As a man whose father was a high-up government official, reputation was incredibly important, especially in the presence of beauties. You want wine? Fine, I’ll give you some!
“Waiter, send them another ten bottles of Lafite Rothschild!” Reg gestured grandly, exuding dominance.
Hearing this, Gary’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t believe that Reg would foot the wine bill separately; in the end, it would likely be charged to him.
One bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild cost four thousand, but eleven bottles would be fourty four thousand. Adding the emerald bracelets he’d just gifted, damn, they hadn’t even finished their meal and so much money gone!
The waiter had worked in this restaurant for several years and could easily figure out who the real payer was. She looked at Gary with a questioning glance.
Reg also turned his gaze to Gary, his eyes narrowed, “Gary, it seems you do not agree?”
“How could I? Waiter, follow Mr. Russel’s instructions, send them another ten bottles,” Gary forced a smile through gritted teeth.
Gary really wanted to slap himself now. He had come here just to have a meal, something that could have been settled with a few hundred bucks, but he had to get himself involved in Reg’s attempt to woo girls!
And now, a meal had cost him so much money.
The waiter departed, her heart brimming with delight. If she sold another ten more bottles, her commission from the drinks this month alone would be a few thousand.
Driven by the prospect of a good commission, the waiter moved quickly. She soon loaded the ten bottles of Château Lafite Rothschild onto a small cart and headed towards Leo’s table.
Seeing the ten bottles of wine on the cart, Leo was quite pleased. Since someone wanted to spend money to impress the ladies, he didn’t mind sharing the wine.
He asked the waiter for glasses, opened the wine with a corkscrew, and poured it for Coral and Nicola.
“Today’s our lucky day, someone’s treating us to drinks. Let’s toast to that,” Leo said, raising his glass and taking a sip.
Coral and Nicola exchanged a wry smile. This was red wine, not a shot of hard liquor. Leo’s drinking style didn’t quite fit here.
As the three of them enjoyed their meal and wine without showing any intention of moving, Reg and Gary grew impatient.
Reg stood up with a wine glass in hand, leaving his chair. After adjusting his expression, he walked over to Leo’s table, with Gary following behind, clutching a box containing emerald bracelets.
“Lovely ladies, my name is Reg Russel. I sent you the red wine earlier. Would it be possible for us to get to know each other?” Reg held a wine glass in one hand and slightly bowed, exuding an air of elegance.
Nicola and Coral exchanged a smile, both chiming in, “Sorry, that’s not possible.”
Embarrassment flashed across Reg’s face.
Gary quickly interjected, “Ladies, Mr. Russel is the son of the Director of the Municipal Construction Bureau in our city. He genuinely wishes to make friends with you.”
“Oh, ” Nicola smiled. “Sending us eleven bottles of Lafite Rothschild all at once, you must be quite wealthy.”
Reg’s awkward expression instantly transformed into a smile. “It’s just some wine, not a big deal. The main thing is to express my sincere intention to make friends.”
Gary found this statement piercing. Both the meal and the wine were being charged to his account, of course, it wouldn’t be a big deal for Reg.
“You’ve shown your sincerity, but I still think it’s lacking a little,” Nicola decided to mimic Leo’s cheeky behavior.
Reg immediately caught on, shooting a meaningful look at Gary.
Gary quickly handed the box of bracelets to Reg and moved it in front of Nicola and Coral.
“Top-quality emeralds. Their value truly shines when worn by beauties. These two bracelets, I’d like to give to you both as a gift for our first meeting. Please accept them,” Reg took out the bracelets, one in each hand, and offered them to Coral and Nicola.
As for Leo, he was completely ignored by Reg.
Coral didn’t accept, but Nicola did, examining the bracelets. She smiled and said, “They seem like high-quality ice-green with full color. They must be quite expensive.”
Nearby diners caught wind of the scene, especially after Reg unveiled the two beautiful bracelets. They were amazed. Courting women was truly a game for the wealthy; casually gifting two ice-green, full-color emerald bracelets was the epitome of extravagance.
Feeling the gazes of those around them, Reg’s vanity was greatly satisfied.
“Mr. Russel, may I ask how much these bracelets cost?” Nicola’s face revealed a half-smile.
Reg modestly chuckled, “It’s not much, really. I bought them from a friend in the jade business. Originally priced at five hundred thousand each, he gave me a discount at three hundred thousand each, so it’s a total of six hundred thousand.”
“Six hundred thousand for two ice-green, full-color emerald bracelets. Your friend is quite generous to you. Makes me want to meet him,” Nicola teased.
Reg felt even more triumphant. “If you like it, then please take it. I can introduce you to my friend another day.”
He was glad to see how easygoing Nicola was. He had observed that these two beauties were certainly close friends, so he decided to focus his efforts on Nicola.
He could tell that the key was to win over one, and the other would soon follow. To Reg’s surprise, Nicola handed the bracelets back to him. “Mr. Russel, I can’t accept such expensive artifacts. You should keep them and appreciate them yourself at home.”
“Expensive artifacts?” Reg didn’t understand what Nicola meant.
“These two bracelets, if I’m not mistaken, have likely undergone post-production chemical treatment.”
Now Reg understood. In other words, these two ice-green, full-color emerald bracelets were fake.
Reg turned to look at Gary beside him.
“It’s impossible. Mr. Russel, I’ve known my friend in the jade business for over ten years. He wouldn’t sell me fake goods!” Gary was in complete disbelief.
Nicola continued, “Sir, don’t take this personally. But, you see, these bracelets are made from low-quality jade. They’re treated with industrial-grade acid to dissolve impurities, then synthetic resin is added at high temperatures. Finally, they’re dyed using specialized equipment to create an expensive-looking ice-green, full-color effect.”
“Impossible, impossible,” Gary vehemently denied. If Nicola’s words were true, not only had he wasted six hundred thousand, but he had also offended Reg. It was disastrous.
“Miss, please don’t make baseless claims. These bracelets were bought for six hundred thousand from a reputable jade and antique shop in the city. I know the owner personally, and he would never sell fake items!” Gary protested loudly.
Nicola regarded Gary as if he were a naive rookie, saying, “Spectators watch the excitement, insiders look for details. You probably don’t understand jade, right? Do you know the value of a genuine ice-green, full-color emerald bracelet?”