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Dex Restaurant.
Facing Dexter's late arrival, some of the regular customers chirped up with complaints.
"Boss, just because you have a beautiful girlfriend doesn't mean you can slack on the business."
"You still gotta earn money. What if your girlfriend runs off with a rich guy?"
"Boss, is this how you treat us? We've been waiting here on empty stomachs."
"Doesn't your yacht need gas? Hurry up and get to work. No more being late."
"..."
Listening to these complaints that weren't really complaints with a grin, Dexter suddenly remembered a joke he saw online before. It was about a barbecue street vendor with great skills who refused to open a shop, insisting on pushing a cart to sell on the roadside. He wanted freedom—work when he wanted, rest when he didn't.
But the result was, if he set up his stall even a little late, he'd get bombarded with calls from old customers. It became just like a regular job, even less free...
"Cough, cough. I think you guys want me to go on a business trip again," Dexter thought, amused, and joked.
The crowd of customers: "????"
Damn it.
This boss is too cocky.
After eating tonight, we're never coming back.
Won't spoil him.
Many customers thought silently, then immediately retracted what they just said.
"Haha, Boss, I was just joking."
"Boss, don't joke with us."
"You just got back."
"No business trips allowed, or I'll go after your girlfriend!"
"..."
Most of the customers tonight were regulars... which was normal. For a restaurant at this price point, the regular clientele was always the same group of people.
Since they were regulars, no one was too uptight. They joked and made noise freely.
Mandy watched this scene in shock.
The meal was so expensive, yet these customers acted like they were begging Dexter to open for business...
Are rich people this weird?
Mandy couldn't understand.
It made sense.
For the poor in the South Side, a few hundred dollars was a lot.
But for people from other districts, or those with money or the ability to earn it, a few hundred dollars was just peanuts.
It's hard for the poor to understand the rich, and vice versa.
After joking for a while, seeing it was indeed getting late, Dexter didn't waste more words and walked toward the kitchen.
Just then.
Carl pushed Peggy to the restaurant entrance.
Dexter caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, stopped, and turned to greet them.
Knowing that Fiona had gone to see Dexter in the morning, Carl was a bit constrained.
Peggy, as a former drug dealer who had seen plenty, was quite composed. She slowly stood up, walked into the restaurant, and said to Dexter, "I heard from Carl that your cooking is excellent. I came to try it."
"Welcome," Dexter responded with a smile, then called out to Vivian, "Vivian, help serve them. Send over a fruit platter on the house."
"Okay," Vivian responded cheerfully.
Dexter turned to Peggy again. "Have a seat first."
Dropping that sentence, Dexter walked into the kitchen.
A few minutes later.
Carl walked into the kitchen somewhat hesitantly. "Dexter, I'm sorry. I just found out Fiona went to see you. I told her so many times not to go to you..."
Dexter smiled. "How was work today?"
"It was great. Mickey took me all over the place. Didn't get tired at all," Carl didn't understand why Dexter suddenly asked this, but he answered honestly.
"Want to keep doing it?" Dexter asked.
Carl nodded immediately, without hesitation. "Yes!"
Dexter smiled. "Want to hear a suggestion?"
"Yes! Tell me," Carl was straightforward.
"Work hard this summer, save money. A man needs his own turf," Dexter said casually. "Otherwise, whatever you do, there's always a bunch of people nagging. It's annoying."
Carl felt this deeply over the past few days. "Right! They are so annoying! Whatever I do, they have something to say."
"Right?" Dexter laughed. "Alright, go out. As long as Fiona doesn't come nagging me again, you can keep working... You should understand, being nagged by Fiona is annoying."
"Okay!" Carl really understood. "I promise she won't nag you again."
"Hope so."
Having kept his job, Carl breathed a sigh of relief, left the kitchen, returned to the dining area, sat down in front of Peggy, and smiled happily. "Job's safe."
Peggy had known this would be the result. "Told you. What did Dexter say?"
Carl roughly repeated it.
After listening, Peggy immediately understood Dexter's purpose of making Carl draw a line with Fiona and the others. She couldn't help but laugh. "What he said makes a lot of sense. If you want to be a real man, you have to have your own turf."
"Mmh," Carl nodded heavily. "I know."
---
About ten minutes later.
Bianca and Emily finally found a parking spot nearby and walked into Dex Restaurant.
The next second.
Because of Dexter's previous tweet, almost everyone in the restaurant tacitly turned their gaze to Bianca.
Bianca felt uncomfortable being stared at. She instinctively shrank her head, wanting to play ostrich.
Emily, seeing her silly best friend's reaction, was amused. "You dummy, what are you shrinking for?"
At this moment, Carl greeted Bianca enthusiastically. "Bianca."
Seeing Carl, Bianca forced a smile. "You're here for dinner too."
"Yeah," Carl nodded.
Veronica watched Bianca's reaction and wanted to laugh. She quickly went up to welcome them, seated the two, and then leaned in to whisper gossip, "Bianca, you're living with the boss now, and you got a yacht. Getting married soon?"
Hearing this.
Bianca: "??????"
Emily: "??????"
Emily really didn't know Bianca had moved in with Dexter. She was shocked. "You're living with Dexter? Since when? Why didn't I know at all?"
Uh-oh.
Veronica instantly realized she had caused trouble. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she apologized to the blushing Bianca. "Bianca, sorry."
Bianca was helpless.
Just coming for dinner, why was it so hard?
"It's okay. You go get busy, don't worry about us," Bianca blushed and shook her head gently at Veronica.
"Okay," Veronica took the hint and left immediately.
Bianca then whispered an explanation to Emily. "Not living together, don't talk nonsense."
Emily put on an "I believe you like I believe in ghosts" expression. "Confess honestly, what is going on?"
Bianca: "...Just staying at his place for a few days temporarily, nothing else."
"Do I look like I believe that?" Emily retorted.
Bianca had no choice.
They went back and forth.
Emily finally understood the situation, her eyes twitching. "We agreed to get through residency these few years together without boyfriends... getting a boyfriend is one thing, but moving into a new home directly... Sigh, Bianca, how could you betray me?"
Emily was joking deliberately.
Bianca was helpless. She thought for a moment. "How about I treat you to this dinner tonight?"
Emily: "????? Wasn't it already on you?"
"I didn't agree to that, okay..." Bianca said seriously.
Emily couldn't take it. "...You dead woman."
Seeing Emily deflated, Bianca was happy and giggled.
They fooled around for a while.
"Take me to see your home tonight?" Emily asked curiously.
Bianca hesitated for a few seconds. "That's Dexter's home. I need his permission."
Emily was speechless. "Women in love are ridiculous. I don't even know you anymore!"
Bianca didn't speak, just turned her head to look at the kitchen and smiled.