Amina, the gossip-loving designer, was chatting with Karen about the latest gossip. She lowered her voice and asked, “Karen, do you believe Miss Mira has had a child?”
“You mean, she’s actually a stepmother?”
Karen had thought of that too, as Mira looked like she was only in her early twenties, at most not over twenty-five.
The probability of her having a five-year-old child at that age was low, especially since people are marrying later nowadays.
“If nothing unexpected happens, she’s a stepmother who wants to rise in status. Didn’t you hear her specifically mention putting effort into the princess room? That’s to please the daughter,” Amina analyzed quietly.
“Listening to Aimee’s analysis, it really seems that way!”
“Sigh, today’s young girls are so realistic; they’re willing to be stepmothers at such a young age for money!” Karen sighed softly.
Upon hearing this, Amina laughed. She looked at Karen and teased, “Karen, you’re also very beautiful. If the owner of this house pursued you, would you agree?”
“Me?” Karen was slightly taken aback, then remembered how she had actively sent him private messages and photos.
So was there even a need to ask? However, when facing her superior, she couldn’t possibly tell the truth. She gently shook her head, “That would depend on whether there’s a spark!”
Coolest Hot pot.
Today is Monday, and this Hot pot restaurant located on Mimia Commercial Street is quite empty.
The waiter, Austin, stands by the bar, seemingly ready to welcome customers, but in reality, he is flirting with the female cashier.
At this moment, a customer walks in, and Austin says, “Welcome,” then pauses for a moment: “Sister Sarah, what a coincidence.”
The person entering is Sarah Jasper, and Austin used to be a waiter at BestDiet’s Hot pot, working under Sarah.
“It’s Austin!”
“Are you working here?” Sarah recognizes Austin, but seeing him here is not surprising; the turnover of waitstaff is very high, and it’s common for them to switch restaurants after a few months.
“I’ve been here for over half a year.”
“Sister Sarah, how many people do you have with you?”
Austin greets her warmly. When he worked under Sarah, he had fantasized about this beautiful manager, but it was just a fantasy; he was just a young guy, and she naturally wouldn’t look at him.
“Fifteen to eighteen people.”
There are a total of eighteen people in the WhatsApp group for BestDiet’s Hot pot, with fifteen clearly stating they would come, and three still uncertain.
“That’s a lot of people. Is this a team-building event?” Austin asks curiously.
“Just a gathering of old colleagues from BestDiet’s Hot pot. Is your private room big enough?” Sarah asks while walking towards the bar.
“The largest private room upstairs can accommodate 20 people, that should be enough,” Austin replies.
Sarah nods and glances at the QR code displayed on the bar: “Prepay 3,000, and we’ll adjust the difference!”
“Got it.”
“Sister Sarah, let me take you upstairs.”
Austin leads the way, taking Sarah to the private room on the second floor. Coolest Hot pot operates on a divided pot system, with each person having their own small pot, targeting a mid-to-high-end market, with an average spending of around 150 dollar.
In recent years, the restaurant industry has become very competitive. Most Hot pot restaurants like Coolest, which aim for a mid-to-high-end market, are often in a state of loss. The downgrade in consumption is not just talk; many Hot pot places now offer 69 or 79 dollar two-person sets, bringing the average spending down to just a few dozen dollar. Even 5-stars’s average spending dropped below 100 dollar last year.
“Sister Sarah, are there any people I know coming later?”
Austin has worked at BestDiet’s Hot pot for over half a year, but he started during the mask-wearing period, and the last two restaurants closed down.
“You must know Mr. Jacob; I’m not sure about the others.”
Sarah casually replies. With five branches of BestDiet’s Hot pot, the people coming are scattered across different locations, so she naturally doesn’t remember who knows Austin.
“Mr. Jacob is coming too?”
Austin is a bit surprised. He heard from a former colleague at BestDiet’s Hot pot that their former boss had gone to deliver takeout.
If it were him, having fallen to such a state, he would probably be too embarrassed to attend such a gathering.
Sarah, not very familiar with Austin, doesn’t have much to chat about, so she casually asks about the others in the group. After serving tea and some snacks, Austin returns to the first floor.
“Brother Austin, do you know that beauty just now?”
The female cashier asks curiously.
“She was my former BestDiet restaurant manager.”
“By the way, do you remember the boss I mentioned?”
“The one who went to deliver takeout after the Hot pot restaurant closed?”
“Yes, that’s him. He’ll be coming too!”
“When he arrives, point him out to me. I want to see what he looks like after going from boss to delivery guy.”
“What else could he look like? Just an old man, far from me. You know how impressive I am,” Austin smirks, full of himself.
At that moment, a powerful-looking SUV suddenly stops in front of the restaurant, and both of them naturally look over. “Wow, isn’t that the Mercedes Benz GLS Class??”
“Rich people!!” Austin can’t help but exclaim.
Men are generally very interested in cars, and Austin is no exception. The seven-hand Buick Excelle parked outside is one he bought for 20,000 dollar.
Although it doesn’t compare at all, among the waitstaff, it’s already considered a good car.
“Is this car expensive?” The female cashier, not recognizing the vehicle, asks curiously.
“Over a million!”
“That’s much more expensive than our boss’s Audi A6!”
“And let me tell you, this car has a floating water mode, which is really impressive.” Austin is the type who can spend hours watching car videos online.
Even though he only has a seven-hand Excelle, he can easily rattle off various car parameters when arguing online. In his eyes, cars like the Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3 Series, and Audi A4L are only for the poor. After all, he believes that the average person should be driving a Ferrari.
“This must belong to a homeowner from Mimia Bay!”
The female cashier’s eyes are filled with admiration. Their restaurant is located in the commercial street built for Mimia Bay, so some homeowners from there occasionally come to eat. Those people are truly wealthy; even a single bag they carry could be worth her annual salary.
“That should be the case,” Austin nods, but his gaze remains fixed on the Benz GLS Class. He had only seen videos and pictures online before, and this is the first time he is seeing the actual car up close.
Just as he admires the million-dollar luxury car with envy, the driver’s door opens, and a familiar figure steps out.
Austin’s mind races, feeling that this man looks very familiar. Suddenly, he slaps his forehead: “Wow! Isn’t that Mr. Jacob!!”
“That’s right, it’s Mr. Jacob!!”
Austin is shocked, unable to help but curse his former colleague in his heart: “Damn Nicholas, didn’t you say Mr. Jacob went to deliver takeout? Have you ever seen someone driving a million-dollar luxury car delivering takeout!!”
As he silently curses the former colleague named “Nicholas,” Jacob has already opened the restaurant door and walked in.
“Mr. Jacob!”
“Long time no see!”
Austin adjusts himself and greets him with a big smile.
“You are?” Jacob carefully looks at the man who greeted him and takes a while to remember that he is a waiter from one of his branches.
That branch is managed by Sarah, and he rarely goes there, so he doesn’t have a strong impression of Austin.
“Oh, I remember now!”
Jacob nods, chatting casually with his former employee for a bit before heading upstairs.
“Mr. Austin, could that be the boss you said who delivers takeout?”
After Jacob leaves, the female cashier asks.
