However, the lobby manager ignored the crowd. Instead, he respectfully addressed Fang Chenyi, "Sir, if I'm not mistaken, this is Moutai, isn't it?"
'Huh. Moutai? That rag-picker actually has a bottle of Moutai? It has to be fake.'
'So what if it's Moutai? You say that like nobody here can afford it.'
'Right. Forget whether the Moutai is real or fake, just look at the box. I've never seen one like it. It's so flashy, it's obviously not one of the famous knock-offs.'
Fang Chenyi ignored the chattering crowd, instead watching the well-dressed man in front of him with great interest.
"It is indeed Moutai. And?"
Seeing that Fang Chenyi had paused in his attempt to put the box away, the manager quickly and cautiously asked, "Sir, may I take a closer look at this bottle?"
Fang Chenyi gave an indifferent shrug, gesturing for the manager to do as he pleased. With Fang Chenyi's approval, the lobby manager carefully lifted the box, as if cradling a priceless treasure.
What many didn't know was that this lobby manager had actually graduated with a degree in wine tasting. So, while he hadn't necessarily tasted all sorts of fine liquors, he had studied up on them.
As he carefully took the box in his hands, a look of pure ecstasy spread across the manager's face. He began to murmur, "I knew it, I knew it. This is undoubtedly authentic."
Hearing the lobby manager's quiet muttering and seeing his utterly gobsmacked expression, the surrounding diners grew curious, and some even started asking questions.
"Hey, Manager Wu, what kind of fine liquor is that? You look so worked up."
"Yeah, tell us about it. Does this liquor have some special story or something?"
"What story? I think the young rag-picker just got on Manager Wu's nerves. Haha."
"Heh, you've got a point there, buddy. How about this: let's make a bet. If that liquor is worth more than a thousand yuan, I'll eat the whole bottle right here, glass and all!"
Another wave of chatter from the crowd pulled Manager Wu out of his wholehearted admiration of the exquisite box. His brow furrowed, especially when he heard the comment about it being worth less than a thousand yuan. He nearly fired back a retort, but as a professional manager, his training wouldn't allow it.
Of course, while he couldn't fire back, he didn't mind educating this group of bumpkins on the bottle's true value. But before doing so, he first had to get the owner's permission.
So, he once again bowed slightly to Fang Chenyi, who was watching him with a faint smile, and asked softly, "Sir, would you mind if I told everyone about this bottle's origins?"
Of course Fang Chenyi didn't mind. To be blunt, he also wanted to know what was so special about this bottle. He shrugged again, showing the manager that he had no objections.
Having received Fang Chenyi's approval, the lobby manager stood up straight. He then turned to the crowd, clutching the exquisite box tightly. He cleared his throat before beginning his explanation.
"AHEM. First, allow me to introduce myself. Not my name or title, mind you. I just want to say that I graduated from the world's most prestigious program: the Wine-Tasting and Bullshitting major at Home University."
The moment he said this, the entire room was stunned. My goodness, who would have thought this humble manager possessed such a lofty degree? After all, everyone knows that the Wine-Tasting and Bullshitting major at Home University is the cradle of the world's greatest sommeliers.
No one who graduates from there is a nobody. It was just a mystery why Manager Wu, with such an esteemed education, would return here to be a mere lobby manager.
Manager Wu himself answered the crowd's unspoken question a moment later:
"Heh, perhaps you're all wondering why a graduate of the Wine-Tasting and Bullshitting major at Home University would return to a hotel in a city like this. Well, to tell you the truth, this hotel belongs to my family."
'No wonder. So this is his family's hotel. That explains everything.'
Once the crowd settled down, Manager Wu spoke again. "Alright, everyone. The reason I told you all that wasn't to show off. It was to prove that what I'm about to say... well, it's not bullshit."
After he finished, Manager Wu turned to Fang Chenyi and gave him a slight nod before turning back to the crowd. "I am truly honored to see this bottle in person today. Now, I'm sure you're all very curious about what kind of liquor it is."
He paused for dramatic effect. Once he had everyone hanging on his words, Manager Wu continued with a grin, "This is a bottle of Moutai."
PFFT—
Fang Chenyi, who had just lifted a glass of water for a sip, couldn't help himself and spat it all out. As luck would have it, the spray went directly onto Bai Menghan, who was sitting across from him.
Fang Chenyi panicked. He grabbed a nearby handkerchief and started to wipe Bai Menghan down, but he froze after a single swipe. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly shoved the handkerchief into Bai Menghan's hand with a sheepish grin.
"Uh... You know what? You should probably wipe it yourself..."
Fang Chenyi wasn't the only one with such a reaction. The people in the hall waiting for Manager Wu's big reveal nearly choked on their food. 'Damn it, isn't that just stating the obvious? We don't need you to tell us it's Moutai. It's written right on the bottle, anyone can see that...'
Seeing that he'd gotten the reaction he'd hoped for, Manager Wu chuckled and continued.
"Haha, let me finish, everyone. Yes, this is Moutai, but it's no ordinary Moutai. To be precise, this bottle is called the limited edition Emperor Moutai! Only ten bottles exist in the entire country! Now, many of you are probably asking, what's Emperor Moutai?"
"Let me give you a simple example. Emperor Moutai is one of our nation's top ten most famous liquors. At an auction in 2012, a single bottle of 1992 Emperor Moutai—the exact same kind as the one I'm holding—was sold for the sky-high price of 8.9 million, setting a new record for liquor sales in our country."
BOOM!
The announcement was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples throughout the room. When the price of 8.9 million was mentioned, every diner in the hall—including Bai Menghan, who was still blushing and wiping down the front of her shirt—was completely stunned. After a moment of dead silence, the entire hall erupted into a furious clamor.
At the same time, every single gaze in the room fell on Fang Chenyi, who was casually sipping his water.
But what no one noticed was that after Manager Wu announced the price, Fang Chenyi's hand, the one holding the water glass, also gave an involuntary tremble. 'Holy shit,' he thought to himself. 'If I'd known it was that expensive, I wouldn't have brought it out to drink...'
[To be continued...]
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