Watching the crowd gather up ahead, more and more people kept joining in.
Seeing this, Ivy Shen followed along with everyone else.
"Line up, line up! Seats will open up soon, don’t worry!" Several waiters were shouting outside, while inside people bustled in and out, and the main hall was clearly packed full.
"What’s this..." Ivy looked up. The four big characters on the sign were impossible to miss: "Century Duck House."
"Xin’er, this place was renovated after you left. It’s the biggest restaurant on the street, and it just opened yesterday. They say the duck here is insanely delicious, that’s why so many people are lining up! Plus, I heard a single duck costs a fortune." Butterfly Rogue chattered away. How could it be so expensive, and yet so many people were willing to splurge?
Hearing that, Ivy Shen couldn’t help but curve her lips into a mischievous grin. Century Duck House? Nice idea, but could it really beat Peking Duck?
"Xin’er, what are you thinking about?" Butterfly Rogue asked quickly, catching Ivy’s wicked smile.
"I’m just wondering how good this place actually is. Look, it’s not even close to lunchtime yet, and there’s already a huge line." No matter the era, one rule always holds true: people will always spend money on food and fashion!
"Do you want to try it, Xin’er? Let’s eat here at noon!" Butterfly Rogue offered enthusiastically.
Just then, those four guys limped over, one after another. "Smells amazing!" Caleb Miles couldn’t help blurting out.
"Mmm, smells legit!" Lucian Vane chimed in, practically drooling. The whole squad was already staring at the entrance like hungry wolves.
"Alright, troops! Xin’er wants duck, so today we feast at Century Duck House!" Butterfly Rogue declared, chest puffed out like a wannabe general.
Everyone nodded so hard it was a miracle their heads didn’t fall off.
"But this line is longer than a snake’s tail! Are we gonna be fossils by the time it’s our turn?" Lucian Vane grumbled, clutching his injured leg like he was about to faint.
Ethan Chu whipped out a gold ingot with a flourish. "Cash solves everything! With this, do we really need to wait?" He swaggered toward the crowd—only to get yanked back after one dramatic step.
Who was the sleeve-grabbing ninja? None other than Caleb Miles, usually quieter than a library at midnight.
"Bro, what’s the move?" Ethan Chu blinked, totally lost.
Caleb snatched the gold ingot like he was swiping loot in a game, then summoned his trusty Golden Abacus and started clicking away like a stock market demon.
"One duck, three taels. Seven people, max four ducks. That’s twelve taels. Add private room, tea, snacks, random fees—fifteen taels, tops! That gold ingot could feed a whole family for a lifetime! You were gonna blow it on duck? That’s next-level waste! Even if you’re loaded, don’t torch money like that! Look at our squad, we’ll burn through cash like wildfire!" Caleb Miles went full accountant mode, lecturing Ethan Chu like a TikTok finance bro.
Everyone froze. Butterfly Rogue clutched his chest, gasping, "I thought I was thrifty, but Third Brother’s got me beat—he can even do mental math!"
Ethan Chu stared, "So you want us to just stand here and wait?" Caleb rolled his eyes so hard you could hear them. The waiter appeared, still traumatized from earlier, while the squad exchanged pitying glances—RIP, waiter.
"Ugh, why are you so thick-headed? Can’t you use your brain for once?" With that, Caleb Miles limped off toward the crowd. Most of the people in line were women, so Caleb flashed his most charming smile. "Beautiful ladies, could I possibly cut in line? My leg’s a bit hurt, and my little sister really wants some duck..."
"Oh, sure, sure!" The woman was instantly smitten by his smile and quickly made room for him.
"Hey, how can you just cut in line? Who said you could?" A man behind them complained loudly. Why should he give up his spot? He’d been waiting forever and she hadn’t let him cut in!
"What, I wanted to—got a problem with that? You wanna start something, huh, you noisy little man?" The once gentle woman suddenly turned fierce, shouting at the man behind her.
"You..."
"Yeah, you what? I’m standing in front of you now, so what? I gave up my spot, so what? What are you gonna do about it, huh?" She puffed out her chest and glared at the man.
Seeing this, the man’s bluster instantly deflated.
"Yeah, exactly! What’s a guy like you whining about? Can’t you see his leg’s hurt? What’s wrong with you?" Another woman joined in, scolding the man.
"But I’ve been waiting forever..." the man muttered under his breath.
"So what if you’ve been waiting a long time? You’ve got hands and feet, it’s not gonna kill you!" A fierce auntie barked from behind, her booming voice and burly frame making the man immediately bow his head. "Sorry, sorry, my bad, my bad," he mumbled, not daring to say another word.
Seeing this, Caleb Miles flashed a smile at the auntie. "Kind-hearted beauty, thank you! You’re adorable."
"Ah, oh~~~" The auntie was suddenly complimented, and her eyes lit up with little hearts. She was clearly swooning.
"Young Master, what’s your name?"
"Young Master, how old are you?"
"Young Master, are those all your friends?"
In just a few minutes, Caleb Miles had somehow blended right in with the group of women. But what really left everyone speechless was—he was actually collecting money. That’s right, he was charging them...
"My turn, my turn! Here, one tael of silver for three questions. So, I want to ask: What’s the name of that guy in purple? Does he like to smile? And, does he have a wife?" Waiting in line was boring, but with so many handsome men to gossip about—even if the price was steep—the women didn’t care. For them, getting the scoop on these hotties was pure happiness!
"Oh, him? That’s Adrian Night—he’s my big brother. He’s super cold and never smiles, and he’s not married yet!" Caleb replied, then waved, "Alright, next!"
Hearing this, Ivy Shen’s mouth couldn’t help twitching. This guy... is he seriously this good at making money?
"Wow, Xin’er, your third brother is a genius!" Butterfly Rogue was full of admiration. Not only did this guy cut in line without spending a single coin, but he was actually making money off it! He really is the Abacus Snake—always calculating, always scheming. With him around, this family is bound to get richer and richer!
A little while later—
They were already seated in a spacious private room. The waiter was busy pouring tea for everyone while Caleb Miles studied the menu and started ordering.
"Waiter, bring us four servings of your signature duck, plus some veggies and a few steamed buns," Caleb rattled off.
The waiter replied quickly, "Of course, but sir, all that food might make you thirsty. Would you like to order some soup?" The waiter was clearly trying to upsell.
Caleb Miles frowned. "No opening specials at all? You’re advertising free drinks, but it’s just the most basic stuff. And your duck is crazy expensive—three taels, that’s at least half again what other places charge. Does calling yourself a hundred-year-old shop really justify those prices? We came here to eat, so we deserve the best treatment. Plus, it’s your grand opening, we’ve got a big group, and we ordered a ton of duck. And let’s be real, our good looks alone probably brought you half your customers today. We haven’t even charged you for that! So how can you still ask us to pay for soup? Tell you what, I won’t make a fuss—just bring us a big bowl of your house specialty soup, on the house." With that, he took a sip of his tea.
"Uh... sir..." The waiter was so stunned by his logic, he didn’t even know how to respond.
"Don’t just stand there, go tell your manager what I said. Go on, go!" Caleb waved impatiently, and the waiter slunk away.
"Wow, Third Brother, you’re amazing! You can even save money like this?" Butterfly Rogue scooted over and stared at him in awe.
Caleb didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled out his Golden Abacus and started clicking away. A few seconds later, he grinned. "Not bad! Even though we’re ordering a lot, we’re not actually paying for it. I just did the math—we’re not spending a single coin today, and I’m actually up five taels of silver!"