“Damn it! I’m exhausted.”
Half an hour later, after running around all morning, Darnell leaned against the pillar of a diner, panting. He pulled out his phone to check the time. It was past one o’clock.
Feeling a bit hungry, he entered the diner, finding a seat amidst the crowded patrons.
The aroma of the food whetted his appetite, and he ordered a few dishes.
He felt confident he could finish them all.
It wasn’t long before a middle-aged waiter approached with a tray carrying his ordered food.
“Here it comes!”
Bang!
Just as the waiter neared the table, he was bumped hard by a young man from a couple passing by, causing the tray to wobble.
The food was about to spill onto the head of a little girl at the next table. If the hot food fell on her, she would definitely end up in the hospital.
Before Darnell could help stabilize it, the waiter quickly adjusted his steps and deftly tapped twice with his fingers.
The sliding porcelain plates instantly stopped and settled back onto the tray securely.
The middle-aged waiter then placed the plates on Darnell’s table and respectfully said, “Sir, I hope you enjoyed your meal.”
Darnell squinted slightly, glancing at the waiter, whose left hand was missing two fingers.
Seeing Darnell look at his hand, the waiter gave an embarrassed smile and retracted it before leaving with his head down.
“Fingers of Trial!”
Darnell murmured as he watched the waiter’s back. “I didn’t expect there to be a master in this small diner.”
Although the waiter’s move was fleeting, Darnell recognized it as one of the unique skills in the martial world-Fingers of Trial.
This piqued his curiosity.
However, his attention was soon drawn to the couple who had caused the collision.
The young man who bumped into the waiter seemed oblivious to his mistake. He casually walked over to a table across from him and sat down.
He then called over his female companion.
Darnell found the young man familiar and then remembered their names upon seeing the young woman.
It was Saul and Raelynn.
Despite the cold weather, Raelynn wore a knitted top paired with a short skirt and black stockings, looking bright and charming.
In contrast to Raelynn’s fashion-forward appearance, Saul appeared much more conservative in a black jacket and black-framed glasses.
His attire resembled that of a nerd, with an air of pride. He carried six black bags beside him.
The bags were all branded men’s items-clothes, shoes, and belts included.
At that moment, he was holding a menu.
“Bring me these dishes quickly and make sure they’re good quality, or you’ll get bad reviews.”
After Sual finished ordering, Raelynn took out her wallet as usual but with a hint of doubt in her beautiful eyes.
“It’s just us two. We can’t eat that much. Two or three dishes should be enough. Can you finish four dishes? Maybe we should cut back on two.”
“Not even one less. Four dishes are just right.”
Saul waved grandly for the waiter to hurry up with their order. “Since I take my girlfriend out for dinner, I can’t be so stingy, can’t I?”
“Not taking you to a Western restaurant has already made me feel guilty. If I don’t order a few more dishes here to treat you well, people will think I’m an unfit boyfriend.”
“For now, we’ll make do. When I make money, I’ll take you to a five-star hotel for dinner.”
Saul acted generously before adding, “Don’t worry. If we can’t finish them all, we’ll just pack them up for dinner.”
Raelynn said nothing more as she handed over two hundred dollars with a slightly unhappy expression on her pretty face.
The waiter initially looked at Saul with admiration, thinking he seemed arrogant but still nice to his girlfriend, until realizing it was Raelynn who paid instead.
He looked at Saul with disdain in his eyes, while nearby diners chuckled derisively at what they saw unfold.
Darnell chuckled wryly but said nothing while continuing to eat quietly.
“Saul.” Raelynn forced out a smile after retrieving her change from her wallet. “I’m not feeling well. After eating, I’d like to go back home early instead of going to the Apple Store with you.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Saul’s smile froze instantly as he glared coldly at Raelynn. “What’s the point of going there without you? Feeling unwell? You were fine just now but suddenly felt unwell? Are you worried I’ll ask you to pay later?”
Raelynn shook her head gently. “No, I really am not feeling well.”
“Stop pretending.”
Saul sneered, “You’re just worried about spending money. I’ve told you countless times already. Think bigger.”
“Eighteen thousand dollars means nothing in your life-and today’s expense will yield thousands-fold returns once I become a rich man.”
Darnell nearly choked on his food upon hearing this. He had seen shameless people before, but never someone as shameless as Saul.
“I’ll be honest with you. When we go to the Apple store later, I do plan to buy an iPhone and want you to pay for it.”
Saul pushed his glasses up and snorted, “But I’m not letting you pay for nothing. I’m thinking of you too.”
“Once I have a new cellphone, you can use my current one and replace the one you’re using now. Isn’t that something to be happy about?”
Darnell genuinely choked this time, coughing. Fortunately, Saul wasn’t his friend, or he would have beaten him up and ended the friendship right there.
Saul’s aggressive demeanor made Raelynn’s lips twitch, her pretty face looking quite unwilling, but she hesitated several times, seeming afraid to refuse Saul.
At this point, Saul patted her arm and made the final decision. “That’s settled then. We’ll buy the phone together later.”
“If you don’t want to come, that’s fine too. Just give me eight thousand dollars. I remember you made quite a bit in commission last month.”
Raelynn couldn’t bear it anymore and said in a low voice, “I need to pay rent next week.”
Saul waved impatiently. “It’s just eighteen hundred. You can borrow from any colleague.”
“If you feel your salary isn’t enough, you can consider Alexander’s suggestion. Go work at his company, and your salary will be double what it is now.”