Chapter 25

Get up to 15 future chapters at patreon.com/FFAddict !

Please donate power stones and add to collections if you enjoy the story!

"Good evening, the beautiful Ms. Gloria,"

"And to you too, David Martinez."

"I hope you don't mind my being a bit late."

Tang Yu approached their table with a smile, greeting the mother and son pair warmly. He had a soft spot for Gloria and David. After all, his principle for making friends was never about wealth or status. Besides, David was destined to become a legend, and there would be plenty of interactions in the future.

Tang Yu noticed that the life simulation options for David had turned grey, indicating that after the last pivotal moment in his life had been simulated, it was time to wait for a new story to unfold.

Lost in thought while staring out the window, Gloria was pulled back to the present by the greeting. She looked slightly surprised before realizing it was Tang Yu who had arrived. She promptly stood up, holding the hem of her red dress with both hands and nodded with a smile.

"Mr. Tang, you're here, not late at all,"

"We also have just arrived not long after securing the reservation,"

"Please, take a seat!"

David followed suit, also standing up to quietly greet Tang Yu: "Mr. Tang, hello."

The three of them took their seats again.

Observing Gloria's red-toned allure, Tang Yu had to admit she was indeed the center of attention in the Yu's Restaurant; just from the greeting to when they sat down, he noticed four gentlemen casting glances her way.

Gloria appeared much more composed and at ease than during their last encounter at the apartment, possibly because her worries had been relieved or because she trusted Tang Yu to keep her secret – her demeanor and conversation were imbued with a light smile.

"Mr. Tang, what should we order?"

"To tell you the truth, David and I are both here for the first time, so we're not familiar with the menu here."

While saying so, Gloria passed over a brown leather-bound menu with a gentle hand.

Tang Yu was a regular here and skimmed through the menu; some items weren't quite to his taste, but mentioning such things would be impolite as a guest, so he simply responded.

"I've been here a few times, and the food is quite good."

Gloria then suggested, "If you could recommend some of the specialty dishes here, that would be wonderful."

Tang Yu knew Yu's Restaurant served primarily Western cuisine with some Japanese dishes tailored for Arasaka employees, but no Chinese delicacies. If they had gone to Little China or prepared something themselves, it would have been tastier and more convenient. He signaled a waiter and ordered a few light dishes.

"Seaweed sushi rolls, French veal, salmon sashimi, and finally, cream tofu – portions for three, thank you."

David glanced at the prices on the menu, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Almost two hundred Eurodollars for cream tofu!"

He nearly exclaimed out loud. How many game chips would he have to sell, how many Superdreams would he have to peddle to earn that back? But seeing others around him eating and drinking with ease, he managed to hold back.

Soon, two cocktails named Emerald Isles and a fruit juice arrived.

The server smoothly handed the cocktails to Tang Yu and Gloria, placing the juice in front of David with a plastic straw sticking out.

"Enjoy your meal."

After taking the order, the server departed.

David looked at his fruit juice, then at the cocktails of Tang Yu and Gloria, and he let out a sigh, grumbling to himself.

"It seems I'm still seen as a child in their eyes."

Resigned, he picked up the juice and started sipping through the straw.

Seeing David's bored look, Tang Yu was reminded of his own experiences at adult gatherings in his younger years and, with a smile, lifted his glass in a toast.

"Let's toast to your smooth recovery and discharge from the hospital."

Gloria lightly held up her glass, her eyes suddenly brimming with emotion as she said with an undertone of feeling, "I really have to thank Mr. Tang for stepping in to help us. Otherwise, otherwise..."

Intending to show her warm and friendly side, Gloria dared not dwell on the car accident; had Tang Yu not intervened, she couldn't bear to think what their current situation would be like.

Watching his mother's voice catch slightly, David empathized deeply, especially after the surreal dream he had experienced. Gratitude toward Tang Yu ran deep within him. However, given Tang Yu's status, there was little he could do to help or repay him.Seeing Gloria slightly losing her composure, Tang Yu had no choice but to proactively clink glasses with her and her son, took a sip of his cocktail, and then changed the subject.

"Did David go to the academy today? Any thoughts on his pre-graduation social practice?" he asked.

 David's emotions, which were just stirred, vanished instantly. He felt that Mr. Tang was intentionally bringing up the most awkward topic, but out of politeness, he replied with some resignation, "I woke up feeling unwell today and took a leave of absence. As for social practice... I haven't really thought about it, I might try for an internship at Arasaka. If not, I'll look at other companies."

 David didn't mention the incident where he damaged the school's online education network, nor was he confident about getting an internship at Arasaka. He said so reluctantly because he didn't want to embarrass Gloria that evening. This left him speechless and he muttered to himself in annoyance, "Why bring up this subject now?"

The change of topic was effective, and Gloria quickly regained her composure. She patted David on the shoulder and said: "David is actually very smart. He's always done well in the academy. There's a pretty good chance he can get an internship at Arasaka."

Tang Yu nodded without saying much more; he had merely asked to make small talk and fill the awkward silence, given that it wasn't appropriate to discuss certain matters in front of David.

After expressing her thanks, Gloria summoned a waiter and had them bring over the gift she had prepared.

Tang Yu saw the waiter holding a finely wrapped rectangular box with an exquisite logo from Shingonji printed on top, and guessed that the gift inside must be a suit jacket.

As the waiter opened the gift box, indeed, it was a houndstooth blazer of a style and cut that were quite appealing.

When David saw the jacket, he remembered that the trip to Shingonji with Gloria wasn't for him; it was to select a gift for Mr. Tang. The jacket was priced at twelve thousand Eurodollars with no discount.

 Gloria stood up, took the gift box from the waiter, and leaning slightly forward, she asked Tang Yu, "I'm not sure if you like it, Mr. Tang?"

"Last time you refused our payment for your medical services, so David and I chose a suit jacket that would suit you."

"If you refuse this time, we'll have no choice but to hang it in our house," she added.

Tang Yu could tell that the jacket was selected according to his measurements, and that the price was estimated at just over ten thousand Eurodollars, almost equal to what he had paid for the medical bill. It would be difficult to refuse the gift this time, so he stood up as well and took the gift box from Gloria.

"Thank you, it looks quite nice."

Seeing Tang Yu finally accept the gift, Gloria breathed a sigh of relief. Although it couldn't equal the life-saving favor, at least she didn't let Tang Yu spend his money in vain, resolving a major concern in her heart.

Before long, the dishes were served one after another at the table, and the three of them entered a pleasant dining time.

The meal was at a Western restaurant. When you finish one dish, they take away the plate and bring the next course.

David ate quickly; the dishes of the Western meal were plated large but with small portions, and before long, he had cleared them clean.

When the waiter courteously informed them after serving the last dish, "Ladies and gentlemen, that was the final course. If you'd like anything else, please feel free to order," David felt his stomach still empty and was increasingly finding the restaurant, Yujin, very unreasonable.

Noticing David had not had his fill, Tang Yu reminded him, "There's a buffet and pastries over there; you can go try those out. They're not bad."

David looked puzzled and asked, "Is it expensive?"

Tang Yu chuckled and explained, "It's complimentary."

Without another word, David stood up and headed straight for the buffet, silently swearing to himself that he wouldn't leave until he had eaten his money's worth!

With David gone, Tang Yu was now left alone with Gloria in her red dress. There seemed to be a tacit understanding between them as they looked at each other.

 After a moment's hesitation, Gloria heard Tang Yu say, "Now that David's not here, there's something I'd like to discuss with you in private."