Chapter 8: No.8: Sweet Payback
A practiced smile resting on her face, Summer’s senior colleague handed Bruce a menu to choose what he’d like to get.
"Here’s your menu, Sir. Kindly let me know when you’ve made a decision."
After doing so, she made her way back towards the counter. The fake smile fading from her face the moment she turned away from the duo.
Secretly annoyed that her newbie junior, whom she’d sent to deal with this... man, had somehow known him before, which eventually led to her having to attend to them now against her will, she was beyond irritated.
Though she desperately wanted to show her annoyance towards the duo, she couldn’t at the moment, since there were cameras all over the café. Some visible, others hidden.
Which served as a means for the owner of the café to keep an eye on it at all times and ensure the workers didn’t try anything stupid.
Though she couldn’t directly crash out, that didn’t stop her from making things difficult for the duo by giving Bruce a menu meant for their premium customers.
As she’d concluded, based on Bruce’s appearance, that he was merely a middle-class citizen at best.
Probably working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
As such, he wouldn’t be able to afford anything on the menu.
And was probably only trying to use his life savings to buy some cheap beverage for her.
Upon seeing the slight sweat trickle down his face before he closed the menu soon after, a smirk emerged on her face as she began walking over before he even called for her.
She intended on embarrassing him for forcing her to serve her own junior and a fat pig she had no business knowing, nor did she care to.
"Have you made up your mind, Sir? Which item from our fine menu would you like for yourself and your dear friend?"
Raising her voice slightly as she emphasized that he should buy for Summer as well, she spoke while making sure to cut Summer off upon realizing that she’d caught onto what the waitress was trying to do.
Noticing her colleague’s intentions, Summer was about to tell Bruce not to worry about getting her a drink when he suddenly said something, stunning the two ladies in the process.
"I’ll have two of your luxury milkshakes with extra toppings. As well as some sweet snacks, if you will."
Hearing this, the young waitress failed to comprehend what he’d just said.
"Come again?"
Not bothering to repeat himself, Bruce simply handed her the menu back as he casually said.
"It’s already ticked in there. Take a look if you’re finding it hard to hear at the moment."
Stunned once more, the waitress instinctively looked, causing her to see that it was truly one of their most expensive beverages he’d ordered.
Composing herself soon after, she cleared her throat.
"Eghem, Sir! We’re going to need you to pay first before we start serving, as it is customary that customers do so first to avoid any... issues."
Hearing this, Summer was about to complain, as they had no such procedure since everything was already on camera and the boss had his own way of finding runaway customers and quietly handling it, ensuring they never attempted such a thing again.
However, before she could, Bruce simply pointed towards the QR code displayed on the pyramid-shaped holographic screen on the table before asking.
"This, right?"
Absent-mindedly nodding in response, the waitress watched as Bruce merely tapped against the obsidian wristband on his arm, causing a holographic screen to float before him, which he then used to scan the QR code.
Soon after, a notification surfaced on the holographic screen behind the counter, indicating that the payment had been received.
To which Bruce simply said.
"Done."
Seeing their baffled expressions, Bruce merely smiled to himself in return as he recalled the events that had led to this.
A while back...
Upon seeing the menu handed to him and the absurd prices attached to each item, Bruce quickly knew something wasn’t right.
’Though sweets and beverages cost a lot here compared to back home, I doubt the prices are this absurd.’
Confirming this through the former Bruce’s memories, he became aware of what the waitress was trying to pull.
’I guess it’s time for another classic cliché.’
As though replying to his thoughts, a notification suddenly appeared before him.
[Emergency Task has been initiated!]
[Task Title: Blissful Face Slapping]
{Description: Host and Bonded Target are being secretly belittled. Prove otherwise}
{Task Requirement: Buy luxury beverages}
{Reward: Bonus Rebate Coins}
Enduring the urge to smirk at the sight, Bruce briefly glanced at his obsidian wristband, which also displayed his Kepto Balance.
A meagre 175KPT.
Practically his life savings at this point, as the former Bruce had planned on using it when they resumed from spring break in case of emergencies.
However, now he was about to put it to good use.
’No pain. No gain!’
Closing his eyes as he made up his mind to ’go big or go home’, Bruce briefly hesitated for a fraction of a second before hearing the waitress’s eager response and placing his order.
Buying two milkshakes worth a little over fifty Kepto (50KPT) each, while also adding a few snacks worth roughly twenty-two to twenty-five Kepto for the both of them.
Bringing the total spent to one hundred and forty-seven Kepto (147KPT).
Which was roughly equivalent to spending one hundred and forty-seven dollars on beverages and snacks alone.
Though the amount itself wasn’t particularly large, the fact that he was able to casually spend such an amount on consumables that would barely last ten to fifteen minutes before being eaten or melting away spoke volumes.
As the total amount was around the monthly salary of an average middle-class worker here, if not more at times.
Meaning that unless he planned on starving for the rest of the month, he likely had far more money than what he had just spent.
Initially planning on disgracing Bruce, whom she thought was merely trying to impress his crush by splurging his life savings on a cheap coffee at best, never would she have expected him to actually afford one of their luxury beverages.
Something that even they, as staff members, could only dream of tasting.
Yet the amount he spent alone covered their monthly pay.
Swallowing her pride, she begrudgingly entered the café to prepare the beverages and snacks.
Her cheeks flushed in barely concealed embarrassment, as she could tell that the duo had already figured out her plan.
Yet she was the one who ended up humiliated instead.
Smiling subtly at the sight, Bruce’s smile widened once more as another notification appeared before him.
[Emergency Task Completed!]
[Processing Bonus Rewards...]
[Analysis Complete!]
[Congratulations on first major splurge on Bonded Target]
[Bonus of x10 Rebate has been rewarded on total amount spent]
[Reward - 1,470KPT]
[Congratulations on snagging a high Rated Beauty for first Bonded Target]
[Bonus of Additional x10 Rebate has been rewarded on current reward]
[Current Amount - 14,700KPT]
[Congratulations on completing Emergency Task]
[Bonus of Additional x10 Rebate has been rewarded on current reward]
[Current Amount - 147,000KPT]
[Congratulations! Host has been rewarded a total of 147,000KPT]
Immediately after reading the notification, he felt his black wristband vibrate slightly.
Causing him to instinctively check his balance.
[Citizen ID - Bruce Wade]
[Age - 20]
[Radiation Limit - 150]
[Kepto Balance - 147,028KPT]
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