Benjamin's Heirloom Ring

Bluesky Restaurant

Bluesky Restaurant is among the most luxurious spots in Regal Hill. The entire middle-class dreams of dining here, but it's a privilege reserved for the upper class.

Imagine, just to secure a moderately sized table on the first floor, one would have to shell out up to 500,000 dollars.

While to dine on the top floor, the price is 1 million dollars.

Even Valerie, hailing from one of the most respected families in Regal Hill, has only dined on the second floor of Bluesky Restaurant once, back when her family business was at its peak.

However, now Valerie and Benjamin are headed for the third floor. They booked the priciest spot because, well, the Platinum Estate messenger is picking up the tab.

There are only five rooms on the third floor, and all of them are private and soundproof.

Bluesky Restaurant truly understood that the main customers who booked the third floor were businessmen who needed privacy in their conversations.

A charming young waitress welcomed Valerie and Benjamin, "Hello, Mr. and Miss. Mind showing me your reservation card? I'll get you to the right spot."

"Of course." Valerie took out a black card with gold trim.

Eyeballing the card for a moment to confirm its authenticity, the waiter finally said with a smile, "Alright, let me escort you to your reserved rooms."

The waitress led them down a very quiet and silent hallway, passing through several doors leading to other rooms. Here so quiet, even the sound of footsteps was muted by the carpet.

They reached the end of the hallway, and that's where the waitress stopped.

"This here's room number five, your spot," she conveyed with a touch of reverence. "I'll just guide you in. If you need anything else, just hit the 'summon the maid' on that tablet. Got any other questions on your mind?"

"Thanks, that covers it," Valerie responded.

The waitress gave a nod. "If there's anything that needs a tweak or catchin' your eye, just holler. We're all about top-notch service. Make the most of your time!"

The waiter made his exit, leaving Benjamin and Valerie to step into the room.

"Gosh, this is gorgeous!" Valerie couldn't contain her admiration for the room's interior. She even paused for a moment, soaking it all in a bit longer.

However, to Benjamin, this was a low-class room.

Indeed, Bluesky Restaurant had a central restaurant in Aristo Heights, while this restaurant in Regal Hill was just one of its dozens of branches.

Back when he still held sway as the leading figure in Aristo Heights, Benjamin was a regular at Bluesky Restaurant, dropping in every week. Never did he settle for anything less than a top-tier room.

Hence, when stacked against the crème de la crème chamber at Bluesky's flagship restaurant, this room wouldn't hold much allure. It paled in comparison.

However, out of respect for Valerie, Benjamin did not make any comments. He also covered the look of disappointment on his face.

"Benjamin, one of my dreams has materialized, and truth be told, it has surpassed even my wildest expectations," Valerie declared, her gaze earnestly fixed on the young man. "I wholeheartedly believe you're the one who ushered in this fortune for me."

Benjamin chuckled briefly and retorted, "Ah, don't go saying that again. This is all the fruit of your labor. I'm just hitching a ride on the happiness train."

They sat next to each other on a very soft chair. Valerie also picked up a tablet on the table to order lunch.

However, her brow creased slightly as she fixed her gaze on the tablet screen. "No price list here. How do we figure out what's easy on the pocket?"

Benjamin cast a glance at the tablet screen and remarked, "Folks on the third floor are rolling in dough. They order what they fancy, not bothered by the price. Slapping numbers on the menu wouldn't make much of a difference here."

Valerie let out a sigh. She found herself at a loss, unsure of what steps to take.

Observing her uncertainty, Benjamin chimed in, "Just have a grand ready and pass it my way. We'll go for the most budget-friendly meal in town. If the tab runs past that, I've got it covered."

Valerie gazed at Benjamin earnestly and inquired, "Ben, do you have enough cash on hand?"

"I've still got some of the cash my ex-wife handed over," Benjamin affirmed with a nod. "Plus, I'm pretty confident even if the bill climbs, it won't hit the 200-dollar mark."

Valerie hesitated, reluctant to burden Benjamin considering he was the one extending the invitation. Yet, facing financial challenges herself, she found herself in genuine need of Benjamin's assistance.

As Valerie remained silent, Benjamin took the tablet from her hand and promptly placed orders for a variety of dishes from the menu.

With Benjamin already taking charge, Valerie could only offer a reminder, "Just go for the dishes that seem budget-friendly, Ben."

"No worries!"

Benjamin chose a wide variety of different menus at once. Some of them were the Foie Gras A5 Nigiri, Lobster Thermidor, and Seafood Tower.

As for dessert, he ordered white truffle, caviar eggs, and diamond cheesecake that had diamonds as its topping. 

All of these dishes cost 3,000 to 5,000 dollars per serving.

In total, the total amount is 30,000 dollars. Still much cheaper than the room reservation price.

Having selected every item on the menu, Benjamin didn't hesitate to hit the "done" button. The status of all the orders promptly switched to "on-cooking" now.

Observing Benjamin set down the tablet, Valerie inquired, "Did you already place the order for the food?"

"I did. Expect a grand total of 10 dishes headed our way," he replied.

Valerie was taken aback, "Ten dishes? That's quite a spread!"

"Nah, it's fine. If the bill climbs, I've got it covered. What I've said before?" Benjamin assured.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, all the dishes Benjamin ordered finally arrived.

Valerie was a high-class person, so she knew that all the dishes on her table at the moment had a very high price.

But before she could utter a word, Benjamin interjected, "Just savor the food and the moment. Hold off on the comments."

Since Benjamin had said that, Valerie did not dare to say anything else. More than that, she was very hungry.

Without further ado, they enjoyed all the dishes, finishing them in just a few twelve minutes.

Valerie rested her fork and knife on the plate, a profound sense of satisfaction enveloping her. 

"This has to be the finest meal I've ever had. If all of this comes on the cheap, it's nothing short of a miracle!" she exclaimed.

Benjamin could only offer a faint smile. It might not have been the most exceptional meal he'd ever had, but witnessing Valerie's happiness, he refrained from passing any comments.

Shortly after the waiter cleared the table of all the plates, there were a few knocks on the door before it swung open on its own.

A middle-aged man clad in a brown suit entered the room silently. In his right hand, he carried a suitcase. Despite his aged appearance, his physique retained a notable robustness.

Valerie promptly rose to greet the man, and Benjamin followed suit.

"Mr. Wilson, welcome..."