Ethan left the delivery address with the staff at HaiDiBro, and they agreed to ship the hot pot base later that day.
As for the other ingredients? He could pull those directly from Walmart's warehouse when the time came.
The hot pot base was the key—stuff like that wasn't sold in bulk, and even the packaged versions sold in stores didn't compare to what the restaurant actually used.
If it were the same, nobody would bother eating out.
After his meal, Ethan was on his way home when he received a call from the manager of the five-star hotel.
"Mr. Cross, the 500 banquet tables you ordered are ready for delivery. Would now be a good time?"
"Sure. Send them over."
Back home, Ethan waited for the food and drinks to arrive.
Five hundred full-course banquet meals—enough to last him two, maybe even three years.
With nearly a million dollars still in hand, he wasn't worried about spending.If anything, he was worried about not spending fast enough.
As he drove, Ethan thought about all the other things he liked to eat.
He ended up placing more orders—this time with every major restaurant in Oceanview City.
He ordered 100 banquet sets from each:Eight regional cuisines. Western food.Thousands of meals in total.
He had officially pre-purchased a lifetime's worth of gourmet dining.
Soon, the delivery trucks from the Providence Grand Hotel pulled up to his neighborhood.
Dozens of them.
They blocked the entire street, attracting the attention of half the neighborhood.
The security guard at the gate, Mr. Yule, rushed forward to stop them.
"What's going on here?"
The manager explained, but Mr. Yule insisted the resident had to come down in person.
No way he was letting in that many trucks without confirmation.
The manager called Ethan.
He came downstairs, walking calmly to the gate.
By then, the entrance was surrounded by curious neighbors—And among them were Rachel Whitmore and Ashley Monroe, watching closely.
"Mr. Yule," Ethan smiled, "they're here to deliver food. Let them in."
Mr. Yule blinked."Food? You ordered all this?"
The crowd around them buzzed.
"Holy crap, that's gotta be hundreds of banquet sets!"
"Is he throwing a wedding or something?"
"Five-star hotel catering? Must've spent a fortune!"
"Wait, that's Providence Grand! Each table is what—$500, $600?"
"Damn… Ethan's been hiding some serious wealth!"
Their eyes burned with curiosity and newfound respect.
Rachel bit her lip, her determination to land Ethan growing stronger than ever.
She walked up to him, smiling sweetly."So… what's all this for? Stocking up for a party?"
Ethan ignored her and handed Mr. Yule a cigarette.
With the resident's confirmation, Mr. Yule opened the gate.
The delivery fleet rolled in.
Rachel didn't let up.
She stayed beside Ethan, chatting like they were old friends.
"You know, we're close, right? You can tell me anything.""I'd love to know you better. Don't treat me like a stranger."
Ethan glanced at her and smirked.
"These aren't for me. My boss ordered them. I'm just managing the deliveries."
"Even the dinner at the restaurant? That was on his dime."
Rachel's smile froze.
"You're… not joking?"
Ethan shrugged."Come on, Rachel. You've known me for years. You know my situation."
"My parents are gone. I'm just a warehouse supervisor. You think I could afford all this?"
Her expression twisted slightly.
It all made sense now.No rich family. No business empire. Just a normal guy with a bit of inheritance.
She quietly took a step back and flipped her hair, forcing a polite smile.
"Well, rich or not, we're still friends, right? I'm not some shallow girl."
She emphasized the word "friends."
Classic green tea behavior—never cut the leash, always keep a backup.
Ethan didn't even respond.
Meanwhile, the hotel staff began unloading the food.
Ethan had already arranged with the property manager to use one of the underground storage rooms in the complex.
Each banquet meal was carefully packed, so even 500 sets didn't take up too much space.
The food was premium:Abalone. Sea cucumber. Lobster. Truffle. Caviar.
Even the hotel manager was stunned—he'd never seen an order this massive.
Ethan waved them on.
"Just stack it all in there."
As the workers came and went, Ethan waited.
Once they were gone, he quietly absorbed everything into his spatial dimension.
No one suspected a thing.
The neighbors?Too busy gossiping.The staff?Too tired to care.
Soon, every single meal—gone into storage.
That evening, Ethan got a call from Connor West at Ironshield Security.
They were ready.
The construction crew could come anytime.
Ethan told him to begin tomorrow.
He would move into a hotel in the meantime.
Before hanging up, he hesitated—then brought up a final request.
The special one.
"By the way, about that thing we talked about…"
Connor paused, then lowered his voice.
"If you're serious, I might know someone. But it won't be cheap."
Ethan smiled.
"Money's not a problem—as long as the quality's guaranteed."
"Understood," Connor said. "I'll set it up. You'll hear from me in three days."