The company itself was located right in the heart of Central City.
Opening a restaurant in such a land where every inch was worth its weight in gold meant that to pursue a sufficiently high return on investment, the decor naturally had to be exceptionally upscale and luxurious.
The venue for Qiexiya’s celebration banquet was the open-air restaurant on the top floor of a skyscraper. Diamond-shaped floor tiles and artistic murals, a vaulted ceiling crafted from light-colored, three-dimensionally cut wood, and a high-altitude terrace extending beyond the rooftop all showcased an extraordinary exotic flair.
The waitstaff inside the restaurant were all handsome blond-haired, blue-eyed men and beautiful women, and at the central platform of the ornamental fountain, an elegant pianist played softly.
The lounge seating was arranged around lush greenery. Even though it was the top floor of a downtown skyscraper, they still dedicated a large amount of space to planting trees and grass, creating a sky garden just to offer diners a dining environment that felt close to nature.
Of course, these costs would ultimately be borne by the diners.
Lucia and Clara, both from poor families, had never seen such an extravagant setup.
Standing at the restaurant’s entrance, they barely dared to step inside but were forcibly pulled in by Fran and Qiexiya.
Qiexiya, almost like a nouveau riche, proudly pounded her chest and shouted, “I’m paying today! What are you two afraid of? This meal costs just a few bucks. Even if you order everything on the menu, no matter how much you eat, you won’t put me out of pocket…”
Clara sat down timidly and whispered while turning her gaze away:
“No, I’m just afraid that after seeing the lifestyle of the upper class, comparing it to my own bleak life will just make it seem even more pitiful.”
Lucia remained silent but subtly nodded beside her.
“Wow, you two are way too humble, aren’t you?”
Qiexiya half-closed her eyes, clearly unable to understand.
Clara leaned back against the rattan chair and gazed up at the stars.
“So high…”
Central City was full of skyscrapers; even the affordable housing in the suburbs counted as high-rise buildings.
Looking up from the ground, it was hard to see such a broad expanse of sky.
Surrounded by glass curtain walls, the city felt like a cold cage, like a frog at the bottom of a well. Even standing on the street, one could only catch a glimpse of a narrow strip of sky.
But now, sitting on the rooftop of a skyscraper and looking up, Clara felt as if she could even see the pixelated dots of the artificial sky…
Once a person had experienced the heights, they naturally would no longer praise the mud below.
Qiexiya raised one eyebrow and said, “These days, making money is easy. Just seize this chance to soar and become a true top-tier hero.”
Clara muttered back, returning her gaze to the table: “If only it were that easy.”
Qiexiya, sitting opposite her, nudged Clara’s knee under the table.
“Why so down? You’re the only hero in this company, the backbone of the whole place. Have some confidence!”
Clara’s popularity stemmed from her outstanding performance during the Expo Center incident, but if she couldn’t keep the momentum going, people would soon forget her, and she’d become one of those “heroes who peaked right after debut and have been on the decline ever since.”
Moreover, Clara didn’t have the confidence to maintain her popularity.
Even if she became a top-tier hero, the money she earned would still have to pass through President Qiexiya’s hands first…
“All right, ladies, let’s order!”
Fran opened the holographic menu, ending Clara’s negative mood.
The glowing holographic pages flipped rapidly, each page featuring preview videos of the dishes. Calling it a menu was an understatement—it was more like an encyclopedia of world cuisine.
“Whoa? This is the first time I’ve seen such an extensive menu. Can they really make everything here? Do you guys eat spicy food?”
“No, we don’t.”
Clara politely declined anything greasy or heavy.
“Kids are always a hassle. Just give this one some cake.”
Qiexiya, who herself looked like a kid, said this, and Fran smiled wryly.
“No, just eating cake will cause malnutrition, right? They can customize orders here. Ask the chef to make something light for Clara… Huh, there’s even kimchi barbecue?”
Fran casually ordered from the holographic menu, but when Clara glanced at the prices next to the dishes, her brow furrowed immediately.
Even the drinks section had nothing priced under triple digits, and the alcoholic beverages and dishes weren’t priced under four digits.
If they hadn’t come in with Qiexiya, neither she nor Lucia would ever set foot in a place like this in their entire lives.
Fit…
Fran didn’t seem bothered by the prices at all.
“Um, Fran, is your family rich too? You look like you’re used to this kind of thing.”
Clara asked directly, but Fran didn’t mind. She explained:
“Me? Definitely can’t compare to the president, but prices like this are still affordable for me…”
“That’s already pretty wealthy, isn’t it?!”
Excluding next month’s salary, Clara’s current savings couldn’t even get her out of the restaurant.
Fran poked at her dimples and muttered, “I have my dad’s inheritance and all his patents… Even if I did nothing, I’d still have no worries about food or clothing for life.”
Miss Squid felt the unevenness of the world and instinctively leaned closer to Lucia…
At this moment, only with her sister who shared her plight could she find a sense of reality.
Fran Livka was far from poor. The reason she worked hard, skipped grades to pursue her doctorate, and got a job in the Knightmarre modification department was all to take revenge on the clockwork angel Alice.
However, such topics were clearly inappropriate in front of Lucia, since the intern still didn’t know that the Dream Witch was a Knightmarre undercover agent…
“Since Miss Fran is so rich, why do you still work?”
Lucia finally asked.
Fran hesitated for a moment and replied jokingly, “Hmm? With a mind as brilliant as mine, wouldn’t it be a waste not to use it to think up something?”
“Full of yourself,” Qiexiya shot her a glance.
“That’s just a fact.”
Smart and wealthy—seeing Fran in a new light, Clara felt the gap between people grow even wider.
The restaurant waiters pushed carts of exquisitely plated dishes with completely different styles, making it impossible to tell which country the cuisine represented.
Central City was an independent city-state where various cultures and ethnicities fused, and the food was no exception…
Looking at the table full of dishes from all over the world, Clara couldn’t help but ask:
“What’s this place called?”
“It’s in a language I don’t understand, but translated it’s something like… World Cuisine.”
Hmm, that didn’t sound very sanitary.
“Who cares what it’s called? We’re just here to eat! Come on, bottoms up!”
Qiexiya shouted loudly, drawing the attention of nearby diners.
Noticing the gazes, Clara turned to look around and caught their clearly malicious whispers.
“Where did those kids come from? Such poor manners.”
“Just by looking at their clothes, you know they’re poor…”
“The standards of this restaurant have really dropped.”
Apart from their group of four, everyone else inside wore formal attire—men in suits, women in gowns or suits.
Here, only Qiexiya wore a suit, but her petite frame couldn’t quite fill out the shoulders properly. Lucia and Clara wore casual winter clothes, and Fran even had on a white lab coat, standing out awkwardly against the surroundings…
“Feels like we’re being looked down on?”
Qiexiya was unfazed, and even teased, “What else could it be? They think eating with us lowers their own class. Acting all pretentious just to eat? How annoying is that?”
It had to be said, Qiexiya was quite skilled at irritating people.
But unlike the restrained Producer S during the day, the diners who were mocked by Qiexiya all looked much uglier in expression.