Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 485 - 464: Fighting for Face

Chapter 485: Chapter 464: Fighting for Face

The dinner gathering began.

It could hardly be called a formal dinner, naturally dispelling any elaborate seating ceremony. Harold, arriving in a long robe with a headscarf, was casually welcomed and seated next to Gao Yi’s right.

Young Mu Tianwen, who had also specially dressed in a long robe, took a seat next to Harold, followed by Teacher Mu, who sat beside Mu Tianwen.

As for Abdulla, he was seated to Gao Yi’s left.

Huang Haisheng had wanted to organize a welcoming event for Gao Yi, but Abdulla’s sudden visit turned things around. Using this as a pretext, Dani and his two companions also attended the dinner.

Feng Biao and Huang Haisheng sat on one side.

Lucy did not attend because Gao Yi felt that she didn’t need to be present at today’s occasion.

There would be no drinking, a slight regret. Mu Tianwen could drink anything when alone, even a bit of wheat juice was normal, but with more people around, soft drinks were the only option.

Besides, there seemed to be nothing else worth mentioning. Gao Yi was not accustomed to giving a speech before eating. Once everyone had arrived, starting the meal was the way to go.

"Shall we start then?"

Gao Yi asked Huang Haisheng in an inquiring tone, as he truly didn’t know if there were any other rituals expected at the dining table.

This was the first time Gao Yi had organized such a gathering; in the past, dining was simply dining, but this time, it truly felt like an event.

Huang Haisheng was speechless and chuckled, "Then let’s begin serving the dishes. Waiter, please serve the food."

There was a waiter in the private room. With a shout from Huang Haisheng, the dishes started coming out.

"Beef in soy sauce."

"Spicy bamboo shoots with safflower."

The cold dishes were two especially homey and simple ones. After two cold dishes were served, hot dishes began to arrive like flowing water.

"Spicy fried beef bits, sweet and sour shredded pork with wood ear mushrooms, braised oxtail, scallion lamb, this is mushrooms with braised bok choy, and this is stir-fried asparagus lettuce."

Huang Haisheng introduced each dish. Gao Yi picked up his chopsticks and said to Abdulla with a smile, "Come and try our dishes, our specialties."

There was no preamble or solemn speech.

Gao Yi genuinely approached this meal with the atmosphere of a routine family dinner.

Abdulla was still expecting Gao Yi to say something so he could take the opportunity to fulfill the task given to him by Shaman at the right moment.

But upon sitting down to the meal, he realized the setting might be a bit too modest. Not that the quality of the food mattered to Abdulla, he wasn’t concerned about that; it was the rank of the accompanying guests that seemed a tad low.

This wouldn’t do. Abdulla felt a slight discomfort, as he felt Gao Yi was being slighted.

This wouldn’t do.

Abdulla smiled and picked up a fork.

Middle Eastern people use knives, forks, and spoons for eating, and some dishes are meant to be grabbed by hand. However, today’s dishes could all be eaten directly with a fork without exception.

What had Abdulla not eaten? As long as it was permissible by his faith, what couldn’t he indulge in?

Therefore, Abdulla merely tasted the dishes casually, without any particular expectations. But after skewering a piece of the dark, unattractive beef in soy sauce and placing it in his mouth, a flavor completely unlike anything in his memory filled his palate.

Beef in soy sauce is considered a delicacy, costing a decent sum per pound in any restaurant.

But today’s beef in soy sauce was indeed a delicacy, one so expensive that even multiplying the price by dozens wouldn’t get you a pound.

Through dishes that seemed ordinary at a glance, the culinary standards of Northeastern University were showcased.

"Hmm?"

The first sound uttered in response to the taste of the food itself — this was a first for Abdulla.

"What kind of meat is this?"

"Beef, beef in soy sauce."

Gao Yi promptly responded to Abdulla’s query, and Abdulla then speared another piece, took a bite, nodded, and said, "Hmm, it’s somewhat unusual, but quite nice."

Are Middle Eastern dishes unpalatable?

In fact, Middle Eastern cuisine isn’t unpalatable; it’s actually quite delicious. The issue is that it tends to be somewhat monotonous, or in other words, lacking in variety.

Suddenly, Harold said, "The dishes here are very nice."

Abdulla nodded at Harold in agreement.

Continuing the conversation, Harold said, "Their barbecue has some similarities with ours, but some are totally different. There’s a barbecue restaurant called..."

Mu Tianwen immediately said, "Barbecue Enchantment."

"Barbecue Fun, you should give it a try."

Abdulla smiled at Harold and said, "Thank you, I will try it. Are you settling in alright here?"

Harold nodded and replied, "I’m accustomed to it, nothing bothers me, I quite like it here. Winter is a bit cold, but I can spend the whole winter by the sea in the south."

The conversation flowed smoothly with food as the opening topic, and it was Harold who initiated the dialogue.

Initiating the conversation signified a form of submission, not to Abdulla, but to the Shaman standing figuratively behind him.

Abdulla inquired whether Harold had grown accustomed to living here, implying that if he found it uncomfortable, he should speak up.

If Harold showed even the slightest hint of homesickness at this moment, if he just said a word, Abdulla would immediately catch on and offer him a chance to return.

Before coming to dine, Abdulla had obviously reported to Shaman, and Shaman knew Harold would also be attending the meal, so they certainly knew what would happen.

Therefore, Abdulla had already been authorized to speak on Shaman’s behalf.

But Harold said he was very accustomed to the place, which left Abdulla momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

He couldn’t just directly ask if he wanted to return home; that would change the sentiment and turn the situation into Shaman inviting Harold back, rather than Harold asking to go back and Shaman agreeing to it.

Abdulla paused for a brief moment, then nodded and said, "It’s good if you’re accustomed."

He couldn’t say more, for fear of misspeaking.

At this time, Gao Yi raised his juice and said to Teacher Mu, "Teacher Mu, I finally meet you today. I won’t say anything superfluous. Let’s toast with juice as a substitute for wine to thank you for your help."

There’s no drinking culture in the Middle East, so Gao Yi decided to start by thanking the person he had been thinking of all this time.

Teacher Mu lifted his beverage and then said with a wry smile, "Little Mu should join us too."

Gao Yi purposefully did the opposite; he deliberately ignored Abdulla and Harold.

Harold came in showing weakness for his son, immediately indicating an attitude of submission, which actually disrupted Gao Yi’s plans somewhat.

According to the normal process, shouldn’t it be after several rounds of drinks and when the atmosphere had warmed up that these matters were to be discussed? Harold might not return, but at least he needed an attitude and assurance that he could return at any time.

Overall, Harold was too hasty; he didn’t handle things properly because he wasn’t adept at these kinds of scenarios, which were not negotiations but based on unspoken mutual understanding.

Gao Yi wasn’t skilled at this either; he hadn’t dealt with such matters before, so now he could only create a diversion, leaving room for both of them to possibly continue the topic later on.

When Gao Yi drank the juice, he gave Feng Biao a meaningful glance, and Huang Haisheng also noticed this gesture.

Gao Yi sought Feng Biao’s help, but instead, Feng Biao nudged Huang Haisheng covertly under the table.

Feng Biao was adept at flattery, but when it came to enlivening the atmosphere at the dining table, he wasn’t particularly skilled at it.

Huang Haisheng seized the initiative without hesitation; he immediately picked up his drink, smiled, and said, "As a co-host, I welcome everyone to..."

At that moment, Abdulla suddenly turned his head and looked up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle.

Huang Haisheng was somewhat startled. What was going on with him?

Gao Yi was even more puzzled. What was Abdulla doing here? Was he playing tough or something?

Huang Haisheng’s words were abruptly pushed back into his mouth. Despite his strong psychological resilience, he had to admit that he was also unfamiliar with such dining situations!

If it were someone from another place, even a common clerk, they could guarantee an incredibly lively atmosphere at the table.

But who was Huang Haisheng? A blade, a hidden sword, a shield, but certainly not someone accustomed to jovial bantering over drinks at the table.

Understanding is one thing, but not being good at it, that’s a different matter.

Abdulla didn’t pay attention to Huang Haisheng’s welcome. After looking around at everyone present and realizing that only Huang Haisheng was an outsider while the rest were Gao Yi’s friends, he could no longer suppress the discontent in his heart.

He knew he shouldn’t feel like this, yet he couldn’t help it. He had no choice; Abdulla’s biggest strength was his loyalty, but that meant he sometimes lacked the ability to adapt spontaneously to the situation at hand.

To be frank, his judgement was also somewhat lacking.

Abdulla casually asked Gao Yi, "Is your company registered yet?"

"Ah? Uh, not yet."

Abdulla nodded and said, "No rush, take your time. Before I came, His Highness told me he had prepared ten billion US Dollars, to buy from you. It won’t work with anyone else, no one else will do."

While saying this, Abdulla rolled his eyes at Huang Haisheng and then continued, "The deal you helped broker with France last time was very good."

Gao Yi understood; Abdulla was trying to boost his face and morale.

Abdulla picked up his drink, gestured to Harold with the glass, and then put his hand on Gao Yi’s shoulder, saying, "You’re His Highness’s good brother. You’ll be responsible for this transaction. I’ll just sign and allocate the funds. All the capital is in place, we’re just waiting on you now."

What had been intended for a solemn and significant occasion was now being presented. Shaman wanted to promote Gao Yi, which obviously required showing off something solidly impressive.

But now, with the good brother of the Prince being slighted, there was no solemn and significant occasion left. What to do? Of course, Abdulla had to fight for Gao Yi’s honor.

But the problem was that this made things awkward.

Abdulla truly lived up to being a purely loyal man; he really, utterly failed to grasp the situation.

The first to react was definitely Xinfeng, because while others were still looking at each other in bewilderment, Xinfeng couldn’t help but start to laugh, and although he kept silent, he was almost unable to contain it.

Huang Haisheng just wanted to lament.

If things continued this way, presenting the boss now would just confirm the slight towards Gao Yi.

Abdulla was clearly being naively stubborn.

"How much?"

Gao Yi looked shocked, then overflowed with gratitude, turning to Abdulla, "Ten billion? Did I hear that right? That’s too much, way too much!"

Gao Yi wasn’t skilled at handling such situations, but he was quick-witted. He knew what was most important now was to express gratitude to Shaman. The rest, well, the rest could be addressed later.

First, he would secure the face Abdulla was giving him, then find a way to smooth things over.