stopped sponsoring his meals, but even those meals are controlled and had no taste as Tsinghai treated him as nothing but a tool, decreasing and increasing his weight to their liking-- even starving and dehydrating him to the point where his lips chapped with even the slightest movement.

If the people thought he was ripped now, they should have seen Yun Hao when he was still competing.

"Will all of you be having the usual, young masters?" A new waiter approached their table.

"You know us so well, Jun," one of Yun Hao's classmates, handed a dollar towards the waiter before whispering something into his ear. Afterward, the waiter glanced at Yun Hao, seemingly smirking as he nodded a couple of times.

This didn't escape Yun Hao's notice, of course. But he couldn't be bothered to care for their silly antiques. He was here to eat, and no one will be able to stop him from ordering everything on the menu.

"When are the girls going to be here, brother Fen?"

"I've already dm'ed them, just chill, brother Tao. They were on their way last I checked."

"You sure? I don't wanna be spending my weekends with just you motherfuckers."

The group started talking and laughing with each other, leaving out Yun Hao who was just taking in the ambience of the restaurant. Who knew when he would be able to go inside a restaurant like this again?

Wait… he has money now. He could go here every day if he wanted to.

With that thought, Yun Hao could not help but let out a light smirk. But after a few seconds, he shook his head. Even if he has a lot of money now, practically unlimited, he wasn't planning on changing his way of life just yet.

The Way of the Dao for normal people is expensive. If he was planning on unlocking his meridians, then he needed to focus his money on that; indulging in life's little pleasantries will come after.

"Ah, there they are!"

Yun Hao's thoughts were disrupted by the annoying rising voice of his classmate. All of them stood up, looking in a certain direction. Yun Hao contemplated on whether or not to stand up, but since he was just here to eat… then he didn't bother himself.

His classmates seemed to be here to meet girls they met online. He just discovered that his ex-girlfriend had been cheating on him with his ex-best friend-- he wasn't going to be dating anyone anytime soon.

And so, he just remained sitting, wondering when the waiter would be handing him the menu so that he could choose what to order-- or what not to order.

Yun Hao let out a sigh, ignoring the formalities that his classmates were exchanging with the girls that just came in.

"Hello?"

But suddenly, someone sat in front of him. It was a beautiful young woman, reaching her hand towards Yun Hao.

But that wasn't the most important factor that caught Yun Hao's attention-- the woman had a white band tied around her left arm, signifying that she was in the Early-stage of the Mortal Realm.

A Cultivator.