Chiltern Firehouse.
Just by hearing the name of this restaurant, you can tell it was converted from a fire station.
But this isn't just any ordinary fire station—it's a historic fire station built in 1889, a true antique.
The main building of the old fire station is in Victorian Gothic style, and the small courtyard before entering is covered with a glass dome, allowing guests to enjoy the night view while being protected from wind and rain.
The courtyard also has a few small round tables, and even though it wasn't the weekend, the seating was quite full.
Inside the old fire station, the layout is rich with classical style, with every brick and tile exuding a sense of history.
This is precisely the selling point of this restaurant.
As Gu Ran and Anne were about to enter the courtyard of the fire station restaurant, a restaurant manager dressed in a tailcoat, resembling an old English butler, approached them with a stern expression.
"Good evening, ma'am. Good evening, sir."
The manager's tone was polite, but his demeanor and gestures exuded the arrogance of the English upper class.
Anne said, "Good evening, sir. We have a reservation."
She then provided her assistant's phone number.
"Of course, ma'am, welcome." The manager smiled coldly, his chin slightly raised. "But I'm sorry, this gentleman's attire does not meet our restaurant's dress code."
Gu Ran looked down at his Southampton school emblem-emblazoned sports jacket.
It definitely wasn't formal wear.
In most high-end Western restaurants abroad, there is a dress code. Even if you're not wearing a suit, you at least need to wear dress pants, leather shoes, and a shirt.
Is this civilization?
No, Gu Ran didn't think so.
When European workers first went on strike, they had never done so before and didn't know how to strike. So, they imitated the upper class by spending money on a suit and tie, then took to the streets.
From then on, Europeans developed a habit—even eating a meal required wearing a suit.
In China, those who wear tank tops and flip-flops are the real wealthy people—they wear whatever they want.
Gu Ran frowned slightly, "I came in a hurry today. Can you make an exception?"
The manager's lips curled into a cold smirk, "I'm sorry, sir. I completely understand your eagerness to dine at our restaurant, but we are a Michelin one-star restaurant. Our head chef is the star Michelin chef Nuno Mendes. You might have seen his late-night food show on London TV. We often have celebrities dining here, and your attire would lower the standard of our restaurant and ruin the mood of our other guests. So, I suggest you go change into formal attire first, then come back to dine—we will hold your reservation for... 15 minutes."
Damn...
Are you discriminating against me?
Even if you're a Michelin one-star, so what? Even if you were a Michelin three-star, so what?
Gu Ran's gaze immediately turned cold.
Beside him, Anne couldn't help but protest, "What? Only 15 minutes? That's so unfair! Even if we went to a men's clothing store to buy a suit and change, we wouldn't make it back in time!"
The manager's lips curled into a cold smile, "We deeply apologize for the inconvenience, but this is our restaurant's policy. If you feel uncomfortable, you are free to leave."
"You!" Anne trembled with anger.
She had wanted to use this opportunity to treat Gu Ran to a meal as a way to express her gratitude, but she never expected to encounter such discriminatory treatment!
It was simply because Gu Ran was Asian and wearing a sports jacket from an unknown school that the manager acted this way!
If the Western restaurant had a strict dress code, then buying a suit would be fine, but only holding the reservation for 15 minutes? This wasn't just about the dress code anymore!
Anne grabbed the brim of her sun hat, ready to take it off and reveal her identity to demand justice for Gu Ran!
But Gu Ran grabbed Anne's fair wrist and said with a calm smile, "No need, Anne."
Anne was still furious, "Gu, I won't allow them to treat you like this!"
Gu Ran smiled, "Then let me reason with them."
Anne worriedly asked, "Gu, can you really reason with them?"
Gu Ran didn't respond. Instead, he calmly opened his sports backpack and pulled out a thick stack of pound notes.
Each note was worth 50 pounds.
The stack contained at least a hundred bills!
Anne was utterly shocked.
She knew Gu Ran had money, but she didn't expect him to be this wealthy, casually pulling out 5,000 pounds from his sports bag.
Gu Ran began slicing the bills like a chef cutting noodles, slapping them one by one onto the arrogant manager's face, "Can I eat here? Can I? Can I?"
The pound notes fluttered like snowflakes onto the manager's old face, and the manager trembled with anger, "Sir, you are insulting me!"
"Yeah, I am insulting you."
After finishing one stack, Gu Ran pulled out another and continued slapping the manager's face.
So ruthless, so brutal, so direct!
The surrounding guests and passersby were all stunned by Gu Ran's actions!
A few passersby even took out their phones to secretly film the scene—after all, it's not every day you see someone slapping another person's face with money.
After finishing the second stack, Gu Ran started on the third, "Can I? Can I? I'm asking you, can I?"
The once-arrogant manager was now trembling.
This was already 15,000 pounds!
Although it was incredibly insulting... it was also a lot of money!
The manager gasped heavily, "Sir, please don't do this. I'm not after the money. We are truly an upscale restaurant... How about you go buy a suit and come back? I'll hold your reservation."
The arrogant manager was already starting to back down!
Gu Ran sneered, "I thought you were made of tougher stuff!"
With that, Gu Ran pulled out a fourth stack of bills and continued slapping the manager's face, "I want to go in now!"
The manager's feet were practically buried under the pound notes!
This was a solid 20,000 pounds!
Someone who could casually pull out 20,000 pounds to play around with couldn't possibly be an ordinary person!
The manager's arrogant expression vanished instantly, and his attitude did a complete 180, "Sir! Sir, it's clear that you are an extraordinary upper-class gentleman! I was terribly rude earlier, and I deeply apologize."
The manager bowed repeatedly to Gu Ran!
...Money really does talk!
Gu Ran sneered, "So, can I go in now?"
The manager nodded and bowed, "Yes, yes, yes! Of course! Our restaurant will provide you with the most professional service, ensuring that you and your girlfriend enjoy a first-class experience."
Earning 20,000 pounds in one go, the manager was ecstatic, practically ready to worship Gu Ran as a foreign god of wealth!
Gu Ran chuckled coldly, "If only you had this attitude earlier. Alright, pick up the money for me first. I'll see if your first-class service is good enough, then decide whether to eat here."
What...
The manager was completely dumbfounded.
"Sir, I thought... this money was for me."
Gu Ran frowned, "Did I say it was for you? I just wanted to show you how much money I have. Now you've seen it, right?"
The manager opened his mouth and said with difficulty, "Y-yes, I've seen it."
Gu Ran said coldly, "Now pick it up and give it back to me. And let me tell you, if even one bill is missing, I'll consider your restaurant disreputable!"
Who's the disreputable one here!
The manager trembled with anger!
He had been slapped in the face with pound notes, only to have to return them!
This... this is too much!
And with so many people watching, the face of the English upper class was completely lost!
The manager wanted to kick Gu Ran out.
But he really didn't dare.
Gu Ran said coldly, "What? Just now you said I was an extraordinary upper-class gentleman and promised me first-class service. Are you saying you only care about money?"
"No, no," the manager's face turned red, "Sir, you've misunderstood. We're not that kind of people! We... we'll pick up the money for you now."
The manager bent down and began picking up the bills one by one.
Gu Ran looked down coldly at this once-arrogant man, feeling a surge of satisfaction!
Anne clung tightly to Gu Ran's arm, almost squealing with excitement.
So, this was Gu Ran's way of "reasoning"!
This kind of reasoning was so domineering, so wild, and it was a direct slap in the face!
And the most brilliant part wasn't just slapping someone's face with money—it was making them pick up the money and return it afterward!
...Ahhh!
Gu Ran, why are you so bad!
So bad that it makes me want to pin him to the ground!
Every pore of Gu Ran's body exuded a strong, masculine charm!
Anne felt like she was about to lose control...
*Ding~*
The manager dropped a blue bubble.
Gu Ran didn't even bother to glance at it.
The last pickup opportunity wasn't meant for someone like him.
"Sir, I've picked everything up. Please count it." The manager forced a smile as he handed over the thick stack of pound notes.
Now it was Gu Ran's turn to be arrogant. He didn't even take the money, simply opening his backpack, "Too lazy to count. If some is missing, so be it. The British Museum has stolen far more than the little money I'm missing. Why should I care? Just put it in."
The manager was on the verge of losing his mind but didn't dare to lash out!
"Sir, maybe you should count it!"
"I said no need!" Gu Ran frowned, then reached out to wrap his arm around Anne's soft waist, "Anne, it's getting late. Since the service here is decent, let's just eat here."
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Anne was being extremely obedient, her body leaning into Gu Ran's embrace.
So satisfying...
Gu Ran walked in with his head held high!
The manager was on the verge of tears.
As Gu Ran and Anne walked halfway through, Gu Ran suddenly stopped and turned to the manager behind him, "Oh, by the way, I preferred your earlier arrogant attitude."
The manager almost fainted on the spot.
Under the guidance of a waiter, Gu Ran and Anne passed through the glass-domed courtyard and entered the more serene and柔和 (soft) interior of the restaurant.
The two found a quiet corner and sat down.
Anne asked nervously, "Gu, do you think this place is okay?"
Gu Ran smiled, "The ambiance is nice."
The waiter proudly said, "Sir, ma'am, we are a renowned Michelin one-star restaurant. We often have celebrities dining here, such as David Beckham and Jennifer Lawrence."
Hearing David Beckham's name, Gu Ran immediately perked up.
He still had one free pickup opportunity today. If he could run into Beckham here, that would be perfect!
Although, since their last encounter, Beckham probably wouldn't recognize him...
And when Anne heard Jennifer Lawrence's name, she felt a bit annoyed, "Ugh, I had my assistant book this restaurant, but all the Michelin three-star restaurants in London were fully booked. If I had known Jennifer also dined here, I would have... Oh well, I guess we'll just have to make do with this one-star restaurant."
The waiter's lips twitched: ...Who do you think you are? Anne Hathaway?
Gu Ran smiled, "Anne, you order."
"Okay."
Anne took the menu and quickly scanned it, "For appetizers, we'll have the seaweed crisps. For the starter, baked Hokkaido scallops. For the salad, lime strawberry avocado. For the soup, abalone bamboo shoot clear soup. For the side dish, roasted mushrooms, onsen egg, and black truffle. For the main course... charcoal-grilled American purebred Black Angus beef. For dessert, Italian parfait."
Formal Western dining has its own set of rules.
Appetizers, starters, salads, soups, side dishes, main courses, and desserts—the order cannot be messed up.
Whether Western food tastes good or not is another matter, but the pretentiousness is definitely top-notch.
After Anne finished ordering, she handed the menu to Gu Ran.
Gu Ran took it and glanced at it—no pictures, just a line of fancy English script, and no prices listed.
...Europeans have only been well-fed for about 400 years, but they sure know how to be pretentious.
After scanning the menu, Gu Ran tossed it aside, "For appetizers, beef tartare with caviar. For the starter, foie gras with mango and nuts. For the salad... ugh, why is there even a salad? Let's have sugar-coated tomatoes."
The waiter said awkwardly, "Sorry, we don't have that dish."
Gu Ran said, "It's simple. Just slice some tomatoes and sprinkle sugar on them. Tell your celebrity chef that if he doesn't know how to make it, I can go back there and teach him."
The waiter's lips twitched, "...Okay, sir. What else?"
Gu Ran sighed and continued, "For the soup, abalone and matsutake mushroom soup. For the side dish, lemon salmon balls and black truffle. For the main course, black pepper tomahawk steak, medium-rare. For dessert, the 'peak of life' pudding."
Although he didn't particularly enjoy the rigid structure of Western dining, as a student abroad, Gu Ran was quite experienced with it.
The waiter said respectfully, "Understood. What would you like to drink?"
Anne bit her lip and said softly, "Gu, you decide."
Gu Ran waved his hand, "I don't drink."
"Oh, then we won't have any."
Anne smiled, thinking to herself: Gu Ran is such a gentleman, not trying to get me drunk—but why do I feel a little disappointed?
The waiter took the menu and left.
Soon, the appetizers and starters were served.
The professionalism of this Michelin one-star restaurant was indeed impeccable. When Gu Ran and Anne ordered, the waiter didn't write anything down but remembered every dish accurately and knew which dish was for whom.
Gu Ran looked at the beef tartare with caviar and the foie gras with mango and nuts in front of him and was completely stunned.
He had eaten Western food before, but... such exquisite Western food was a first for him.
"Exquisite" doesn't just mean it looks good—it also means it's small.
The beef tartare with caviar was only the size of a thumb, and the caviar on top was practically counted out grain by grain.
Then there was Anne's seaweed crisps, which were even smaller than a sheet of nori.
Sigh.
There's no way this would fill anyone up.
Gu Ran frowned and popped the beef tartare into his mouth in one bite—it actually tasted pretty good. The caviar was plump, and the beef was likely tenderloin, raw, and very fresh, probably from that afternoon.
But... it was just too little.
"Sir, your sugar-coated tomatoes." The waiter brought out a large plate and placed it in front of Gu Ran.
On the plate, seven thin slices of tomato were arranged in the shape of a blooming flower, with a dusting of sugar like snow on the petals.
The tomato slices were as thin as gauze.
Gu Ran: ...
A single cherry tomato would have more substance than these slices!
Gu Ran couldn't help but ask, "Waiter, I'm curious. How much does this plate of sugar-coated tomatoes cost?"
The waiter smiled politely, "Sir, this dish isn't usually expensive, but since no other chef knows how to make it, our celebrity chef Nuno Mendes prepared it personally, so the price is slightly higher."
"How much?"
"Just 159 pounds."
Gu Ran: ...
Well, at least it's cheaper than a pair of garter stockings.
Gu Ran sighed and handed the sugar-coated tomatoes to Anne, "Anne, you eat it."
"Ah? Okay, thank you." Anne took the plate and gently picked up a paper-thin slice of tomato with her fork, placing it in her mouth.
"Wow, this is delicious! So sweet and refreshing! Gu Ran, your creation is so creative! I think you should ask that celebrity chef Nuno Mendes for a creativity fee!"
Hah, really?
Gu Ran shook his head and focused on drinking his abalone and matsutake mushroom soup—this soup was quite satisfying, with the matsutake broth being very flavorful and the abalone being large and chewy.
As he ate, Gu Ran secretly kept an eye on the guests entering the restaurant.
People who could afford to dine at a Michelin one-star restaurant where a plate of sugar-coated tomatoes cost 159 pounds were undoubtedly wealthy or influential.
Unfortunately, after watching for a while, no celebrities showed up.
Beckham and Lawrence might have dined here, but that didn't mean they came every day.
With most of the meal already eaten and only one pickup opportunity left for the day, Gu Ran considered whether to go and "pick up" something from the celebrity chef.
Celebrities were more likely to drop blue skill bubbles, but the problem was that Western cuisine was a completely different system from Chinese cuisine. Even if he picked up the celebrity chef's skills, they wouldn't be very useful in daily life.
Just as Gu Ran was pondering this, Anne suddenly tensed up, pulling her hat down and shrinking into the corner.
Gu Ran quickly asked with concern, "Anne, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Anne whispered, "A Hollywood director, screenwriter, and critic just came in to eat! He once criticized my acting, calling me 'trash among花瓶 (pretty but talentless actresses)'... I can't breathe when I see him."
Gu Ran immediately frowned, "Who is it?"
Anne said hurriedly, "Shh, Gu Ran, keep your voice down. Don't let him notice me—let's just finish eating quickly and leave."
Gu Ran held Anne's trembling, cold hand, "Don't be afraid. I'm here. Our spot is pretty hidden, and you're wearing a big sun hat. No one will recognize you as Anne Hathaway. Tell me, who is that guy?"
Anne steadied her emotions and said cautiously, "At the third table by the entrance, the man who looks about fifty, wearing a black suit, and a bit overweight—that's him. His name is Rob Marshall."
Rob Marshall?
Gu Ran turned to look and indeed saw a white man with a slightly puffy face chatting and laughing with a young black man.
Just by looking at Rob Marshall's face, Gu Ran immediately recalled his memories from his past life.
This director, screenwriter, and critic was quite talented in his younger days. His代表作 (representative works) included *Chicago*, *Memoirs of a Geisha*, and the *Pirates of the Caribbean* series.
He was also openly gay—in Hollywood, having such an identity was like adding a buff to oneself.
But Marshall's biggest controversy wasn't his earlier works. It was his 2022 live-action adaptation of *The Little Mermaid*, set to release in 2023—the lead role of the little mermaid was played by a black girl.
This kind of forced diversity for the sake of political correctness was utterly ridiculous.
Even if they really wanted to cast a black girl, they could have chosen someone more attractive. Even if Halle Berry was too old, Zoe Saldana was unavailable, or Hannah John-Kamen (the villain Ghost from *Ant-Man and the Wasp*) was out of reach, they could have found someone more suitable.
But casting a girl even the black community couldn't accept was just too much.
...Hollywood's anti-intellectualism had reached a point where it was all about being "correct" rather than making sense.
Fortunately, in 2010, things weren't that bad yet.
Gu Ran was glad he had reincarnated at the end of 2022, so he wouldn't have to watch *The Little Mermaid* or the 2024 *Snow White* adaptation starring a black actress as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the evil queen.
And this Rob Marshall guy had publicly insulted my goddess!
If I hadn't run into him, fine. But since I have, I can't let this slide!
Gu Ran stood up, "Anne, wait here. I'll go stand up for you."
Anne said fearfully, "Gu, no! Please don't—"
Before she could finish, Gu Ran took off his Southampton private school jacket, left the table, and strode over to Rob Marshall's table—
At that moment, Marshall was animatedly boasting to the young black man at his table.
Without hesitation, Gu Ran swung his arm and slapped Marshall on the back of the head!
*Smack!*
Marshall was completely stunned!
(End of Chapter)