mijobooks Chapter 10 Lakeside No. 28
Chapter 10 Lakeside No. 28
"Will doing this cause any problems?"
Xu Zhixia tugged at Gu Bai's arm with some worry and asked with some fear.
"What could be wrong?"
Despite saying that, Gu Bai was actually a little unsure.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Bai said to Xu Zhixia beside him.
"Wait for me a moment."
.......
Three minutes later.
On the first floor of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Gu Bai led Xu Zhixia through the hotel lobby and towards the entrance of the Lakeside No. 28 Chinese Restaurant.
As Gu Bai stepped through the wooden doors of the corridor at No. 28 Lakeside, he instantly felt as if he had left the location of the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Not only Gu Bai felt this way, but even Xu Zhixia, who was next to him, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Wow! This place is completely different from the lobby outside. What kind of decor is this?"
It's perfectly normal to feel that way.
The Grand Hyatt Hotel has a modern overall design, while Lakeside No. 28 is a neo-Chinese style. Once you enter its area, you can clearly feel the unique luxury and elegance of the Jiangnan water towns.
As soon as the two entered the door, a greeter came forward to welcome them.
"Welcome to Lakeside No. 28, sir/madam. Do you have a reservation?"
Reservation? What reservation?
Do I need to make a reservation to eat out?
Gu Bai said he was just a mongrel and didn't know these rules.
The greeter was very experienced; seeing Gu Bai's silent demeanor, she immediately realized that he hadn't made an appointment.
"Okay, sir, I'll check if there are any seats available for you now."
After a brief series of actions, the greeter spoke with a hint of apology.
"I'm sorry, sir, all the viewing spots for West Lake are already booked for today. Only the inner seats are left. Although these seats aren't directly on the lake, they're quieter than the window seats. Is that acceptable to you?"
After speaking, the greeter operated the computer for a moment before adding more information.
"If you don't like the seats on the inside, you can try waiting a minute or two. We have a reservation that will expire in about a minute. We just called the customer but they didn't answer. It's highly likely that the customer has something else to do and can't make it."
Gu Bai thought about it and decided that it would be better to sit by the window if possible, since this was his first time spending money in such a high-end place, and he wanted to maximize his experience in one go.
"Okay, then we'll wait a bit. Just arrange it for me when the time comes."
After saying that, Gu Bai looked at Xu Zhixia, who had been silent after making a remark.
Xu Zhixia was looking at a long, narrow space separated by glass with a curious expression.
Through the polished, dust-free glass, you can clearly see the neatly arranged wine racks and the well-organized collection of wines on them.
Seeing the wine, Gu Bai smiled and joked with the greeter.
"You guys have a lot of wine here, I wonder if you have any 82 Lafite?"
As someone who surfs the internet intensively, Gu Bai had seen similar science videos a long time ago.
The video mentioned that the total production of genuine 1982 Lafite was only around 200,000 bottles that year. After more than 40 years of consumption, it's hard to say whether there are even 100,000 bottles left in existence.
Most of these wines are still collected by some top clubs and hotels, and very few are circulating on the market.
Most of the 82 Lafite circulating in the Chinese market is counterfeit...
That's not quite right. To be precise, they are indeed produced by Château Lafite Rothschild and are indeed from 82, but they are not the same batch of wine produced in Pauillac, on the left bank of Bordeaux, France. Instead, they are products from nearby wineries.
Upon hearing Gu Bai's question, the greeter paused for a moment before instantly understanding the meaning behind his teasing remark.
Her answer surprised Gu Bai.
"Yes, sir. As one of the winners of the 'China Sommelier Association Annual Wine List Award,' our restaurant naturally has the 82 Lafite you mentioned. We have two bottles of 82 Lafite in our collection."
The greeter maintained a professional smile and calmly stated what he knew.
However, she didn't ask Gu Bai if he needed it. After all, she knew very well the price of that bottle of red wine, which was a full 40,000 yuan, equivalent to half a year's salary for her. She didn't think that ordinary people could afford it. If the other party couldn't afford it and lost face, it would be difficult to handle.
A competent greeter should never embarrass a customer.
She thought so, but Gu Bai didn't, because at that moment a system task popped up on his screen.
[Random Quest: The Wine Immortal]
[Task Description: The 82 Lafite is a rather controversial wine; some find it exceptionally delicious, while others think it's nothing special. You, in your youth, were also curious about its taste. Now that you're here, why not give it a try and satisfy your youthful curiosity?]
[Task requirement: Taste the 82 Lafite and give your evaluation]
[Quest Reward: Title: Wine Immortal]
Wine Immortal: Effect 1: After activating the title, the host can choose to prevent the body from absorbing alcohol, thus becoming able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.
Effect 2: After activating the title, if the host chooses to allow their body to absorb alcohol, they will gain unparalleled artistic talent.
.......
After reading the mission information, Gu Bai couldn't help but swallow.
That's because they're greedy!
Although this mission doesn't offer direct monetary rewards, Gu Bai considers it far more valuable than money.
China has a history of five thousand years, no, it seems to be eight thousand years now.
In this long, wonderful, and vast history, there is only one person who can be universally recognized as the Immortal of Wine.
Imagine, if given the chance, who wouldn't want to be the other?
Anyway, Gu Bai really wanted to.
Without any hesitation, Gu Bai spoke directly to the greeter.
"I'd like a bottle of 82 Lafite. Could you arrange that for me later?"
"Okay..." the hostess said subconsciously, but when she came to her senses, she was completely stunned. She really didn't expect the other party to order this drink... So, she quickly bowed apologetically and said.
"Excuse me, sir, I need to consult with the manager about this. Our 82 Lafite is reserved for important banquets, so the manager will have to make the decision."
Gu Bai wondered if it was just his imagination, but the apology the other party showed this time seemed much more genuine than the apology they showed when they said there were no seats available.
Well... how should I put it...?
The apologetic response at the beginning seemed like a pre-programmed script, devoid of any soul.
However, Gu Bai has no time to study this right now; his mind is entirely focused on the task given to him by the system.
He was prepared to spend more money if necessary, and even bought it at a price higher than the market price.
Gu Bai felt that as long as the money was right, the other party would not refuse his request.
What bad intentions could he possibly have?
All I wanted was a sip of red wine...