My Ares Son-in-Law

As he spoke, the waiter's eyes unconsciously drifted towards the young man who was immersed in the phone conversation. He had long hair draped over his shoulders, looking a little unruly. Every piece of clothing he wore seemed to silently announce his extraordinary identity and status. He was surrounded by an indescribable aura of luxury, which formed a sharp contrast with the quaint restaurant environment.

Jiang Yulan frowned slightly when she heard this, and a hint of displeasure appeared on her face. It's not that she couldn't understand the importance of rules, but seeing someone openly violate them, she couldn't help but feel a little unfair.

She opened her red lips slightly, her tone carrying a hint of doubt and insistence: "I remember the rule of Jiuseju is that the same group of guests can only enjoy the unique flavor of one fish, right?"

Her eyes penetrated the waiter, as if she wanted to directly touch the young man, seeking a reasonable explanation. At this moment, the air in the restaurant seemed to freeze, and everyone's eyes unconsciously focused on this scene, waiting for the development of the situation.

"My little beauty, you really misunderstood me." The young man finally ended the call, put the phone gently on the table beside him, raised a playful smile at the corner of his mouth, and shook his head gently.

"Who said I ordered for the same group of people? These four fish were distributed to several different guests. I was just a runner." There was a hint of frivolity in his words, but it was also an explanation, trying to defuse the subtle tension in the air.

Seeing this, Xiao Chen hurriedly stepped forward, with a gentle smile on his face, and interrupted in a way to ease the embarrassment: "Haha, it turned out to be a misunderstanding. This brother has also worked hard, let's not embarrass him. How about this, Xiao Yulan, since the Nine-Colored Drunk Fish has already been taken, let's try something else, maybe there are other delicacies waiting for us."

His tone was full of comfort to Jiang Yulan, and also revealed his understanding and tolerance for the young man.

After hearing this, Jiang Yulan felt unwilling, but she also understood that things had come to this point and it would be useless to worry about it.

She sighed softly, a hint of disappointment flashed across her eyes, but she quickly adjusted her mood, forced a smile, and nodded aggrievedly, "Okay, in that case, let's eat something else." As she spoke, her anticipation and regret for the Nine-Colored Drunk Fish were still difficult to conceal.

Afterwards, the two began to carefully select items from the menu, but with every turn of the page, the regret they felt for not being able to taste the Nine-Colored Drunk Fish grew stronger.

The lighting in the restaurant was still soft and the environment was still elegant, but for them, it seemed to lack the excitement and anticipation they had when they first walked in. They occasionally smiled at each other, trying to use laughter to dispel the unhappiness, but deep down in their hearts, the original intention of coming here for the Nine-Colored Drunken Fish was always hard to let go.

Just as Jiang Yulan and Xiao Chen were immersed in the subtle atmosphere of choosing other dishes, a discordant sound suddenly rang out in the restaurant - the young man answered the phone again, and there seemed to be some unhappy news on the other end of the phone. He frowned, and his words were mixed with impatience and anger. Finally, he ended the call in an almost rude manner, and slammed the phone heavily on the table, attracting the attention of several guests at the surrounding tables.

After a moment of silence, the young man seemed to realize his own gaffe, and quickly adjusted his mood. He turned to face Jiang Yulan and Xiao Chen, forcing a smile on his face, and spoke with a barely perceptible urgency: "You two, what a coincidence. I just received a notice that a guest canceled the Nine-Colored Drunkard Fish that he had reserved due to some emergency. You see, this fish is now available, are you still interested?"

Jiang Yulan's eyes lit up instantly when she heard this, like the brightest stars in the night sky. She could hardly believe her ears and exchanged an unbelievable look with Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was also surprised. They spoke almost at the same time, their voices full of excitement that could not be concealed: "Yes! Of course!" Seeing this, the young man raised a satisfied smile at the corner of his mouth. He pretended to be generous and said: "It seems that we are really destined to meet. In order to thank you two for taking over this fish, I decided to give you a special discount. The original price of this fish is 100,000 yuan. Today I will give you a 20% discount, and you can take it away for 80,000 yuan. How about it, is it good enough?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen's smile grew even brighter, but he soon became a little confused. He smiled and asked, "This Nine-Colored Drunken Fish is your signature dish. Normally, you never have trouble selling it. Why are you so generous today and offering a discount?" His words showed both gratitude for the discount and a hint of curiosity about the reason behind the young man's move.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, I don't give you this discount casually." Zhao Liang waved his hand, his eyes flashing with sincerity and frankness.

"There are many people coming and going on this island, but not many of them are pleasing to me, Zhao Liang. You two are both kind-hearted people, straightforward and generous. I am happy and naturally want to make more friends. My name is Zhao Liang. My old man is busy on the artificial island, so I just follow him to make a living.

From now on, if you want to try the Nine-Colored Drunken Fish, or if you want to know something new on the island, feel free to come to me. I, Zhao Liang, dare not say anything else, but I do have some connections in this area."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth. That smile showed both his appreciation for Zhao Liang's straightforward character and his cherishment for this sudden kindness.

"We are truly grateful for Brother Zhao's hospitality. It is rare to find a true friend in life. We are lucky to meet a friend like you on this remote island." His words were full of sincerity and gratitude, as if he had foreseen all the interesting things and mutual assistance that might happen between him and Zhao Liang in the future.

Zhao Liang also seemed to be moved by Xiao Chen's sincerity, with more enthusiasm and curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"Come to think of it, you two didn't come to this Death Island Reef just for my fish, did you? I heard that there are many coveted spiritual objects hidden on this island, which attract many people. Are you two here for those treasures as well?"

There was some tentativeness in his words, but more of a desire to share secrets, as if he couldn't wait to share everything he knew with these two new friends.

Xiao Chen smiled slightly and did not answer directly, but his tacit attitude was clear enough. He knew very well that in this place full of unknowns and dangers, one more friend meant one more strength, and the appearance of Zhao Liang undoubtedly added some variables and possibilities to their trip.

"Brother Zhao is right. We are indeed interested in the spiritual objects on the island. However, compared to those illusory treasures, we value the experience and gains of this journey more. Of course, if we are lucky enough to get something, it will naturally be the icing on the cake." His answer retained a bit of mystery, but also showed curiosity and respect for the unknown world. (End of this chapter)