Chapter 28: Exposed
The rooftop was much quieter because getting a table here required paying an additional 100 dollars.
However, this wasn’t just a place to enjoy the city view. Every table was surrounded by sofas, making it a comfortable place to relax.
"Let’s sit over there..." Alice pointed toward the table at the far end.
It consisted of two long sofas facing each other with a long table between them.
Naturally, Mateo had no objections.
He walked toward the table and noticed Alice taking off her leather jacket as she prepared to sit down.
Unlike many women who wore leather jackets over nothing but a tank top, Alice was still wearing a shirt underneath.
It didn’t make her look particularly flashy.
Mateo sat across from Alice while Jack suddenly became unusually quiet.
"Ahem..." Mateo cleared his throat, trying to start a conversation.
"You can order whatever you want. I’m treating today," he said while looking at Jack and Alice.
Both of them gave him curious looks.
They understood his financial situation, so his sudden generosity caught them off guard.
Had he somehow earned more money besides what Alice had given him?
"Mateo, are you serious? If you’re saying that, I might order a lot," Jack replied.
"Order whatever you can finish," Mateo answered.
"Then I won’t hold back." Jack chuckled as he grabbed the tablet on the table first.
He believed Mateo genuinely had more money now. Otherwise, someone as frugal as him wouldn’t suddenly become this generous.
Besides, Alice was here as well, so there was nothing to worry about.
"This should do." Jack handed the tablet to Mateo.
Mateo was slightly startled.
Including the 100-dollar table fee, Jack’s order alone had already reached 300 dollars.
He noticed that even a single bowl of ramen cost 75 dollars.
It was far more expensive than he had expected.
Still, he had just earned ten thousand dollars.
"Alice..." Mateo wanted her to order next.
"A serving of sushi and a cup of hot tea is enough for me," Alice said.
"You don’t want ramen?" Mateo asked in surprise.
"It doesn’t suit my stomach." Alice shook her head.
"Oh..."
Mateo remembered that city girls couldn’t simply eat whatever they wanted the way villagers like him did.
Since ramen contained plenty of fat, Alice probably considered it a threat to her figure.
He ordered for her, then added a bowl of ramen, sushi, and several other dishes for himself.
Jack, meanwhile, ordered quite a lot as expected.
Payment had to be made upfront before the order was sent to the kitchen.
The total bill exceeded six hundred dollars.
Mateo silently decided that unless he became significantly richer, he would never bring Jack to this restaurant again.
The restaurant’s service was equally impressive.
They didn’t have to wait long before a group of waiters arrived carrying all of their food.
As soon as the dishes were placed in front of him, Mateo felt his stomach growl.
Still, he maintained his image in front of Alice and ate calmly.
"Mateo, if you obtain an important treasure, you don’t need to sell it," Alice suddenly said while eating at a slower pace.
"Mateo, don’t tell me you sold the Star Wheel?" Jack blurted out.
"Star Wheel?" Alice’s expression immediately became serious.
Earlier, she hadn’t cared at all whenever Jack spoke.
Now her eyes were completely focused on Mateo.
"It’s not like that," he replied.
"Did you obtain the Star Wheel?" she asked.
Mateo found it difficult to answer.
He already looked somewhat awkward, and any lie would probably be obvious.
"How could that be?" he said.
"You don’t need to tell me. Whatever it is, you should keep it," Alice replied.
She then shot Jack a sharp glance.
"I definitely won’t tell anyone," Jack said immediately.
"But Mateo, how did you get it? Do you have some strange ability that lets you move objects from far away?"
Hearing that question, Mateo secretly pinched Jack’s thigh beneath the table.
Why couldn’t this guy keep his mouth shut?
After being pinched, Jack finally realized his mistake.
He cleared his throat and pretended to continue eating.
Fortunately, Alice didn’t press the issue.
Even though he was eating calmly, Mateo still finished before both Jack and Alice.
Feeling completely satisfied, he leaned back against the sofa.
"If you’re done, let’s go to the mall," Alice suddenly said.
"Alice, how about we take a taxi instead?" Mateo felt uncomfortable leaving Jack out, even though the latter didn’t seem to mind.
After hearing his suggestion, Alice thought about it briefly before nodding.
"Sure."
Jack couldn’t have looked more shocked.
Alice had actually agreed.
"Then let’s go." Mateo stood up.
He felt much more comfortable this way.
The three of them entered the elevator and headed back down.
"Jack, order a taxi," Mateo said.
"Got it."
Jack quickly pulled out his phone and booked one.
Since Mateo didn’t have an account for ride-hailing services yet, he could only rely on Jack.
By the time they exited the restaurant, the taxi had already arrived.
Coincidentally, the driver was a woman.
Even so, Alice entered first and chose the back seat.
Jack naturally understood that he should sit in the front so he wouldn’t disturb them.
"Alice, what about your motorcycle?" Mateo suddenly remembered.
He had suggested taking a taxi without considering the motorcycle at all.
"No need to worry. Someone will pick it up later and deliver it to my house," Alice replied.
A vehicle that expensive seemed completely insignificant in her eyes.
The female driver found the situation somewhat strange, but she remained professional.
Their destination was Z City Mall, a newly built shopping mall with five floors.
It was Mateo’s first time seeing it, and he couldn’t help feeling amazed.
Luxury cars continuously entered its underground parking area.
Since they had arrived by taxi, they were dropped off directly at the mall’s main entrance.
Interestingly, a movie was being filmed there.
One of the actors participating in the shoot was Kevin Baker, who was only fifteen years old.
