This is a bit ridiculous. They had a reservation in advance, and now they’re being told there are no seats? That’s utterly frustrating.
It’s like Imperial Feast gave away their reserved spot to someone else. Sophia was furious, saying, “I made this reservation two hours ago, scheduled for 6 PM, and now it’s only ten minutes to 6. How can there be no seats?”
The server, with a cold expression, replied, “Miss, I’m sorry, but your reservation was made online. Our restaurant prioritizes on-site diners, and now all the seats are taken. If you don’t mind, please wait in the lounge area. I’ll call you when a table becomes available.”
“I do mind! So, online reservations are treated differently? If you don’t let us dine at our reserved spot at 6, I’ll file a complaint against you!” Sophia was infuriated, facing this situation for the first time, and she couldn’t swallow her anger.
When the server heard the word “complaint,” her face darkened a bit. She replied arrogantly, “Miss, even if you file a complaint, there’s nothing I can do. Right now, the lounge area is full of people still waiting for their turn. If you’re unwilling to wait, you can go eat elsewhere.”
Facing such an unreasonable server, Sophia was beyond frustrated and felt the need to stand up for herself. “I don’t want to talk to you. Get your restaurant manager out here!” she exclaimed.
“The restaurant manager isn’t someone you can meet just because you want to,” the server retorted.
Afterward, the server reached for her walkie-talkie and called for security, saying, “Security, come to the front desk. There’s a disturbance here.”
Soon, two security guards hurried over.
Seeing the commotion, some passersby and restaurant-goers stopped to watch.
The two security guards stood in front of Sophia and Leo without taking any action because the restaurant manager had arrived.
“What’s going on here?” the manager asked in a stern tone.
The front desk server explained, “Manager, these two are causing trouble here. I tried to reason with them, but they didn’t listen, so I called security.”
The manager’s presence gave Sophia the opportunity to vent her anger. She pointed at the server and said, “Your staff here is utterly unreasonable. I made a reservation two hours ago, and when we arrived, she told me our reserved spot was no longer available!”
“Miss, please don’t get angry. May I ask what time you reserved for?” The manager seemed relatively polite.
“At 6 PM!” Sophia replied.
The manager checked his wristwatch and put on a somewhat apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, but it’s already a couple of minutes past 6. According to our restaurant’s policy, if you miss your reserved dining time, the reservation will be forfeited. Our staff follows the rules.”
This explanation made Sophia almost lose her mind. It was clear that the server intentionally delayed them!
“We arrived at 5:50 PM, ten minutes in advance! Your staff told us that our reserved spot had been given away!” Sophia tried to reason with the restaurant manager, but he seemed reluctant to budge.
“Miss, I believe only in the time shown on my wristwatch. If you still want to dine, please wait. If you don’t want to wait, you’re welcome to leave. If you want to cause trouble, don’t blame me for not being polite,” the manager warned.
Seeing that they didn’t appear to be wealthy or influential people, and considering that Imperial Feast had never lacked customers, moreover, the only available private room was reserved for another distinguished guest, so it couldn’t be offered to these two individuals. he decided it was best to make them leave.
As the two guards approached to remove Leo and Sophia, Leo immediately stepped in front of Sophia. He stared at the manager and sneered, “I get it now. You mean even if we made a reservation in advance, it’s useless, right?”
“You could say that. During peak dining hours, online reservations don’t work. So, you can either wait or leave,” the manager replied with a complacent attitude.
“What if I choose to dine inside?” Leo confronted the manager.
Leo’s threatening demeanor had gotten under the restaurant manager’s skin. He didn’t want this altercation to affect the business at Imperial Feast, especially since the big boss was there today. He realized he needed to diffuse the situation quickly.
So, he instructed the two security guards to drive away these two people aside and not block the entrance. However, when the guards tried to grab Leo, he effortlessly kicked both of them to the ground.
Seeing his security personnel clutching their stomachs in pain on the ground, the restaurant manager was momentarily taken aback. These two guards were highly trained, ex-military personnel, hired at great expense. Yet, in front of this young man, they seemed utterly defenseless.
Feeling a growing unease, the restaurant manager warned Leo, “Young man, do you understand where you are? Causing trouble here at Imperial Feast will not end well for you.”
Leo, unimpressed, replied with his arms crossed, “Oh, really? I’d like to see who your restaurant’s boss is. Tell him to come out.”
The restaurant manager, now flustered, reached for his phone, preparing to call for more assistance. At that moment, a commanding male voice interrupted the situation, asking, “What’s going on here?”
Hearing that voice, the restaurant manager’s face immediately changed, and he hurriedly walked over to the newcomer, showing deep respect. He explained, “Boss, there are some people causing a disturbance outside the restaurant, and they even got physical with the security.”
“Who dares to cause trouble at Imperial Feast?” Abraham Hood said with a voice that immediately turned icy.
The restaurant manager pointed at Leo and said to Abraham, “It’s this young man.”
Abraham’s gaze shifted from Leo to the security guards writhing on the ground, a playful glint in his eyes. He was well aware of the capabilities of his security personnel, so the fact that this young man had easily defeated them impressed him.
Abraham began to see potential in Leo and decided to make him an offer. He said, “Young man, you’ve proven your martial skills by taking down my security guards. How about joining me? I can offer you a monthly salary of two thousand dollars.”
Leo, never one to back down from a challenge, replied with a hint of amusement, “How about this, you join me, and I’ll pay you a monthly salary of five thousand dollars.”
Abraham squinted his eyes, surprised by Leo’s audacity. No one had ever spoken to him like this in Langstel before. He adopted a more business-like tone and said, “I’m not joking. I may not be a talent scout, but I can recognize potential when I see it. We’re both civilized people here. Now you can choose to either join me or apologize right now. Then what happened today can be forgotten.”