Chapter 418 - 414: Braised Shirako

The manager’s eyes widened in surprise. "An occasion like that certainly deserves a proper celebration. In fact, we’re hosting several other guests for their college acceptance parties today."

Ethan Sterling smiled. "Manager Langley, this is our first time here, so we’ll be counting on you to handle the arrangements."

"Not a problem. You can leave it all to me."

Manager Langley was clearly a seasoned professional with an exhaustive knowledge of all of Aetherium’s VIP services. He rattled off a plan almost without thinking. "It’s prime lunchtime, so how about you start by picking a restaurant? After your meal, you can head up to the rotating rooftop terrace for some coffee and a chat. Then, this afternoon, you can enjoy our high-end spa treatments, essential oil massages, and indoor hot springs. After that, the young lady can get her hair and nails done while the gentlemen head to the game room. It’s equipped with all sorts of entertainment, like 3D competitive games, billiards, and arcade machines. Alternatively, you could go to the outdoor pool for a swim and take some pictures. By then, it’ll be about time for dinner. And after dinner, you can pick a movie in the media room and watch it while sipping cocktails. How does that sound?"

As Manager Langley spoke, the expressions on the group’s faces shifted with every word.

The more they heard, the more excited and eager they became.

’There are so many things to do here at Aetherium?’

’Food, drinks, fun... It has everything!’

Ethan Sterling glanced at Renee Reid and Jameson Stone, seeking their opinion. They, of course, had no objections and nodded eagerly.

Seeing this, Manager Langley asked with a smile, "So, what type of cuisine would you all like for lunch?"

"Let’s do Chinese. My sister told me the Chinese restaurant here is exceptional—all the chefs are top-tier masters in their field."

"Excellent. Right this way, please."

The group followed Manager Langley into an elevator, and he pressed the button for the sixteenth floor: the Aetherium Chinese Restaurant.

"All of our private dining rooms were booked out for today, but we happen to have two left for the lunch slot. We’ve been getting a lot of college acceptance parties lately."

Manager Langley explained as he led the way, then pushed open the door to one of the rooms.

A massive private room decorated in a modern Chinese style opened up before them. Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of Lorcain’s bustling cityscape. Renee Reid’s eyes went wide in shock. The room itself was divided into two sections: one side was a lounge with a sofa, where an exquisite tea set rested on the coffee table.

The other side was the dining area, dominated by a large round table several meters in diameter. The private room alone was bigger than her entire home.

They felt awkward with every step they took inside. When they went to sit, a server immediately pulled out their chairs for them—a detail that perfectly matched the establishment’s luxurious image.

But once the three of them were seated in different spots around the table, they felt like they were staring at each other from across a great distance. With only three people, the space felt particularly vast and empty.

"Ethan, this table is way too big," Jameson Stone said, clearly uncomfortable. "Why don’t we just sit in the main hall? It’s hard to even talk like this." To be honest, it was the first time in his life he had ever been to such a fancy restaurant, and every part of him felt stiff and awkward.

Renee Reid felt the same way, her own expression frozen and completely unnatural.

Even Ethan himself was taken aback by the room’s extravagance. Looking around, the sight of just the three of them at the massive table seemed incredibly over-the-top.

"Manager Langley, do you have a smaller table? This one is just too big for us."

Manager Langley replied, "The other two available private rooms are the same size. The smaller tables are in the main dining hall, but they offer less privacy."

"That’s fine! The main hall is perfect!" Jameson Stone said hurriedly. "We don’t have any secrets, so we don’t need privacy."

Ethan didn’t want his friends to be uncomfortable. The whole point of coming here was to have a good time, so they should do whatever felt right.

"The main hall it is, then. Just find us a table with a good view."

Manager Langley nodded. "Of course, not a problem."

Soon, the group was moved to a perfect table for four by a window in the main hall.

"Now this is more like it. Face to face," Jameson Stone said, his body instantly relaxing.

Renee Reid’s expression also softened. She chuckled and whispered, "That last room could have probably seated thirty people. The three of us sitting there looked like we were in a three-way standoff. It was so comical."

Ethan laughed sheepishly. "It’s my first time here too, so I’m just as clueless. Let’s order. Get whatever you want, seriously, don’t hold back."

Jameson eagerly took the menu. "Well, since you said so, I won’t stand on ceremony! I’ve had plenty of your mom’s amazing cooking over the past two months using tutoring as an excuse."

He flipped open the menu with confidence, only to be dumbfounded after turning a couple of pages.

He had assumed that the dishes Ethan’s mother made—things like fish maw chicken soup, sea cucumber, and abalone—were the pinnacle of high-end cuisine.

But he had never eaten, or in some cases even heard of, the items on this menu.

’Shirako?’

’What the heck is that?’

’Ganba fungus?’

’What’s this now?’

’And "white truffle"? He’d only ever heard of black truffle!’

’Besides, isn’t this a Chinese restaurant? Aren’t truffles used in Western cooking?’

"Renee, you order."

Masking his awkwardness, Jameson slyly passed the menu to Renee.

Renee took it and flipped through a few pages, her brows knitting together. "I haven’t had any of these either. What’s ’shirako’?"

Manager Langley explained matter-of-factly, "It’s pufferfish milt."

The three were rendered speechless.

Startled, Renee quickly shoved the menu at Ethan. "You order!"

’I was afraid I’d accidentally order something truly outrageous. Do rich people have some kind of bizarre food fetish?’

Seeing their reaction, Manager Langley made a point to explain, "Shirako is actually very nutritious. It has a light, sweet flavor and a silky-smooth texture. It’s worth a try!"

All three of them vigorously shook their heads in unison.

Manager Langley could only nod, stifling a laugh.

In the end, after being passed between all three of them, the menu ended up right back in Manager Langley’s hands.

"Manager Langley," Ethan said, "since this is our first time, could you just pick a few of your specialty dishes for us? We all like spicy food!"

"Certainly. I’ll take care of it. Are there any dietary restrictions?"

The three chorused, "No shirako!"

Manager Langley paused for a second, then finally broke into a laugh. "Understood."

Ethan and his friends burst out laughing as well.

Once Manager Langley had left, Renee wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye and looked at Ethan. "You’ve never had any of those dishes on the menu either, have you?"

Ethan shook his head and admitted, "Nope. I told you guys, my family only became well-off in the last couple of years. We were just a normal family before that."

Jameson said, "Well, that’s perfect. We can all try something new together today. Thanks, Ethan. We owe this experience to you."

Just then, Cecilia Sterling happened to be walking in their direction, chatting and laughing with a friend, when she spotted her younger brother and his two classmates at a glance.

"Ethan?"