Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 347: Family Dinner (8)

Dragon Raja 3

Lu Mingfei turned his attention back to helping Aunt praise Lu Mingze, acting as the vanguard in Aunt’s mission to impress Jiajia. Meanwhile, Erii, surprisingly, picked up her wine glass and offered a toast to Uncle. Although her facial expression still resembled a queen granting a kiss on the hand to a subject, she was clearly making an effort to be polite.

So obedient, Lu Mingfei thought silently.

He truly wanted to make peace with Uncle and Aunt that night, seeing it as a chance to reconcile. Aunt wasn’t necessarily a bad person—just a bit selfish and focused on running the household. But Lu Mingze was her son, and it made sense that she would favor him over Lu Mingfei. If Lu Mingfei had been more charming, Aunt might have been kinder to him. But he was always the kind of kid that people didn’t like, both at home and at school. After all, he had lived in Uncle and Aunt’s house for six years, and in those years, Aunt had made many meals for him. If he didn’t reconcile with them, he’d have nowhere to go during summer or winter holidays, left alone in the dormitory while even someone like Finger would return to his family home in rural Germany.

This was an opportunity granted by fate. If he could help Aunt win over Jiajia, she might remember his efforts and accept him back.

Uncle noticed the brand-new iPhone 5 on the table and couldn’t help but pick it up and examine it with interest. “Mingfei, you’re using an iPhone 5 now? Is this the American version?”

“Yes, yes, the American version. It came with a contract,” Lu Mingfei quickly responded, thinking he couldn’t make it seem like his phone was better than Uncle’s.

Seeing the iPhone 4S next to Uncle, Lu Mingfei suddenly thought about using Uncle’s phone to call the college, thinking it might get through. But then he shivered slightly. He remembered what Caesar had said about how everyone’s social network could be boiled down to just a few pages. Uncle, Aunt, and the chubby version of Lu Mingze would undoubtedly be on that list. Uncle’s phone must be under the scrutiny of Kaguya. If he made that call, he would be putting Uncle in danger. They were in Japan, and the yakuza could do anything. He suddenly felt uneasy and wanted to leave as soon as possible. If Uncle and Aunt’s phone was being monitored, perhaps Kaguya had already tracked him down from the moment he met with them. Maybe the Yamata no Orochi were already on their way.

At that moment, the manager approached, apologizing profusely, “I’m terribly sorry, dear guests. It seems we won’t be able to serve the main course from the chef’s menu tonight. May we switch to the regular menu instead?”

Aunt immediately grew displeased. She already had an issue with the manager, and now that she had caught this mistake, she wasn’t going to let it go. She angrily said, “How can a high-end restaurant like yours be so unprofessional? I specifically ordered the top set menu, and now you want to switch it to the regular one? Do you think we can’t afford it or that you’re unwilling to serve Chinese tourists? Let me tell you, China is very powerful now, and we have risen on the international stage!”

The manager was in a tough spot. Caesar had originally booked the top-tier chef’s menu, with the executive chef personally preparing it. However, it was only for two people. Now, with eight people at the table, the executive chef simply couldn’t stretch the high-end ingredients to serve them all and had to suggest switching to the regular menu. But explaining this to Aunt seemed futile—she was convinced that it was her reservation.

Just as Aunt’s voice began to rise, a small notebook was pushed under the manager’s nose. Erii had written, “Call the general manager.”

The manager was just about to explain that the issue was simply a shortage of ingredients in the kitchen, and that there was no intent to discriminate against foreign guests, when he suddenly looked up and met Erii’s gaze. Her deep, rose-colored eyes radiated a firmness that brooked no denial. It was as if a command had been issued directly into the manager’s mind. He found himself instinctively responding, “Yes!” He hurried off, taking Erii’s notebook with him.

A few minutes later, the general manager of Chateau Joel Robuchon, a well-known former chef in Tokyo’s culinary scene, arrived at the table. He had rushed there, and though he tried to maintain his composure, Lu Mingfei could see he was slightly out of breath. Following closely behind him was the executive chef.

The general manager, the manager, and the executive chef lined up in front of Erii and bowed deeply. The general manager said, “Miss Uesugi, your unexpected visit is a great honor for our establishment. We apologize for not having been informed by your retainers in advance, leading to such inadequate service. We humbly beg your pardon!”

He spoke with utmost respect, even using the archaic term “retainers,” which Lu Mingfei barely understood. But the gravity of the situation was clear—no wonder Chateau Joel Robuchon’s opulence hadn’t impressed Erii. She was a regular here.

“Serve me my usual menu,” Erii wrote expressionlessly in her notebook for the general manager to read.

“Unfortunately, we were unaware of your visit, and the kitchen doesn’t have enough of the highest-grade ingredients,” the general manager whispered apologetically. “We do, however, have ingredients of slightly lower quality. We will prepare the best we can for you and your guests. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes. Don’t inform my brother.”

A few minutes later, screens were placed around the table, and eight servers dressed in black stood behind each chair to attend to the guests. The tableware was replaced with pieces bearing a family crest, and the silverware, now much heavier, was pure silver. Erii sat quietly, allowing the manager to pour her wine, cut her food, and lay her napkin—she was clearly accustomed to such service, as a queen might be to her courtiers. Her usual cold expression now carried a certain regal authority, reflecting her true identity as the head of the Uesugi family, a figure of unparalleled importance in the Japanese underworld. Though Lu Mingfei had spent the past few days viewing her as a naive, sheltered girl, the reality was that this side of her was only shown to a select few.

“Do you come here often to eat?” Lu Mingfei scribbled in the notebook for her to see.

“Cafeteria,” Erii replied with just one word.

She then raised her glass to toast Uncle, showing him another note: “Uncle, let’s drink.”

Uncle, clearly enjoying the attention from a pretty young girl, was more than happy to oblige. Chen Director followed suit, frequently raising his glass as well, while Lu Mingfei and Aunt busied themselves engaging Chen’s wife in conversation.

Though the windows were closed and soft music played in the dining room, Lu Mingfei vaguely heard some commotion outside but didn’t pay much attention. His mind was entirely focused on Jiajia.

He knew this was his opportunity to shine. Aunt was signaling him with her eyes that the moment for the final push was approaching. Lu Mingfei was ready to play the heroic role, much like Dong Cunrui with a grenade, willing to speak up as soon as Aunt gave the signal: “I think my cousin and Jiajia would make a great couple!”

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